Another successful 100% homemade craft project

Well, I am pleased with it anyway!
It's a scented lavender pouch for my future SIL's birthday, even the lavender is homegrown, quite chuffed about that.

To make it I measured two rectangular pieces of fabric and cut around the shape, mine was 6inches by 5 inches with a centimetre extra each side for sewing. I had a patterned fabric for once side and then a cream minkee-type fabric for the back.

Pin the two pieces of cloth together right sides facing, and then sew three edges leaving the top open.

Then fold over 1-2 cms of the top edge, pin and sew using a back-stitch to make a neat edge for the opening of the pouch.

Turn inside out, poke out corners and then iron.

Sew on two coordinating buttons on the front for decoration.

Secure a length of ribbon to the back of the bag about 2 inches down from the top opening, with a few small stitches (to stop it from sliding off)

Then fill pouch with lavender (or any other kind of pot pourri/petals/herbs you want) and tie the ribbon tightly to secure it all in.


I have also made some drinks coasters in the same material for her.

My next project is to make some things for a work colleague who is leaving on maternity leave in 2 weeks to have twin boys, I am thinking maybe some homemade bibs and burp cloths, but am open to ideas if you can think of anything/know of a good tutorial for baby gifts?

Then it's on to Christmas gifts...

I made this!

After a slow and steady start I am really enjoying handmaking gifts now, and more importantly seeking out new projects i can sew/stitch/bake/create!

It was only when i uploaded my photos for the week today that I realised what a home-made week I have had;

tomato soup for dinner on Thursday

completed some hand-stitched drinks coasters for my friend's wedding present (plus a bottle of rose fizz- i didn't make that i may add)

A little hand bag for my 2 year old niece (am hoping to make some more items for her in the same fabric)

I also made thank you cards for my GS birthday presents, and a salad solely using items out of the garden.

The sewing projects have been the most rewarding for me seeing as it's the one i needed the most development on, having rarely been able to sew even a button on in the past. I have sewn the items totally by hand, and although not as neat & precise as a sewing machine, I find I am resisting the use of a sewing machine (despite my MIL offering me hers) as it feels more authentic, more hard work if I do it myself and I find comfort and pride in that. Sewing by hand is almost like the labour of giving birth to my final creation, whereas i am not sure i'd have the same satsifaction from using a sewing machine. Maybe once I have reeled off a few more project then common sense will prevail and i'll use a machine, but for now I am happy by hand.

It's rainy on the hill today, there is a real feel of Autumn in the air, although the weather forecasts to be finer for this week, the temperatures have certainly dropped and I felt frozen today when visiting the car boot sale in Tansley, in the harsh open Derbyshire countryside.

Poor Daisy has been in the wars also; our warrior princess seems to have been in a scuffle with some other creature (unsure what, maybe a dog, another cat or even a fox) and has a nice deep puncture wound on her right behind that she growled and hissed at us every time we got near, poor little thing was not happy at all, so off to the emergency vet we went, and thankfully we had caught it in time as it was forming an absess, so a hefty bill later she seems much better full of painkiller & antibiotic injections and sardines (GN spoils her!)

Look at her being brave!

It's been awhile...

I took a break from blogging this week as little GS came down with the Swine Flu (well "suspected", they don't confirm cases anymore in the UK) pleased to say after a week of quarantine and some anti-virals and he is now right as rain, just a tad grumpy at the whole affair and choosing to be particularly Toddler-ish, such is his prerogative!
To cheer him up we put our tent up on the garden Thursday and he's revelled in it, I remember my parents doing this in our back garden when I was growing up in the summer holidays and it provided hours of entertainment; somehow eating your dinner/playing board games/reading a book/telling stories is made so much more interesting when done in a tent. GS found particular delight in using the front porch section as a drive through garage for his ride-on Quad bike, and equally enjoyed it when it rained and we sheltered in it together drinking tea (me) & juice (him) listening to the rain pattering down. It has encouraged Mr GT and I that we should get a bigger, more family friendly tent and go off for a camping holiday next year, maybe trying it out just the 2 of us on a test run weekend first, I am hoping we get on well with it, I love the idea of being away from it all, enjoying the outdoors and surviving on just the basics while having the best fun ever, I feel it will bring out the best in us, well that's the hope anyway, stay tuned to see if that bright idea works!

Back on track "craft-wise" today though, I nipped in to my local habersdashery on my lunch hour from work (yes, i have to work some Saturday's, i know- it should be against the law, but it pays the bills) and had a half hour of total excitement fumbling through the off-cut bins, caressing the rolls of fabrics, checking out all the cute buttons and oohing at lovely threads, in the end I was quite reserved and bought half a metre of lovely soft cream fabric, a few off-cuts and some blue cotton tape I need to make GS some bunting for his bedroom. I'm too tired tonight though to start anything (i think tiredness would equal mistakes) so I'll tackle it with gusto tomorrow. The Library has been busy today, busy for most of the summer holidays so far in fact with the children coming in very keen to participate in our Summer Reading Scheme and parents overjoyed at the fact their children suddenly love the library and books (and are quiet when reading them through the miserable rainy August days we've had so far) even if it is after being seduced by incentives of stickers, puzzle boards and magic pens as prizes!

Learning something new...

While at work today I took it upon myself to disapear in to the library for a few moments to search through the craft section, so many books so little time, I came out with 3 lovely books to try and help me develop my craft skills, more specifically to learn how to sew! I have a wish to create beautiful things, reconnect with my creativity, or at least learn to sew a hem up properly (currently Granny Nanny kindly does this for me, but really, I am 28, I should be standing on my own 2 feet now really eh?!) I used to be able to pick up a new skill really easily, especially crafts, but these days I feel scared to do so, how silly, time i faced that demon and went for it, hence the books!
The three I have chosen are:

• Lost Crafts: Rediscovering Traditional Skills- Una McGovern (ISBN 978-0-550-10426-7)
• The Complete Book of Sewing (ISBN 1-4053-1295-5)
• Home-made Vintage - Christina Strutt (ISBN 1-904991-43-2)

I shall report my opinions on them at a later date, and hopefully the results of my tuition will be beautiful!

So as I finish my Guinness (for medicinal purposes of course!) I am off to snuggle up to Mr G.T on the sofa with my 1st book, wish me luck!