Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I've been a bad blogger and not updated for months! I have still been updating my my instagram with some of my makes. 

Here's my year collage with most the things I've made;

I'm starting a new blog over on Wordpress here.

Thanks for reading, and hope to hear from you soon!

Laurie 

Daisychain sampler 'E'

So the dreaded satin stitch with no edging, actually went reasonably ok. 

I back stitched first (apparently makes the edges nicer of your satin stitch), did the stem stitch for the lines you see, then filled with satin stitch. Here it is finished;

Daisychain sampler 'i'

I know I had said I would do 'e' next, but the hoop was already in the right place for 'i' so I did that instead! Plus it's a pretty flower for the letter 'i'. Do you think I'm still avoiding doing something scary!? Shh! I'll do it next, promise!

Daisychain sampler 'h' continued

It has taken me a week and a half to pick this up again after  my holiday, but I really like how my letter 'h' has turned out!

Tutorial: Bean bags

There's probably loads of tutorials for this, and am not saying mine is the best/right way, but this is how I did it, and have to start writing tutorials somewhere right?!

So, here goes;

Materials
bondaweb (for applique)
fabric a (for front)
fabric b (for back and numbers) For the set above I used three different prints
filling - I used rice, but can use dried beans

Step 1
Cut fabric a and fabric b - you need ten of each, mine were 4.5" squares.

Step 2
If you have a printer, find a font you like and print out the numbers 0 - 9, might need a bit of trial and error with size.

If not, you can draw them yourself like I did. I started by drawing a grid 2"x2" to ensure my numbers where a similar size, and just wrote the numbers in the squares. I then traced round making them into a edged font. 

Step 3
Use a window (or a light box if you have one), turn your numbers over, take your bondaweb and trace the backward numbers onto the paper side of the bondaweb. 

Cut them out and iron them on to the wrong side of fabric b (following the manufacturers instructions and  I used a pressing cloth to protect my iron). 

Cut out the numbers, take the backing paper off (I use a needle to gently make a little tear, I find it makes it easier) Place your numbers centrally on fabric a (right side of fabric), and press to stick them down. 

Step 4
Use your sewing machine to sew the numbers onto the fabric. Or you can do this by hand, you could use back stitch (pictured below), or a stitch to cover the edge like a blanket stitch.

Step 5
Next, take your backing fabric (b) and place it right sides together with your numbered piece and pin together. You then need to sew around the edge using a 1/4" seam, leaving a  2"- 3" gap on one side for turning and filling, remember to reverse stitch at the start and end point of the gap to secure your stitches. 

Trim your corners, be careful not to cut your stitches. Turn the right way, and poke the corners with a chopstick or pencil. Press your seams. 

Step 6
Now it's time to fill your bean bags, my funnel was too small, so I made do with protein shake bottle lid turned upside down (you could roll a piece of card to make a funnel shape if you have nothing else). Fill your bag, do not over fill, maybe around two thirds full. Ladder stitch the hole closed. 

I then top stitched around the edge of the bean bag, but had to be very careful and keep moving the rice away from the needle. I suppose you could do this by top stitching the three sides before filling then do the last side after you have closed the hole?!

Then all that is left to do is bury your knots.  

You can do this by pulling the top thread through to the back, knotting it with the bobbin thread and threading them onto a needle. 

Where the stitch finished insert the needle and come out far enough away to pull the knot through (and it not come out the other side).

Trim the threads close to the fabric, and it will disappear inside the bean bag. Last three pictures were coasters, but it works the same!!

The  drawstring bags were made using a tutorial by Ali at Very Berry Handmade, I reduced the size of this finished bag to 12" x 9"w.

and this one is reduced again to 11"x8"w

So, there it is, please be nice! 

Daisychain sampler 'H'

Right so next is 'H', how do I feel about 'H'? Yes it's satin stitch, it's edged so hopefully will make it look neater, so could practice on this then go back to 'E'.  

I've back stitched again first, covering with satin stitch then will back stitch again in pale blue.

So I'm going home tomorrow, so will I get much time to carry on?! No, but when I get back into it should get a bit more done!

Daisychain sampler 'G'

Next is 'G', lots and lots of colonial knots. What do you think? Mastered these? About half way round my brain went to sleep and couldn't remember if it was looping over or under the second time, tried both, it's over!