Purse Update

A couple of posts ago, I showed how to put a zip in a purse. The sample was quite large, so I decided to add some handles, then after cleaning up my sewing room, I found the rest of the lining fabric, and was able (with a bit of unsewing) to add an interior pocket.

Because I joined the handles as an afterthought, I added some suffolk puffs and buttons just to neaten things up.

Sue

Here's a tip...

Just a little trick to help with the art of joining fabric for sashings and borders, and making tape for binding your quilt (not bias).

Cut strips to desired width. Lay one on the ironing board/pressing surface, face up, the other face down.

Now make a 45 degree fold and press.
Flip back over and line up with the first strip.

Now place a piece of tape on the seam (masking tape is better than stickytape - my roll of masking tape keeps going missing - last seen being used by the cricketer in the house to turn a tennis ball into a cricket ball and also to repair the aforementioned cricketers boot - I don't ask anymore - just roll my eyes ).Flip open and stitch - ideally just a stitch width away from the fold, that way you won't trap the sticky in the seam.Trim fabric back to 1/4 inch seam, remove the tape and press open. Ready to go.If you are going to use for binding a quilt, just fold in half, press and then stitch in place.

I have been working on a quilt, to be taught at my local community house. It is aimed at the beginner but is a nice easy quilt for anyone to try. I kept it to basic black and white on the front, but the back is very bright indeed. It matches my kitchen perfectly, so will probably end up as a table cloth (don't freak - with a plastic cover of course).

And.... butter wouldn't melt in it's mouth - Norman is in disgrace - the phantom piddler strikes again. I thought I should make some inroads into cleaning my sewing room up, retrieved the vacuum cleaner (I don't use the ducted vacuum cleaner for my room - usually ends up with the plumber being called to unblock the pipes) anyway I digress.... started work, looked at a couple of lines on the carpet, thinks to myself - I'll get a damp cloth and remove them. Head downstairs, notice wet spot, stop to investigate - cat pee - go to where the vacuum cleaner was, large puddle of cat pee - I have sucessfully dragged this offending liquid with me upstairs across carpet (fortunately it is only drops because I was actually carrying the vacuum cleaner) and so begins the cleanup. Vacuum cleaner wheels are what left the first stain, clean those marks up, clean the vacuum - remove the wheels still stink after washing in the bucket - back to the laundry for them to soak in the tub in bleach - follow the trail across the carpet and down the stairs - a good hour later, order has been restored and of course the room still isn't finished. Norman and I aren't speaking.

Sue

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well another year has screamed past, can't say I am not happy to see the back of it! Not much sewing has taken place in my neck of the woods. Santa coughed up a new lens for my camera so in between eating, which seems to be one of the major past times of Christmas, I have been taking pictures of anything that takes my fancy.

I made all the nieces a glitzy letter and a wallet and coin purse.

The turkey was carefully slathered in butter and given a protective coating of bacon before it hit the Weber. (Sorry I forgot to take a photo of the finished bird) There was enough to supply lunch and dinner on Boxing Day and sandwiches for the cricket for the men of the house the following day. After that we all lost interest and cut the rest up as care packages for the two felines to enjoy for a while yet.
The pudding turned out a treat cooked and then reheated in the crockpot. It was then topped with my mothers secret sauce. It contains a couple of generous dollops of brandy. Even those who don't do the pudding, do the sauce! I also made a trifle and a yule log.
There were way too many of these consumed...

As the males in house left me to my own devices to attend day two of the cricket, I spent a good deal of the day messing with the camera. How much fun can a girl have with a punnet of red currants and a bottle of lemonade.

I ended up with about 160 pictures, not including the ones that were really bad. I think I have fiddled with every button and setting, but I am still as confused at the end of the day. But I do so love the digital SLR camera's.

I have made some attempts at capturing some bugs up close. The bees were being very tolerant and the fly thing (I just take pictures and hope they don't end up in my hair never mind what the critters are called) almost seemed happy to pose - even the spider made an effort.


Then I moved on to the florals.

New Year's Eve was a very quiet night. The weather was pretty ordinary with wind, rain and thunder and lightening. In between the thunder and fireworks, many pets were under considerable stress - Harvey spent a fair proportion of the evening under the recliner - this is not the safest spot, and it took both my husband and son to retrieve him - one to tip the chair up and one to fish the cat out.

We did enjoy dinner of home made fish and chips. Well more like salmon steaks and homemade potato wedges.

I followed this up the next night with a version of Brick Chicken. The other half and I were watching an episode of Martha Stewart and got so inspired we gave it a go. It was very successful. As I don't have any bricks laying around I used my big heavy cast iron pot. It well and truly did the trick.
Hopefully now that Christmas is over with I can get back into sewing and embroidering to my hearts content. There has been a definite lack of enthusiasm on my behalf, my "room" needs a good going over, I have beads to pick up off the carpet after Norman sent a container flying, on one of his visits and my computer desk is swamped with pieces of paper filled with "inspirational" thingy's.


Hope you all have a great New Year. Bye for now - Sue