whoo hoo!

i do love folksy but i haven't had many sales...it just goes to show i need to keep posting new items up to keep the browsers interested. two in two days! yay!

and added the brooches (2 of which went immediately) and super hero capes today. as well as some funky christmas stockings.

so along with last week's Ladies Night at Wheathampstead, a couple of orders for friends (half-apron pictured) shock horror! actually taking in some money this week.

right. off to sew up a storm. again.

mini 'needles and pins'

Just back from Centreparks last night and thought you would be ready for a super-easy and practical gift to make. Well I think it would be a handy stocking filler, anyway. If you want to keep just a couple of sewing bits handy - in the kitchen drawer maybe - this is the thing. And for me, a chance to use some lovely Japanese prints because their small scale can be highlighted. Finally - that gorgeous bambi is centre stage!

This is my mini 'needles and pins'.

step 1

Choose your fabric and cut rectangles of 8cm X 14cms from your feature fabric, stiffening and lining fabric. Also cut 1 piece of felt 5cm X 7 1/2cm.

step 2

Centre your felt piece on top of your lining fabric and stiffening fabric. Pin and then sew a straight stitch down the middle. Do try and line it up properly as the item is so small, any wonkiness is noticable... (yep I did unpick a couple, and I even used a pale stripe for my lining!)

step 3

Place your feature fabric on top of the layers you've joined together, face down. Stitch all the way around the edge with a narrow seam. I find it neat and easy to do this and then go back and unpick a small space to turn it the right way. If you prefer, leave a small gap for turning.

step 4

Clip corners before you turn to keep them sharp.

step 5

Once your case is the right way around, use a chopstick or similar to poke out the corners into sharp edges, and close the space with tiny stitches. Give it a firm iron. Watch out for the content of your felt as it can melt - wool is best! Or iron face down.

step 6

Add 3 needles, a few pins and different sized safety pins as well. You could alway include some mini cotton reels with your gift.

I have these on my stall, although at there first outing last Thursday, they weren't a big hit! I will keep you posted if this changes...

I first saw some mini needlecases like this, termed 'housewifes' on the the beautiful tiny happy blog. Click onto the link on the left to have a look.

folksy joy!

If you want to have a great, handmade choice of wonders for Christmas presents... and you don't get a chance to make all of my 12 Days of Christmas Crafts!... you need look no further than http://www.folksy.com/ .

Here is today's 2 top picks...

1. Nant designs hand-printed cards, £12.50 for 5

2. Hand thrown pot Julia Smith Ceramics £9

beautiful scrappy yo yo brooch

This is the first of twelve Christmas gift tutorials... plenty to keep you (and me) busy then!

I have a whole array of brooches for sale. They are perfect to use up spare fabric and give me a chance to mix up things a bit. I tend to do batches... some are quite manic fabric combos, some more sober. I think most ladies would love the treat of a new brooch to wear on their winter coat.

step 1

Assemble materials. I have used:

• -lovely scrap of japanese fabric
  -green felt already cut into the shape of leaf
• -vintage button
• -brooch back or safety pin (I found my brooch backs on ebay)
• -tape measure printed fabric strip or ribbon or braid

step 2

You need a small circle of felt for the back of the brooch and a large circle of your fabric for the yo yo. Use appropriate templates. I've used a small tea-cup plate (that doesn't sound right... oh, I mean a saucer!) plus a large cotton reel. And cut out your circles.

step 3
Start your yo yo. These are fun to make. Using your large fabric cirlcle, just fold over a narrow hem with your finger and sew a neat running stitch as you go. Use at least a double thread as it needs to have enough strength to be gathered up at the end.

Pull your thread carefully and firmly so it gathers and makes an even circle. Ideally, I would have ironed the yo yo flat at this stage, but it was all done at a Market. No irons available...

step 4

Sew a loop of ribbon or braid to the 'top' of the yo yo. I had a strip of fabric so used that. You can also see my felt leaf, chosen suede button and an extra circle of linen ready to be layered.

step 5

After layering the elements, sew through to the back a couple of times and flip everything over. You are going to attach the felt with a neat running stitch around the outside of the circle. Then attach the brooch back to the felt. (If using a safety pin, I'd recommend a little rectangle of felt to hold the pin onto the circle).

step 6

Admire the finished brooch. Check which scraps you have left to make more.

And try the same ideas with hair elastics... great stocking fillers!

12 Days of Christmas Gifts

I would love to increase the trickle of traffic through my blog, so would like to encourage as many users as possible to pop by. And hopefully say hello! I had a think and for me, a tutorial would be great encouragement. Oh, and a giveaway. So firstly... twelve, yes twelve, Christmas craft tutorials. Perhaps you could make something for your family?

The first I will also post onto http://folksy.com/ for that lovely community to make use of as well.

Starting off, will be a beautiful scrappy yo yo brooch. Please let me know how you go.

halloween

This is Harry being a scary monster, clutching his ghosty lollipop. I found the idea here http://sycamorestirrings.blogspot.com/2009/10/lollipop-ghosts.html

Okay, I didn't get a chance for too many photos... but we had a brilliant time. 20 children plus parents in the house, lots of food and mulled wine. Then a quick walk throught the underpass and the spooky church and 2 doors to knock on for Trick or Treating.

Everyone bought stuff along, the kids successfully sat down to eat on the lounge floor and we were all happy! Thanks to everyone for the food and bits and expecially Dawn for the fantastic soup and help clearing at the end.

It was a great fun evening, and not spoilt by the muppets who lobbed an egg at our group of toddlers as we walked along. mmmm. They were reported quickly my our friendly local police officer (also in the group!)

gruffalo walk... more pics