My Rae scarf/shawlette is off the sticks! Yay!

Hurried shots as it’s about 35 degrees here today and not really conducive to scarf wearing!

I am still a little amazed that I actually knitted this!  Taking some yarn and turning it into fabric is just so satisfying & a tiny bit miraculous too.  She’s not perfect by any stretch, but I learnt a lot and know I want to knit some more!

Pattern details ravelled.

Thanks so much for all the Liberty droplet love over the weekend – Jo & I are so thrilled you are enjoying our scrappy challenge. Jo is so thrilled in fact, that she’s off to stock up on more Liberty at the end of the month and needs to clear some space in her shop so is having a MASSIVE sale this week. All fabrics are 20% off for one week only! To receive your discount simply enter the code RESTOCK20 at the checkout. Hurrah!

My February pack of Liberty scrappy love arrived from Jo on a rainy summers day which  inspired my project for this months challenge.

Little droplets of Liberty to embellish a bag.

I used Jeni’s sweet little drawstring bag tutorial as the base pattern to which I machine appliqued droplets of Liberty, adding a few hand stitches and some vintage ribbon & sequins for a subtle sparkle.

It’s such a fab tute (& I also can highly recommend going a step further & getting yourself a copy of Jeni’s pattern which includes eight sizes plus directions to make your own custom size)  & it’s a great little treasure bag for all sorts of goodies! I’m going to use mine to store my Liberty scraps in :)

Here’s the droplets tutorial…. [or download the tutorial as a PDF]

Embellish a Drawstring Bag with Droplets of Liberty

What you will need ::

Jeni’s drawstring bag tutorial (makes a drawstring bag with approx finished size of 10″ x 10″ with a 3″ depth/gusset) & fabric to make the bag as per measurements in tute.
Liberty Scraps
Paper backed iron on fusible webbing such  as Vliesofix or Bondaweb
Droplets template (or draw your own)
Embroidery floss or Perle 8 cotton thread
Some beads &/or sequins  to add a subtle touch of twinkle if you like!

+ your basic sewing supplies (sewing machine, iron, needle, scissors, pencil, tailors chalk, ruler)

How to ::

1. Print out the droplets template (pdf download here) or draw your own. With a pencil, trace the droplet designs onto the paper side of your fusible webbing. Roughly cut around pencil line leaving approx 1/4 inch space around the design. For my drawstring bag I drew 10 of each size.

2. Place the glue side (the non paper side) of the cut out fusible webbing on to the wrong side of your Liberty scrap. Follow the manufacturers instructions & carefully iron the droplet design in place.

When it’s cooled, cut around the pencil line.

Peel the paper away from the back of the fabric & you’ll be left with a gluey back ready to fix to the main fabric of your drawstring bag. Place to one side.

3. Using Jeni’s tutorial, cut your fabric for the drawstring bag. I cut mine as one whole piece as I didn’t want the accent piece distracting from the droplets but keep it in if you like by all means. I also cut my lining pieces at this point but didn’t attach them until after I had finished embellishing the main bag fabric so they weren’t in the way.

4. Using your ruler & tailors chalk, mark out some guidelines for positioning your fabric droplets. You don’t really want any droplets where the drawstring is or on the base. I marked my guidelines approx 4″ from either short end, and approx 3″ from the centre either way.

Next I marked some guidelines to place the droplets on so they were evenly spaced across the bag. I marked a line down the centre and then 2 lines either side of the centre line approx 2″ apart. This keeps the droplets within the seam allowances and when you come to sew the gusset in Jeni’s tutorial you won’t lose a droplet in the gusset!

5. Position your droplets (right side up) onto the guidelines you marked.

shuffle them around & when you are happy with their placement carefully iron in place.

6. Time to  machine applique!  If you can, set your machine to sew at a slower speed, shorten your stitch length a bit ( I set mine to 1.8) and attach your machine applique foot (it’s usually the short dumpy one with a wider opening).

You might prefer to use & be more comfortable with a free motion foot.  I am not very practiced with free motion and prefer the control of the applique foot but that’s just a personal preference so please use which ever foot & method you are more comfortable with :)

At your start point, lower your needle keeping a hold of  thread from the needle. Raise the needle, still holding the thread & gently pull the bobbin thread up through to the top of your fabric. Pull it all the way through and then bring both threads around to the back of the foot. This saves you getting any tangly bits on the back of your work.

Begin sewing, rotating your work as you go. Back stitch at the beginning and end point of each droplet.

There’s no need to cut  the  thread between each droplet, simply raise the presser foot and move across to the next droplet & keep sewing until you have sewn all the droplets.

Remove your work from the machine & trim off all those in-between bits of thread from the front & back.

7. Add some hand stitches. Using a hera marker, or tailors chalk mark some guidelines to hand stitch along. You can use a ruler if you like straight lines or just freestyle it  if you like a more relaxed look.

For my hand stitches (a simple running stitch) I used 3 strands of embroidery floss but Perle 8 would be really lovely too.  You can use a hoop if you like but as it is a fairly small piece  you might be moving it a bit. I found that a nice  plump cushion across my lap to rest my work on worked a treat!

As I was sewing down the rows,  I added in a few (about 6 or so on each side) randomly positioned opaque sequins. I’m not a blingy person by any stretch  but these just added a subtle little twinkle to the bag that reminds me of raindrops glinting in the sunshine after a summer shower.  You can add more or less or none or some little  tiny glass beads might be sweet too.

I attached the sequins with a french knot. Some I placed on the droplets & some in-between on the backing fabric.

Once you have added all your stitches and embellishments  it should look a bit like this…

At this point you can return to Jeni’s  tutorial, add your lining fabric and complete your drawstring bag.

I used Kona coal for the exterior of the bag and cut up a shirt I found at the opp shop for the lining – I’m not sure if it is, but it has the feel & look of a Liberty print, anyone familiar with it? – I love it anyway & it’s so pretty, there is something about a pink & grey combo….

The ribbon I used for the drawstring  is from a roll of vintage ribbon I scored at the opp shop too, it has a crinkly sort of texture to it & it’s not as dark or as salmony pink as it looks in the photos, it’s more of a vintage rose pink.

You might like to embellish something else with the Liberty droplets too ! perhaps a tote, or a zippy pouch or a kitchen towel or sewing machine cover or make an embroidery hoop or………

If you make a Liberty droplet embellished bag (or something else) we’d love to see!  You can share your photos in our Flickr Group or drop me a line with a link to your blog post or with images attached to :: nova@acuppaandacatchup.com

If you use Jeni’s drawstring bag tutorial I’m sure she’d love a peek too, you can find her flickr group here.

Need some Liberty scraps? Jo can help out you there! Hop over to the Organic stitich co for all your Liberty goodness needs :)

Playing along with our Liberty Scrap Challenge? Grab our banner!

[image by Leila]

we have a winner in Leila’s Scrappy Leaf Pattern giveaway! yay

#14! Congratulations Marilee x

Thanks to everyone who entered, may all your wishes come true x

You can find the Scrappy Leaf Key Fob pattern in Leila’s etsy shop :)

& while we’re on the subject of scraps, get your stash ready, I’ll be back soon with the February Edition of the Liberty Scrap Challenge!

When Leila asked if I would like to test her new pattern for her I jumped at the chance! A scrappy project to play with? me? excited? you betcha!

It’s such a sweet pattern & a really great little project for the ever overflowing scrap bucket!

I love that Leila gives options on the construction too so you can paper piece or improv piece, use her template or cut freestyle. I’ve made a few already as I think these will make really sweet gifts.

Sold as a key fob pattern, I also think they will be pretty neat clipped to a bag, or hanging from a door handle. I just spotted that Charise made a mini version as a necklace. cute!

I made some Liberty leaves too. yum yum.

& because of their swingy nature it’s fun to add a cute backing that you will catch glimpses of every now & then …

Fancy having a play with Leila’s pattern too? She’s kindly offered one to giveaway to one of you! Yay! Thanks Leila x

You know if you catch  a falling leaf before it hits the ground you can make a wish right?  For a chance to win a copy of Leila’s pattern, leaf  (*groan* sorry but I couldn’t resist!) a comment saying what  your falling  leaf wish would be should you be the lucky catcher of Leila’s leafy gift …? I’ll draw a random winner on Friday morning Brisbane time. Good Luck x

*giveaway is now closed*

In the meantime if you want to get your scrappy little mitts on a copy of Leila’s Scrappy Leaf Fob pattern, hop over to her etsy shop quick sticks!

…& in honour of the pattern designer, I just had to attempt to strike a ‘Leila Pose’ with my leaves! ;)

now I’m a knitter & loving it, I knew I’d  be needing some sort of vessel to tote my knitting around  in – from the sewing room, to couch, to verandah & beyond…

Aunty Cookie to the rescue with a pack of her Choice Cuts in the yummiest turquoise, raspberry & grey combo.  I chucked  some extra scraps from the stash to the mix & some Kona coal to line it. One fun Sunday afternoon in the craft room later & voila, I have myself a knitting basket! Yay!

I wanted  more of a basket shape rather than a tote or bag with a  nice wide opening, big enough to hold a project beyond the scarf, not too deep,  with some pockets for my pattern notes & pencil, & as my knitting equipment grows I have space for a gauge thingy &  a crochet hook & any other knitty essentials.

I used some sew-in  bag interfacing. While I wanted to retain the fabricy softness, the basket needed a bit of structure & this gives a nice solid & stand uppy finish plus it’s still  really easy to machine & hand quilt through.

Finished size approx 10 ” diameter & 8″ deep.

I took it for a spin  by the couch last night & I felt quite the part!

hope you’ve had a fun weekend of making too :)

x

ps. this is an idea I’ve been playing with for a while & a ‘how to’ (+ more ideas) will be coming soon!

squee! so excited! I had my  first knitty lesson with my friend Fi yesterday.

I’m making the Rae Scarf by Jane Richmond.

I picked a soft & squishy varigated blue & white cotton yarn for my first practice piece. I am totally lusting after some of the scrumptious looking hand dyed yarns but they are something to look forward to once I have a  bit more  confidence with the sticks.

Thanks for your patience (& yummy cake) Fi x

I made a muslin up of the Lisette Market Dress in the tunic length.  I just used some op shopped cotton gingham  for the muslin & teamed it with some scraps of Cosmo Crickets tape measure fabric for the contrast trims.

I had a few sizing issues & had to tweak a bit but I think that the issues were  more me  rather than the pattern.  I love the simple shape of this tunic  but not so sure the style/shape is for me.  Never mind, I added some mismatched buttons to cheer myself up & will probably wear it around the house.

We’re mid rainy season here & feeling a little housebound so it’s always a treat when packages arrive from far & wide :)

Penny surprised me with some homemade love… an ipad cosy & gorgeously scrappy leaf keyring (I had spied these over on Leila’s blog and have been eagerly anticipating her pattern…coming soon I hear! yay!)

thanks Penny, you know I love them xxx

& knowing I have a  love of Liberty, my mum’s friend Vivienne sent me some of her scrummy stash!  Gorgeous pieces from the Liberty for V & A range.  Thank you so much Viv! I love them :) x

& to round off a happy mail day Jo’s package of Liberty snippets for February’s edition of The Liberty Scrap Challenge arrived! yay! no sneak peeks I’m afraid but a project coming soon…..

Have a lovely weekend!

x

arrived unexpectedly (but were most welcome!) to roost in my sewing room at the weekend.

My sweet friend, [blogless] Kellie,  made these little guys. eek! so cute! you know I LOVE them Kellie, thank you xxx

this has just spurred me on even more to want to  learn the yarny crafts in 2012! The past few rainy days have had me drooling over and favorite-ing projects like a woolly woman possessed on Ravelry.

feeling pretty smug with 2 out of 5 finishes under my belt, so a guilt free new quilt has begun. hurrah!

Remember this pile from way back when?

Finally, & with some fabulous assistance from Jo and a spot of Liberty ‘Isis’,  I finished gathering blues.

I’m making Kate’s Geometric Quilt & I am L.O.V.I.N.G it.

I knew I was getting close to finishing this one but surprised myself by how close!

hand quilted & labelled..

with some vintage buttons added to the mix

& backed with polka dots  (bonnie & camille’s bliss)

my redwork is complete :) & I am so so happy!

saying that though, I had to walk away from it about 6 inches from the end of the binding as I really didn’t want this project to be ticked off the list! I have loved every stitch.  You can read about the journey here

Mum finished hers too (waaaaaay before me!)

Funny, we ended up with similar subject matter but the results are totally different!  You can see clearer pics of all mum’s embroideries here  &   mine over here

some notes ::

a correspondence project between me & my mum spanning a couple of years.

red & white fabric blocks  were swapped in letters so we each had the same prints.

we each made 40 embroidery blocks & swapped one

block size = 6″

my finished quilt measures approx 70″ x 70″

all  embroideries were either traced or drawn. I used this method a lot too

It’s been a joy.

x