Friday 26 August 2011

how to make a small raggeddy bag

My good friend Frankie made me this lovely little bag for my ipod.
Its lovely, but too small for my large earphones,
and then I found this funny little bag in my scrap box,
its a washing machine bag for soap tablets.

I always keep those tiny strips and shards of fabric, I am sure they will be use full for something, I had thought of putting them into hand made paper.

With a large bodkin[wool needle would do]  I have threaded the strips through the mesh, leaving at least an inch sticking out at both ends., it didn't take long and I soon had the entire bag threaded with strips and some ribbons.

I took out the white drawstring and replaced it with a multicoloured chord.

I love the bag, but I dont think the fabric strips are secure, you could easily catch a strip on the inside, and it would come out.


So I measured the bag, and cut a rectangle of cheerfull fabric, and  stitched up the sides.

I turned the bag through, so that the nice side was inside and ironed a sheet of bondaweb to both sides of the outside. 

Then I turned the lining inside out, so that the bonded side was inside.

Then  I popped the inside out mesh bag inside the inside out liner, this sounds confusing, look at the photos.

Then I folded the top edge of the liner   under, to but up to the drawstring

Then I ironed the liner carefully, so that the two layers bonded together.

finally,I put a running stitch around the top edge, so that there wouldnt be any unplanned flapping.


Not being able to leave anything alone, I finished off with a bit of stitching on some of the smoother areas and then added a few tiny little buttons.


And there we are, a nice little raggedy bag for  my little sliver of purple loveliness.


If I wanted to make a similar but differant sized bag, you can buy this nylon mesh, its a type of net curtaining, in some large curtain making supply shops in 5 differant colours for only two squid a metre, maybe next time I might
1. make a book cover
2. use longer strips so that I have some flat areas to stitch into.
3. use ribbons, cords, and knitting wool for extra texture.
4 .make a handbag, or a cushion.
6.  add beads.

If you liked this, please tell me, thanks, byeee.


Monday 22 August 2011

LOVE THAT PINK GIRAFFE

Want to see what I bought at F.O,Q   ?     Well not this giraffe but wasn't it great, I was quite hypnotised watching that man, sticking little bits of paper all over it....


Now THIS is proper bling!

I am going to have soo much fun with these,the nice boys who sold me these have a large shop in Bradford[department store actually]  and they are having a sale in october--I feel a road trip coming on.


 utterly gorgeous!

I found these sequins they are really really tiny- my favourites.

new supplies of my favourite threads, soo scrumptious!

 
more lovely stuff!


 spent some time with steph francis,s threads.......


I m not one for gadgets, but apparently this is idiot proof for idiots who cant do immaculate mitres---ah, but I can now, cos I have one of these.....


 oooh I just loved these enormous buttons..

 final thought, I liked this quilt too, very lively and vibrant.

Saturday 13 August 2011

WHAT A GREAT SHOW!

Just back from the FOQ at Birmingham, wow!, it was fantastic so many great quilts and such a high standard of craftsmanship, this was the first quilt I saw and its wonderful  ,packed full of sequins, it sparkled at everyone walking through the doors, lovely.


This was a striking quilt liked this one very much

this was really well executed, marvellous detail, the shopping bags held miniature quilt supplies,
it has a sense of humour and the shapes of the people are captured very effectively.

 this was outstanding, it conveyed exactly the feeling of outback life,
 again, incredibly well executed, a joy to look at.


Women at the window.
incredible, outstanding,stitching was outstanding,
colours were lovely,vibrant and yet restful, there is a great harmony about this one.

A close up, gorgeous. 
.

what a rhinocerous

 I loved the technical detail in this piece.,
mathematical and beautiful


Look at the sheer quality of the stitching, the way the white overlays the background,
 this was a really lovely piece


This Aboriginal fish was very striking.


OH, so loved this one, beyond all the others, it rang my bells, colour,
kantha work. sequins, the stitching was wonderful.
on so many levels, I loved it, and how 20 ladies managed to bring this off and still remain friends, well, for me, BEST IN SHOW.



 
This was a very happy quilt, with a real feel good factor about it.

This was a section of the continuum quilt, I loved the concept of random marks and stitch's on a continuous
roll.

It was a really great show,the standard gets higher every year,



and on my next post, I will tell you about my SHOPPING.......