Christmassy Cushion Cover

With my new found skills I thought I would put them into good use. We are distinctly lacking cushions on our lounge sofa.  It's one of these sofa's that is so deep you could use it more like a bed than a sofa. So cushions are the only way that one can get their feet touching the floor...and we have limited cushions for this! Lets learn how to make Cushion covers as a next project...surely simple-ish right...?! 

My sister talked me through a sealed cushion cover...literally cut out your square pattern leaving a small seam allowance, sew all the way around 3 and a bit sides, stuff the cushion in and handsew up the rest.  Easy!  I took a closer inspection of a cushion she had bought from Matalan...very shoddy sewing up - I could definitely do better (feel my confidence growing!)!

We thought an envelope cover would be best to try and master...as if I can do that it's a bit more complex so it would be a good test.

So I cut out my square pattern with seam allowance and appliqued a Christmas Pud (aiming for a funky festive cushion.) made from felt.  I handcut the shapes, and sewed on to the material. Not a bad pud...but definitely need practice on my machine skills!  Apparently mistakes and squiggly lines make it look home made and quirky! Maybe Shabby...but without the chic! 

 Next for the back. I chose a blue starry fabric for the back.  I made the bottom section longer so that when in place the top section would overlap like an envelope in the desired way. 

I made some binding from the material used on the front to tie it in.

 I pinned the cushion all together and then sewed around the whole cushion.  I then turned it right side around.  I think it looks funky and festive and I am really proud of it! I am using it right now to make my feet touch the floor!  My main learning point from this is to make sure the back sections are pinned in the correct way as I accidentally pinned the lower flap over the top flap when it should have been the other way around...I could have unpicked it all...but actually that's my learning mistake...I need to let go of some of my "everything needs to be perfect" traits!

 I love it!

Love from me and my little man x

Little Man's Makes

It's obviously not all about me.  My inspiration is my very own little man who is 11 months old tomorrow.  Born on the 24th of December I think Santa sprinkled a little magic dust on him as he's already churning out a few pieces of his own!

Check out his collection....

 This one was the very first...made for his daddy's First Fathers day.  We went to the paint your own pottery in Marlands Shopping Centre, Southampton and got messy!  I organised for my mummy friends from my NCT (national childbirth trust) group to join us so we could create havoc! So 7 mums and 7 babies...and paint! There were splodges, smudges, corrections by everyone but I think Wills creation turned out well...  He put a footprint on the bisque plate and then with a bit of imagination it turned into a rocket flying into space! The message was from the book "Guess How Much I Love You" which me and my husband loved when we were first going out.
The plate got fired and turned out well.  And his daddy did love it when it was unwrapped on fathers' day! Check out the pictures...

Daddy with his Fathers Day Plate

Plate proudly on the kitchen wall.

So next creation by my little man was his Christmas Plate for Santa's Treats on Christmas Eve!

Again another footprint (I wish I'd done it in darker green paint now!).  It was made in October on our holiday to Center Parks, Longleat.  My little man was very poorly on holiday, but he chippered up enough to get this done so I can't wait to put it out for Father Christmas...  Apparently Santa likes Beer and Chocolate Yule Log....hmmmm......


And lastly is a proper creation from my little man made in nursery.  He started nursery in October when I returned to work.  He appears to absolutely love it!  And I was very pleased when I was handed this spider that he made on Halloween! Very artistic! The spider did suffer an injury on the way to the car...he became an amputee...(but gosh...have you tried carrying a baby, bags, opening doors AND a funky spider plate...!) I hope to see many more pieces of art from my little man, ready to decorate the kitchen wall. 

Love from me and my little man x

Stuffing a Letter to Stuffing a Stocking!

A weekend of great fun when me and my little man travelled to my sisters for a long weekend away.  After battling with the M6 full of traffic jams, with cheese sarnies strewn all over the car and a whiffy smell emanating from the rear passenger we were pleased to arrive to a mug of tea and the promise of a cookie!

My sister had a baby boy 8 weeks after my little man arrived, so we were looking forward to seeing the two boys play and entertain each other.  Our main plan was to entertain the kiddywinkles enough to wear them out for decent naps and bedtime to allow us time at the crafting table. Did our plan work? No... So we worked long into the nights and burnt our candles at both ends...but I think we achieved a great deal.  The housework was definitely not achieved...and the mess mounted higher and higher on the dining room table!  I'm not sure my brother-in-law really appreciated how messy creativity could be!

I planned to start simple so I could get over my machinists' nerves and pick my sisters brains for tutorials as needed! I have LITERALLY not sewn before...so all a bit of daunting, but exciting, experience!  I stuffed a heart back at home and messed around with an old pillow case to figure out stitches etc. and to have a play with my machine, but did nothing with intention.

My first project was to be a christmas tree/house decoration for my dearest friend.  So a decorative stuffed hanging letter was the plan.  It is an "L" if you hadn't guessed with some jingle bells to add a more festive feel.

I had initial difficulty getting my head around mirror imaging and cut out two shapes that didn't fit together! And then when i sewed the final two together, I was so excited I didn't match up the stripes...so vertical this side, and horizontal the other side. 

Oh well...my sister says it adds to the charm...

I think my friend will love it as my first ever make, and I think she'll appreciate the effort I put in.  I'll have to let you know what she thinks!



So start simple...and aim BIG! From stuffed letter to Christmas Stocking for my little man!  It's definitely his FIRST stocking...but not his first Christmas...he pipped Santa to the post on Christmas Eve so technically he has already had one Christmas.  Pity the majority of his first was spent in the General Hospital making it out for 6pm Christmas day!

So with a lot of coaching...I made it!...here it is...

A festive Robin singing a few hand-sewn notes to keep up the merry cheer.  I love the striped fabric on this side.  I made the robin out of felt.

My little man's name appliqued on this side so that Santa knows where to stash the goods!

The inside is lined in a gorgeous material patterned with gingerbread men, candy canes, hearts...lots of things christmassy...

I love the stocking and I am sure that it will be loved every 24th/25th December.  I am looking forward to filling it and leaving it by the bedroom door for my little man to stumble upon Christmas morning and open up the goodies in bed with wrapping paper strewn everywhere! (I may have to help him in these first few years...I'm not complaining..!)

I thought I better label it to tell him that I made it with love... I hope it lasts!

Right...now where's the coal and tangerines....?!?

Love from me and my little man x

4 years...

I thought I would quickly post this as today is my 4th wedding anniversary! Sometimes it feels like it's gone in a blink of an eye...and sometimes it feels like we've been together for 40years.  There's adventures around every corner...but this last year we have seen the biggest change in our life as we had our little man who was born Christmas Eve 2011 (known as the nephew who stole Christmas...!). 
We have held strong throughout the dramatic changes and we are still growing together (...admittedly with a few sleep deprived nagging sessions initated by myself...!). 

I thought I would post the delightful card given to me by my husband.  It speaks volumes and I shall tell the tale...

One anniversary a long time ago my husband got me a card...it was a card with a cartoon cat holding a bunch of roses and it looked like it might've cost 99p from the local garage.  I hated it...and was vocal about the awful-ness of the card! I did appreciate him getting me a card...but one with a cartoon cat of garage quality...no thank-you! So ever since I have been plagued with cards adorned with cats!!!!  This one is especially cute in his little knitted jumper...and had the best message written inside (it was a blank card so some imaginationg was also required!)...

"Dear Nay Nay, Happy Anniversary! Thank you for 4 amazing years of marriage (well they would be amazing if you were married to me lol!). Lots of Love xxxx PS You can't escape the cat..."

I chuckled inside and it was the most heartfelt card I have been given from him...it made me smile...a lot...

Love from me and my little man x

Setting Up....

So here I am...!

Two new skills starting to establish...Sewing and Blogging! Needless to say I need quite a lot of practice in both areas, but we only learn from our mistakes...(I've bought a seam ripper for my sewing mistakes...)!

My dearest sister (aderyndu.blogspot.com) has been crafting for years...and I have been the recipient for the majority of her makes, so she has encouraged me to give it a go.  The fact that John Lewis had the most gorgeous machines on the shelves did encourage me a little further ...so my birthday money from husband and my mother was spent lavishly on my little (rather mini compared to my sisters beast!) but utterly gorgeous machine.  I haven't decided on a name for her yet....

She's a bit gorgeous isn't she?!!

Little Blue...
Lavendar...
Bertie...
Phoebe....

What do you think....?!


 

So I got her home...and she needed a new home.  I've been struggling with use of my mini conservatory for a while, so why not try as my sewing/hobby room.

The gorgeous throw on my sofa is one created by my sister for me...having started some projects I now have even more appreciation for the time and energy that's gone into making it!  It's by far my favourite make of hers yet!




A few pretty things bought (pretty but surely essential for sewing jobs)!

So she has a home...and I have a new home...and so we are off!



Love from me and my little man x