As I’m sure you are all aware, sewing machines need covers. No, really, they do! It protects them from dust and whatnot. Anyway as Lizzy has this lovely new craft room and can actually keep her sewing machine out she was definitely in need.

I spent quite a long time online looking at photos and (really shit) patterns as I had decided I quite liked the idea of doing one with a patchwork band around it, however, I really left it too late for this and then I came across this fabric in my stash, originally from ikea, it was perfect! I also found a huge roll of red felt which would be the perfect lining and help it to hold it’s shape.

I based the shape and size on my sewing machine which is slightly different to Lizzy’s but I think it turned out okay. I erred on the side of caution and made it slightly bigger and from the looks of it it could have been slightly shorter, but better to be too big than not to fit at all.

The quilting was really fun on this and although it took a while really pulls it together in my opinion. Doesn’t the craft room look lovely with all it’s home made goodness? You’ll be pleased to hear that the curtains and other soft furnishings have a red base so it will all match wonderfully.

You may already have seen this photo over on Ruffles and Ribbons and you can find more there about that fantastic seat cushion, but this is the crochet cushion I made for the rocking chair in the nursery, it’s based on Lucy’s version over at Attic24 (as usual) and I was using leftover Rico cotton dk, I made this in about two days it was so quick and easy, plus I got a really lovely feather cushion from ebay. That baby Ruffles is going to have such a  colourful bedroom it will be the sparkiest, happiest baby ever!

Thanks also to Lizzy for the brilliant photos

My friend has recently bought a lovely old house out in the country so I was pretty sure this would be a useful gift! I made this pattern up as all the patterns I could find were for dog or snake ones and I really didn’t want it to look remotely like that!

So I just went for a simple envelope shape, with a handle for moving it around easily, I used a heavy canvas fabric (from fabulous Ikea) and stuffed it with a mixture of old t-shirts and jumpers to give it weight, and cushion stuffing to give it shape.

Nell kindly photographed it for me performing it’s intended task, isn’t it pretty? I have been meaning to make some for our house so now Christmas is over I should really get on with it…

I found this pattern just before I discovered Lizzy was pregnant and I knew I just had to make it for her (well, for the baby really).

I spent a while looking for just the right yarn as there are some awful colours on ravelry which just ruin it and I wanted it to be soft and cuddly for the baby. I used Rico Merino Essentials for the brown, unfortunately that didn’t have a cream colourway so I used Rico Baby Classic for that which is also lovely but a little fluffier, they actually work really well together because his ‘fur’ has a nice sheen and the contrast of the textures makes it look more realistic, not really, but you know what I mean – it works.

The pattern is really easy to follow so all you crochet-phobes should have a go at this, it’s only single crochet and the instructions are clear and simple with minimal but beautiful shaping. I love the way his little bottom sticks out (didn’t get a photo of that stupidly, but rest assured it’s extremely cute). It really didn’t take me very long at all to make this, but I spent a while procrastinating on the embroidery stuffing and sewing together as I know that’s the bit where you can really screw it up. I agonised about embroidering his face for ages but was pleasantly surprised at the end result. A tip in a lot of books about making soft toys is to always do the embroidery before sewing onto the body, that way if you mess it up beyond all rescuing you only have to re-do the head without unpicking and potentially ruining the body too.

It’s actually rather larger than I imagined it to be – it will be bigger that the baby for a while – but overall I’m so pleased with it, it’s like the polar opposite of the shit turtle: cute, smiley, mischievous but NOT EVIL (phew!) and most importantly Lizzy and Mark love him.

Following on from the Harwood’s Quiet Book post, I realised that we had been made some really beautiful things when we were little. My mum’s friend Lynn, who she met when they lived in the States made this fantastic embroidered picture for my little brother when he was born, isn’t it just the most lovely present? And imagine how long it must have taken her, she really is very talented.

The carriages have the date, time and day he was born all immaculately embroidered.

And how much he weighed (sorry about the blurry photo)

I think making these sort of things for boys must be hard anyway but this is just brilliant, I would really love to make these for my friend’s children but where does one find the time? Also do you think she would have used a kit, or a pre printed pattern or just made it up?

This is currently hanging up on the staircase in my parents house in France, just a little further up on the landing I found this embroidered picture which I remember from when we were little but have no idea where it came from.

Look at the detail in the stitches, isn’t it amazing. I really must take the time to learn to embroider properly, I’d dearly love to be able to make things as intricate as this. Another thing to add to the ever-expanding craft ‘to-do’ list…

I made this for my friend who punches me in the face (at Jitsu obviously – duh), she sneakily left it until the last minute to tell me it was her birthday this week leaving me little time for crafting. However, I like a deadline! So I have made her this lovely tote. Apologies for the poor photography (even poorer than usual!) I was in a rush to wrap him up and get him ready to go.

Now stop right there, I hear you say, this looks remarkably like another tote bag I’ve seen on this blog. Well you’d be right, and wrong. This bag is slightly bigger, I measured by eye rather than ‘suggested measurements’. It has shorter handles (mainly because I was running out of fabric) and I have added a handy little pocket to keep your oyster card and phone in, or anything else you find it difficult to put your hand on in a cavernous bag. Alternatively if using it to carry crafts it would serve equally well to house crochet hooks, scissors and the like.

I know I bemoaned the timescales given on the previous bag but this one was actually very speedy, I cut and ironed all the pieces one night after netball and then did all the sewing and was finished before Simon got home from work on the Friday – bosh! Thoroughly recommended for a last minute gift.