sunny days

I've been trying to finish off this tote for a friend's birthday and it's finally done! I usually have trouble matching up the lining and outside fabric (and end up with little gathers) but I think I might have gotten away with just a small pucker this time. I also attached the handles to the outside for a change and did a wobbly little criss cross.....it was a little trickier than I thought it would be.

And while the machine was out, I sewed up these cushion covers. I haven't made cushions before so the back is an envelope closure. Now I have to work out how to make buttonholes on my machine before I add on some buttons!

Now it's time to head outdoors....the sun is out and it's a beautiful day!!!

where do the hours go?

Looking forward to the weekend and hoping there will be some time to sit and sew up some of the ideas that are swirling around in my head.

Thanks for your comments, the two names picked for the giveaway are Allison and Kirsten! (please leave your email in the comments so that I can get in touch with you)
Have a great weekend everyone!

one year on

Have you seen these Petit Pattern Books? I managed to find the one on Scandinavian Style and it is full of beautiful geometric patterns that are also provided on a CD so that you can upload them on your computer and copy or change them as you like! It's a beautiful book and I'm looking forward to playing around with the patterns. Here are a couple of my favourites.....

isbn: 9784861003868 (take a look at print & pattern for more)

It has also been one year since I started this blog. I'm not very good at posting as I find it hard to juggle everything all at once most of the time. I do enjoy it though and I'm happy to just go along at my own little pace. I appreciate each and every comment that is posted and to say thank-you I'd like to send a couple of goodies your way! One is a japanese craft book on aprons and the other is an issue of Cotton Friend (current issue) which is packed with goodness. Just leave a comment and I will pick out a couple of names in a few days!

new home

The quilt is all finished and has a new home now!

sashiko

It's school holidays and we have been busy here trying to keep the little ones entertained each day. This morning we braced the cold and ventured out to the grower's market where we found some deliciously sweet strawberries. I planned to spend the afternoon baking with the kids, using the strawberries but they just didn't last long enough!

I also recently found a sashiko kit and made this little patch. It is a form of traditional stitching used in Japan, originally used to hold layers of fabric together for extra warmth. I really like the simple geometric patterns and one of my favourites is this wave pattern. The kit came with a stencilled piece of fabric which made it easier to stitch these waves. You can find them from abundia if you like. Not sure what I'm going to do with the patch now, maybe turn it into a pocket for something?