Liberty gifting -

Liberty Tana Lawn is just divine to work with, I used my favourite print - Betsy - in the pink colourway to make a trio of gifts.  These were all made from a fat quarter of Liberty Tana Lawn.

 

A little basket that measured 4 inches ( 10cms) in height, width and depth

A little zipped purse, I popped a lipstick into this for the recipient

A handkerchief - soft and gentle for the most precious of noses

 

Liberty Tana Lawn -----Pink Betsy - for the most discerning recipient.

 

Ready to be gifted

A medium weight iron-on interfacing was utilised

The basket was fun to make, I had this started and completed --while the 5BN trio bickered through their usual morning school readiness routine.

 

Happy Birthday Mum

Nana with our first born 5BN

Shut your eyes tight
Make a wish tonight

Mum celebrated her 80th birthday yesterday, she felt the auspicious occasion should be fairly low key and  a little non event.  However, not surprisingly; -it appears to be the opposite - as we are all enjoying this 4 day weekend of festivities -- culminating with a significant family party / family reunion tomorrow.
Mum is an active volunteer and participant in many groups in her rural area, she still holds several executive committee positions,  -- therefore --   it is indeed no great surprise that the celebrations will take at least a fortnight - as each committee, group or organisation that Mum is involved in -- have all arranged a little function to acknowledge this special milestone and share it with a special lady.

So much for hoping the day would go unnoticed!!


We all love you Mum and Nana, and are pleased to be sharing this special milestone with you.

I Heart You - Happy Valentines Day

This quilt was quick to sew, despite over 300 HST's to piece together,

it has been quilted by the clever Mrs WB, a very quick turnaround indeed.

It is home and in use - just in time for Valentine's Day.

Not that we do much to celebrate this day -- our Wedding Anniversary falls a week prior to Valentines' Day.  Always easy to find a treat / box of choccies to give as a gift for the anniversary- -  shops are usually well stocked  with a variety of enticing treats.

 

 

  

gorgeous detail with the quilting

 

The backing fabric is "Memoir in White"    Madrona Road by Violet Craft

Interesting fun reading of the little stories / sentences

 

 

 

Ombre Binding

 

 

This quilt is my first finish for 2013, as has it also been Vanessa's.

Tennis anyone!

 

I have been playing with Instacollage, and have made these two collages.

 

Above is the younger two children having a hit on our new tennis courts - a wonderful asset for our little town, in fact a social competition is to start this Friday night, - a first for the town.

Our contribution to afternoon tea yesterday,  -- we were beaten by the opposition, I wonder if they should have eaten more afternoon tea and have been full and stodgy for the last 4 sets.  We were even at the break for afternoon tea.

Camera Straps

I had planned to make a camera strap for the new camera, after much deliberation, chose a  quick and easy method -  to make a cover that I could slide off and launder - should the need arise.
I used one of my favourite liberty of London Tana lawn -- Betsy in the green colourway.

Due to the fragility of the fabric, it needed to be reinforced to withstand manual handling from all the family, - I lined it with a Pellon, then straight stitched the length of the strap, I folded the ends under, presto - all complete,

Liberty of London, Betsy - green colourway

I slid the strap directly over the existing camera strap,  it is so much easier to identify my camera now.


new camera strap
 

I decided to make another strap to gift to a friend. Spots are always a sure fire winner for most recipients!

Interfaced with a medium weight sew-in interfacing

straight line quilting

My indispensable turning tool

Strap being turned

Complete

My friends' son demonstrating its multi use!

Hexie Sewing Kit

This packet of 2.5 inch squares were a gift from the Fat Quarter Shop,  after I had signed up for the 2012 Mystery BOM.
I knew what I planned to do with them, when they arrived way back in July 2012.
I planned to use Amy's tutorial to make the travel sewing kit.

Perfect size for 1 inch hexies

EPP hexies sewn together

A spot of bother occurred whilst taking the paper pieces out, count to 10 -- and go slooowly.  I must have been very keen with the glue pen, waay back when!
Some came away easily, others required brute force!

Hmm - no reusing this paper hexie!

Next step was to trim the excess from the hexies.

I used some jelly rolls strips for the binding; both the outer binding, as well as the interior binding -  on the pocket pieces, and the scissor holder.  

Again, I needed to go sloowly - sewing the jelly roll strip as the outer binding.                                    

As with the previous travel sewing kit, I found the binding cut the WOF - really only just met at the seams.  I could breathe out and concentrate, once the binding was sewn on.                                Another jelly roll strip of the same print was used as the tie closure.                                 

Chain piecing the binding on the pockets and scissor holder

Notions added

wavy zig zag stitch for the quilting,

Two complete.   
  The hexie patchwork sewing kit is 1 inch higher, I wished to utilise the
maximum amount of the hexies that I was able to.

This will be for me to keep and use.

Chatting to a work colleague through the week, she reminded me she has a significant "0" birthday soon,
another trio of gifts will be on the list to be made and gifted, hopefully she will  enjoy and use well.

Travel Sewing Kit

This trio of sewing items were quick to make, and will be another go to gift for sewing friends.

I loved the trio of gifts that Indiana Dreams made for her scrappy swap partner.

 

 

I have made the thread catcher previously for myself, the tutorial by Needling Things is clear and concise.  The thread catcher packs flat to go with whatever current sewing project I am working on. It could easily be made from two layer cake fabrics- or any 10 inch piece of fabric from your stash.



Snap fastener added as closure for the cotton reels.