Block of the Month

I am doing the free Block of the Month on Craftsy. These are my 3 February blocks. You should join in, it is so much fun!

Plastic Pocket Wall Hanger.

This is the plastic pocket wall hanger I have been working on in the last couple of sewing sessions. The measurements are, 60cms by 100cms. The board used is a vote for me now board, lightweight but strong plastic. the pockets were from those fabric sample packs taped together to make a long strip. The material used was a quilt cover from Savers, I like it because it reminded me of those paint chip strips. the back is covered in the same orange fabric used for the tops of the fabric bags and the bias binding which ties it all together. I had fun doing it.

Non Sewing Day.

 This is Tilli, enjoying the sun in the family room.

 Meggie near the window also enjoying the sun.

 No sewing today, and half of yesterday, I spent it cleaning and re sorting. I admit, I am a hoarder, (recovering one). I used to buy fabric especially from op shops on the thought of  "That is nice, I am sure I can do something with that". Well now I know what direction I am going in with my sewing so it was long past time to sort out. Laundry bags, quilting blocks and girls dresses, with the odd project along the way is plenty of things for me to do. 4 boxes of fabric have gone to the school. 1 box of wool, 3 bags of stuff for Savers, 2 rubbish bags and this is now my space. The floor is clear and all the fabric I am keeping to use is now in the cupboard in the boxes that were on the floor. The only project out on the table is the one I am working on.

 One side of the door. I just need to label the boxes.

 The other side of the door.

 The clear space all around the table. A mat for a kitty to sit on.

This it Leila and Wiss, a real couple of cuties, My daughters kitties, Are they not just darlings? They are always so loving and cuddly, even when it is hot.

Art Room Bags

 This is one of the 5 Art Room Fabric Storage Bags finished. All the bags have at least 2 different fabrics back and front. There is a plastic pocket which will have a picture of some of the contents, for example, Upholstery, this will include furnishing fabrics, curtaining and heavy weight fabrics.

 The back side of bag.

All the bags. Some will have fabrics like the 4 way stretch and shear fabrics and silks and satins. Another bag will have dressmaking and quilting weight fabrics mainly cotton and polycotton. Another bag will have the non fraying fabrics like polar fleece, felt and wool. All the
apart from the felt and the 4 way stretch fabrics which will be loose in the bag will be washed and ironed and will either be on flat cardboard (larger pieces) on a tube (thinner strips), all will have elastic of some sort around it to keep it nice and neat and a coloured label for the bag it belongs to and I am also going to measure each piece and that detail will be on the tag as well. I have my work cut out for me, It is a good job I love playing with fabric!

Art Room Stuff.

 Yesterday I went with Renee to her School Art Rom to help get it ready for the new term. Remember this lovely hand dyed fabric that I made a couple of months ago? Well I could not make it colour fast so it will not be used for laundry bags but I will be using it to make storage bags for fabric for the Art Room instead. The bags will be very similar to the laundry bags, just larger. I will be adding a clear plastic pocket to the front which will have sample swatches of fabric in it to show what is in the bag.

 This is Work in Progress, the size is 60cms by 90cms and I am making plastic pockets.

 It does not show up very well, but this is the plastic I am using. It is from fabric swatch samples, I have taped them together to make one long strip.

folded them and the top is held with clips and the bottom has tape on them to hold it's shape until I sew bias binding on it. Fun stuff!

Op Shopping.

This morning I posted 6 parcels each with 4 laundry bags in each, a lovely feeling. As usual I checked out our local Savers Store and could not go past these goodies. The large blue sheet with fishes, perfect for outside of the laundry bags and the camo fabric will be for the tops of the bags. I am on the look out for hard waring fabric for the inner of the bags. The colouring pencils are for the K.Mart Wishing Tree Stash Drawer in my sewing room. Later on in the year I will be making draw string bags and fill them with lots of goodies suitable for girls and boys.

11 More Laundry Bags

This is the last of the laundry bags I have finished off today.

16 Laundry bags Ready to Go.

 I have ready to go 16 more laundry bags for Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags). 4 sets of 4.

They all have a flag on them. 11 more being finished this afternoon.

Crafternoons.

 We had our first Crafternoon of the year. The girls covered their folders and are now embroidering on them. They had a great time and these are the Crafternoon bags.

 Using 3 fabrics, the same pattern, they are all similar but different.

Now they all have a tote for their crafty stuff. I am so looking forward to seeing what they do with their embroidery.

Aussie Heros Australia Day Laundry Bag.

This is the first of laundry bags that will have the Bunting from the Reject Shop added to it.

Opp Shopping.

 Savers in Mill Park has some lovely fabric today I could not pass up. (As with most op shops it can take a while to find what you like, sometimes you find stuff and sometimes not). I think this first one screams Laundry bags to me. This was a double quilt cover.

 Another double quilt cover, I am thinking girls dresses and bias binding but I think I might be cheeky and have the kitty panel to make for bags for myself.

 I adore the colours on this queen sized sheet, definitely girls dresses.

 This is a queen sized doona cover and I am thinking of quilt blocks for this one. I love the neutrals and the reds flowers won't be so obvious once it is cut up.

I love these! Reject shop bunting. Each flag measures 22cms by 30cms. and for $5 there is 20 in a pack, I will undo the white binding re-enforce and stabilize them with iron on interfacing and bias bind them to add to the front of the laundry bags.
I have had a good day shopping today and looking forward to more sewing.

How I Work.

 I thought I might share with you today the method I like to work in. This works with all the charity stuff, dresses, laundry bags or soft toys.I like doing the same thing over and over in a crafting spell, this is my method for the laundry bags.
Day 1. I will cut and prepare the fabric and pair them up into inner and outer bags, they are then put into a bag and stores for the sewing day. I will also cut up the fabric casings for them and they are then put into a separate bag.

 Day 2 is sewing the inner and outer bags, they are then put into the same bags they came out of.

Day 3 is the finishing day. I will then sew the casing to the bags and fold them up. Because of the fabrics I am using I will end up with very similar bags so when I have 4 or 5 different bags (depending on the weight of the fabric some can have 4 and some can have 5 per package). I then ask for address to post them in.

Front Cover Finished.

I finished off my front cover of my Crafternoon folder with chain stitch. I am please with how it pops.

Crafternoon Folder Cover

 

My Crafternoon cover idea. The girls in my Crafternoon group will be covering their folder and embellishing it with whatever they like, beads, buttons, braid, stitchery or whatever. One of the ideas I have used on mine is with bias binding.  I chose a picture and printed it, traced it onto some thin greaseproof paper and pinned it on. The girls can do the same kind of thing if they like, either their own art work or from a colouring book or a copyright free picture, Thinking and choosing what yo uwant to do is half the fun.

 I then pinned my bias binding over the top and carefully tore the paper away from the area I was stitching bit by bit. I changed my sewing threads to suit the colours I have chosen.

 

 This is it so far. A lovely afternoons stitching. It may or may not have more stitching on the front, But I do know I will be decorating the spine.

Opp Shopping.

I have been away Kitty sitting for my son and his girlfriend Sunday, (baby sitting my Grand Kits if you like!) Monday night and all day Tuesday, and literally just around the corner 3 minutes walk away is a Brotherhood of St Laurence opp shop, so I had to take a look. This is what I found. Brand new pair of queen sized sheets $7 and these fabric remnants total cost of remnants $6. The sheets will be dresses and the remnants will be bias binding. 
I am going to do some serious sewing today as I have major sewing withdrawal from being away from my sewing room.
I will be sewing some of the laundry bags that I have cut out ready to go.

12 Dresses.

I have enjoying my cutting out and preparation for sewing today, This is 12 dresses ready to sew.

Laundry Bag Preparation.

 Tilli is happy to watch me work from above. (really she wants to get inside the built in robe).

 This afternoon I spent the time cutting the fabric I that was posted to me this week.The total is cut out and ready to sew are 28 laundry bags in 7 different styles.

 Meggie on the first lot of fabric trims.

Meggie actually fell asleep on the second lot of trims.

Sewing Room Tips.

 As I am lucky to have my own sewing room I have sticky taped two tape measures to the edge of the table, one in centimeters and one in inches.

This tip is from my daughter in law and one that she uses in the classroom to keep her cords neat and tidy. They are bull dog clips and they keep the cords from getting tangled. I have my appliances in the power point and then clipped to the end of the table, sewing machine cord, Ironing cord, mini fan. I also have a non slip mat on the whole of my sewing table too.

Handy Iron Mat.

Today when I was in my sewing room I thought of this, A quick and simple Iron Rest.

 On the Ironing board.

What I used is this. I had some foam backed fabric, added for the top layer an applique mat, (I am sure you could use a silicone mat) and some iron on interfacing, some fabric and elastic and a button.
Trace around your iron onto some interfacing, add about 2 inches to this and you have your pattern. Iron on the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric place that onto your layers in the following order. fabric, silicone mat or applique mat foam backed fabric with the foam on the bottom.
Pin the layers together, sew all around leaving an opening for turning. Trim it all, turn it right sides out. Now the sandwich should have the fabric on the bottom and the silicone or applique mat on the top. Where you have the opening pin in the elastic ends, You are making a giant loop (measure how much you need first to go around your ironing board). pin to hold and top stitch all around to help make it flat and close the elastic in at the same time. Sew a button to the top of your mat this will hold your elastic in place and it won't slip.

Cats and Crafternoons

 Tilli having a cuddle and a brush. Tilli has very soft fur and an ordinary cat brush could not pick up anything from her fur, it just slipped through, At the pet store I explained the problem and they showed me this, ShedEze by Purina. It is the smallest one, (available in 3 sizes). She Loves It!

 Meggie playing with her favourite toys, She Loves her shoe lace chasers.

 This is just a couple of the things we are going to make in our Crafternoons. The bag is from a free Craftsy class and the pencil case, well no pattern needed for that, and if you look closely you will see a little peg doll perched on the top.

I have only 3 rules in my Crafternoons, 1. Make something for yourself. 2. Make something for gifts. and 3. Charity Makes. This year as they will be using the sewing machine for the first time they will be sewing squares together in rows, I will then square them up and sew the rows together then when there is enough it will be made into Laundry bags for Aussie Hero and Laundry bags.