Retractable Scissor Fob

 Another simple Christmas Present Idea.
I found these retractable reel pulls in Savers the other day and they were 5 for $2. and I was estatic! I thought they would be a great thing to turn into scissor keepers. They had seven packets so I bought them all, so now I have 35 of these beauties to tun into gifts.

Very much in the same way that I made the other gifts, all hand sewing and circles. First I took off the metal clip on off the back, made a lovely puffy pincushion and sewed it onto the fabric covered cardboard band around the middle and on the back added a fabric covered circle to enclose it all. All I have to do is hot glue a pin brooch back to the back. Another gift idea done.

Covered Tape Measures.

 This is what I am making at the moment. Thank you gifts for Christmas. These are what I am making to hand out to all the staff at Spotlight and Savers this year as a Thank you for the lovely service they provide when they serve me. The retractable tape measures I bought on ebay for $1 each and free postage was a great deal and the rest is from my stash and looks so much more than what it will cost to make.

What you will need is 3 circles covered with fabric with wadding and fabric. One of the circles has a hole in it to accommodate the button on the retractable tape measure so that the button is not restricted and can still be felt. this will be sewn onto the bottom of the measure. The other two circles will be sewn together ladder stitch style to accommodate the pins.

The band around the centre is just a strip of fabric glued onto cardboard the same width as the measure leaving a gap for the tape to move freely.

Ladder stitch the double section to the top where the measure does not have the button to the middle band and the single circle with the hole on the bottom where the measure has the button.
Add a few pins to show how to use it and you are done.

 Very cute simple low cost gifts.

Close up.
Now that we are in July I am getting into Christmas mode and will be making the Charity toys too. I am thinking teddy bears and dolls this year.

Tuesdays Treasures

This is my Tuesdays Treasure, A copper thimble, My friend bought this for me when we went to Sovereign Hill, copper is one of my favourite metals. We had a brilliant time there.

Christmas in July

This my contribution and what I have made for our Christmas In July meeting at our cloth doll club. Leather thimble kits. Our charity this year is Children in Need. The packaging is recycled cards, pretty little packets. I have made 45 kits. I found the pattern on the internet and this is the link.

http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00077.asp

 School couch appliques are almost ready to go. They just need a few threads snipped.

 All inspired from the book Cat and Fish.

 This one is for the back of the couch and the others are for the two sides.

 This is a hand puppet, a special request from my son Jonno for his work. this is his boss.

His hair is needle felted in in pure wool mohair. I had a lot of fun with this one, I hope he likes it.

Shape Moth New Shop

 

http://www.shape-moth.blogspot.de/2012/06/giveaway-from-patchwork-oase.html

To celebrate the new shop opening at Patchwork-Oase they are having a massive 10 prizes giveaway, You need to have a blog to enter, It is Huge! go and have a look.

Crafternoons

Sorry, no pictures, we were too busy sewing, but we had a great time making Barbie doll clothes, tracing the pattern onto interfacing and then pinning it onto the fabrics of their choice cutting it all out and sewing them by hand. Looking through my laces, braids, buttons and beads it was like having kids in a candy store, lots of happy chatter and they both went home with things to finish off and patterns for making other clothes too. We had a great day and looking forward to our next meeting. They really want to use the sewing machine but I think that to build up their knowledge and dexterity they need to be able to use the hand tools first. They are really looking forward to the net meeting, Hopefully we should have pictures by then.