'Sleepy Suzie' patchwork block and carry bag

'Sleepy Suzie' patchwork block and carry bag

I've had it in my mind for sometime to revisit my original Sleepy Suzie, she was a wee doll I made a few years ago. A little project using my ideas turned into a much larger one with my first patchwork block coming to fruition.
It's simple and combines applique, patchwork and embroidery, the finished block is 14 1/4 ''  x 14 1/4 '' square and can be used for a number of projects.
You can make a quilt or cushions but I've made little carry bags for my Granddaughters with a custom luggage tag...so sweet.
My pattern includes the patchwork block, a tutorial for the bag and the little tag with the full alphabet script so you can embroider your own custom tag, the link to my pattern is HERE. 

I've written a separate post here about how you can print simple designs directly on to fabric using your own printer.
This luggage tag is an example, once printed you can embroider over the script...easy.

Make the little luggage tags and use them with love, print out the two pages below A4 size.

Here is my inspiration little 'Sleepy Suzie' doll in her night gown and slippers, she is available in my ETSY SHOP  along with my other PDF toy patterns.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my work and happy sewing everyone

Glenis

How to print on fabric using your ink printer

Printing on fabric at home

It's very simple to print out a design on fabric using your home printer.
I use this method often when I wish to embroider details that won't be washed...yes you can't wash the finished product as the ink will run. But don't despair there are plenty of uses for this method and I will show you a few so read on. All the projects below were made using this method.

Here's how
Go to your local stationary shop and buy a pack of laser/inkjet labels, the ones that only have one large label per sheet.

1. Press your fabric well and starch it if you can. I often use white linen so I add lightweight fusible interfacing on the back. 
2. Trim your fabric to fit the label.
3. Peel off the label, it has a sticky underside.

4. Carefully sick the fabric to the adhesive side, place in the printer making sure you place it so the design prints on the fabric side and not the label.

5. Peel your fabric off and it's ready to embroider. 
6. Take the used label and press it back onto its original backing paper, you can use this several times.

* Use Word or Open Office or a similar program to prepare the lettering, making sure you get the font and size to your liking.
* Leave a gap around your design so you can cut them out if you are adding them to a project or putting your work into an embroidery hoop.
* A few pointers before you get too carried away, print the design on paper first so you know its ok.
* If you are doing your own designs keep the lines fine and grey so your thread will cover nicely.

Hope you enjoy this method as much as I do...lots of uses. If you would like to make this luggage tag the template and tutorial is HERE

Remember keep the grain of your fabric straight when getting it ready to print especially if it has texture like linen because you will be disappointed with end result if you don't.
Happy printing and sewing

Glenis

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

Sew a gorgeous baby's bib..free pattern

Sewing bibs

One of the most appreciated gifts for a new mum other than a helping hand is a bundle of bibs. I have made quite a few in my time as a seamstress Grandmother of nine...almost ten and you know I really love making them.

This pattern I'm sharing is similar to my original pattern but with a snap fastener rather than a tie.

At the bottom of this post you will find the templates for this bib, Just copy them they are jpeg ...print out on A4 paper.

You can keep this bib simple or as glamed up as you like. You can check out other bib tutorials I've made HERE and pics HERE.

I have used some sweet floral and stripe just left over fabric from other projects, a lace trim, a little me made patch and quilting detail.

Cut out your upper and lower front pieces, add lace if you want and place the lower piece on top of the upper piece right sides together and straight edges aligned, stitch together using just over a quarter inch seam.

Pin together the upper and lower pattern pieces lining up the dotted lines..see photo above. Use this pinned together template to cut the backing fabric and the batting. (Just a note this bib doesn't need to be quilted and can just be backed with terry toweling or any absorbent fabric, but if you quilt it the quilting process makes the bib smaller and so you might like place the quilted bib front on the backing fabric and use that as your template.)

I used a fusible batting but a lightweight cotton batting would be equally as good.

Press the seams up and the lace down on the front bib and using a cover cloth press the batting in place on the wrong side of the bib.

At this stage I have quilted my front in a diagonal grid about 1 '' apart. I recommend using a walking foot to get the best job.

Trim the threads and if you want to add a little patch or label now's the time.

To assemble the bib place the back piece on top of the front piece RST and stitch around the edges using a small seam, leave a 3'' gap on one side of the bib for turning through. Trim the seams where necessary and clip carefully at the curves.  Use a chop stick or similar to turn through, push out all the edges with your implement to get a nice shape and all your curves smooth. Press well and hand stitch or fabric glue up the opening. Add a snap fastener or small Velcro circles to close your bib...all finished.

 Happy sewing everyone.

Glenis

My friend 'Kat' a new soft toy pattern

My friend 'Kat'

I've spent some of my holiday time bringing this kitty cat doll to life. I always have a head full of ideas as to things I'd like to make and 'Kat' had worked her way to the top of the queue.

I decided to make her the same size as 'Molly' so any purchasers could utilize the same sized clothes to share with both dolls.

If you would like to read my post about 'Molly' just click here.

Often my inspiration comes from the beautiful fabric that is now available as it did with Molly. Spring flowers were a good starting point and don't they look sweet. She has little cuffed bloomers, a lace edged pinafore and bright overalls.

But in amongst all this creativity I still had time to relax and enjoy Australia's beautiful Sunshine Coast. It is a place we go to often and the weather is usually glorious and still very warm having left behind cooling conditions at home, although this time we had buckets of rain at times.

This is the Maroochydore River, it's only a few minutes walk from the apartment and we love to fish off the jetty.   

       It gets dark early here but just as the sun goes down the light is wonderful, I don't think my pic captures the soft pink sky the way I remember it.

    The birds here are one of my favourite things and you hear their song even in the most urban spaces, bright Parrots, white Galahs and the huge Pelicans.

I hope you don't mind that Iv'e shared my holiday as well as my sewing with you. xxx

This is the link to find my 'Kat' and 'Molly' patterns.

Happy sewing

Glenis

Smocked dress for Lola

Smocked  dress for Lola

This is the first smocking I had done for about ten years and I have to say it took some time to get my rhythm again...much unpicking, but the results were worth it.

It was a Christmas dress for a special granddaughter and I'm only just blogging about it now, I really don't know where the year has gone.

We went down to our local botanical gardens for a photo shoot and I think I took about ninety pics, well you can't have two many of grandchildren can you.

Lola was a little trooper and she didn't fall in the pond or sit in duck 'you know what' but I think the most smiles we got was when she sat in my car pretending to drive.

I chose this beautiful fabric because I wanted a white background with sprigs of flowers and this Elea Lutz fabric from the 'Little Dolly' range was perfect.

Isn't Lola so cute with her Shirley Temple curls and we don't really have curls in the family so this is so amazing.

Glenis