Sizzix Spring Bloghop

Welcome to my stop on the Sizzix Spring Blog Hop.  If you are not a regular follower, please feel free to have a poke about and see all the other things I get up to.

Anyone who does come here often will know I am a Sizzix junkie, I could turn out hexies or HSTs 24/7 and be very happy, but for today it is the turn of the tumbler die (657616).  So let's make a cushion!

Tumbling Easter Bunnies Cushion:
You will need:
10 Bunny Print Tumblers
10 Background Tumblers
2 x 18"x 2.5" Background fabric
2 x 14.5" x 2.5" Background fabric
2 x 18"x12" Background fabric
14.5"x14.5" Fusible fleece or batting
2 x 18"x12" Lining fabric
18" x 18" Lining fabric

• Cut all pieces, and layout tumblers as desired. Sew 4 rows of 5 tumblers and then join to make one panel.
• Fuse or baste the batting onto the centre back of the panel - you will trim to size after quilting.
• I quilted 1/2" either side of each seam; because of the way the tumblers are arranged, I used a washable pen to mark where the seam lines pass through the other tumblers as shown below...

• Once quilted sponge/remove the pen lines, press and trim the panel to 14.5" square.
• Sash the panel with the 2.5" strips, and trim to a square.
• You may have a favourite way of making up your cushions, here is mine, a simple envelope back with reversed French seams...
• Take the two back pieces and sew one backing and one lining piece right sides together, open then press wrong sides together and top stitch as desired along the joined edge.
• Layer up your cushion pieces as follows:

         Bottom back panel - right side up
         Outer/top back panel - right side up
         Front panel - right side down
         Front lining panel - right side down

• Pin in place.
• Stitch 1/4" seam all the way round.  Trim the corners and turn through the envelope back.
• Push out the corners and give it a press for luck.
• I use a walking foot, but if you take it slow you should be ok - start midway along one side and stitch a 1/2" seam all the way round the edge, to enclose the inner raw edges.
• This will fit a 16" or 18" pillow form, depending on how stuffed you like your cushion.
• Plump up the cushion, and sit back with a hot cross bun!  (Alternatively let one of your daughters get their hands on it, and never see it again!).

If you haven't already, please check out all the other stops on the hopity-hop...

Monday 18th March -Katy over at her Sizzix residency
Tuesday 19th March - Carolyn at carolynforster.co.uk/wordpress
Wednesday 20th March - Laulli Pops at needlespinsandbakingtins.com
Thursday 21st March - Me!
Friday 22nd March - Anna at cafecreativo.blogspot.co.uk

An just in case you have been remiss in your hopping to date, you can enter this exclusive competition to get started with your patchwork and quilting adventure.

Click here to enter! The closing date is 28th March at 10am GMT.

The rules state its for UK/EU folks only I am afraid peeps, I'm sorry, but I guess if you are heading over here for Retreat or some other attraction, you could enter and if you win, someone could look after it for you.  Good luck.

Thank you one and all for stopping by, I hope this has given you an extra Easter idea that does not involve chocolate, although no reason why you couldn't work some into the mix somewhere!

Sew Fluffy Sew!

If you took my advice, and the computer Gods did what they are paid to do, some time about now you should be receiving the brilliant October Fluffy Sheep Quilting Newsletter.

I saw a sneak preview, and it's a goodie!

And you may well find a little something in there that I made in the summer.

Lets just say that when my MacBook took a little vacation with the not-so-clever-tech guys in August, the only thing that wasn't backed up was destined for Cindy - gah!  Blood, sweat and tears for this one!

If you are not signed up, do not fear, have a look on Cindy's blog, there's a tab at the top for Shop Newsletters, if you click on any that are shown, then 'Past Issues' (top left) you will see a list, including this month's, so you will be able to catch up on previous editions too, but promise me you will sign up properly!

More of the same, and a little tute!

Firstly, I was so bugged by the fail that was my first attempt at the FPPFTT Circle of Geese, I sat down last night and made another.

This time I scaled it at 50%, for a 6" finished block.  The pieces weren't too tiny, and my fabric was pretty much cut with perfect 1/2" seam/sewing allowances, so I was never in jeopardy of having gaps like before.

Love it!

So pleased I got this out of my system, I hate having niggles!

As anticipated, I was off work with a poorly girl today; spent most of it cleaning the house whilst she slept before and after a trip to the doctors and pharmacy.  Now she's tanked up on anti-biotics, so we all might get a good night's sleep and feel better tomorrow.

As you asked/hinted so nicely, I will show you how I am getting my latest pictures of smaller items to look a little swankier.  Although you could use Kerry's wonderful Photoshop tute, I am always up for a simpler option...

Place your objet d'art on a white background.  I use the lid of an IKEA storage box, and place it in the brightest place you have; note that if it is really bright you will get shadows, but I think that still looks good...

Take your shots...

Load into the photo package on your computer.  Now I use a MacBook Pro, and hence iPhoto; I have no experience of any other software, so substitute this as best as you can if you are of the PC persuasion.

iPhoto has a few cropping edge borders and blurring, I pick the one that white-outs the edges into a circle or oval; don't panic if it cuts into your object a little, you can remove it later...

Now you will be able to see how non-white your white bits are!

Here's where it can all go so right, (the ones you've seen), or so wrong!.  Adjust the exposure of the picture until you can no longer see the edges...

Sometimes it will come out too over-exposed, but most of the time, if it was all pretty bright to start with, it will look cool!

Then crop to size and remove your edge whitening if it has affected the subject...

Nothing complicated, but it can look way more accomplished than it really is; and now I've gone and blown that illusion, doh!

If you want to go into the realms of light boxes and all that shenanigans, Kat had a cool way of making one.  So I think I have covered enough methods of snazzing up your photos to keep you going, have fun.

Oh, and if you Pin this, I won't sue you!  I will be flattered and take it in the spirit of what Pinterest is meant for, goddamit!

Doin' It For The Kids...

Poorly twin slept right through the night (in a cinnamon and menthol coma) and woke up raring to get back to school - so the flipside was, I got to go and help again, dashing my plans of shouting "Are you OK?" periodically from my sewing machine for the day. 

I was tasked with supervising the making of paper chains, and in true 5 year olds' Christmas style, easier said than done, and the less said the better!

So having posted parcels to New Zealand and Brighton, I dashed round Tesco (alone!), and was left with a whole hour to play before pick up time.

I pulled out the next-in-line from my zippy pouch pile; it didn't start too good...

But I managed to get this for one of the girls, finished just in time...

The sun was so low it was hard to capture the true colours, especially the Kona something-or-other lining, but I expect you all know the Heather Ross FFAIII guitars.

The zipper ends were not as perfect as my last attempt, too bulky, but fine nonetheless.

For those that have asked, I always refer to Kat's tutorial when making up these zippy pouches, purely now for the order to layer the fabric/zip - priceless xxx

Hubby did his bit, helping out at Beavers this evening, and I have just ironed more school polo shirts than I care to remember. 

Now for another evening of teacher-related Christmas makes, with a little Kirstie's Handmade Christmas and CSI for balance...

Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge - The one with the tags!

Tonight I am revealing all for Sarah's PingsAndNeedles Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge.

Back in the summer, Sarah threw down the gauntlet to find out what her fans/followers would make with a scrap bag from The Eternal Maker.

With a 2-tier prize, first the battle to be one of 10 finalists to win a scrap bag, and then for part two, to turn our suggestions into reality. 

Shortly you good folks of blogdom and flickrland will be asked to vote for a winner of a years' subscription to the Eternal Maker's Japanese Swatch club.  How totally cool is that!!?

So here goes... my attempt for the big one!

My idea was "depending on the scraps, I would be making tags to distinguish all 3 school kiddies identical book bags, PE bags, swimming bags and cardies; children should be identifiable by pattern!"

An easy way to distinguish between this lot at a glance has got to be a good thing!

I think I could let the photos do the talking; I have smudged the sew-in name tags to protect the daft and clueless, but I hope this will not detract from your enjoyment...

My scraps, straight out of the bag, approximately a FQs in total...

Initial pairing up for fronts and backs...

The first 'batch' that have been in daily use since the beginning of September...

Fronts - with name tags sewn on, attached to the zips of the girls' rain coats...

The backs...

Bag tag fronts for twin 1... used on lunch bag, book bag and PE kit...

Twin 1's bag tag backs...

Twin 2, the ballerina, fronts...

Twin 2 backs...

More for the girls... arguments ensued!

Back of the above...

 

One for mummy - it's Echino, definitely not suitable for children!

Mummy's backside!

Not to let dear son miss out!

Back of the above...

The second 'batch' all together.

The 'design', in the broadest sense of the word, kind of evolved with each tag I made, until I had it perfected, (well I got it all to work without the need for swearing!)...  so if you whizz through the pics below, the making will all be pretty clear, remembering that sizes are determined by the scraps you have...

Select your scraps...

Double fold a small piece which will become the loop...

Trim the smallest piece to the largest possible size...

Trim the larger piece to match the first...

Ready for sewing...

Run two rows of topstitch to encase the raw edges...

Stick a pin in it!  Remove the pin once the folded loop is held in place with your presser foot...

Stitch down 'within' the seam allowance (which can be whatever you want it to be!)...

Place right sides together and pin either side of the loop to keep it all straight..

Start at the bottom end, leaving a gap for turning, spin the tag round when you get to the end and go back and stitch to the beginning...

Trim your corners, and turn through, using the tag to pull makes it a lot easier...

Use one of those bits that come with your sewing machine to push out the corners...

Cut a piece of thin wadding smaller than the inner dimensions of the tag, push it inside with the same gadget...

Topstitch all round and ensure the open end is sewn closed, and sew in the loose ends...

Finishing tip...  Use an easy-thread needle to reverse the threads through to behind the button, catch the thread with a pin and pull through the button - then you can wrap the thread around the button post (I remember that from school!), and bury the threads inside the tag... tidy!

Ta da!

And here we have a tag all ready to use and clip onto whatever takes your fancy...

Perhaps you will feel inclined to give me your vote, maybe not - you could even use up some of your scraps to make something way better without the 'competition angst'. 

Either way, I hope you have enjoyed my disjointed process and make sure you take the opportunity to check out the rest of the competitors.