All time favourites

I was very tempted to visit the fabric shop but promised myself I would find projects to use up as much of the fabric I already have at home before spending more money. Do you also have to make use of self control like this?

I do have a lot of stash left but get a mental block by looking at the same patterns and colours all the time. And going to the shop is such a treat! I feel like a kid in a sweet shop! However, I must admit there are lots of projects I can do with leftover bits, and this basket is one of them. 

I particularly like it because I made one of these years ago, when I first started to sew and blog. It is really nice and very easy pattern, and the combination of fabrics can be endless!

It is from Pink Penguin, one of my all time favourites. There are lots of other nice tutorials in her blog, and I am wondering which one to do next! 

If you are not familiar with her blog, I recommend you have a look at it for inspiration and prettiness. I can assure you will get hooked to it! 

A happy place

Sewing for me is not only a hobby. It is a kind of therapy. 

A place where I go and enter a meditative state. 

A place where I relax and be happy. : )

Admiring what others have made through blogs and books fills me with inspiration and creates endless thoughts of possibilities and creativity. (Thank you internet!)

Spending time thinking about projects, drawing designs, going to fabric shops, and sewing while listening to the radio fills me with joy. And I enjoy each step of the process.

One of my favourite books is The Crafter's companion. Here, crafters describe why sewing and making things is so significant in their lives. It is comfort reading, filled with beautiful photographs, and it always makes me get up and look through my stash to think what pretty thing I could make. 

Lets face it. We are not always on our best mood, and the darkness of winter and unpleasant whether doesn't always help to keep the spirits jolly all the time. That, combined with lives hurdles can make things a bit up hill at times.

I would be intrigued to know: what hobby or thing do you do to go to a happy place if you need to?

Out with the old....

I've had this hideous cushion for years, and although I have never particularly liked it, it has never bothered me....up until the last couple of weeks.

Each time I looked at it ( a few times a day) I kept thinking: oh, you don't fit here....So I had to do something!

And so I used this remaining fabric I got in Ikea a couple of years ago, and a zipper I bought in a charity shop who knows when. I knew it would become useful sometime!

I love to listen to music while I sew, and this time it was Loreena McKennitt's turn. I love this particular song: La Serenissima, and this video is really beautiful.

Have a lovely weekend!

Sew happy!

So R., being the wonderful man he is got me a little pressie, which is a book I had on my Amazon wish list.

Oh, the photos, oh, the fabrics, oh, the possibilities......

This book is written by a very talented woman, Rashida Coleman-Hale with a blog I would recommend you check out. There is also an interview podcast you can listen to about her and her work in Craftsanity.

What best way to look through a book than with a cup of tea? And yes, I do like it strong....

Easy sewing

I have been sewing a little bit lately.

One of the sewing projects I am now enjoying is making another hot water bottle cover following the pattern from the book Sew, from Kath Kidston. I like making these because they are simple and it has quilting involved, which is easy to do whilst watching telly.

It is a little bizarre to make a hot water bottle cover in summer....but it was an easy way to get into sewing again...and there is no right or wrong here, is there?

Sewing tools

One of the things I enjoy most about sewing by hand is the kind of trance I go into and the relaxing effect it has on me once I am done. Not to say how satisfied I feel when I have created something from scratch (that turns out well!).

I made this so I can take all my sewing tools with me whenever I travel.

The blue jean material is from an old pair of trousers of mine, and the fabrics are from our December trip to Brugge.

The little cushion the scissors are resting on are to put the pins on while I work

Now I just need another project!

Colour in my life

Hallo everyone!

So you think that I haven't been doing much just because I haven't been posting, right?

Fair assumption!

but I have been doing a little bit of this and that, and right now I am making this water bottle cover following a pattern from a Cath Kidston book. Still early stages, but I am enjoying the process of sewing after all this time.

I have promised myself not to buy more fabrics until I use most, if not all the ones I have already.

And life is always better when I surround myself of colour and pretty things, hence the flowers.

Thanks for still looking at my blog

My creative space

We went to Ikea a few weekends ago and look! look! this is my wonderful creative space. I have never had such a big table before. I love having lots of space because I am very messy and don't like tidying up all the time.

I like to listen to Craftsanity podcasts while I am working. It is wonderful to get to know about so many different artists, how they started, what they do, how they struggle and deal with it, etc. I wished I knew more creative people to discuss crafty/arty issues. But then, I have your blogs! You always inspire me and make me think about arty stuff. So keep posting!

This is a quilt that I am working on. I have lots of fabric that I want to get rid off, and what better way? Yes, a giveaway is also a good idea, but I already did that a few months ago, so I thought of mixing them together for a quilt. A part of me was doubting about how pretty it would be. Mixing stripes with dots, flowers, and other prints? I thought it might turn really awful, but it is actually looking very nice (for my taste, that is!). I am just glad that I made myself do it even though I had doubts. I so many times restrict myself just because I can't see the project clear right from the beginning. Silly me. I should know better!

Hope you have a good weekend.

I have rented a couple of films and would like to do a fair amount of sewing.

Of course, there is also the washing, ironing, grocery shopping, and other things to do, but who wants to think about that now?!

What about you?

Anything exciting?

So happy!

I have a new sewing machine!!!!!

It is for grown ups you know, a proper machine, not like the one I had before, which was cheap....and it showed! This one is wonderful, smooth, versatile and quiet. I can't wait to get started with it!

I am so happy!

Help needed

Hallo there. I am bitterly disappointed because my sewing machine is acting silly again. The upper tension is not working, and it doesn't matter if I try to change it with the wheel, it just kind of makes no difference or it gets worse. 

I only payed £99 for it because I didn't know if I was going to get into sewing or not at the time. Servicing it costs £50, and that is if no other repair is necessary. I guess I should invest in a better machine, but, which? If you do use a machine that has been reliable, could you tell me which one, please? Also, am I doing something fundamentally wrong?

And here is a photo, because a post cannot possibly a post without a photo. Thank you all in advance for your comments. I feel very lost!

Ta da!!

Such a pleasure to sew again! I hadn't been doing it for ages because the sewing machine had been misbehaving, but now that it is working properly I can see myself again spending lots of happy hours making lots of things.

I can now be tidy and put all my yarn and hooks inside the bag rather than having them laying around.

I have to admit that at times I believed that this was a doomed project. You know, one of those that do not happen smoothly for one reason or another. I wished I had enjoyed every single step of the project, but this time it was a bit of a struggle. But I am very happy with how it has turned out, and it is such a wonderful feeling to surround myself of things I have made that I like.

And a little bit more

This is how far I got today. I know I didn't wait to hear your feedback on how to go about the design, but I wanted to make most of the free time I have during the weekend and my creative energy. Comments on how to carry on are still very much appreciated. So don't be shy! Do you like it so far?

Decisions, decisions

I have been spending much of the winter reading posts of crafty bloggers and admiring their work. But personally I have not made anything for ages. I am now ready to sew again, and this is where I have started. Finally!

My problem is that I bought loads of little bits of fabric and I have been feeling overwhelmed. What can I do with so much choice and variety? Believe me, it was much easier when I didn't have much to choose from.

As usual I have started sewing without much of a plan in my head, and although I have put something pretty together, I honestly don't know how to carry on. Any ideas? I thought of making a quilt, but I am not sure whether to stick to pinky colours or to add some other, like the blue/green ones above. What are your thoughts on this? I would really appreciate some feedback!

Tool bag

Hello everybody! I made this tool bag this weekend. It looks quite plain from the outside, but wait to see the inside...

Lively colours appear, combined in no particular order. 

I would like to show you the complete bag, but I am afraid blogger is not uploading the last photo....Another day then!

I found a little treasure

I got this book on quilting last Saturday in a charity shop. Just for £2.

It is very complete, with patterns of all sorts

If this book had been printed recently it would cost a fortune. It is so good.

The contents of the book are:

1. Planning your quilt

2. How to make your quilt

3. The quilt's design and its parts

4. Patterns and how to use them

5. Borders

6. Quilting

7. Tufting

8. Other uses for quilting

9. Unusual quilts

10. Collecting quilts as a hobby

11. Famous American quilts and how to draft their patterns

12. The story of quilt making

I am not in the right mood right now to start a quilt, but I know there will be one day when I will be really happy to have this book around. I think I fancy taking pictures and making drawings these days. What are you into these days?

Have a good weekend!

Pss pss

I made this cat face pillow for the little boy of a friend of mine. I wanted to knit a sweater for him, and I started and realised it would take me a life time to produce something that would probably end up being too small or poor looking. So I went down the easy route and sew something. I am still not that into knitting....

Little bag

I made this with fabric from the swap with Carina. It is so cute!

I am now having problems with the sewing machine, and it is so frustrating!

Anyway, best wishes to all for the weekend. Carpe Diem.

Lunch bag

You might remember that a few months back I made a lunch bag that turned out to be too small. Well, I have made another one that has turned out bigger than what I intended. What is my problem??? (rhetorical question...!). It is lovely and I will use it. I can never have enough bags!

Jewelry bag

I asked my mother to make me something for Christmas, rather than buying me a present. This jewelry bag for traveling is absolutely perfect for me! I love the colours, and it is so beautifully made.

She makes things very carefully...very neat and perfect.

Maybe this is the time to update my jewelry!

What I have been up to this week

So here is my latest creation. I am a little bit short on fabrics and I was totally uninspired for a little while. Then, I started embroidering this girl. She seemed lonely, so I framed her on the top with the green bias and at the bottom with the ric-rac. It then made sense to make a cushion out of this and the rest of the decoration came easily. 

It is nice an fresh, with nice colours and a happy feel. Just like spring, which is round the corner....(I like to think!)