sewchet

January 9, 2015
by sewchet 21 Comments

Ready To Be Loved Again – An Adorable Beanbag Pattern

I made this beanbag for No.2 and No.3 Sons for last Christmas and, boy, has it been loved!

Not only has it been the comfortable resting place for tiny bums whilst reading “Biggles”, but I suspect it has also been a ‘plane during a re-enactment of said story as I discovered when I found a leg ripped out at the seam and tossed across the bedroom!

Hmmmm.

As the saying goes “Better to have been loved and broken, than never to have been loved at all”.

Well, OK, perhaps the original wasn’t worded quite like that but the sentiment is still appropriate!

Just look at those boss eyes, mis-matched ears and saggy body – what’s not to love?? No wonder The Boys played with it so much that bits started to fall off.

The trouble is, I like making new things and repair jobs were not as high on my priorities as a handmade Christmas was. Split seams and leaking polystyrene beads do not get my creative juices flowing, so procrastination set in.

After a couple of lonely months up in The Sewing Room, Doggy Beanbag finally reached the top of the “Must Do” list and this afternoon he was finally repaired.

Here he is in all his splendour, looking frightfully pleased at the thought of returning to The Boy’s Room to be subjected to all that love once more.

Poor thing……

For those of you who would love to own such an adorable beanbag, here is the pattern I used:-

January 7, 2015
by sewchet 63 Comments

Finished! Greengate Style Crochet Blanket (With FREE pattern!)

Yippee! Picture me dancing a jig around the room with a smile of glee painted on my very smug face. Why? I have finally finished my Greengate style blanket that I started way back in July……and I LOVE it!

Row after row of Drops Paris Cotton loveliness that feels so substantial and luxurious it was well worth the effort and time.

It is HUGE.

Pictured above on the bed in one of our spare bedrooms which is 5’6″ wide, it makes a decent throw but it completely covers a single bed!

The original article and pattern (found here) are in Swedish and the Google translation was a little confusing but, with some crochet experience, I managed to come up with a workable version of the pattern in English which I can now share with you – just click on the link at the bottom of the page to download it!

I particularly love the lettuce-leaf edging – time-consuming but it adds a beautiful texture to it, I think.

Would you like to see some more photos?

Whilst it may look complicated and rather daunting, the main body of the blanket actually consists of nothing other than treble crochet (US double) in plain rows and granny stripe. It’s the winning combination of colours that make it so successful.

If you would like to make your own blanket, I have included a pattern for you to download and print off. It is my own interpretation of the google translation (in the Swedish edition of Homes & Gardens) and may not be perfect but worked well for me!

Click on the link below to download: –

Greengate Style Crochet Blanket Pattern PDF

Now, onto my next blanket…..

January 6, 2015
by sewchet 19 Comments

2014 Creative Round Up

I wasn’t going to do a round up of the things I’ve made since starting this blog back in April but, after flicking through quickly, thought it might be quite nice to see a few. If nothing else, seeing a collection all in one place makes me appreciate that I have been quite productive after all.

It also makes me realize that, although I have several different crafts under my belt, there are so many more things that I’d like to try.

And thus, my Resolution for the coming year shall be: “Try Something New”

I couldn’t show everything because, quite frankly, I seem to have had creative diarrhoea this year and that’s too much for anyone to see!!

So, here we are with a few of my favourites. Just click on the picture to go straight to the relevant blog post.

I hope you ~~endured~~ enjoyed the little journey into my recent past – please join me as I create my future!

January 5, 2015
by sewchet 24 Comments

Sunday Sevens #17

This week, my #sundaysevens post is a day late (again) with good reason – I was at The Ritz in London having afternoon tea and didn’t get back until nine o’clock:)

Shall we start with that then?

Hubby and me quaffing champagne…

…with two of our very good friends.

Cousins-In-Law modelling the crochet headbands I made them for Christmas….

….and the cake she made for our New Year Supper! (Check out her FB page!).

Teaching a willing student to crochet.

I made Salmon en Croute for lunch one day.

A frosty walk with the dogs.

Thanks to Natalie at Threads and Bobbins for encouraging us to keep blogging!

January 2, 2015
by sewchet 11 Comments

#sewingsanta Reveal!

Wow, what a Christmas and New Year – this is the first time I’ve turned my computer on since before Christmas! Although I have been keeping up with Blogland on my mobile and realize that I am probably the last one to show off the gifts from my #sewingsanta.

Shame on me:(

Lisa from Stitched Up From The Start organized a Secret Santa involving the swap of sewing gifts and Jodie from Jodie’s Adventures In Sewingland was given the task of trying to find me a suitable sewing related surprise, which must have been quite difficult as;

a) we are new to each other

b) my creative passions are varied and not restricted to just sewing.

Well, Jodie obviously took the time to look through my blog and, very thoughtfully, included some goodies that indulged my other crafting obsessions.

Here’s what I was lucky enough to receive!

A stunning fat quarter of bright red, white and blue cherry fabric with a small scale pattern – perfect for the little projects that I love creating so much;

Some beautiful gingham ribbon with a delicate crochet edge;

Some real vintage buttons – this girl must have read about all those buttons I couldn’t resist buying at Yarndale!

My first foray into needle felting was a little Robin Brooch that I made for Beth at After Dark Sewing. Jodie only went and bought me some fabulous fulling to continue experimenting with!

The wool from some Devon Alpacas was an inspired choice – thank you Jodie!

Also included was what I initially thought was another fat quarter, this time in a vintage-style ‘Roses’ print, wrapped in a white satin ribbon;

On closer inspection it turned out to be a beautifully made sandwich wrap, lined with wipe clean oilcloth in vibrant red and white polka dots!

This is the Christmas card that Jodie sent;

Many thanks again Jodie – I really am soooo pleased with my gifts and cannot wait to come up with some designs that will do them justice and I will, of course, show them on my blog when I do.

Happy New Year!

December 23, 2014
by sewchet 29 Comments

Last Minute Gifts Finished Off And An Amusing Mishap

Well here we are, just two days before Christmas and I’m still making a few last minute bits and bobs. With fifteen people and three dogs coming to stay for Christmas, I’ve been hard at it with the food and sleeping arrangements which has meant there has been no time to blog properly I’m afraid.

After a lovely pre-Christmas supper for ten, they’re all doing the dishes whilst I sneak out to the office to grab a few minutes on the computer – my last update for a while, I suspect.

So, this is what I’ve been up to the last week or so….

I made a birthday card for a friend using pretty scraps of fabric;

These are the pair of fingerless gloves that went into my #sewingsanta parcel – I had to make these quickly after the pair (that were originally intended to be included) sold on Folksy!

I made this card for another friend who is a music teacher….

….and wrapped her present in old music scores that I picked up from a charity shop.

Inspired by Tajana’s jumper, I made a scarf for my brother.

A “Rasta” hat as modelled by my husband but intended for a much younger recipient!

A golf club sock as a bit of a laugh:)

A pair of cashmere fingerless gloves.

A tea cosy….

….as part of a gift including a Le Creuset teapot and different teas.

Gift tags made from air-drying clay.

I’ve been getting in a bit of a muddle and put it down to the drugs I’m taking for a trapped nerve, but get this: I wrapped up my step-daughter’s present, tied it with pretty ribbon, added a homemade clay gift tag and put it under the tree only to come back to see her present still sat on the table, unwrapped.

I have no recollection of picking up a random tea light holder from the middle of the table and wrapping that up instead, so I think my Christmas brain must be addled – and the big day is still two days away! I have visions of people opening their presents to find a soup ladle inside when their real gift is still in the cupboard but hey-ho, I’m not unwrapping them all to check!

I shall finish off by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and sharing with you a festive picture of my dogs:)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!!!

December 15, 2014
by sewchet 14 Comments

Sunday Sevens #14

My “Sunday” Sevens are a day late again – I was in Bath Christmas shopping with my daughter yesterday, an annual event in its twentieth year! Each year we drive in before the shops open, have breakfast, lunch and dinner out and manage a bit of shopping and mulled wine in between. It was the last day of the Bath Christmas Market too, so the city was looking and feeling very festive.

We really look forward to this girly day out which only ever happens otherwise on our shared birthday – we were both born on March 13th:)

Here is a snapshot of my week: –

1. Put up the Christmas Tree

2. Yarn delivery from The Wool Warehouse!

3. Walking around the village after dark in PJs, dressing gowns and wellies leaving Candy Canes on gateposts/car windscreens as a surprise for the children in the village to wake up to:)

4. Brilliant Christmas Album has been played non-stop since the beginning of December!

5. Home made gift tags from last year’s Christmas cards.

6. First reading of “Twas The Night Before Christmas”.

7. Christmas shopping in Bath with my daughter.

Hop over to Nat at Threads & Bobbins to see what #sundaysevens is all about!

December 9, 2014
by sewchet 32 Comments

How To Make An Upcycled Bookbound Journal and #sewingsanta update!

I am quietly fuming after being (very kindly) informed that someone is selling my Greengate Style Baby Poncho pattern on eBay, even using the original photograph from my blog!

It’s not just the fact that they are making money from my design, but that people are paying for it when it is available for free. Maddening.

Anyway, being the sharing, caring folk that we Crafters are, I have another tutorial for you – a Bookbound Journal.

I made mine using part of a hide of turquoise leather that I had leftover from a previous project, but you could use boiled wool, felt, cardboard – anything really. This was constructed entirely from stuff I had already so was completely free to make, which was essential as it went into my #sewingsanta parcel and I had already reached my spending limit.

So, here we go.

How To Make A Bookbound Journal

You will need: –

16-20 sheets paper (I used a mix of plain, squared, lined, coloured and notelet)

Cover Material which doesn’t fray (Leather, Cardboard, Felt, Boiled wool etc)

Waxed Cotton/Strong Thread

Magnetic Closure

Bradawl/Craft Knife

1. Stack your paper in piles of 4 or 5 and fold in half to make a ‘signature’. I made 4 signatures to go in my book.

2. Using a bradawl or other sharp pointed tool, pierce four holes through the fold at regular intervals making sure you go through all the layers of paper.

I use an old magazine underneath to protect my table.

3. Fold and stack all your signatures neatly together and lay on your chosen cover material. Cut around leaving about half a centimetre all round.

If you want to make a flap to close the journal, you can extend the fabric as shown below.

4. Mark a line about half a centimetre onto the fabric, directly in line with the holes in the signatures.

5. Cut through the fabric at these markings using a craft knife.

6. Thread a needle with a length of waxed cotton (or strong thread) twice the measurement of the spine of your journal.

7. Starting at the bottom, pass the needle through the hole in the first signature and the slit in the cover from the inside to the outside as shown below. Leave a tail of thread about 5cm long.

8. Pass the needle back through the second slit and signature.

10. Continue in this way until you reach the top, then weave your way back down to the bottom in the same way.

11. Tie the ends together and trim for a neat finish.

12. Add all the other signatures in the same way.

13. If you’ve added a flap, now is the time to add a closure of your choice. It can be a simple length of leather knotted at one end, slipped through a slit and wrapped around or a magnetic snap fastening as I have used.

14. Attach following the manufacturers instructions and cover the snap with a decorative feature button or piece of fabric. I made a bespoke needle felted button using three colours.

You could use handmade paper with deckled edges to make it really special, or just stick to printer paper to keep it simple, but I rather like using several different types of paper to make it more interesting.

I can’t show you what it looks like from the top because it is personalized with the recipient’s initial, but you get the idea.

I wrapped it up, popped it in the parcel along with lots of other goodies (blogged about here) and posted it First Class today, so somebody should be getting a big box from #sewingsanta in the post tomorrow! How exciting!

December 8, 2014
by sewchet 10 Comments

Sunday Sevens #13

Late again, but a good excuse this week – we’ve been away for my husband’s birthday and only got home this morning:)

So here are my #sundaysevens for this week:

1. Tiffany cufflinks for Hubby’s birthday.

2. Log Cabin hideaway for a few days.

3. Champagne!

4. Tapas style lunch.

5. Singing Christmas Carols in the hot tub at 10pm.

6. Freddy got a bullseye!

7. On-site café Christmas Tree.

December 3, 2014
by sewchet 20 Comments

#sewingsanta

Just a quick post today to show you a few of the things I’ve made for my #sewingsanta recipient (who remains anonymous!).

I spent the maximum limit of ten pounds ages ago so I thought I’d take some time to sew some little gifts with fabric and bits from my stash. This way it’s not cheating because they haven’t cost a penny other than my time spent creating them.

These are the added extras – and boy have I had fun!