First gallop and reading pleasures

I just finished two bookmarks and pencil case. A girl who loves horses and reading will get them as a birthday gift on Valentine's Day! I like to stitch bookmarks. They are fast to stitch, you can create a design easily by your self and there's always a material for a one or two bookmark.

The book marks got ideas from an old magazine (Anna Kreuzstitch - E732) which I bought perhaps at 2003. There was no this kind of design for a bookmark but nothing stops you stitch in the way you want and need. With the yellow bookmark I used also small pearls. The pencil case has got its cross stitch idea from Cross Stitcher calendar 2010 which I got as a gift from a friend. All the materials in the book marks and pencil case are loose end threads and left over fabrics from old projets. Only the zipper is new and it cost 1,20€. A good, cheap and reasonable gift idea to a school girl who loves horses and reading.

BlueBerryPie & VanillaCream PotHolder -tutorial

I got an idea for a gift which I am going to take to the relatives! Pot holders is something you always need. When I was at a fabric shop I crashed at beautiful blueperry figured fabric. I knew this was it what I was seeking out. :) At the end -without meaning- it all turned out to remind me of blueberry pie and vanilla cream. My own design.

It is easy to make a pot holder. And fast -if you are not going to do any huge embroidery project to it. If you want some decoration to it you can simpy do some decoration stitching. One way is to square a paper. I used the ruler to easy squaring. I didn't measure, just used the ruler as a stick to make smaller squares. It took only few minutes to make a squared paper to help sewing. I didn't need to buy ready squared pattern paper. :)

Then I placed the squared paper over the fabric. At this point I had already cut off from the fabric the exact size of the patterns the pot holders were going to be. It saves time, nerves, paper, fabric, thread etc. Then I used sewing machine to stitching. At the end I tore gently the paper out. When you use long stitch length it's easier to tear the paper away. But if you try this out you must have an attitude to do it gentle to avoid the thread to be broken. You sould also be ready to use tweezers to get the smallest pieces of paper away.

The blue berry fabric is new. If you seek a pretty special figured fabric you should go through the patch work fabrics at your fabric shop. They do cost more than one coloured basic cotton fabric, but at the end you need small mount of fabric to a pot holder so the total cost won't rise too high. Using one coloured basic cotton fabric is a good choise too -you can use many colours or do some embroidery.

The background fabric of these pot holders is old but unused despite it is recycled left over material which consits of 100% sheep wool. I have bought it years ago from Swedish army store outlet shop. (You should follow boys everywhere, you can find treasures!) At the fabric shops there's special fabrics for sale to be used in pot holders and other products that face heath. But sheep wool is a good choise too. Because it is a natural fibre it stands extremely well heath. And when you place extra cottonwool between the fabrics you can be sure the pot holders won't be too thin.

Scarf -tutorial

I am not feeling lazy anymore so here is some pics for you! This is an old wool that I heritaged with many others. This one includes 35% wool and 65% polyacrylic. It is white and weights 250g.


It is my own design  but very easy to knit it and I bet many people have knit a scarf like this before. I am sure that also a beginner can do it.

I started with 10 stitch, added 1 at the end of every 4th round/turn until I had about 60-65 stitches (can't remember exactly).  But you can make it as wide as you want; bigger or smaller.

Then I started to take in 1 stitch at the end of every 4th round/turn until I had again 10 stitches left which I cast off.

And then I cut the tassels using a DVD box as good measurement. I twine the thread around the box and cut off from one side. Then I finished the scarf by fastening these threads to hang from the two edges that form the triangle of the scarf.

This finished scarf weights 98g so it doesn't take a lot of thread to make one. I had 250g ball of it so there's plenty of thread left for another scarf. We'll see who is going the get that. :)

This scarf will be sealed into a package and will be sent away. To be honest, new scarf -but from another thread- is already in the half way. :)

Scarf and new ideas

The scarf is finished but I still have not been able to get a photo of it. Perhaps I am feeling a little lazy about making a good picture of it? Or perhaps I am using all my free time in next cross stitch project which is up to book marks and pencil case. They are going to be a birthday gift to someone special. The book marks got ideas from an old magazine (Anna Kreuzstitch - E732) which I bought perhaps at 2003. The pencil case has got its idea from CrossStitcher calendar 2010 which I got as a gift from a friend. Later we'll see how it all will turn out.

I am also seeking an idea what to bring as a gift when I will go to spend a weekend at relatives that lives far away. I would like to bring something self made. They have just moved to new home, so perhaps something thinking about that...? I think I must take my sewing box out, go through my stuff and hopefully then I crash at an inspiration. ;)

Mobile phone cases

Now I was able to finish the mobile phone case I was doing. Thanks to Santa Claus I have new mobile phone. Because I have a bad habbit to leave it to weird places, drop it all over the streets and just forget where I put it and with what it's better to have some protection over it.

Santa Claus brought new mobile phone to someone else too. That someone needed a case for it too. Definately! So, at the end I was making two mobile phone cases at the same time. The other case was made of craft felt I found from my sewing box. Both patterns were easy to make and are my own design (the cross stitch design is Penelope's). Just careful measurement of the phones was needed and with imagination it all turned out well.

Because I am not able to throw little pretty craft trashes away and hate to save them I solved the problem out by sewing also a tiny handbag. There's always a need for a handbag! :)

Blackcurrant

Finally, after a long time, I have time to pick up needle again. It didn't feel easy. Where to start? How I should do it? How on earth I once was so skillful in this?! But when I got started I noticed the skill was there, hiding, but there. How many projects I would have going on at the same time if I would have more pairs of hands?

A friend gave me Penelope Counted Cross Stitch Kit "Blackcurrant" as a birthday gift some time ago. Now I finally have got started with it. I have an idea what it is going to be about but you will see it later when finished.

I love blackcurrants. They are so healthy and taste great. When you collect them and store for the winter you can taste the summer in the middle of the winter. A good friend knows what you like about.

Welcome

Because I have more time now than before I decided to share something with you. I am building up this blog slowly but I wish in the future this can give much to you. I am going to show you what I do and I hope you get some ideas and inspiration for your own craft.