Camper van | Sewchet

October 26, 2015
by sewchet 53 Comments

Sunday Sevens #59

A day late with my #sundaysevens this week due to a full-to-bursting weekend that ended at 11pm last night!

Hop over to Nat at Threads & Bobbins to find out how you can join in with seven photos of your own providing a little glimpse into the person behind the blog – a great way to keep blogging even when you haven’t got enough to make a full blog post.

1. I made a jar of lemon curd and some shortbread to take to an aunt who had invited us for supper, as well as a couple of bottles of wine, of course.

2. Although we haven’t switched on the central heating yet, the fire has been blazing away this week since the weather changed. Who doesn’t love an open fire?

3. A two and a half hour sewing camp with two little girls went extremely well considering this was their first time using a sewing machine.

4. After practicing on paper first, they soon moved onto fabric.

5. Two very happy girls, both rightly proud of the beautiful cushion covers they completed!

6. This is the pattern that I’ve chosen for the work’s ‘do’ that Mr H-L’s company puts on every Christmas. Turquoise taffeta maybe….

7. My first cuddle with baby Lilah, our first grandchild!

….and a couple of extra photos just because she’s so gorgeous!

10. Sunday night oysters and prosecco with good friends was the perfect end to a lovely week. Oops, forgot to take a photo before we ate them all…..

Don’t forget – the deadline to sign up to our Christmas Gift Swap is this Saturday, 31st October. Check out the #stitchingsanta blog post to find out more.

May 20, 2014
by sewchet 2 Comments

Tea Cosy Tutorial

There has been quite a lot of interest in my ‘Camper Van’ and ‘Hen’ tea cosies, so here is the tutorial I promised. I would love to see any that you make – post your photos on my Facebook page:)

You will need: –

a sheet of A4 paper
1/4 metre of fabric of your choice
1/4 metre lining fabric
1/4 metre polyester wadding
motif (for appliqué)
iron-on interfacing
matching thread
cotton tape
bias binding

On an A4 sheet of paper, use a large plate to draw the rounded corners of the tea cosy.

Using the paper template you have just made, cut TWO each out of your main fabric, lining and some polyester wadding.

Take your chosen motif (I cut out a Camper Van from the Fryett’s range) and iron onto fusible interfacing.

Cut roughly around the motif and pin onto one of your main pieces of fabric. Stitch all around the motif three times. You can be as neat as you like, although I “scribble-stitched” using the freehand machine embroidery method. This allows the fabric to fray very slightly and adds to the rustic charm. You could use a close zigzag stitch if you prefer, to enclose the raw edges for a neat finish.

Trim the excess fabric from the finished appliqué.

Cut a 4″ (10cm) piece of non-stretch cotton tape.

Fold the tape in half and pin to the right side of one of your main fabric pieces as shown to form a small handle.

Pin your fabric, right sides together, sandwiching the cotton tape in between. Pin your lining, right sides together. Stitch all the way around the curved edge, leaving the bottom, straight edge, free.

Turn and press.

Trim the wadding by 1/2″ (1cm) all the way around.

Slip the lining inside the cosy, wrong sides together to hide the seams. Now insert the wadding in between the fabric and the lining (front and back) as below.

Pin the bias binding around the bottom of the cosy, enclosing all three layers.

When you get to the end, cut to length and fold under before pinning over the cut end.

Sew close to the edge of the binding.

And there you are – finished!

You can customise it to suit your style using any motif. Here’s a variation with more free machine embroidery.

This is one I made out of beige linen with a hen appliqué.

Feel free to share on your own blog; a link back to this page would be appreciated:)

May 13, 2014
by sewchet Leave a comment

VW Campervan Tea Cosy

I don’t know about you, but I love the current trend for vintage caravans and camper vans but don’t actually own one – yet.

If when I get one, it will have to be a seventies or eighties model in need of a bit of TLC so that I can “rip it out and start again” (suitable almost-pun from 80s band Orange Juice).

I’m already imagining an interior of pretty florals and spots in my favourite colours of blue, red, pink and white. The seats will be laden with crocheted throws and there will be enamel jugs and mugs on the shelves.

Bunting will adorn both inside and outside my teapot will have a proper tea cosy…except I didn’t have one until today.

And this is what I came up with….