A Mixed Bag

Hi everyone,
I know it's been too long since my last post and my excuse this time is that it's been way too hot.
Today it is cloudy and overcast with a bit of a breeze - a welcome break from the punishing heat of the last few weeks.
I seem to have a lot of finishes to share with you but it's something of a mixed bag.
I think the pictures should be clickable for a close up view if you want to see something in more detail.

First up are a couple of Tilda projects.......... I enjoyed making this rabbit very much




Then there is this cat that looks as though it has an extreme case of measles!



Can you imagine how silly I felt furtively taking these stuffed toys out of my bag to take pictures while there were people around! What I have to do in the name of blogging!

Still with the sewing projects I finally got around to making the bag that came as a kit with the Kath Cidston book Sew. Friend Sheila came for the day and we both enjoyed making our bags.
The bag in the book wasn't lined but I can't stand floppy bags so we lined the bags and they are nice and sturdy.







Now for the cross stitch finishes. There are quite a few but I haven't stitched them all since my last post. Some of them have been hanging around a long time just waiting for me to be in the mood to do the finishing on them.
This is Blackbird Designs Bird in Hand stitched on 40c linen by Sassy's Fabrics in Tan Marble using the recommended Weeks Dye Works thread.



On the back I stitched a few random motifs and added some buttons



There can't be many fans of Blackbird Designs that haven't stitched the free design on the Blackbird Designs One Stitch at a Time blog. I finally got around to stitching mine which is stitched on 36ct evenweave with one strand GAST.



Still in the mood for Eiffel Tower designs I stitched this tiny design and finished it as a pillow with some pretty toile fabric that friend Angela sent me one time.
The design is free on a French blog but I can't remember where. Perhaps if someone knows they can add the link to their comment.



I love this fabric!



This is Strawberry Needle Roll by The Sweetheart Tree. I enjoyed stitching this as a SAL with Sandra who doesn't have a blog but has a Picasa album full of gorgeous things. If you don't already know her work then you need to go check it out.



Here's a pinkeep I made using LHN Berries design



I'm sure this backing fabric came from Angela also. It's a perfect match.Thanks Angela :)



Now I want to introduce Dinah



can you believe that I found her dumped beside the trash bins at the side of the road? I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the rather tatty carrying case and found this little beauty inside. I knew she wouldn't be in working order and sure enough she wasn't but she went in for a service and came back purring like a kitten.
She is such a great little workhorse who will happily sew over denim and the thick bag handles that would have my modern machine throw a temper tantrum and go on strike.
I've since purchased a walking foot and a few other attachments for Dinah and I also stitched her something to show my appreciation for all that she does for me :)



This is another freebie design on this French blog

I took part of the design and stitched it again on the back adding a hanger and a few buttons



and I have to say Dinah loves her new accessory very much!



and is happy to model both front and back views for you




Well, I think that's it for this time but before I go a question...........
I usually post about once a month just showing everything I'd done between one post and another.
This usually leads to a longish post so I've been wondering should I just do a quick post as and when I finish something. I'd be interested to know what you think.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today and for your lovely comments. I try to answer any questions I get in the comments but it's only possible if you are not set to noreply.
Have a great day!

Margaret

Haircut and Etsy Store Opening!

Hello :)

So recently i had my hair cut...Long gone are the knots, tangles and ugly limp hair. Along came the pretty layers, Soft fringe and Non split ends! I love it and i wish i'd had it done a long time ago!!







Porducts used for above face...
Bourjours Healthy Mix founcation, Elf Golden Bronzer and Complexion Perfection. Mac Shroom over lid, With Patina to add depth. Loreal superliner in carbon black, Rimmel sexy curves Mascara. Rimmel shake up pink with Gosh Darling over to make more wearable!

Also, today i opened my Etsy store! I now have 4 pretty bags for sale! Check them out here... http://www.etsy.com/shop/LilyRibbons Hopefully i'll be selling a few, and making many more! Its been a busy few months, but things have finally started to settle down, so bring on the sewing :)

I hope everyone is well, Competition still in progress! Keep tuned for prize info!

Lil x

Time for Tea-Tea Pot Cozy-Sew

PLEASE DONATE. I recently had 2 surgeries, do not have health insurance and live on Social Security. I will be delighted to share with you if you will appreciate how much time and knowledge this takes. Thank you. Linda
Check out my other blog http://teacupmilliner.blogspot.com/

You can make your tea pot cozy to match your kitchen theme.  Once you have tried it, you will find yourself making covers for all your appliances to keep the dust off.

This is one of those projects that I have put off for a long time, but today I decided it was time to make a tea pot cozy.  Being born and raised in England, drinking hot tea has always been my ritual, summer or winter.  Although Kim, my daughter does drink hot tea at times, it's always during winter.  These days my tea drinking is green tea, but I still drink it with milk and sugar, the way I drank tea as a child.

You can reverse colors to get the effect you are looking for.  Here I made a tray mat to match my cozy.  Look further down and I will explain how.

My love of tea pots, and tea sets stems from my child hood and visits to England over the past forty years and when I became a milliner  The Tea Cup Milliner was the most logical name that explains who I am in my deepest roots.  I hope you will enjoy this tutorial.

All tea pots are not created equal.

That is why it is better to make your own custom tea pot cozy's.  The tutorial will be written for the large white tea pot.

Measure the height of your pot.  This one measured five and 1/2" high.

Measure the width from the tip of the spout to the outside edge of the handle.    This measured around 10".

I decided to make a mock up tea pot cover using tracing fabric and pinning both sides together.  The first one was too tight around the girth because this teapot is fairly fat.  I added a bit more and this time got it right.  I can't determine the size for you because your pot may be entirely different, but I made mine six and 1/2" tall and 13" wide in the end.  The width determined how well it sat on the pot and was easy to remove the cover.  I included 1/4" seam allowance.

Ignore the 8" because first time I got the cozy too tall so I dropped it back one and 1/2" on the height.  You have to round off the corners so this worked well.  I marked 2" from the top and three and 1/2" from the side and drew a line.  I cut it off and it looked right to me.

The theme of our kitchen is chefs and they are all dressed in black, white and red.  I decided to use these colors for this tea pot and sketched out a tea pot shape.  I had the black and white checked fabric ready to make some things for the kitchen, so all I needed was plain red and black cotton fabrics, which I also had.

Here's the graph when I finished sketching the tea pot.

I used a china tea bag holder in the shape of a tea pot as my guide, the when I liked it I made it larger.  It took awhile to get it right on paper and then I made it on cardstock for easy drawing around.

I took a piece of black cotton fabric larger than my pot and cut a piece of Ultra hold Heat n Bond and heat set it on the fabric.  Then I drew around my template and cut it out.  I keep all cut offs in a Ziploc bag to die cut words or smaller items later.

See this blog if you don't know what ultra Heat n Bond is.   

http://linda-allfreepatterns.blogspot.com/2010/07/graphs-glues-stuff-i-use.html

   

I heat set the pot on one half of my already cut out cozy.

For the loop to pick up the cozy, I cut a piece of cotton one and 1/2" by 5" and then I folded it in half and leaving a 1/4" seam allowance I made the loop and turned it right side out.  Press well and make sure the seam is in the back center.

Put the loop inwards towards the pot like this then machine tack in place.  Pin the other side of the cozy to this one right sides together and sew 1/4" seam around top and sides.  Turn right side out.

Lining.

Cut two pieces of cozy pattern in cotton and two in thermal polyester.  This is available at all fabric stores.  Sew a thermal piece to each side of the cotton pieces close to the edge as shown.

With right sides together, sew sides and top and leave a 1/2" seam allowance.

With top cozy right side out, and lining wrong side out (thermal side) slip lining up inside the outer cozy and sew or serge around bottom edge. 

You can turn up the bottom edges together and sew or if you want a more designer look sew bias tape all around the bottom edge.  I wanted more red showing to go with our Chef theme and I trimmed the bottom with red bias tape.  Cozy done!

Once you have made your first cozy, you can make them any size to fit your pot.  Most women love tea pots and to give a pot with a hand made cozy is a lovely gift.

My tea for one cozy.

Kim bought this lovely rose designed tea for one pot and cup while I was in the hospital recovering from surgery and I wanted a feminine and dainty look for this cozy.

I took the first mistake cozy pattern I made for the white teapot and made it smaller for this one.  After making the first one I had more of an idea of what size to make it, so I got it right on the first try.  It is four and 1/2" high and 10" wide.

I took the pattern for the first teapot cozy and it was much too big for this one.

I could have scanned in the pattern and reduced it but there is still a lot of playing and printing out, so I drew inside the lines as I thought it didn't need to be a lot smaller.

I cut it out and tried it again and I could have made it work but I still thought it needed to be a bit smaller.  I drew around this size on cardstock and then went to work again.

Just like baby bear said this one looked just right, except the handle looked too long, so I cut off the handle in the center and taped it back on again when it looked right.

This was exactly what I wanted so I drew around it on cardstock once again.

I now had three sizes to do whatever I want later.  It didn't take long to do this and it was well worth it.

I settled on a pale green cotton for the background and made my tea pot out of a light cream color with roses.  I made sure one rose took center stage.

I wanted the cozy to have a bright spark and decided to use some bright pink piping all around the edge that I already had.  I had matching bias tape as well so made the top loop from tape.

The inside is pale green lining and the bright pink bias tape really sets off the lower edge.  It still has that feminine look I wanted, but it is also a bold cozy.

Make a matching thermal stand.

I decided that I wanted a matching stand for my white tea pot so that the heat would last longer under the pot.  Here's how to make one.

I used a 10" cake board (bottom right) to cut my circle.  One top fabric, one bottom and one thermal.

I stitched the under fabric to the thermal around the edge and heat set the tea pot on the top fabric.

I heat set 'hot tea' on the pot, then threaded the machine with black thread and bobbin with red.  I stitched close to the pot all around it.

On the underside you can see the shape.

I added a loop at the top and black bias tape all around.  The loop is so that the pot stand can hang up with the cozy when not in use.

Matching thermal pot stand and thermal cozy.  My tea should stay hot from now on and they will look really nice on my table.

A matching tray cover for my tea for one pot.

As you can see in this photo a normal placemat will not fit a tray.  It is too wide one way and too short the other.  If you want to learn how to make place mats, visit this blog and you will be amazed at how simple it is.

http://linda-allfreepatterns.blogspot.com/2010/07/milk-cookies-placemat-back-to-school.html

I measured my tray both directions and cut my pattern one inch smaller both ways.  This would allow the bias trim on it and it will not hit the sides.  Then I cut out my pattern out of tracing fabric.  You can use paper if you wish.

Why round the corners?  Because when you use bias tape it is a lot simpler to sew around curves and make it look right.  You have one start and stop point.

I rounded off one corner with a pencil as shown.

After cutting the first corner, I folded my pattern to match it to the other three and then cut them.

It is now the shape I want.

Making it is the same way as the cozy and the pot stand.  This time I reversed colors and made the tea pot green against the rose back ground.  I added the rose on the tea pot for a designer look.

Of course I high lighted the edge with bright pink bias tape.

All I have to do now is fill the pot with tea and sit down to enjoy it.