Tilli and Meg and More Sewing.

 Tilli and Meggie having a nap after breakfast while I am sewing.

 These 4 laundry bags were made yesterday afternoon.

These were made this morning. All ready to post. This afternoon I will be making cards.

Multitude of Makes.

 This morning I made 4 more laundry bags ready to post.

 I also made myself a headband using this pattern.
http://www.stitchedtogether.co.uk/2011/05/double-sided-headband-pattern.html
I will be making lots of these for the Angels for the Forgotten charity with the fabric I was given yesterday. My neighbor came around with some fabric samples that he saved from going to the tip.

 Elastics from my stash are going to be used as well as these zippers I bought from a Salvation Op Shop (50 zippers for $4). that I bought when my daughter was down here a couple of months ago. I am thinking pencil cases.

This is just about half of the fabric swatches I was given yesterday.
This are the tutorials I will be using to make the pencil cases.
http://www.aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com/2012/01/how-to-make-pencil-case.html
and this cute little wristlet bag.
http://www.sew4home.com/projects/storage-solutions/wristlet

Aussie Hero Laundry Bags.

 Today I have been busy in my sewing room.

 12 Laundry Bags.

3 boxes of 4 bags ready to post.

Makes, Shopping and Meggie.

 Continuing my sewing room make over I made myself a thread catcher using half of a wooden embroidery hoop, white cotton fabric and elastic to attach it to the handle of the door next to my sewing machine.

 

Sometimes it takes a photograph to wake you up to something that has been staring you in the face, I re sorted my wool stash, Looks so much better now.

 I knitted this headband for my son. The yarn used is called Mountain Chalet by Moda Vera bought in Spotlight. 5 1/2 mm knitting needles, 32 stitches in K2, P2 rib 42 cms long then sewed up into a loop. The colour is called charcoal.

 Yesterday my youngest son was going to Ikea to buy a grater and I went along for the ride. Whilst there I took a look at their fabric and they had this for length on display for $2.99 a meter. Unfortunately it was discontinued but they sold me the panel they had hanging up, 3 metres of it. I just have to use a quick unpick to make it useable. Fantastic for laundry bags don't you think!

 I came home to see that my other son has bought for me this lovely quilt cover for my Aussie Hero Laundry bag stuff. How lucky am I!

 Latest buys from Spotlight 1 metre of each for $5 a metre. Destination Laundry bags. All cotton drill.

 Also bought yesterday 1 metre of each at $5 a metre are these two delicious fabrics, Destination prezzies, also cotton drill fabric.

Meggie on her cat bed, new pink cover approval!

Sewing Room This Afternoon.

 Whilst I was happy with what I made this morning I decided I had another job I wanted to do. Find a home for my 4 large rulers. I had a hanger, some white sheeting

 This is my yarn stash, right next to my sewing machine.

 This is what it looks like now. The hanger has all 4 of my rulers on it. 2 on each side.

Also quite by chance it also fits on the door handle. There is a gap that is just right. (the door is never shut).

What I Have Made Today.

 Today I have been busy in my sewing room. Having cleaned and dusted and vacuumed I made 4 more laundry bags.

 

I then re covered my ironing board and made this iron applique mat as I had given away my last one I made. This time I thought about it a bit more. Not wanting to cut my last piece it has a fabric backing and elastic to hold it in place.  

 I also made a cover for the sewing machine. No pattern required. I just draped some fabric over it  added a little extra and sewed it all the way around. Turned it right sides out, pinned elastic between the hem, and top stitched it all round.

 This way it will fit many kinds of machine.

Quite cute.

Friends Swap Received.

Look what I received in the post today. My Swap partner Illene made these wonderful things.
Kitties Abound! F = Folder, R = Runner, I = Inspirational word, E = Edible, N = Needlecase,
D = Decorations and S = Scissor fob. I have already eaten the chocolate, delicious! It was great fun.

Aussie Hero Laundry Bags.

 I have made today 8 laundry bags.

 All boxed up ready to post.

Fantastic Art Cards. I am always thinking whenever I go to Savers to see what I can get for the Aussie Hero laundry bag inclusions. I came across these wonderful Museum Art Postcards. 7 packets of 16 cards. All sealed packs that I have opened up, taken out any religious and nudes that left me with 90 cards that I can add to their gift packs. Not bad for $3.

Kobo Cover

 This is what I have made today. I will add an applique on the front and a button.

 Opened.

 This is what I used. You need a hard cover that is strong but firm. I used this folder because you can cut it with a Stanley knife. The fabric I used has give all round to be able to insert the hard inserts.

 This is the method I used. 2 pieces of hard card, One for the outside and one for the appliance to sit in. The smaller piece is the same size as the appliance, the larger piece is 1/4 bigger all round plus depth of appliance. Make score lines on the depth so that it can be closed. Make sure you do not cut it all the way through.

This is the outside piece. Trace around the card onto your fabric doubled, add elastic to sew into the seam and mark a cross for cutting the fabric for turning on one side only where the elastic will then be on the back of it. This is why you need fabric with a little give.

 This is the inner piece, where the appliance will be sitting on it snugly held with the elastic. Sandwiched between the two layers of fabric is the elastic that will hold your equipment in place. Sew all around, snip corners and even it all up. Cut a cross in the fabric on one side only for turning.

 Turn it right sides out, insert your card and hot glue the cross closed. It will not be seen.

 Seen from the front.

 Hot glue the insert to the main body.

 This is the finished product open

Finished product closed.
I have not given measurements as this way you can make it for whatever you wish .

Ballerat Patchwork

http://www.ballaratpatchwork.com.au/
 Sad news, Closing down. I have just received this e-mailand thought it might be of interest to share.

Ballarat Patchwork is closing down and to do this we need to clear all of our stock. To start the clearance we are having 30% OFF all stock with more discounts to come. Get in early so you won't miss out as we are not re-ordering and products.
We will be updating the online store as soon as we sell out of products but sometimes new orders might come in before we can! If a product has sold out we will contact you to discuss alternatives. Check out the web page here to see all our products.
We will be closing our doors on Saturday the 12th of October 2013. All stock will need to be cleared by this date including all our shop fittings. This includes tables, chairs, display furniture, book stands, fat quarter boxes and much much more.
If you are interested in any of these items you will need to be able to pick them up from the shop, we will not be organising postage. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful customers for their friendship and support over the past 10 years. It has been a blast.
I will be continuing to design quilts and my first range of fabrics "Terra Australis" will be available later in the year. I will be setting up a new blog, still under the Scrapbag to keep you up to date with all my new quilt designs and fabric releases.
There will also be an online store for you to purchase my patterns so they will still be available to you all! So keep up to date by following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

My Fingerless gloves Pattern

Fingerless gloves

What you need

four 4 mm double pointed needles

2 stitch markers

1 50gram ball feltable wool yarn form Spotlight (it just about uses up the whole ball)

darning needle

Terminology

K1, P1 = single rib pattern.

M1 = make one by picking up the strand between the stitches and knitting into the back of it making a new stitch.

KFB = knit front and back of stitch to make an extra stitch.

sts = stitches.

Method

These fingerless gloves are both the same. You are working in the round from the bottom to the top so no seams to sew, just darning in the ends.

Cast on 44 stitches, spread them onto 3 of the double pointed needles 15sts, 14sts, 15sts.

Knitting in the round work 8 rounds in K1,P1 rib.

Next round for the start of thumb gusset. K1, place marker, M1, P1, M1, place marker, rib to end.

Next 2 rounds single rib.

Next round K1, place marker, M1, K1, P1, K1, M1, place marker, rib to end.

Next 2 rounds single rib.

Continue the last 3 rows until you have 11 stitches between the markers.

Next round K1, remove marker, cast off 11 in rib, remove marker, rib to end.

Next round K1, KFB of next stitch, rib to end. Thumb gusset is finished and now working on the main hand.

Next round Single rib

Do this for 7 more rounds and then cast off. Weave in the ends and you are done.

Makes and Shopping.

 Tilli happily watching me work in the sewing room today.

Having just recently made some fingerless gloves for a friend using wool instead of acrylic yarn I decided it was time for me to have a proper wool pair too. This is a different style to what I have done previously, made it up on the fly so to speak. I have made notes so I can do them again and will write them up as a pattern to share if people are interested I will post it. For this pair I have used four 4mm double pointed needles, knitted in the round and feltable wool 50 gram ball. Sorry, I do not know the brand I did not have the label on it.

The fabric underneath was bought from Spotlight. They have yesterday and today 30% off and with $20 in my pocket i thought i would try and see what I could get.
Success! I found this fabric duck cotton for $2 a metre so I bought the lot. 11.5 metres for $16 A perfect weight for the laundry bags. Needless to say this will be lining!

FRIENDS Swap

This is the package of FRIENDS gifts that my partner Illene received today. F, fingerless gloves, R rose scissor keep and scissors, I iron mat, E embellishments, buttons threaders and thread, N needles and notebook, D dyes and lastly S scarf. My partners favourite colours were green and pink. She was very happy with what I had made, and I had great fun.

Thumb Pincushions

Crafternoon did not happen this month as they had a birthday to go to, so this is what I have started to make. More gifts for the Crafty Hijinks. I was given a fabric sampler book a while back, the larger fabric swatches are going to be bags for Angels for the Forgotten and the small swatches were just the right size for these. The fabric is scotch guarded. I will keep a purple one for me.

Christmas Pins Assembled.

This is what I have been doing today. Cutting up the felt and assembling the kits. 50 done for the Christmas Party. Now to put them away in a safe place for December.