This is a truly just-in-time TGIFF post, because today was Isobel’s birthday, and she scored a new duffle bag: This bag was very challenging for me! The hardest parts were inserting the top zipper: And creating the completely reversible straps (thank you, epic Ikatbag tutorial series!): And don’t even get me started on this positivelyContinue reading “Birthday Duffle Bag”
Category Archives: Handmade
Octopus Tutorial: Constructing the Body
As promised in my last post, here begins a tutorial series on how to construct an octopus softie! For the first part, we will be looking at how to construct the body. For this tutorial I’m going to concentrate on hand sewing, but I have previously used a sewing machine to assemble the body parts.Continue reading “Octopus Tutorial: Constructing the Body”
Softie Octopus Finished!
I have been making an octopus softie for Evie’s birthday coming up in early March. This is a design I came up with a couple of Christmases ago that works really well with scrappy lightweight fabrics! I took the octopus on a tour of the house, and he found some nice quiet places to sit:Continue reading “Softie Octopus Finished!”
Tutorial: “Windows” quilt top
I’m too proud of my new “Windows” quilt top to be done with it just yet! Today I’d like to share a tutorial on how to piece this for yourself. 🙂 First up, I should mention that this is not my original design. I was inspired by this quilt I spotted on Pinterest, which IContinue reading “Tutorial: “Windows” quilt top”
“Windows” quilt finished!
Is it just me, or when you are putting the binding onto your quilt, do you feel like there are five corners instead of four?? 🙂 So finally, it is finished. I am so pleased with this quilt that I can’t bear to send it away in the post today! I’m going to hang onto itContinue reading ““Windows” quilt finished!”
Quilting with recycled fabrics
I’ve had a great weekend because I’ve just finished off a wonderful new quilt top! I’m going to have a hard time giving this one away, but give it away I must! It’s a birthday present for my eldest nephew, who has just started school last week. Today I wanted to share some thoughts onContinue reading “Quilting with recycled fabrics”
Upcycle a sweater into a nappy cover!
Here in Australia, we call them woolly “jumpers”. 🙂 When they are too pilled and moth eaten to be of further use as clothing, you can re-purpose these useful items into wool nappy covers. If you’ve been using cloth nappies with PUL covers and want to try wool, don’t be afraid to give it aContinue reading “Upcycle a sweater into a nappy cover!”
Weaving a special gift
Last year my Mum had a special birthday, and I vowed to make something extra special to mark the occasion! Â At first I was thinking of making a quilt, inspired by the lovely wonky circles done by Mari of TheQuiltingEdge. I still think that is a great idea (hi Mum!) but I knew I wantedContinue reading “Weaving a special gift”
Wild goose chase quilt
Well, I really wanted to post about this yesterday, but as is always the way with quilting, it took longer than I thought! I have been working for months on an epic project: a wedding quilt for my sister! She was married last year in September, and I knew there was no way I was goingContinue reading “Wild goose chase quilt”
Handmade Christmas 2013
This year I managed to create more handmade gifts at Christmas time, and over the year for various birthdays. The idea is for me to replace a gift I would normally have purchased (using a budgeted amount) with a personalised hand made item. I have a lot of nieces and nephews to buy for, andContinue reading “Handmade Christmas 2013”
Simple Crafty Life 