Adding detail and pride to your sewing

So I love to sew and I have pride in my projects

Being prideful is not a bad thing when it comes to using your talents, because believe me there are plenty of things I'm not good at.

I started sewing very early on and it's a story you hear often, I learnt at my grandmothers feet. This is so true and she was an amazing seamstress, a tailoress and there was no garment she couldn't make.

She made most of my clothes when I was a child and even when I started High School she stitched my uniform including the school blazer, I was pretty tiny in those days and the smallest ready to wear size just swamped me.

And that's how it started although it's only in recent years I started craft sewing or 'sewing small' as I like to call it.

So lets see the details that bring that lift to your craft.

This was the bag I made about 18 months ago, I'd never attempted something like this, it had a foam-like stabilizer instead of quilters batting... a game changer as it holds it's shape beautifully. I quilted it diagonally and lined it with a patterned cotton fabric that was not too busy.

I added a panel of simple stitched flowers with a small fold of the lining fabric and finished it off with leather handles.
This is the link to this bag pattern 'round-travel-bag'  It's  reasonably simple and easy to follow and check out all Minki's other patterns while your'e there...I just love her work.

 Do I use it ? Well yes I take it to my weekly embroidery club feeling very glam, filled with threads, needles and everything you could possibly need for a fun morning of stitching.

Zipper pouch and pincushion, well it's all about the details you add..sometimes you don't notice what makes something special. It's about adding layers that build to create interest, a bit like interior design.

The little pincushion is fun, the oblong shape allows enough room for two different fabrics.

Divide with a ribbon trim, I always use cotton lace if I can, much more organic.

And did you notice it's also quilted in a half inch grid, building detail and texture again.

The zipper pouch is a flat simple oblong shape which I prefer for holding sewing notions etc, it's quilted on the diagonal, lace added, and the little fun fabric stamp... don't forget the striped corner detail.

And when I'm not sewing I love adding details everywhere.

Happy creating

Glenis

Embroidered bunny pincushion tutorial

Embroidered Pincushion tutorial

I do love to do simple embroidery, small projects that are quick and oh so cute.

I've had such a lot of fun using this simple bunny to embellish my work, pincushions, pocket detail and whatever really, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Cut one 7'' square of white or cream fabric, cotton or linen, either will be lovely. Transfer the design onto the fabric making sure you centre it, I find it easier to just trace my design with a soft pencil, but use the method you prefer.

Cut one 7'' square of lightweight fusible batting and press it onto the back of your work after you have transferred the design.

 Using an embroidery hoop to hold your fabric embroider the outline of the bunny using two strands of DMC embroidery floss. The eye is done with a French knot and the nose just a small straight stitch. To do the tail just use a series of bullion stitches, now these don't have to be perfect to create a good look just as long as they look like a fluffy tail.

The leaves and flowers are done using lazy daisy stitch and just one strand of DMC thread.

To make up the pincushion 

Trim your embroidery to a 5 1/2 '' square making sure you have the embroidery exactly in the centre.

Back: cut one patterned fabric  5 1/2''  square

(Peeps) Small borders: cut four 1 1/4'' x 5 1/2'' from patterned fabric

Larger borders: cut four 1 1/2'' x 5 1/2'' from contrasting fabric

Fold the small borders or peeps as I call them in half lengthwise and press, position the top and bottom peeps 1 3/8'' from the top and bottom raw edges of your embroidered front. At this stage before attaching these you can add a trim, it can be lace or ric rac etc, stitch it in place so that the folded edge of the peep will cover it.

 Having the folded edge toward the centre and the raw edge toward the outer....stitch the top and bottom peeps in place using a 1/4 inch seam.

Now attach the two side borders using the same technique. 

Place the outer border right side facing down on top of the first border 'Peep'
lining up the seams and stitch  in place using a quarter inch seam, press open.

Stitch the top and bottom borders in place using the same method, press open and at this stage you may have to trim the edges slightly to bring it back to the original 5.1/2 inch square.

Place your front face down on the back piece and using a quarter inch seam neatly sew the two together leaving a two and a half inch opening for turning.

Trim the corners carefully, turn through and stuff with fleece.

Using a slip stitch sew the opening closed, you can see I've added a little decorative tag just to finish the look.

Below is my hand drawn rabbit image, print it out on A4 and use to create something sweet.

Happy sewing 
Glenis

A sewing Story

Such a story of sewing and friendship

 &

 an inspired gift

Out of the blue I received a little card from an old friend, a friend whose friendship I had let lapse...I hadn't seen her for about ten years and our only contact was a yearly Christmas card.

The little card read as follows

Dear Glenis,

I have been thinking about you today and wanted to drop a line to tell you how very special you are to me.

The time we spent together will always be a precious memory even though I must have been a right royal pain at times.

The influence you had on my life was HUGE, your sage advice and getting me going in crafts really set me up. I'm off to buy my second Over-locker today... plumb wore the old one out! 

Hope this finds you well and content, you will always be my first and very loved friend.

xxxxx

 Well I don't ever think anyone has written a letter so lovely to me, I was tearful and so taken back. Memories of a simpler time came flooding back, a time of stay-at-home mums, babysitting kids, school gala's, rushing home to cook dinner and sewing up a storm.

She was a very young mum with four little kiddies, living on the farm and not a lot of money to spend. 

I taught her to sew, but she was a natural and became an amazing dressmaker... clothing her family beautifully.

Yes we were friends and I had forgotten!!!
This is a lesson to us all about the power of handmade, the joy of sharing your talents, of how a common love of making brings together women of all backgrounds.
I really can never get over the pleasure I get from using my hands to create beauty, there really is power in it.
So rare these days to pen a letter but I have done that and made a sweet gift to go with it.

Yes it really is a sewing story.

I adore this lovely fabric from the Sweet Orchard Range by Sedef Imer, the soft warm pink spot and the cheater print show off my hand embroidered little mouse clutching his gifts.

This is the back sweet orchard really is just that, so sweet.

The little mouse with his tokens of love.

I have added this to a link up 2016 Q4 FAL
Happy sewing
Glenis