Gingham Hearts

I seem to have a love of all things gingham at the moment!

I came across these two little gingham hearts that I stitched ages ago, and they fit perfectly in with the little red cross stitch vignette that I have on my side table.

Just simple heart shapes cut out of gingham fabric and appliqued onto white fabric.  I can't believe that I actually made these!  Must have been ages ago!  (Just checked this blog - it was in February 2014)!

Glad I kept them - and found them.

Love, Liz

Sewing disaster!

The best laid plans often go wrong, don't they?  Or perhaps it's just me that these things happen to!
So, on Sunday I had a day of sewing planned.  Out came the machine, the Christmas fabric, scissors, thread etc.  I had four cross stitched pieces that I intended turning into little ornaments and pillows with fabric surrounds.  All went well and I got the first one finished -  Ding Dong (I always think of the actor Leslie Phillips when I use those words?????)

Started on number two and had a really wonky seam.  Now my sewing isn't great, but I was using gingham on this one, so I had straight lines to follow.  Couldn't work out what was going wrong.  By the time I got to sewing up the last bit - sewing machine decided to give up the ghost!  Arghhhhh!

Hubby was away or I would have called him in to have a look at it.  I have to admit that all this year it has been causing me trouble, but he has managed to coax it into working again.  Mind you, it is 40 years old!  I bought it the first year we were married.  So I've had a lot of good use from it (sewing machine, that is, not hubby, although .....).  You can see a post about my sewing machine here.

So big decision - do I get a new machine now or wait and see if Santa's elves have been listening to my wishes.  (Lets hope they weren't listening to my language on Sunday!).  Think I'll wait.  Might get a bargain in the sales!  Hope your sewing efforts have gone without too much bother recently!

Love, Liz

How to make a tartan book cover

Here's an easy way to make a boring loose-leaf binder a lot more interesting!  If I can do it - anyone can!

This is the time of year when we start to think about making lists or keeping a journal.  I've decided to make a sort of photo-journal of all the Scottish castles and Outlander locations I've visited.  Of course I wanted it to look suitably Scottish - so decided to cover a plain old loose leaf folder with tartan fabric.  It was really easy and, I think, quite effective.

The cover is basically just a big rectangle of fabric.  I measured from the inside of the front cover of the binder, around to the inside of the back cover and cut fabric accordingly.  I wanted it to have a bit of weight, so sandwiched a piece of wadding between the tartan fabric and plain lining.  I sewed the three layers together - the big rectangle.

Then I centered the fabric and made front and back folds and slipped the book inside.  Cover made.

To hide what was left of the folder, I cut some different tartan fabric to size and stuck it to the folder with double sided sticky tape, folding it down over the top and bottom of the folder to hide the ends.

Now the middle ring-binder bit looked a bit bare, so I just got a piece of lace, attached it with double sided tape and took it all the way through the rings from the top to the bottom.

Tra-la!  What do you think? This could be used for so many different types of journal especially if you were planning a Scottish vacation or wedding.  Other ideas could be white fabric, broderie anglaise and lace for a wedding planner or cute gingham for a baby book.  Wouldn't this make a great cover for a school project folder too?  There are so many applications.

I printed some pictures and words onto fabric to be sewn on the front cover.  I blogged about how to do this here.

Of course plain old card subject dividers could be covered in gorgeous scrapbook papers or gift-wrap matching the purpose of the folder. 

Now I can start putting my photos and castle guide-books in place.

Love, Liz

Vintage Needlework Magazine

I came across this gorgeous vintage magazine - Weldon's Period Needlework, Needle Art Series No 5 - priced two and six!

It has the most fabulous illustrations.

I just don't have the patience to so such involved needlework these days I'm afraid to say!

The little bunny is so sweet.

I love the advertisements too.

Love, Liz

Gingham Style

I recently made these two little gingham wall hangings.

I always think that gingham is so fresh.  I like sewing with gingham because it helps me to sew straight lines!

Now I just have to make a little hanger to put them on.

Love, Liz

Tablecloth With A Tale To Tell

I have a confession to make, I've not been in a charity shop for over a month!  This summer has just passed in a flash!  Where did August go?

I had totally forgotten about this pretty embroidered tablecloth which I found in July.  (I will admit that it had been languishing at the bottom of the ironing pile for that time - shocking!!!!!)

It is huge - 50x50 inches and the embroidery is as bright as the day it was sewn.  Intriguingly, there's a single initial in just one corner.  How strange is that?

I've written a wee piece about why that might be.

 

Winnie finished the last stitch of her initial on the tablecloth and decided she had had enough for one evening.  She had nearly completed it anyway - just Bert's initial to add in the opposite corner, she'd do that tomorrow.  She tried not to think of what he would be doing at that moment - on his last home leave he wouldn't say much about the war, just wanted to know how the arrangements for their wedding were coming along.  That was her Bert - always more interested in others than himself.

She was so looking forward to their wedding day in just three months time.  Her bottom drawer was already full to overflowing with all the bits and pieces they would be needing to set up home together.  Before putting the cloth away, she looked again at the three empty corners and blushed to think that perhaps, one day, she and Bert might have a little family whose initials would fill those other corners, perhaps even  the edges too.  Carefully she wrapped the cloth in tissue and placed it in her sewing box.

 

The telegram arrived the next day.

Love, Liz

Sewing Box Transformed!

Isn't it great when you actually find something you have had on your wish list for ages?!  I got this vintage wooden sewing box in a local charity shop and, best of all, it was full of sewing goodies!  I blogged about some of them here.

 

 

Of course I couldn't just leave the box the way it was, so I got hubby to take it apart for me and after a couple of coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint it was transformed!

 

The little drawers had been lined with this wonderful 70s wallpaper, but I decided that something a bit brighter would be more effective after I had painted it, so I chose this pink and white polka dot paper.

 

I have to admit that it was a nightmare to paint - all those little bits and pieces.  I would not do it again!

 

The good news is - I've sold it already!!!!!

Love, Liz

Tapestry Patterns

I found these pictures of tapestries in a pattern book and thought you might like to see them.

 

I remember doing something quite like this when I was little, but instead of a cloth background, it was a slotted sheet of card and you stretched the yarn across and slotted it into the spaces till you got a picture.  I've not described that very well, but I remember my brother and I getting these kits one Christmas when we were little.  You were even given a frame for your finished work.  Cannot for the life of me remember what that was called!

 

Anyway - these are quite cute and would probably be collectable these days.

Love, Liz

Satin Cushions in Medicine Pink!

The minute I saw this vintage pattern book for quilted cushions, I thought of that dreadful medicine pink colour!  Do you know the one I mean - usually on something satin it was a garish shade of pink and probably found in the homes of whiskery maiden great-aunts of advanced years.  There was also a ghastly green coloured satin which also featured somewhere in the same home - usually on a cushion or lampshade or bed cover. 

 

I did not know that there were different types of quilting, but this booklet, by Penelope for Needlecraft, shows two - English and Italian and gives good descriptions of them.

 

 

Don't know what it is about these cushions that makes me shiver - really dislike them - must be some awful childhood experience.  Probably being told to sit still and not fidget while sitting on an overstuffed, smelly horsehair sofa with a slippery satin cushion behind me!  Most likely in the home of some old dear Mum had dragged me along to visit!  I actually remember a scary parrot in a cage by the window too - good grief, all this from a wee booklet!

 

 

 

Anyway, this woman looks quite calm - must follow her example.

Happy Friday!

Love, Liz

Vintage Greenock Mending

I came across a fabulous bundle of old sewing and mending bits and pieces in a local charity shop.  Here are a couple of my favourites -

 

Greenock mending find yarn in wool and nylon - anything associated with my home town is a great find as far as I'm concerned!

 

Love this - snug bras!  Look at the materials listed - cotton, rayon, rubber and steel!  Just as well the little fixing is there or it could be totally misconstrued!

 

Isn't this Duldarn gal totally fab!  Got to darn those stockings!

 

There was also this lovely little vintage zipped needle case.

And last, but not least, an instructions booklet for a Singer electric motor sewing machine.

 

Love, Liz