Congratulations Kim L!!
Kim wrote “love lives here would be my choice! It’s adorable, thank you for the chance to win one!” Your free pattern is on it’s way to you Kim ♥♥♥
Happy stitching!Natalie xx
Hello again!
I’m back after my summer blogging break and I have been working on some new patterns that I’m super excited about.
I also joined the wonderful quilting community on Instagram – if you haven’t tried Instagram yet, I recommend it wholeheartedly! There are so many lovely and talented quilters on there who freely share their ideas and advice – I find it such an inspiring place to be! My username is @sewingroomsecrets if you want to follow along , I’d love to connect with you there!
It was on Instagram that I first came across the idea of a ‘mini wall’. Let me explain – a ‘mini wall’ is a dedicated wall where you showcase all your mini quilts! You simply display all your minis in a mosaic fashion to make a feature wall. And me, being a sucker for all things small and cute, I was hooked straight away 🙂 (Click here for an awesome example of a mini wall by the very talented Camille Roskelley – couldn’t you just die!)
I’ve had the most fun designing a trio of whimsical style minis and am super excited to share two of them with you today (number three is coming soon!).
First up is this little mini entitled ‘Love Lives Here’.
This one was inspired by a little block I made for a charity quilt. I had so much fun with this wee project and love how it turned out! And judging by your feedback on Instagram and Facebook you guys love it too! Thank you so much!
Finishing up at around 20.5″ square, the pattern uses easy raw edged applique techniques and a simple patchwork border to create this sweet little quilt.
Next up is ‘Woof!’
Now as minis go, this one is definitely on the larger side (22″ x 27″), but still cute! See that little pup in the top right ? … he’s the cheeky one! 🙂
Raw edged applique is used on this one too, along with a few basic embroidery stitches, making ‘Woof’ and ‘Love Lives Here’ suitable projects for even a relative beginner.
And guess what? I’m planning a ‘mini wall’ in my sewing room – won’t that be fun! I think this may be the start of a ‘mini adventure’! I’ll be sharing pictures of all the minis I make in future posts and would love to hear what you think as my mini wall evolves! I’m hoping to include some ‘pieced’ minis (all patchwork) as well as the whimsical style ones I’ve been working on. I’ll be utilising my own patterns as well as minis from some of my favourite designers, so there should be a good mix.
Well now, how about a mini-giveaway? I’m going to give-away a mini quilt pattern to one lucky reader on each of my Instagram and Facebook pages, as well as here on the blog. That’s 3 chances to win!
For a blog entry, simply leave me a comment telling me which pattern you would like to win i.e. ‘Woof! or ‘Love Lives Here’. Then pop over to Facebook and Instagram to enter there too if you like! The giveaway is only open until tomorrow evening (that’s Monday, 7th September) at 6pm (GMT), so you need to be quick! I’ll pick a winner tomorrow night, but if you don’t want to wait until the giveaway ends you can grab your copy from my ETSY shop now.
Good luck and happy stitching!
Natalie xx
P.S. have you made any minis yet? Leave me a link in the comments and I’ll pop over for a peak! 🙂
It’s funny where we get our inspiration from sometimes. I can’t say for sure exactly where mine comes from, it just kinda finds me somehow. Sometimes it’s a colour or a memory or just because I have a ‘need’ for a certain thing, so I try to figure it.
The inspiration for my latest little embroidery design came from an old sketch that I stumbled upon, in amongst some old photos recently.
It was Christmas 1983 when I etched that little scene in my jotter at school. I remember I was on ‘Library duty’ in the sixth form centre at the time and should have been using the time wisely to revise French. But, as you can see, I had other things on my mind!
I should explain that the sixth form library was a partitioned off area in the corner of a much larger room. The partitions were made of floor to ceiling glass panels so you could see in and out of the library into the larger room/study area. There was always a teacher present in the study area to ensure that students were using the time productively to study.
Now I have no idea why I thought that the library was sound proof (call me naive or stupid – you choose) but that day, as I sat in the library on my own sketching my little Christmas scene, I began to sing ‘Jingle Bells’ at the top of my voice. Oblivious to the fact that the entire sixth form could hear me, I then went on to sing other Christmassy tunes. I had belted out several renditions of ‘Rudolf’ before the teacher on duty got up from her desk and walked towards the library door. As she stood in the doorway and barked “We can all hear you!!”, the entire room erupted with laughter (including me). Needless to say, I got a detention that day for my shenanigans, but on the up-side I managed to hide the little drawing and I’ve kept it all this time … 🙂
And now, more than 30 years later, I have sketched that little sleeping mouse again – only this time as an embroidery design. He looks like such a peaceful little soul, that wee mouse, gently snoozing under his quilt.
I added some mini bunting above him, just for fun!
I simply l-o-v-e-d stitching his little patchwork quilt. Cute, cute, cute!
I am gifting this little piece of hoop-art to my God-daughter to hang on her bedroom wall. I can’t wait to give it to her … hope she likes it.
I’ve popped the pattern in my Etsy shop – it includes instructions on how to decorate your embroidery hoop and how to finish your hoop-art at the back too! (I also think this little design would look super cute on a pillow or as a panel on a little tote bag ♥)
Happy stitching and ‘Sweet Dreams’ everyone!
Natalie xx
I recently got back from my annual sewing retreat where I enjoyed some ‘me’ time with my patchwork buddies. As usual, we did nothing but eat, sleep and quilt – no kidding! It was the best time ever!
It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t have to stop to make meals, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, go to work and all that real life stuff. In a few short hours I managed to stitch together the blocks for an entire quilt top!
The pattern is from Camille Roskelley’s book ‘Simply Retro’. I fell in love with the classic, fresh, retro look of this quilt … a lovely modern take on the humble granny square. I love it! And the best part? It’s fat quarter friendly – you only need 12 fat quarters and a few metres of white to make the top!
The simple do-able style of the giant 20″ blocks meant that the quilt grew pretty quickly too – hey, I like that!
Now I’m not gonna lie, I’m not a big fan of machine quilting (I much prefer to hand quilt) but, let’s face it, hand quilting takes time and some days you just wanna get it done, right? So … I opted to have a go at ‘edge to edge’ quilting on the machine. I chose wavy lines rather than straight ones, hoping to add some movement to the quilt whilst at the same time keeping it modern. What do you think?
I finished it all off nice and neat with some cute red and white check 🙂
So there you have it … a quilt finished in just under 3 weeks (certainly beats 12 years!).
Phew! I’m off for a lie down …
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Happy stitching!
Natalie xx
I had been wondering what I could make with a little embroidered piece that I stitched recently and finally decided on a new iPad cover. I already have a ‘Smart Case’ for my iPad and, whilst I like the protection that the hard folding cover gives to the screen, the fact remains that it is a dull grey colour, a little grubby from fingerprints and well … just plain boring!
So, I wanted to pretty things up a wee bit and this is the result …
I made a slightly different version for my mother-in-law, adding her initial in embroidery on the front. I added a velcro flap at the top, rather than an elastic and button closure and I also quilted the background of the linen section. I found some wonderful embroidery templates for monogram letters here.
If you would like to have a go at making a fabric iPad sleeve, I’ve jotted down some quick instructions below on how I made mine. You can do anything you like on the front cover – I used my new Harriet & her Teddy design on the front of mine (available in my pattern shop), or you can just keep it simple by using two pretty co-ordinating fabrics – just go with what you fancy!
Before we get started, I need to point out that I made mine big enough to accommodate an iPad4 and a Smart Case. If you want to make a cover just for an iPad on it’s own, I would suggest using a 1/2″ seam allowance throughout (for a snugger fit), rather than a 1/4″ seam allowance.
So, what you will need is:
For the outside
For the inside
*Use 1/4″ seam throughout
1. Cut out all the pieces before you start
To make the outside cover …
2. With right sides together, stitch each of the two top pieces (9.5” x 3”) to the bottom pieces (9.5” x 8.75”)
3. Cover the seam lines by stitching on some co-ordinating ribbon
4. Make a ‘quilt sandwich’ by laying one 9.5” x 11.25” piece of wadding down on your work table first, followed by the front cover (right side up), followed by the back cover (right side down), and finishing with another 9.5” x 11.25” piece of wadding. Line up all raw edges and pin.
5. Stitch all four layers together using ¼” seam, leaving the top open. Backstitch a few stitches at the start and end of sewing to stop the seam opening when you turn it right side out.
6. Trim away the wadding to about 1/8th of an inch from the sewn line to reduce bulk, clip the corners and turn right side out. Push out the corners to give nice neat points.
7. Sew the elastic hairband onto the outside of the back cover by placing it in the centre and stitching over it a few times about an 1/8th of an inch from the edge. Allow a little of the elastic to hang off the edge (you will trim it later).
8. Now take your lining fabric and place the pieces right sides together. Stitch down both long sides and along the bottom, leaving a 4” opening at the bottom for turning. Leave the top open. Clip the corners, but don’t turn it right side out yet!
9. To join your outer cover and lining, keep your lining inside out & your outer piece right side out and slip the assembled cover inside the lining, matching up your two side seams. They should now be right sides together.
10. Line up the top edges of the lining and the outside cover and stitch a ¼” seam all around the top edge. Trim away the excess elastic from the seam allowance.
11. Gently pull the front cover through the gap that you left in the lining. *Tip: I use a star headed screw driver to turn things out as I find that the little star head grips the fabric and helps things along 🙂
12. Poke out the corners and press
13. Stitch the opening closed
14. Gently push the lining inside the cover. You will find that a little of the lining will naturally fold around the wadding at the top edge to give a nice little trim along the top (that’s the reason why we cut the lining pieces that extra 1/4″ longer 😉 )
15. Sew on a pretty button and top-stitch ‘in the ditch’ where the lining and the outside meet to give a neat finish (although it looks just fine without this step).
I have just begun to stitch another little version of Harriet & her Teddy, this time I am embroidering the entire thing on to soft white linen (no applique). I’ve added tiny beads as flower centres and smocking at the top of her dress…
… not sure what it will become this time, just gonna see where the stitches take me …
Natalie x
I have been on a wee bit of a sewing spree just lately. Not a marathon session or anything, more a case of a few stolen moments in my sewing room …
Anyhow, the result is that I have FINALLY managed to put together a pattern for my little vintage-style zippered pouch, which is now available as an instant download in my Etsy shop.
I’ve written it in the style of a step-by-step tutorial and have included almost 50 close-up colour photos to help you along, The cool part about it being a digital file is that you can zoom right on in to the photos on your computer if you want to see the details even more closely!
I have made lots of these little cuties for friends and family now, but this one I will definitely be keeping for my very own 🙂
And whilst I was in a creative mood, I came across a great tutorial for a fabric notebook cover and enjoyed putting together my own version from the left over fabric scraps.
They make a lovely set … don’t you think?
Happy stitching everyone!
Natalie x
… I began my adventures in blogland with a very nervous first post from my sewing room.
To tell you the truth, I was not at all convinced that anyone would be the slightest bit interested in my ‘wee bits o’ nonsense’ (aka sewing projects). But I was amazed how quickly I was made to feel welcome in the blogging community with lovely comments and words of encouragement. Bloglanders are such a friendly bunch 🙂
Looking back over my blog I realize that I have created a colourful little journal of my life in stitches! I didn’t think about that aspect of blogging when I started out, so it’s an unexpected and happy bonus!
One year on and I would like to thank you all for reading my words, looking at my pictures, checking out my tutorials and for all your wonderful encouragement and amazingly generous comments! I can’t tell you how much you brighten my day by taking time out of your busy lives to share your thoughts with me! It is particularly heart warming when someone tells me that they have been inspired by something they have seen on my blog! And I have to pinch myself when I see a Sewing Room Secrets project on Pinterest! That still freaks me out every time! (in a good way!!)
I have picked out 12 of my favourite makes and posts from the past 12 months and hope you will humour me as I take a little trip down memory lane…
‘Morning Star’ … a journey of a thousand stitches
Thank you for your company this past year … having you along for the journey has really been a blessing ♥
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*Edited: I will be taking a step back from blogging for a while, as I will not be able to devote as much time to it in the coming months, due to other demands in my life right now. I will still be ‘around’, working on my Love Entwined quilt and drafting several new patterns for my Etsy shop, but unfortunately blogging will have to take a back seat for now. I will try to pop back from time to time with updates when I can, but for now I bid you all a fond farewell and happy stitching! Love & hugs, Natalie xx
…a pot of tea, an open fire and some quiet stitching on a Sunday afternoon
I’m working on a new appliqué quilt called ‘Love Entwined’. It is an historic appliqué quilt dating back to 1790, which has been interpreted and re-created by Esther Aliu (you can read more about it here). Esther is generously offering this magnificent quilt as a free BOM over on her blog, if you care to join in 🙂 Just hit the button in the sidebar and it will take you straight to Esther’s blog.
Not much is known about the original, other than it is from the Georgian Era, England, heavily appliquéd and is described as a ‘fine marriage coverlet’. It will be a real labour of love and will probably take me in the region of two years to complete!!
It took me ages to get started … partly because I discovered it just before Christmas when I had a million and one other things to do, but mostly because I was nervous about the huge undertaking that this quilt represents.
I mean this is BIG! Not just in size (96″ x 96″), but also in the challenges that it poses. It is an intense appliqué project and I have never attempted anything quite on this scale before. Yikes!
The first challenge was choosing the fabrics. This is the part that, for me, takes forever as I keep changing my mind! Laying out some fabrics on my work table helped a lot 🙂
The second challenge was the Mariner’s compass block as I have never done one before. It took a couple of attempts, but I got there in the end …
The appliqué pieces on this quilt are an awful lot smaller than they look, but I have been getting around it with a few carefully placed embroidery stitches 😉
Now that I have finished the centre circle, I think I am over the worst. Yeah right, who am I kidding?
… one solitary little embroidered flower added, only nine more to go!
What new challenges have you set yourself for the New Year?
Happy stitching!
Natalie x
… my recent holiday seems like a distant memory already and I have only been back a couple of weeks!
I had a wonderful time away, staying in a charming little cottage in Shropshire in the picture-postcard village of Ashford Carbonell.
The trip was arranged as a way for Mum and I to spend some ‘girlie’ time together and we plan to make it a regular annual event. It was a lovely way to enjoy some good old mother/daughter bonding – we walked, we talked, we cooked (and ate too much!), we laughed and generally enjoyed each others company.
Shropshire is such a gorgeous part of England – unspoilt and uncrowded. Quaint little villages with a wealth of historical black and white buildings, charming tearooms, lots of quirky independent shops and stunning countryside.
One little tearoom we visited in Bridgnorth was a quilters dream! Not only did they sell the most delicious home made cakes, but the whole place was adorned with stunning patchwork and quilted goodies.
Maureen Shenton was the talented lady responsible for a lot of the quilted items in the shop and I had a lovely time chatting with her about her passion for quilting. Maureen also teaches workshops and offers a long arm quilting service.
There were lots of antique & vintage shops in the area and whilst browsing through one of them, I stumbled upon these two miniature brass keys. I’m pretty sure that they aren’t actual antiques, but I snapped them up anyway, thinking that they will make really cute charms for home made gifts. Cute aren’t they?
And, of course, no holiday would be complete without a visit to the local patchwork shop to pick up some ‘souvenirs’ 🙂
I didn’t do any sewing whilst I was away but I have been getting back into the swing of things since getting back home.
Ever since I opened my Etsy Pattern Shop a few weeks ago, I have been very conscious of the fact that there were only two patterns listed in it (not much of a window display huh?), so I have been beavering away drafting some new ones to stock the shelves!
My ‘Crafty Creatures’ pattern is the newest addition to the shop. Five fun little characters, filled with rice and each with their own personalised mini quilt! These little guys just love hanging around 🙂
There is Crafty Cat …
And Crafty Dog …
Crafty Sheep…
And Crafty Frog …
And poor old Crafty Pig thinks he’s a mug rug, bless him, … but you know what, as long as he’s happy an’ all, I’m just gonna let him be 🙂
I love having these little guys around, they just make me smile. Feels like I’m 8 years old again and living with Dr Dolittle!
I’ve also designed one more little ‘Harriet’ project in the form of a wee wallhanging with a simple patchwork border. This one shows the cheeky side to her character as you can see … perfect for a little girl’s room!
And, whilst I had my scrap bag out, I found a neat little hexagon coaster tutorial over at Canoe Ridge Creations, so I ran up a set of them using some pretty scraps and linen. I am just adding a simple running stitch to the centres and tomorrow, I’ll wrap them up in tissue paper and tie them up all pretty with ribbon – a little ‘gift-ette’ for a friend I’m seeing this weekend ♥
…and so, as the summer of 2013 draws to a close, I can feel a distinct autumnal nip in the air and I’m thinking maybe I will be needing the patchwork quilts out of the airing cupboard soon, to snuggle under when the nights draw in…
… autumn and winter have their up sides too 🙂
Happy stitching everyone!
Natalie x
If you have been following my blog for the last however many weeks you will know that I have been afflicted with a bad case of ‘hexagon-itis’ and my wee pink tin of 1/2” hexies has been my constant companion. I have really enjoyed re-acquainting myself with the simple pleasures of making hexagons (something I haven’t done since I was a child!) and I can at last reveal the final resting place for all those little six-sided cuties!
My wee pink sewing tin is empty – almost! Just a few lonely little hexies left languishing at the bottom for another day …
It has been a very interesting and rewarding mini-hexie-adventure, which began with a neat little pile of the prettiest fabrics …
which turned into these …
which were sewn together like this …
which grew into this …
and was appliqued on to linen and embellished with pretty beads and the simplest of embroidery stitches …
and framed all neat and tidy with some dotty aqua binding …
to create the perfect home for all my sewing needles 🙂
When I started making all those wee hexagons I had no idea what I was going to do with them all. I just liked the cuteness of them and the fact that they require no special tools to construct, just paper, fabric, needle and thread. No special effort or concentration … a way to just sit, be still and stitch for the love of it.
It’s been interesting sharing my love affair with hexagons here on my blog and on my facebook page, as it has revealed to me that people are ‘hexagonating’ all over the world! And loving it! It seems we all have a certain fondness for the humble hexagon.
I have written up a pattern for my little needle caddy and it will be listed in my Etsy shop from midnight on Thursday 15th August 2013. I have loved working on this sweet little design and it has been made even more fun by having all of you hexie lovers along for the ride, keeping me company in all my little sewing endeavours, during what has been one of the most glorious British summers for many a long year! Thank you, and happy ‘hexagonating!’!
I am taking a little summer break from blogging and facebooking, but I will be back in September again :). Whilst I may be absent from cyberspace for a few weeks, I will still be ‘around’ stitching and creating ♥.
Until September then … happy stitching!
Natalie x
….. my ‘hexagon-itis’ continues to worsen and I fear I may be well on my way to a diagnosis of hexie-mania!
I really have got it bad! I sneak them everywhere with me – my wee pink sewing tin fits discreetly in my handbag and I find myself whipping it out for a quick fix any opportunity I get …(please don’t judge me)
I’ve even been ‘hexagon-ating’ in public … yep, in the dentist’s waiting room, at my desk in work, on a park bench, in the garden …
On the plus side, I find that each time I make a few of these six-sided cuties, it seems to ease the symptoms … if only a little 🙂
The recent heatwave in the UK has made it difficult to do any serious sewing as it has just been too darn hot! However, the last couple of days have seen a drop in temperature, which has been a welcome relief and I have been able to work on the cushion I was making for my sewing chair, using my ‘Harriet & her Teddy’ embroidery design (available in my Etsy shop).
If you are not familiar with the English Paper Piecing method for making hexagons, there are oodles of great tutorials out there, so I won’t re-invent the wheel by doing another one here. For small hexagon paper piecing, I can recommend this tutorial from V and Co – it has lots of great close up photographs and easy to follow tips and advice. And for those of you who want to go to the next level and learn some imaginative and creative ways to use hexagons in your quilts, I would highly recommend a visit to Faeries & Fibres for lots of tips, tutorials and hexie inspiration.
When joining one hexagon to another here are a couple of tips that work well for me:
I also like to use a paperclip to hold the paper in place whilst tacking down the sides, but some people use freezer paper or even a glue stick to stabilize the paper template.
I always think that a cushion looks so much more polished and professional when edged with some piping, don’t you? But I get put off at the thought of having to make all that bias binding and usually just end up doing the standard plain edge finish. But not this time…. ♥
Sewing is a continually evolving journey. No matter how long you have been stitching, there is always a new technique to learn or a fresh way to look at something you thought you already knew. I had come across tutorials in the past on how to make continuous bias binding, but had never tried it out for myself. This technique is basically a way to eliminate the tedious task of having to join all those bias strips, end to end, to get the length you need. I used this tutorial by Sew Mama Sew to show me how and, oh my goodness! Why have I never done this before? It’s pure magic! I don’t think I will ever make bias binding any other way!
Piping cord covered in continuous bias binding
I machine appliqued a row of hexies to decorate the back
And so, my little Harriet now adorns this cute little cushion on my sewing chair …
Up until now, Lola has been ‘my girl’, but I know that there is room enough in my heart for little Harriet too ♥
Happy stitching everyone!
Natalie x
I am writing this post long-hand. I decided that today was just too sun-shiney to be indoors on the laptop, so here I am with pen and paper writing down my thoughts the old fashioned way. Of course, by the time you read this I will have typed it all up neatly on my trusty keyboard; but that will happen much later, when the sun has gone to bed.
As I write, this is the view of my little piece of sky, lying here looking up to the heavens from a sun lounger in the garden. Ahh, dappled sunshine … my favourite kind!
Lying here in the sun, you could say that life is pretty good right now … and so it is. That’s the funny thing about life, some days are just better than others ♥
In my last post, I promised to tell you the story behind the stitches of the little embroidery pattern that I have been working on, featuring Harriet and her Teddy. I wasn’t crazy about my original choice of background fabric or colours, so I experimented a little until I came up with something that I am now happy with. It has taken a little longer, but I think it has been worth it in the end and the pattern is now available for sale as a PDF download from my Etsy Shop.
Whilst stitching this watery little scene, it has made me think about how life ebbs and flows. How sometimes, things are just peachy (like today) and at other times you wonder how you will get through the tough times. I don’t know how it is for any of you, but as I’ve grown older, I have realized that life is often all about perspective and going with the flow.
At the moment, Harriet is lying on my work table waiting to be stitched into a cushion for my sewing chair. The idea being that next time something goes awry in my life … when I’m feeling stressed by a million things that all need to be done RIGHT NOW or I feel like I’ve encountered an insurmountable problem, it will remind me that I can just stand in the rain for a time and not let it pummel me. I don’t have to panic or shield myself. I just need to ride it out, to take what comes, knowing that I’ll handle it and it will all pass by soon enough.
I can follow Harriet’s example …. let go of the umbrella and just get a little wet!
♥♥ Happy stitching ♥♥
The Very Berry Handmade Textile ATC swap has come to an end and, a little over a week ago, I posted my wee card off to my swap partner with a little note.
The recipient is an American lady, so my little offering has flown all the way across the pond to New York! I do hope she likes it.
In the meantime, I have received this delicate blossom tree from Kathie who blogs over at Dipity-do-dah. Those sweet little blossoms are really, really tiny and are not embroidered on, but cut from fabric!! Wow! Thank you Kathie – I love it!
You can see a lot more amazing designs over on the flickr group – such a diverse mix of ideas and interpretations! It was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to the next Very Berry Handmade ATC swap later on in the year.
Alas, no sewing for me today I’m afraid. Instead, I’m off out shopping for a wedding outfit – the wedding is next Saturday, so I’m cutting it fine, yikes! (Note to self: don’t kid yourself that you will find wedding attire in John Lewis haberdashery department … resist going in there. … resist … 😉 ).
We will be having some house guests stay with us from my husband’s side of the family, so I can feel a bit of spring cleaning coming on and some cake baking too! It won’t all be cushion plumping and kettle polishing though – I will be making sure that I set aside a little sewing time before the wedding to do some hand quilting on my Mile-a-Minute scrappy quilt (which hasn’t been ‘mile-a-minute’ at all, by the way – but that’s a whole other story for another day :))
And finally, I am super excited (and a wee bit nervous?) to tell you that I will soon be launching a pattern shop from my facebook page. It isn’t up and running yet and I am working hard behind the scenes to get my first pattern on there for sale as a PDF download. I have lots of ideas for stitcheries, wall hangings, dolls and more! Here is a sneaky peek at the first pattern that I hope will be available soon ….
This will be one of a series of fun stitcheries featuring Harriet, a little girl who never ventures far without her Teddy. Each stitchery will depict a day in Harriet’s life, or reveal a little bit about her character. I’ll reveal the message behind this little scene, once I’ve finished stitching it 🙂
Now, it’s time I hit the shops – that wedding outfit ain’t gonna buy itself! Happy stitching folks!
Given the choice, I prefer hand sewing over machine and appliqué has got to be one of my favourite techniques. It’s like a form of art, I guess – the way you can take the teeniest, tiniest scraps and layer them, so as to build a picture out of nothing. The down side to this, of course, is that I find it difficult to throw even the smallest piece of fabric away.
I recently made a little appliqued sewing caddy and it has been getting such a lot of attention from fellow stitchers that I thought I would share it here on my blog.
I first saw the pattern by Hitomi Fujita in one of my quilting magazines, yonks ago, and I fell in love with it straight away (Australian Patchwork & Quilting, Vol.4, No.6).
But, you know how it goes – it went down on my ‘to do’ list and then was forgotten about, until a few months ago, when I was flicking through my collection of old magazines (I can’t throw them away either :)) and I came across the pattern again.
I’m so glad I didn’t just file the pattern away again, because now I have the most wonderful little home for all my sewing essentials.
There is a place for everything, from my embroidery scissors
a small fastener ensures that my scissors stay securely in place
to my tape measure and leather thimble
pockets where I keep my pins, embroidery threads and the all important stitch ripper!
places for a ruler, pencils and threads
there is even a pin cushion and needle book
The great thing is that the needle book and the pin cushion are both detachable from the pouch, as they are secured in place with velcro. Genius!
but, best of all, I got to do lots of lovely applique on the outside
This labour of love is now one of my most cherished creations ….. every stitch holding a memory of thousands of tiny seconds of time spent in my sewing room doing what I love most ♥
Happy stitching everyone!
** Edited 21.12.13** I have had many requests for the pattern for this sewing caddy. Unfortunately, I don’t know where you might obtain the pattern these days – some of my readers have tried contacting the magazine, but unfortunately they have not been very helpful 😦 I do know that some people have managed to get a copy via Ebay and others via Bonanza.com or by posting a request on quilting forums.
Under copyright law, I am at liberty to publish my own photographs of my interpretation of the design, so long as I give credit to the source and the designer (which I have done in this post) but, unfortunately, the copyright for the design lies with the designer (which is not me!) and so I am not able to re-distribute the pattern in any shape or form, sorry. Natalie x
What’s in a name? Well, I guess it depends which side of the pond you are on. American’s call these little gathered circles Yo-Yo’s (and it’s easy to see why), whereas we Brits refer to them as Suffolk Puffs.
In the sewing world, a Suffolk Puff (or Yo-Yo) is simply a circle of fabric which is gathered around the edge so that it turns in on itself in a ‘puffy’ kind of way. The technique has a long history and references to ‘puffs’ appear as far back as 1601. It is thought that they originated in the county of Suffolk when people would re-cycle worn out clothes and fabric scraps. Very often the puffs would be sewn together to make quilts.
At my sewing group this week I spent the afternoon chatting with my lovely stitching buddies, eating far too many chocolate biscuits and making a whole bunch of these little cuties.
(Confession: Some puffs are not featured in this photo due to the accidental smudging with chocolate 🙂 )
I will admit that I’ve got a bit of an obsession with these wonderful little fabric flowers at the moment – I can’t stop making them, they’re so pretty! Best of all, they are super quick and simple to make – even kids and total beginners can master them with ease. Want to know how to make one? Easy peasy ……
1. Make two circular templates from card about twice the size that you want your puff to be. My circles were about 3½” and 2½” in diameter.
2. Draw around the templates on to the wrong side of your chosen fabrics and cut them out on the drawn line.
4. Tie a knot in your thread and sew a running stitch all around the circle quite close to the edge.
5. Pull the thread to gather the fabric into the middle.
6. Flatten the puff between your finger and thumb and secure the centre with a knot.
6. Lay one puff on top of the other and secure with a couple of stitches. Attach a pretty button and your done!
You can now use these simple puffs to adorn all manner of things. Try attaching a brooch pin to the back, sew them on to a hair clip or cover a whole cushion with them…. the list is endless! I’ll be showing you what I did with mine in a later post, but until then go puff crazy!
Happy stitching!
I just love small projects! There’s a certain ‘cuteness’ and charm to them and I love the fact that they don’t use a lot of fabric and are quickly finished. They’re also great if you want to whip up a quick gift for someone, like this little ‘Pot of Love’ I made for my Mum recently.
The idea is that you fill it with goodies, such as sweets, chocolates, sewing notions or any other small gift (I put Mum’s favourite Lindt chocolates in this one!), attach a little poem or message and present it to someone you love.The great thing is that, once all the choccies have been devoured, you are left with a pretty little clay pot for a flower or plant.
This is the wording for the little poem that I attached, which you can use, or you can write something of your own
This tiny pot is filled with love
Do not doubt its worth
For any love that we can give
Is the most precious gift on Earth
The fabric used for the pot cover just happens to co-ordinate with the little pillow I made earlier – I think they have a charming rustic look about them, don’t you?
I had a lot of fun making it and I hope you do too. You can download the free PDF pattern for the Pot of Love here. Happy stitching everyone!
Living with two men (one hubby, one son) means I don’t really get a chance to chat through ideas about sewing projects, so it was lovely yesterday when a work colleague visited with her sister, who is learning to sew and wanted some tips on how to finish a bag she is working on. Five glorious fabric-filled hours passed in the blink of an eye!
I did have some time left though, to write up the pattern for the little pillow, as promised in my first post. You can now download the free PDF pattern for it and the template for the wording on the front can be found here.
I’d love to hear how you get on with it. Happy stitching!
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