Happy Mothers Day

Secret Pocket Envelope Clutches, originally uploaded by MandyMade.

I know, a couple of days late. I had a lovely day, how about you?

These are the gifts I made this year for my mum and mother in law. They are made from Michelle's newest pattern, Secret Pocket Envelope Clutches. I made the size 3 version. Perfect to fit a Voucher inside. Now they just have to work out what else to put in them, endless possibilities!! They are very easy and quick to make, just what I needed at the moment.

Only took a quick photo with my phone before gifting. No amount of photo editing was going to help this photo so I just waked a filter over it!!

You can make one too, pop over here for a pattern. I want to make the other sizes too, I think I've got a use for every size at the moment.

Felt Foxes

Felt Foxes, originally uploaded by MandyMade.

Crafting for me lately has been mainly dreaming about what I want to make rather than the actual making. Too much other stuff going on, house reno, more stress at the real job and school holidays always stuff the routine around. Hopefully it will all settle down soon and there will be more making going on.

While the sewing machine is packed away at the moment I did get a little hand sewing time in the past week. I bought a Mollie Makes mag (issue 23) a few weeks ago, as soon as my sons saw the front cover both of them wanted a fox each. So instead of just putting it off till the increasingly long make list is complete I decided to squeeze them in.

I made from the pattern with the exception of using whip stitch to sew them together. They both came together really quickly, so if you need a quick gift, I recommend making them. They are now much loved :-).

More patterns

I just can't help myself. If I see a cute pattern I have to buy it!! Are you the same? It's nearly as bad my fabric addiction ;-). At least they are easier to store. I've been very good this year with my fabric and pattern buying, but then I found out Michelle was retiring 21 of her patterns and all in one go wrapped up in a neat little package. So I had to buy it. I already have a few but have been eyeing off most of the others!! Now I have them. So if you would like to make a quick gift for mum this mothers day these patterns are perfect. Here are some I made ages ago, you wont be able to get these patterns again and will only be available till Monday. Now I'm off to spotty to buy more fabric!! I will be constrained I promise ;-).

Camera Case Wristlet

Lots of pocket tote

Pleated Pouches

Envelope Clutch

Size 5 Secret Pocket Envelope Clutch.
Source: Michelle Patterns on Flickr

Michelle's much awaited Envelope Clutch pattern is finally here and I've snapped it up already. When she first started writing about it on her blog I was starting to think of all the things I could use one of the clutches for. The biggest one would be to pop a gift card into then the receiver could use the clutch for whatever they liked. Then I started to think of all the things I could use one for. Business cards, excess cards, then the biggest one could fit all the stuff that floats around in my handbag, note book, medication scripts, endless. There are 5 sizes in the pattern and they are very cute. Now I need to find the time to make some!! If you would like to make some too the pattern is currently on sale here. If you do make some I'd love to see them, pop a link in the comments.

Happy Sewing

Zip pocket pouch

Zip pocket pouch, originally uploaded by MandyMade.

Michelle has this pattern on sale at the moment, plus extra pattern pieces for another size. If you have been wanting to make it its the perfect time to pop over and buy it here

It's been way too hot here lately to sew so I've had nothing new to show. Plus I've been making over my craft space. Can't wait till its finished so I can share.

Back to what I know!

I've unpicked the quilting disaster and decided to have a go at a smaller version before tackling it again. I know where I went wrong but just so I can get my confidence back. I felt like such a novice, especially asking you all for help. Love this blogging community :-).

I'd never used quilting pins on my new machine, only hand basted. So that was the first thing to go. I was in too much of a rush to quilt, big mistake. On one of the blogs I read, Amy had just experimented with jelly roll racing, I'd never heard of it (can you tell I haven't been reading blogs? Don't worry i'm back into it!), googled it, and found it was huge. So with the left over strips from the quilt, I cut 1 1/2 inch strips and had a go. It came together so fast. The same fabrics clumped together a bit, strange how it did that, random didn't end up being random! Might try it again on a proper jelly roll one day.

This is doll quilt size so will be used by someone when I finish it. So here goes, straight line quilting I think. Then I'll baste the bigger size again and have another go at that.

Please note these are not my usual fabrics, I'm using up a bad purchase stash on the experiment!!

New fabric, oh my

Look what arrived in post the today. Very excited. It's Safari Soiree by Dan Stiles for Birch Fabrics Organic. I also got a superhero fat quarter bundle, that didn't quite make it in the photo. Got lots of ideas for this fabric, mainly baby gift bundles.

But that also means my fabric weight count has gone off the charts!! (Just realised I declared my fabric goal on my other blog!!)

+36g - 1319g = -1283g. Best get making and finishing some projects! I think the quilt might be shelved for a week or 2!

How are you going with your fabric purchases?

The patchwork

Thanks for all your suggestions in my last post. I've slept on it and know exactly where I have gone wrong. I'm going to unpick and try again. After I've done a spot of shopping with the girls! This is a photo of the patchwork before I stuffed up the quilting. I was pretty happy with it. It's a bit of an experiment which I'll explain more when I'm finished!

Grrr

Question for all quilters out there. What am I doing wrong? I have my walking foot on, the machine was dragging the sandwich through, and now my patchwork that was perfectly straight now isn't. Everything is now wonky. Which would be fine if that's what I intended. I now have to unpick. Am I not pinning correctly? Should I hand sew baste instead of pin? All suggestions very welcome.

Grocery bags

This is what I made from cutting into my DS fabric. Grocery bags for my sisters and crafty buddy. The pattern is from Michelle Patterns. I made the medium size. They came together very quickly even though every seam is double stitched. There is no interfacing which is very welcome after so many projects with iron on interfacing. I used calico inside. I love giving gifts that are potentially very useful not just sitting pretty on a shelf.