Think twice....make once!

It doesn't always pay to be eager, as I've found out recently. On my last post I was so delighted in how my rag rug had turned out...

........and was so eager to use up the left over scraps of fabrics which I now had...

Well my enthusiasm overtook everything else last weekend, and I set aside some time to work on making a hot water bottle cover. here's how the story goes.... First I made a pattern for the cover. I drew around the bottle with an inch or so to spare around edges. I made the pattern from lining paper. I made up the fabric using my scraps. This was so much fun. For the base fabric I used a pillow, ( the filling had been used to make a garden chair cushion) which I cut into two pieces. Using one of the pieces I filled it almost completely with fabric scraps....

...The great thing is, the more I "worked" the pieces into the base fabric the more dense it became. Also, with it being cotton, where I'd used the thinner pieces the thicker ones began to show through. It was looking good, and the reverse side was great too....

...and it felt quite fleecy. Once the piece was complete I cut the pattern pieces out....

...It sewed together like a dream. Where is the picture of the finished article? I hear some say! Well cleverclogs here,( for want of a better word) whilst viewing my pictures on the camera has just manages to delete two frames. Why did I not upload them onto the laptop first heaven knows! So I've lost them in Digiland" now, but I shall have to retake the picture of my finished hot water bottle cover and post it later. But, have no fear because " cleverclogs" has struck again, with an even bigger gaffe this time. Rewind, back to the making of the cover pattern. It would be wise to make sure that you are making a pattern for the correct hot water bottle. because I made a pattern for one which is now defunct. The one I used had perished around the neck seam and was totally useless. I was going to cut some small pieces from the old bottle and attach them to the base of a large plant pot to protect the floor. I should have cut it up and just stored the pieces. Why didn't I realise it at the time!! Anyway my new hot water bottle is wider than the old one by almost an inch. Why they aren't all the same size I don't know. So from making the wrong pieces, deleting pictures from the camera, I'm hoping that today I will be able to get things right without giving myself to much grief and more work. I shall concentrate on the housework and quietly sit and knit later on in the evening, ( hopefully correctly) I do have two birthday cards to make for the weekend. I've got it planned what my themes are. One is for a friend who is a musician. He's going to be 50. The card will be a sort of music review paper, which means using my Serif software. I'm not even going to attempt it today. I have made notes on what I want to make and just hope that I can put it all together correctly. What shall I put it down to, age, or over enthusiasm?

Felt, fibre, fabric, frames...and files!

August, already, how did that happen so quickly? Well this month I'm concentrating (mainly) on all things fabric. I am working on a scrapbook, well more of a "special memory" book. But I have at least eight weeks to complete it. so I'm taking my time, selecting my photographs and putting my elements together bit by bit. Now... on to all things fibre related. The first project I'm working on is a Christening gift.....

.....I never make cards for family Christenings, I prefer to make a lasting gift. This one is a cardigan and booties set. It will be embellished with tiny glass beads, ( not for wearing of course) a keepsake. Once completed and it has been given as a gift I shall post pictures of the completed set. My next project is also in pink......

.....a quilt. I have selected some more pink fabrics and coordinating patterned fabric since I took the picture, and they all match perfectly. This project will take me quite a few months, but that won't matter. Something else I'm doing is playing with colour and texture.....

...but I am only "playing" at this stage! There's more to come with that project too! The garden is full of such glorious colours. Some of my absolute favourites are Heucheras and Hydrangeas. They are such beautiful blended colours....

...my favourite colour is green, but I also love autumnal colours and blues and purples.....

......so I'm trying my hand at making some felted autumn leaves and hydrangea flowers using this gorgeous selection of wool tops.....

......it will be so much fun! For quite a while now I've been saving old tee shirts/tops and fabrics to make a rag rug. I haven't made one for about 20 years but I think my stash of fabrics is growing.......

.........

.....so I shall set aside a couple of hours or so to begin cutting the strips. Neither my grandmother or mother used a frame for pegging rugs but I've decided to give it a try. This frame measures approximately 40 x 30 inches.....

..... I can't make my mind up whether or not to draw a design on the hessian or just dive straight in. The last one I made I just did blocks of colour. Decisions! I'll give it some thought once I've cut the strips and see what I have. There is one thing which I must do and that is sort out my files on my laptop. When I take pictures I always put them in files by months. Then every couple of months I would (usually) re file them into their categories, (family, sewing, plants etc) well it's now August and I have from April to do! I really need to be more organised with them don't I? That should keep me busy for a while, or should I say, for August!