Crochet owls

Aren't these cute?! They are from leftover balls of knitting yarn and scraps of felt.  The pattern is from a magazine that's out now called Craftseller.  Apart from being in charge of blanket stitching around their little eyes, I can't claim any credit for these! I can't crochet to save my life but having said that, I've never tried to learn either!  My friend is self taught with the aid of YouTube video's on crochet!  These little fella's take about an hour to crochet.  We think just changing the wool, makes them all look quite different from each other - as if they've got different personalities!  Awwwwww!



Unlikely friends! Hippo, Elephant, Snail, Dinosaur & Seahorses!

 

We decided we wanted to make some Misfits of our own. So one day last week we sat down with paper and pencil, and came up with these random array of animals. It was such a sense of achievement designing and making them from scratch. They are of course, made from t-shirts and such like, so apart from the stuffing they don't cost anything to make.

 

 The worst one? We think it's the snail. You can tell it's meant to be a snail (least we hope you can!) but it doesn't look quite right, especially from the back. We think the only way round it, would be to make the snail in one piece, rather than a separate body and separate shell as we did here.

 As for the best one? We can't decide! Though secretly, we do both like the seahorses!

We used the same template for both of these seahorses. The reason one is larger than the other is totally down to the materials used. The sandy coloured one is made from a satin strappy vest and so it has no 'give' in it. The aqua coloured one is a very stretchy strappy vest, hence it ended up bigger! So yes, these are fully recycled from my friends clothes - again!

WOOF dog lead holder

My friend and I are doggy people as it were! Between us we have 5 dogs, 3 of which do dog agility. The only reason the other 2 don't do it, is because one is too old and the other is too young at just 6 months old. Soon there is to be a new kid on the block too, so we'll be up to 6 dogs between us then - nice even number!

Anyway, point is, we have lots (and I mean LOTS!) of dog leads - different colours, different styles etc. We always seem to be able to justify why we need another one! We guess there's worse things to spend our money on and get addicted to! So we needed somewhere to hang said overflow of leads! We came across this 'self-assembly style' of laser cut bone shape and lettering. You could pick any wording up to 5 letters long. We went with WOOF coz it was a general word - as opposed to a dogs name or anything.

They arrived really quickly and we set about transforming them. We used acrylic white paint all over and drew the paw prints on it with a brown permanent marker pen and a paw print stencil (which we made using a paw print punched out of vellum).

We used all-purpose glue to stick the lettering on with. Attaching the dowel pegs was a little tricky. They were meant to just fit in the recessed holes and be screwed in from the back. Although this worked, the pegs were still a little too wobbly for our liking! Aryldite glue, longer screws and some washers later - sorted! All that remained then was to give it a good coat of varnish. As these are for indoor use, I thought I'd use my quick drying varnish - mainly because it doesn't have a yellow tint (like the old polyurethane varnish). But unfortunately, when applied it just seemed to make the marker pen paw prints...not so permanent! So we quickly gave up on that varnish. This one has been done with a gloss polyurethane varnish. 

Next stage is mounting it on the wall! I have to leave that part of it and ask for help. Last time I tried to drill into the wall, it was like someone had taken to the wall with a semi-automatic rifle!

Crochet giraffe

I can't crochet at all, so I utterly admire my friend for making this - a giraffe! Especially when, she doesn't really know how to crochet either! She literally decided she really wanted to make him, so she set about learning to crochet, line by line and using You Tube etc to watch video's on how to crochet each type of stitch! Am in awe of her perseverance skills! She had a slight bit of problem with tension and I know she crocheted quite a few extra horns and legs trying to get two that were the same! Was like a body part factory - limbs everywhere!

He's made entirely from scraps of leftover wool that I had stored upstairs from previous projects, so he's a great stash buster and so makes him all the more satisfying as he was free!

But here he is in all his assembled glory! What's not to like! In fact I think he's so cute, I've asked if perhaps she could make a similar one, from blue and grey and turn him into a donkey! She likes a challenge, so watch this space!

Crochet row counter

 How's about this for an idea then? Works on the same principle as the old abacus! And no, I'm not that old - we did have calculators when I was at school!

Basically, there are 9 beads on the pink strand, representing numbers 1 to 9. There are 9 beads on the purple strand, each bead representing 10. So when you're counting your rows, you move the beads up one at a time on the pink strand. When you've reached row 9, all the beads on the pink strand will be up. The next row, row 10, you move all 9 beads back down and move one bead up on the purple strand. 

In this example below, the number of rows completed is.........24. Genius isn't it! And best of all, we didn't have to buy a row counter!

Larger peg bag with chicken!

You may remember a while ago, we made a peg bag or two. Well recently, we were asked for a larger peg bag to accommodate more pegs than you can shake a stick at! How many pegs can one person need? More than our peg bags can hold, obviously! So we set about the task. Trouble was, we didn't have much time as we had promised to make one rather quickly as said persons old peg bag had died a death (probably due to overload!).

Firstly, we thought we really needed a small wooden coat hanger. That was our first problem! We didn't have a single coat hanger suitable for the job! Once we realised we had to use the same small plastic coat hangers that we already had, we had to design the peg bag around it. Out the window went the idea of just enlarging the template!

Much scratching of heads and brain storming with lots of "oh no....hmmmm......no, that wouldn't work!" moments, we came up with this new shape! We adapted the washing line design with an added chicken and a wash basket.  The letters PEGS and all the clothes are done with a zig-zag stitch. The grass is free-motioned on afterwards.  
 

 We would change the design slightly next time....if indeed there is a next time!

Best Friends Owl picture

We've been at it again! Here's another owl picture! You may remember the one we did a little while ago, that had just one owl sitting on the branch. Well now we have double trouble! 

 The words Best Friends at the bottom, are stitched with a single strand of blue x-stitch thread in back stitch. The trails of the butterfly and the bee are stitched with a running stitch in grey x-stitch thread. We find that using black can sometimes look a little harsh!

I prefer a white frame too but as this picture is for a friend of a friend, a dark wood frame suits their lounge decor apparently!

I wonder what to make next? I have a few ideas buzzing around in my head as usual! I quite fancy making an owl family tree, so watch this space!

Moo-vellous cows!

We think these little additions are moo-vellous! When we saw this sew a cow kit from Galt, we knew we just had to make one - well two to be precise - one each!

 

The instructions were quite clear, so we were hopeful they wouldn't take too long to make - wrong! About 10hrs we reckoned in total! Interestingly, the kit says it's for age 8+.......hmmm, that would be one very clever and very patient 8yr old kid! We had about three paddies between us and we're definitely older than 8!

There are a lot of curves involved. This makes for a much better finished animal but it makes sewing a little trickier! We did however this time, try tacking the curved pieces together with cotton before we tried to sew them with the sewing machine. I've always thought this would be too much effort and would waste time but I was so wrong! Tacking doesn't take long with a large running stitch and it means you can then take the pins out - saving the wrestle with the unruly porcupine later! We'll definitely be tacking anything resembling curves from now on. It doesn't take long, it makes life easier and it actually works!

The cows have movable joints and sand in their bodies, so they sit really well. We love them but we haven't given them names yet!

Puppy collars

My mum and dad have recently got two new additions to their canine family - two adorable Yorkshire terriers, a boy and a girl called Benji and Topsy. I haven't seen them but apparently they're small enough to fit in the palm of your hand - how cute! So we wanted to do something to mark their arrival! Naturally, we turned to our sewing machines and this is what we made:

 They are adjustable, so hopefully they won't just be for them as puppies, they should be large enough to fit them as adults too. The collars are only a centimetre wide, so sewing the ribbon on was a little tricky - not much room for error!

Up until now I was zig-zagging the end of the cut ends of the webbing to stop it fraying but now I've learnt how to melt the ends.  I've always been too afraid to do this - me and flames is probably a recipe for disaster I thought!  But my friend showed me how to do it and I was surprised to see that the webbing and the flame don't actually need to meet each other!  Just moving the webbing towards the flame is enough for it to melt - no need to have the fire brigade on standby!

Measuring gauge!

This is our new addition! It cost less than £2 and it has already earned it's place in the top ten list of most useful things we've bought! It might look like just another ruler but it is much more than that. It is marked with both metric and imperial measurements. The little red plastic slider moves up and down.

I used the gauge to mark a 6mm seam allowance. Once the slider is set to 6mm, you line up the edge of the red slider with the edge of the material and hey presto, it's dead easy to mark 6mm in. Often when I'm measuring things, my mind wanders and I start marking incorrectly, 6mm becomes 11mm! With this measuring gauge I definitely make less mistakes.

It's says you can also draw circles and scallops with it, by placing a pin in one of the holes in the red plastic slider, then putting a pencil in the hole in the metal gauge and basically using it like a compass. I haven't tried this yet but I like the theory!

It also has a point on one end, so it can be used as a point turner too.

What's not to like!

Sewing machine noises!

My machine has been making strange noises and I think I've figured out the culprits!

Thudding noise! Turns out the needle was a little blunt! It still seemed to sew quite happily but was thudding every time the needle went in. I have read various articles about how often to change your needle. Some say after a bobbins worth. Some say at the start of every new project. Some say after so many hours of sewing. Well, truth be told, I am a Northerner at heart, so think I felt the idea of chucking the needle away unless it was either snapped or bent out of all recognition, was a little rash! Turns out the machine ain't too happy sewing with a blunt needle! Out of respect for my machine (and for my pocket!!), I changed the needle. I guess the machine was finding it harder work to push the blunt needle through the layers of fabric - common sense really!

Clanking noises! Clatter, clatter, bang bang - or summit like that! My machine was getting increasingly noisy. It sounded like something was loose or out of sync. It got gradually louder and louder over time, almost imperceptibly so. It was only when my friend brought her machine over that I had to acknowledge that it had indeed got rather loud! Not only that, the machine was messing me about rather a lot recently. Sometimes it would snag even before it had stitched a stitch. It would also often not complete a stitch - the needle would go up and down but never would the upper thread go anywhere near the lower thread! I had taken it apart and fiddled with the hook race cover, the bobbin etc to feel if anything was loose! In the end, I declared sackcloth and ashes were in order....there was no doubt about it, my machine was going to die an untimely death at any second! Boo-hoo! This can't be happening! Then a eureka moment, like a bolt out the blue....my friend declares that it probably just needs oiling! To which I scoffed and said "Oil, it can't be that!". Boy did I have to eat my words! As much as to prove that it couldn't possibly be that, I dutifully took out the oil that came with the machine and squirted it into the inner workings of the machine (supposedly following the manufacturers instructions....if only I could locate them!!). And as if by magic - yes you guessed it - my machine was brought back from the brink and ran as smooth as a baby's bum!

Gosh how I ever manage to sew anything at all is nothing short of a miracle! My poor machine is operated by a rookie! Luckily so far, I haven't actually managed to kill it completely, just made it struggle for a while!

Bird trail messenger bag

Apparently, the process of childbirth is so painful it leads many women to say 'never again' and yet, a year or two down the line they are pregnant with their next child. Well, you may be wondering why I'm talking about childbirth?!! Well, we've just made this bag and it was so painful....we declared 'never again'! How it's turned out half decent we don't know. 

Essentially, you make a bag made out of the outer fabric and a bag out of the lining fabric. Then slot one inside the other, stitch around the edges and then turn the right way and top stitch - job done! Sounds simple.....if only! The major problems are, firstly, lack of experience, then rounded corners, then seam allowance accuracy!

The gusset has to be attached to both the front and back pieces. So in total, we had to sew four curves for the outer bag and four for the inner. I think I'd lost the plot at about....let me see....curve number one! The two pieces were pinned together really well but it was like handling an unruly porcupine with attitude! I must've stabbed myself a zillion times with the pins and was trying my best not to bleed onto the cream materials. Easing the curves together was difficult but even more difficult was trying to stick to a 1cm seam allowance. And there in lies the problem when you try and put one bag inside the other. If you're slightly out a few millimetres here and there, these add up and mean that the two don't fit. When you try to sew them together, the seams don't want to match and you end up with a little pucker here and there. At one point we were so bamboozled and after much scratching of heads, we decided the only medicine was a strong cafetiere coffee and chocolate!

And just in case you're wondering....here's the inside with it's very own matching pocket!

The owl and the elephant crossbreed!

What do you get if you cross an owl with an elephant? You get these! Our very own ellie-twits! 

Yes they are meant to be owls but I reckon the one on the left in particular, does a very good impression of trying to be an elephant! I think in life, we all have times where we wonder who we actually are. We hang around with our friends so much that there becomes less distinction between 'me' and 'you', as everything becomes 'us' and 'we'. Well, no prizes for guessing who these owls hang around with! Hence, the new generation of the aptly named: Ellie-twit misfits!

Furry friends forever - bear and beaver

Two more creations from the Misfits book. 

These fury friends use oddments that we found in Sew n So's bargain bucket. Sadly the oddments weren't large enough to follow the actual pattern. So I improvised! Only the front's of the heads are furry, the reverse is brown fleece. Also, I scaled down the overall size of the beaver, so I could get his head from the oddment of fur I had. The bears body is made from an old t-shirt and i just loved the print on it - it was far too lovely to not utilise it. It's even got some little diamante-like gems on it. We've called the bear Beatrice and the beaver, Buster! Oh such fun!

Owl keyrings

Twit-twoo! We appliqued these little owls onto material, then turned them into little padded keyrings. They were a little fiddly to say the least but not bad for a first attempt. The yellow cotton I used for the beak and the little feet is, we think, too light in colour. We also think the owls look better in the solid colours. As they are so small anyway, the pattern on the material, though small, seems to drown them!

Peg bags - pink and red

You may remember a while ago, we made this peg bag with an overall blue theme. So we thought we'd make a red one and a pink one! Pure indulgence!

The clothes are zig-zagged on but the letters are sewn on using free-motion. The reason we didn't zig-zag the letters is because I thought the letters were too fiddly and that by zig-zagging them, they'd lose their definition. I can now confirm this wouldn't have been the case! After completing these peg bags we chopped out the letter 'E' and just had a go. It looked quite passable! But as you can see I used a tighter zig-zag (satin stitch) on this letter than I did on the clothes on the peg bags, and we think it looks much better. So I made sure I wrote down the settings on the sewing machine onto the actual template, so hopefully if we make another one I might have half a chance of getting the next one right!

Zippy purses!

 

These are our creations from two of our fresh materials from Pauline's Patchwork. The materials are so nice, we find it difficult to cut them up! But we were feeling brave and thought, what's the point of having such lovely material if you just keep it in a drawer!

To give you an idea of size, these purses take a 4 inch zip. All the material is interfaced. The insides of the purse are plain colours, in this case, solid pink and solid green. Beautiful as they are, we thought they were lacking something - hmmmmm? Then we came up with the idea of the ribbon zip pull, with added flower shaped button and two co-ordinating beads - just perfect!

We broke yet another needle! Sewing over the zip at each end is like trying to defy the laws of physics! Solid thin needle meets a solid wall of zip teeth....SNAP!

Owl on a branch picture

I haven't made a picture in ages, so I really chuffed when we sat down a few days ago to draw a picture of a branch with an owl sat on it! It's rather like play school to me! Pencil, paper and a very large eraser!

One thing I have learnt from previous excursions into the 'design a picture' lark is to make the picture to fit a certain size frame. If you don't give this any thought from the beginning, you end up with a picture that doesn't fit well into a standard frame. We've spent too many hours wandering around trying to find a frame or a mount to fit a square picture!

We drew the picture onto paper. Then we cut out the individual templates from vellum: we find vellum is thicker and stiffer than tracing paper, so it's much better for drawing round. Then we cut the pieces out of fabric that we've backed with (a cheaper version of) Bondaweb - remembering to reverse all the pieces so they'll be the right way round when you assemble the pieces on your background fabric with your iron!

To make the background fabric stiffer, before I assemble anything, I back it with interfacing. This also has the added benefit that if you do carry thread across the back, it won't be seen from the front. As some of the picture is free-motioned, the extra stiffness helps when you put the material into an embroidery hoop too.
 

The trails of the bee and the butterfly are hand stitched with two strands of dark grey cotton - they're not quite flowing enough!

Another point of note: If you're sewing in the wee small hours and you're reaching for a dark brown cotton? Make sure it's dark brown and not black! Luckily, I don't think the mistake makes too much odds on the branch; it almost makes it look like a shadow or even 3D! (It's amazing how we can reason our mistakes into something positive, especially if we don't feel up to unpicking it!)

The crochet hook holder - finally!

This project is long overdue! We bought a set of crochet hooks off eBay ages ago and whilst they are very useful, the plastic sleeve they came in was very basic and had one fundamental flaw! The crochet hooks weren't secured in it, so the little blighters kept mounting an escape mission! So finally, after finding all the crochet hooks emptied out at the bottom of a bag for one more time, we decided to make our very own crochet hook holder.

We decided to interface all the materials, as what we didn't want, was a floppy holder!
 

As always, we learnt a few things making this project! Firstly, before we even picked up a pair of scissors this time, we drew out a plan of what we were trying to achieve - with little diagrams with measurements on! This made a huge difference to me, being able to picture in my mind what we were aiming for!

Secondly, velcro! A few very valuable lessons learnt on this one! The crochet hook roll is secured with a velcro tab. To position the velcro, rather than use pins (which are almost impossible to get through the velcro anyway!) we draw around the velcro where we want it to be. Then I use that as a guide to sew the velcro in position. So off I went to the sewing machine and sewed around the edges of the velcro. For some strange reason I thought I'd sew around it twice to make sure it was secure enough. What I'd actually effectively done, is created a perforation all the way round! When we stuck the two velcro bits together and tried to pull them apart, they stayed together and the velcro just tore off from the material, leaving just the edges in position! Hmmm! We also wondered if this whole velcro disaster was in part due to the fact we hadn't changed back to a normal size needle from our last project - we still had a heavy duty needle in the machine which no doubt creates bigger holes when you sew!

We changed to a regular sized needle and then, we then dug out some more velcro, which was wider than the first but that was good! That would cover the mess that was left from our first attempt! So off I went to the sewing machine again. This time, when I started to sew, something wasn't right! The cotton looked like it was flapping in the wind. I checked whether I'd threaded the machine correctly etc and I had. Hmmm, what could it be? So I sewed a few more stitches slowly, then we realised all the cotton was doing is wrapping itself around the needle. Then we realised. The needle was sticky! The velcro we were using was the sticky backed one! We'd bought it from LIDL's ages ago and we hadn't realised it had a sticky backing. It does say on the packet that it can also be sewn but we certainly won't be using it again! So we then routed around to find some more velcro. We only had black left, so black it was! There is a black stripe in the patterned material, so we didn't think it'd look too out of place.

Talking of stripes! We also made sure when we were chopping out the materials, that all the stripes matched up. So when we placed the binding on the pocket and the top flap, we made sure all the stripes matched up with each other. This might sound basic but we feel it made a real difference to the overall appearance of the holder.
 

As for crochet? Nope we don't crochet! We use the crochet hook for everything but! We find they are invaluable for reaching those hard to get corners when turning things the right way round. We also use them for assisting in stuffing those hard to reach areas! 

Turtle-y gorgeous!

We are overrun with turtles! We think they're breeding! These are what we've been working on behind the scenes as it were. My friend over at Indianna Dreams made the small turtle pin cushion for someone in a swap and she linked back to this turtle tutorial from Craft Passion in her blog. We fell in love with it immediately and knew we just had to make them for ourselves.

These creatures were a challenge to us because we had no idea what paper piecing was. After much research, we decided to make our hexagon templates out of card, not paper. That's because they were soooo tiny, we didn't think we could cope with flimsy paper! The finished turtle shells look amazing but this definitely isn't a quick technique! In fact the turtles in total took us so long, we think we even turned into turtles in the process!

As we went along, we amended the pattern here and there! We didn't put magnets in the bottom of the large turtle's front feet. Instead we put a magnet in the middle of the upper shell of the large turtle and one in the bottom shell of the small turtle. This way the stay together but you also have a magnet to hold your pins or of course to use to find your pins! We didn't fill the back flippers with anything other than stuffing either.

Under the top shell we have made two pouches. The larger one is for a pair of scissors and has an elastic/button closure. The smaller pocket has a popper closure and we'd store buttons/eyes inside. Under the bottom shell we put the felt needle holder. We made it of two layers of felt, instead of one.

Trivet's revisited

 

We wanted to have another go at the trivet we made a few weeks ago, to see if we could improve on our first attempt. The main thing we struggled with last time was the edging. I think we were more confident this time but we still haven't figured out the perfect corner! Don't get me wrong, we managed OK corners but we just wonder if there's a knack to it that we haven't figured out yet! Answers on a postcard please!

Coasters revisited!

What do you do when you have a spare few hours in the afternoon but you don't have enough time to tackle a large project? Make something you know won't take too long and isn't very mentally taxing - and no I'm not talking about taking a NAP! Once you've made something before, the second time is easier and we find, we also then do things differently to improve on the quality of the finished item.

 With our first coasters, we noticed that the intersection of the four squares didn't end up exactly in the centre of the coaster. This was quite noticeable when we top-stitched the coaster with squares. So this time, once the layers were all assembled and pinned together ready to sew, we drew around the template on the reverse of the quilted piece to make sure the middle was in the correct place. Then of course, we used that line to stitch around. Last time we just used the magnetic seam guide placed at 1cm and just sewed. Logically of course, had we cut the pieces out exactly and sewed exactly on the seam allowance, when all the pieces were assembled, sewing exactly in 1cm should result in the perfect placed middle! But I guess we're only human and try as I might to be a robot, I simply am not.....so I have to make allowances for that! Erasable ink pens are the perfect solution!

Talking of erasable ink pens, wonderful as they are - we discovered the other day that using one on a solid colour such as brown, is not so good! When we ironed the mark off, it left a very visible line. I guess I should have figured that out. Ironing the mark doesn't make the ink evaporate, it merely turns it translucent, hence, why it is visible on dark fabrics! Note to self: use chalk for marking on dark colours.

Parrot, Mouse and a Koala!

A strange little trio there are! More animals from the Misfits book. I had trouble making all three for differing reasons! The parrots beak was way too huge and I been concentrating, I would have noticed that BEFORE I sewed it on! The next day I decided I couldn't live with it, so he underwent a little operation (not a nose job....more of a beak job!). Off came the beak, out came a lot of the stuffing and then I snipped off the excess, then re-attached what was left! He didn't seem to mind! Mind you, if you remember the Muppets show, then you'll remember Gonzo and his nose - this parrot has a Gonzo beak!

As for the mouse, well his body is quite long, probably the longest body in the book. Yet his head turned out quite small by comparison - like, really small! So I decided the mouse needed a much smaller body. Upstairs I went and ran one up on the sewing machine. I mustn't have been concentrating (again!) coz as you can see, the stripes are the wrong way round. I decided it didn't matter at the time but now, when I look at the mouse, it looks like he's got pyjama's on...hmmm.

Now of course I was left with one long gangly body and no head! So I went through the book looking for an animal with a large head - bingo - the koala! I really like the koala but I wouldn't have chosen to give him a brown stripey body but hey-ho, they are called misfits for a reason! The ears by the way on the koala, are made from a fluffy grey glove - recycling at it's best!

My new messenger bag

Have you ever bought some material, not because you need it for anything in particular, but just because you like it? Well, when we went to Fabricland last time, it was just after my birthday and so luckily, I had some birthday money to spend. We saw this flowery material. I fell in love with the colours and when I touched it and realised it was a canvas weight material, I knew I just had to have it - and at £5.99 a metre it would be rude not to, wouldn't it?!! I remember the lady at the till asked what we intended to make from it and I said "we don't know yet but I'm sure we'll find something!"

I've spent many a thought thinking about it since then! And I came upon a eureka moment! A bag! That was the easy bit! Then came the task of research! We had to research types of bag, styles, sizes, materials, handles, pockets etc. After all the research and pondering we decided that we liked the ideas on quite a few bag tutorials but non quite fitted the bill. So we set about creating a bag that would fulfil all my wishes!

 

The brown material is quite thin material compared to the patterned one, so we decided to interface it. The whole inside lining of the bag is brown. The outside gusset is also brown - we thought that was both decorative and practical, as that would be the bit touching the floor! Inside we made a practical pocket which we divided into two pen holders and two nice sized pockets. We used the flowery material to create a bias binding strip along the top edge of the pocket.

The cream shoulder strap took some finding. Most 40mm wide strapping was either polypropylene webbing (which is course and stiff) or herringbone tape (which is good for apron straps but too flimsy for bag handles). After much searching I sourced our strap which is a heavyweight cotton webbing. It's not cheap especially as our bag requires a fair amount of it! But this bag is for me and I wanted it to be just right. We also wanted to make the shoulder strap adjustable, so we had to source both a triglide and a D-ring to make this possible. We decided not to go with plastic ones, as we thought that would detract from the appearance of quality! 

Once we'd made the bag, we also decided to set about making one of our triangular pouches! Why? Because I keep my iPod in my bag and every time I try and fish it out, the earphone wires get tangled around my keys! Very annoying! So this was the perfect excuse to make a little one of our triangular pouches, with a zip and karabiner to keep it all safely tucked up in. Then we hit upon another idea! Why not make it to match the bag, then to attach a loop inside the bag to clip it to! Result! 20 mins later, hey presto, a matching iPod pouch! 

 

We think we surpassed ourselves this time! I adore my new bag - pretty, practical and unique - what more can a girl ask for!

 

 

 

A little kitty cat!

He looks a little on the cold side being made of an old blue t-shirt but he was quick to run up! I think he looks a bit strange and every time I look at him, he reminds me of batman! So to rectify this problem, I think a long tail is in order! Will run one up for him later!

A lion and a butterfly!

 

They make an unlikely pair but I made these today. The butterfly's striped body is part of the leftover tube of a long pair of socks, the rest of which if I remember rightly was made into a sock monkey! The butterfly and the lion are from the Misfits book but I ammended the lion pattern to include a mane made of orange felt. I think it makes him more authentic looking!

More dog collars!

 

The black webbing is 20mm wide and I used various sized ribbons to create these three dog collars. The pink paw prints one is grosgrain ribbon. The other two are woven ribbons. The blue and green floral one has travelled many miles - it is Jacquard ribbon all the way from china! Yes really!

And in the process of making these....look what I did to my sewing machine needle!

Impressive isn't it!  It was caused by a rookie sewer, who bent it by yanking too hard on the webbing before the needle was fully removed!  I live and learn - hopefully!

Claude - sock creature!

Being struck down with a cold is the perfect excuse to treat myself and make another sock creature - this one is Claude! He is from the Stupid Sock Creature book by John Murphy. He is made from one pair of girls High School Musical socks! Don't worry they weren't mine! I got them from a shop for just 20p! He has four legs as well as a long tail and the author says few have attempted him! When I read that, that was like the gaunlet had be thrown down - I like a challenge!

I managed to sew everything with the sewing machine except when it came to inserting the ears. The circumference was too small, so had to be hand sewn. And of course, his rubber-look lips, made from the heel of the sock, is also hand sewn. He took a lot of stuffing to fill him enough, so he could stand tall! He took about 3 hours to make - quite the little character!

Monty the Giraffe!

 

Look at that neck! Monte the giraffe, made from both an orange and a cream t-shirt. The dickie bow was just two rectangles sewn together, turned the right way out, hand sewn closed and pulled together with yellow embroidery thread - simple, but looks effective.

Yet another misfit I know! Sorry if I'm boring you with these but I just love making them! Just as well, as there are 35 to create and I've already made 23! I've also got a few ideas of my own for future animals too, so watch this space!