Finished project (+ bit of a tutorial)!!

Yay - It's very unusual that I get any crafting done during the week due to the day job, but managed to start a little project last night and finished it tonight! (Hence dark photos!)

This is one of the projects in "Simply handmade". I'm really pleased with how it turned out, put my own little twist on it and can see many more of these being made, and have a little idea on how I'm going to put them into good use!

Be prepared for lots of photos!

Here are my instructions that hopefully make some sort of sense!
1. I started with a 12" x 12" double side piece of light card.



2. Faintly draw out the scoring and cutting lines. (Sides 3 1/4", Centre 5 1/2", top tab 1", bottom tab 3/4")


3. Cut out corners and cut tabs at the top and bottom.


4. Score along the lines and fold.


5. Place a strip of double sided tape along the sides of the envelope and press together firmly.


6. Place a strip of double sided tape along the bottom tab and press in place.


7. Now choose a lovely button to form the fastening!


8. Carefully press a split pin into the middle of the top tab. Don't have it too tight/flat against the card otherwise the thread will not go around it!


9. Press the split pin out flat.


10. Thread the embroidery floss through the holes in the button, tie a knot in the end.


11. Attach a glue dot or a sticky fix to the back of the button.


12. Press the button firmly in place on the envelope.


13. Voila the fastening is complete!


Hey presto - a cute little envelope for secret little goodies!




Phew! Hopefully you kept up with that and I didn't bore you to death!
Love to know of any envelopes being made out there!

My new best friend!

Yes my new rotary cutter! Woohoo!
The sewing machine has finally been out, and by out I mean out, out on a day trip!!
Couple of weeks a go I signed up for a short course in Patchwork and Quilting. It is very short only 4 days in total over the next few months and session 1 has been and gone but it was great fun.
My new best friend also accompanied me (and yes I was sucked in at John Lewis to buy a little container for her as well, we need to keep her looking good!)
It was all a bit different - I can sew but have never done any patchwork or quilting and I'm usually a scissor girl! But wow did I learn a lot!
The hardest thing for me was working in inches! I'm a metric centimeter girl but slowly got the swing of things. Plus I did not have a 1/4 inch foot on my machine (another investment I need to make).
So I learnt all the basics and lots of useful refresher information, and by the end of the day completed the following:
My sketch/note book - so I can keep a track and reminder of what I am doing!


Work in progress!


(Oops photos not in order!) My second completed block.


My first completed block!


Close up of centres - I'm really fussy making sure that they meet!



I now have the bug and want to make lots more blocks out of my own fabric, plus we have been set homework!!
The only problem - I have gone and caught the snotty nose cold bug and not feeling up to it at the moment! So off to get a lemsip!

A stack of inspiration

It's a lovely autumn day here in the UK today and after popping out and buying these little lovlies ~


I'm sorting through my ever growing stack of inspiration! Lots of lovely magazines, and new sketch books that are just waiting to be filled.


But there are a few magazines I would love to add to the pile!




If anyone knows where you can purchase these in the UK without having a subscription I would love to know! (If not then my wish list to Santa is growing bigger!)

Scented sewing!?

Yep you read right! These may have been around for ages but I only just came across them at my local Hobbycraft!
Cotton Embroidery floss that when you sew release a scent! Unfortunately modern computer technology does not yet allow for scratch and sniff but I tell you they smell great! I purchased the vanilla, but there were loads including rose, lavender, almond, orange, apple, lemon and even chocolate!
Somehow I see it as the crafty girls alternative to Willy Wonka's lickable wallpaper!



(By the way the background fabric is one of my own designs from my printing class!)

So much fun!

Yep - that's what I've been having Thursday nights since the start of the year. I signed up for a Textiles evening class at my local University and it's fab!

I'm trained partly in Textiles and even teach Textiles but it is so much fun learning new techniques and having a bit of me time to play around and get creative!

So over the next few weeks I'll show you what I've been up to. To start here was my first attempt at screen printing with hand made paper stencils. Not too bad and I've got better, more ideas and not afraid to get messy!

My mess!


Hand drawn design paper stencil - this was tricky cutting out!


Screen printing in progress!


The end sample result!

Tutorial revival!

Hi - apologies for the unexpected time out. It was needed!
I have been busy putting together a few things for Christmas, one project is more of my fabric covered buttons and fabric covered button magnets.



These make great little presents.
So for all newbies blog readers and if you fancy a go yourself here is a tutorial revival that I originally posted last June! Enjoy!



Leafletter is a great interactive tool for tutorials so get clicking and it will take you through each stage. As this is a tutorial revival they are no longer a giveaway! Sorry!

(P.S - Pink Stitches is the name that I sell my hand made goodies under - just in case you were wondering!)

Cloud + rain - sunshine = poor photos!!

Trying to take photos of projects at this time of the year I always find difficult. I don't have a fancy camera just a bog standard digital one, but today out came the hand book and I had a little play moving away from the Auto mode, changing lighting, ISO speed etc and they came out much better than usual. I always find the colour different in my photos to real life. Still not 100% but better! Any tips or suggestions much appreciated!
Here are a couple of shots of my new cotton yarn.

Generosity returned

What a lovely end to the day yesterday - just as I finished and packaged up my little giveaway parcel I found out I had won a giveaway!!
1 yard of lovely fabric from Sew, Mama, Sew!
If you have never checked out their site rush on over. They have great fabric in their shop, an excellent blog with lots of ideas and a forum to chat about all things crafty!


Thanks to everyone for all their lovely e mails lately! I do enjoy replying to them but not everyone has a link to an email address, so I apologise if you are awaiting a reply as some of you asked me questions about my blog. E mail me again with your address and I'll get back to you!

A crafty post?

Yes thought it about time to post a bit of crafty news!
I still need to take photos of all the goodies I bought at the Knit and Stitch show but it is so dark tonight what with the clocks going back that the plan went out of the window!
Some earlier photos of sewing/crafting gadgets I can not live without.
My fab bobbin saver! Doesn't look too full there and is also purple although looks blue!!


Fabric marking pencils - hate using a normal pencil!


What crafting gadgets do you have?
Remember you have a few hours left to enter the giveaway to win this.


Good luck!

Fabric shopping

After work tonight I popped into John Lewis to have a quick wander and had a pleasant surprise when I spied they had Amy Butler fabric in stock!!
Yes can you believe it - finally!
So feeling all excited I rushed over and decided to get a couple of metres. Off I skipped to the counter, chatting away to the lady serving me saying how great it is that they have got the fabric in and would they be having any more and she asked me what I was going to do with the fabric, I replied possibly a bag a few things around the home and then wait for it ... this is where I was a bit miffed! She replied "I'm not too keen on the fabric it looks like my grans curtains from the 60's" - I so wanted to reply with "well your gran had good taste then" but I just had to bite my tongue!!
Apologies for the poor photo tried to sneak a quick one in, always feel guilty in shops in case they think I'm some kind of shopper spy for the competitors!

Weekend project

Amy Butler treats!
Last weekend at the Knitting and Stitching show I managed to get hold of some gorgeous Amy butler fabric. Then this little lovely arrived in the post today. I am hoping after getting home from work tomorrow to give it a go! (If I'm not too knackered!)


Sorry it's too dark to take photos but the fabric I am going to use is the left hand bottom one.


Check back soon for progress!