It's here at last

At last my new book has arived. 

I spotted this book last week when I was shopping, but I was too tight to pay full price for it (£14.99), so I looked on the internet when I got home and managed to order it from http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/  for just £7 including free p&p worldwide.  Can't wait to have a go at some of the projects in the book.  Abbey & Zoe you may be getting handmade pressies for Christmas or earlier!

Another birthday present sorted

Well that's another birthday present sorted!  Just hope my friend Jo likes it.

What I want to know is what did I do with all my time before Cat brought me the "Bend the rules Sewing" book by Amy Karol for my birthday??  Answers on a postcard to.......

Hope dad doesn't want his shirt back!

There was no snow, no ice so I thought I'd make the treck over to Shrewsbury to buy some more fabric.

To be honest I was dissapointed, I only brought three different fabrics.  One I fell in love with straight away, that I shall make myself a skirt and bag with, once we get some warmer weather.  Another fabric to make this design bag  (Pleated Beauty Handbag from Bend the rules sewing by Amy Karol) for a friends birthday and the red fabric you can see above.

I really wanted to get some fabric to make some cushions for my lounge, I quite fancied some retro 70's design in brown and creams, but there was nothing in brown at all.  So instead I thought I'd try this pattern out before I make it up for my friend.  I dug out an old shirt of my dads, that had a rip in it, for the contrast and the lining.  I then added the flower to "finish" it off.  I think next time I make the bag I shall make the straps wider as they seem a bit narrow for such a large bag.  But overall I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.

They say this is the last of it!

Well they say this is the last of the snow for a while, as you can see from Bumbles legs, it got quite deep today.  We all went out this afternoon to build snowmen, sledge and have snowball fights, it was great fun, but I have to admit after being out in it for 2 hours I was glad to come back into the warm to defrost.

No sewing today

No sewing today, but we did make chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache and grated white chocolate, as well as vanilla cupcakes with vanilla ganache.
Going to come as abit of a shock having to do a full week at work - when the snow stops that is!

More snow - when will it stop?

Yet more snow - overnight wasn't expecting this veiw when I looked out this morning.

Now shall I be really good and do some housework or shall I look through fabric box and see if there's anything else I can make?

Yet another tote bag

Here we have yet another tote bag from "Bend the rules sewing" book.  This time this one is for me to carry my things to and from school.  I added some old play buttons of the childrens from the "Early Learning Centre" to brighten the bag up.  It'll be a pleasure to use everyday, that's when I can eventually get to work throught all this snow.

Something else I've made ready for mother-in-laws birthday at the end of the month.  I used the basic pattern from the "Bend the rules sewing book" and then appliqued a teapot on one side and tea cup and saucer on the other.  This fabrics all tie in with the peg bag I made for her for christmas and the tote bag I made last weekend, I have also made her some pan holders in the same fabric, patterend on one side and plain on the other.

Natasha now has two recycled PJ top cushions - she loves them!.  The latest one is a slighty more unusual shape to get the whole picture in, but it kinder works.

Here you go Cat....

Just for you Cat the skirt whose leftovers made the "Charming Handbag" from the "Bend the rules Sewing book".  It's a quick and simple A line skirt, byt the material is a lovely wool mixture.

More snow and ice = more time off work!

Well another day off work due to bad weather.

So I decided to recycle a PJ top of Natasha's that no long fitted her into a cushion.  It just seemed such a shame to bin it.

I also made a tea Cozy for my mum, using the pattern in "Bend the rules Sewing" (good buy that book Cat).

I added a square onto the front of the tea cozy, where I'd added an image using Dylons "Image Maker".

Well what shall I make next out of the book?, maybe the other tote bag, we'll just have to wait and see what takes my fancy.

Snowed in!

We'll we're snowed in so what to do than a bit of snowing.  Here's a skirt that I made for Tash.

Here's Tash modelling the handbag I made myself from the "Bend the rules Sewing" book, I made it using some left over fabric from  a skirt I made myslef the other day.

Just a little something I made after Christmas for my mum ....... better late than never I say!

I brought the fabric with every intention of making Christmas stockings before Christmas, but as usual I ran out of time. Over Christmas mum said how she'd like some Christmas cushions for next year so I thought I make a start to her collection for her.

Well the New Year is here and what better way to start it than with a bit of sewing.

I was lucky enough to be brought "Bend the rules Sewing" by Amy Karol as a birthday present, off my sister-in-law, just before Christmas, thanks Cat xx(http://ladybugcat.blogspot.com/). So what better way to start the new year than a new project. So here's my interpretation of Amys design.

The patchwork bag is for my grandmothers 84th birthday present. It has the added extra something special...two of the patchwork squares decorated by my little monsters (aged 6 & 9). The other tote is for my Mother-in-laws 70th birthday and again has two panels decorated by Natasha & Richard. I made this tote larger so that she can use it for shopping. The lining on this bag matches the straps and panel on the bottom. All the fabric is re-cycled, my old bedroom curtains for the lining and straps and Richards old curtains for the main bag, so really you could say that these bags are "green".

Both bags gave me major headaches.....on the first bag I couldn't work out for love "n" money how to join the main bag to the lining bag.....but after leaving it to one side for an hour, having a glass of wine and reading about other peoples attempts on www.flickr.com in the Bend the Rules sewing group, I figured it out.... not defeated after all!

The next day I was going great guns on the next bag till it got to attaching the straps....I think I must of been having a senior moment ( I blame it on turning 40 just before Christmas) three times it took me before I got it right. Lets just hope that next time I manage to get it right first time......keep your fingers crossed for me, I think I'll need it :)