How to: Zipper Pouch Tutorial

This is a fantastic, very quick way to make a
neatly finished Zipper Pouch!
(Photo by Julie K also)
I love it!
If you don't have the place mat to start with
you could of course sew 2 pieces of fabric together! So easy!
Thankyou to Julie- K . . . new blog I've found today!
I love the way she is completely into 'Up-Cycling'
. . . one of my new things to . . .
. . . stay tuned to see some
of my up-cycling projects . . .

BLOCK SWAP

. . . unrelated to the block swap . . .
Oscar was just playing with his shadow!
Clever boy! Didn't get my camera in time!

Chocolate!

New quilt . . . we're combining forces . . .
shhh - its a gift for a new baby on his/her way!

BLOCK SWAP

Hey Wendy S . . . . well done girl on making your first set of blocks
for our Block Swap!
They look great!
Love the purples & greens working together! Yay!

One Project finished & another one started!

I just love the journey!

So the 'Granny' went the way of a scarf instead!
I wasn't happy with the way the shaping was going on the granny square with the weight of such lovely wool/alpaca - hand dyed, hand spun, country victorian, market bought yarn!
So a scarf was a bit more my style! I do love it!
Its thick & snug for these freezing winter days we're having!However I've been determined to learn how to crochet some more!
Different green yarn . . . more commercial! Dare I . . .
But my granny square has grown quickly into
what I'm hoping will be a great lap rug!Shows what you can do in a night in front of the TV with no husband at home when you're feeling coldy & a baby who went to bed so nice & early!

Block Swap "How to" Tutorial

OK . . . Here's what to do 'swappers'!

BLOCK A: To make 12 blocks
Cut x12 = 4.5" Center Squares in fabric of your choice!
Cut x12 in x4 fabrics = 1.5" x 5.5" Border Strips
Step 1:
Sew a Border Strip to the Center Square, Sew only part of the first seam as shown in diagram! Press the seam towards the Border Strip.
Steps 2,3 &4:
Sew Border Strips 2,3&4, sewing from edge to edge. Press as you go!
Step 4: Sew the rest of the unfinished first Border Strip seam. Press! Yay!

BLOCK B: To make 12 blocks
Cut x4 = 2.5" Four Patch Strips in fabrics of your choice, either 2 or 4!
Cut x12 in x4 fabrics = 1.5" x 5.5" Border Strips
Four Patch: Sew 2 of the Four Patch Strips together & Press. Sew the other 2 Four Patch Strips together. Trim one end, then cut 2.5" sections across, turn & sew to make a Four Patch!Note that it is very easy to do chain stitching at this point!Steps 1-4: As above!

Have fun!Hear are my samples with one of my set of Blocks hot-off-the-press!
Gives you an idea of how this might all come together . . . will be so exciting & intriguing to see what everyone does! xxx

Begining the Square!

"Thankyou" to Pip Lincolne from my own Melbourne town!
Maybe one day soon I will get into your little shop & meet you!
Thankyou for your amazing new book "Meet me at Mike's"!!!
From this, I taught myself just this morning . . . .
while Oscar was back asleep . . . to crochet!
Not bad for my first efforts I thought! I'm going to make a blanket . . . as big as the ball of wool will allow! It is a good sized ball, but I have no idea how far it will take me!
I guess I can always add another colour yarn!
The wool is a blend of sheep's & alpaca! Multi-coloured hand dyed from a lady who I've seen every year for the last few . . . except this year at the Easter Sunday market in Alexandra! Why not this year? We were at the other favourite (wider) river further northward!

So I'm not actually 'officially' doing
"A Granny a day until the end of May" . . . but the square will grow! What fun! I have wanted to do this for a while . . . had tried last year with 'other' instructions but with no result! Thanks again Pip!

Treasured, Used . . . & Inspired

Its so tempting when you bring home a NEW, wonderfully treasured fabric . . . . fresh, virgin, tactile, brimming full of expectation & possibilities . . . it's almost terrifying! . . . so tempting to just leave it as it is!
So Lara . . . . I promised it wouldn't end up in my stash!

These didn't make it past the ironing board!
isn't everyone's ironing board their design table???

And a new toy - the darning foot . . . oh how my world has changed . . .

You see, yesterday Oscar & I with no car, set out for "The Show" - the stitches & craft show of course! A Bus ride & a few trains later . . . a great adventure! Great to briefly meet some of the faces behind the wonderful blogs such as "ink & spindle", "cheeky beaks" & "aunty cookie" . . . chats as brief as they were . . . . & mostly of course to see their creations in real life . . . touch & feel etc
Oscar & were both exhausted last night but it was a great day . . . think he loved the movie documentary "Handmade Nation" the best, as I let him crawl & 'furniture surf' his way about the rows of seats! Came home with dirty feet!(Oscar that is, not me!) Oh what a wonderful life it is. My cup runneth over!

"Handmade Nation" created by Faythe Levine is an excellent comment on the re-newed craft movement in the USA. It still applies here. The change in the populations attitude towards owning something handmade, something unique that no one else has. Something with personality. I have stepped away a little from my own ideas on making to be individual & it has been excellent timing to find myself gravitating back to what I know to be a huge part of my personality! Yay to find that spark again. Stepped out of that vacuum!