Drawing bags

One of my 'best sellers' have been baking bags. These are a little cotton shopping or storage bag with an apron, recipe card, cake cases, rolling pin, wooden spoon, whisk and a cookie cutter.

Baking bag

I've made them in all sorts of fabrics and hopefully they'll continue to do well. Last week Pickle-Lily and I created our newest product - Drawing bags. These are a cotton bag with a packet of pencils, sketch pad, palette of paints and a choice of felt pencil case with a pencil set in it. I'm hoping they will appeal as presents or something to take in the car or just for storing all those arty bits in.

Great fabric for the bag!

Some of the pencil case designs.

I've got quite a few events lined up this week, for some reaon they've all fallen together, so I will see how they sell.
Now for something different, I have realised it is our first birthday and the next post will be the 100th, so for the next post we will have a Birthday Giveaway! P and I are busy creating a party bag for the lucky winner, so watch out for the next post.
Inbetween this all I will be visiting all the blogs over at Wendy's Handmade Monday - it usually takes me all week, but I enjoy the later visits as I get to read 'more' blog if that makes sense!
Have a good week!
Jo x

Book Week Cometh!

With World Book Day happening next Thursday, lots of mums will be springing into action creating costumes, so I would like to share my simple costume makes.
Most of them are based around a cloak - it can be made in different colours and used for all sorts of characters, and some I made have been hand sewn as I didn't have a machine at the time. So here goes ...

Simple cloak

Robin Hood - the cloak here is just a large rectangle of fabric with a channel sewn at the top edge and thick cord or ribbon threaded through. To add pizazz I bondawebbed a crown motif into the middle. Underneath a very simple tabard, again with the crown motif.




and a hat made from two triangles of felt sewn together with a feather to finish. The next stage on is to create a hood...

Little Red Riding Hood

Hand sewn in

This is done by creating some pleats about three quarters of the way down the cape, and a ribbon sewn onto them, the pleats can be adjusted to suit the height of the wearer.

 The shorter end is then joined across the top to create the hood. I also made one in black for when Robin became the sheriff ! In brown it could a Jedi cloak.
I hope this will offer some help in creating a costume.
Jo x

Fused Glass

Fused glass heart

Green and orange

A few weeks ago Pickle-Lily and I went to Connies to take part in a fused glass workshop. We had a super Sunday afternoon cutting coloured glass and then using drops of superglue to fix it to clear glass. The glue is temporary as when the glass is fired it melds together and all the sharp edges become smooth. P and I made hearts for Valentines or Mothering Sunday, and rectangles where we could be creative.

Rainbow

Careful cutting

We loved doing this, it was simple and very effective, but sadly we can not afford a kiln.
During the week I will be visiting all the other blogs other at Wendy's for Handmade Monday . Thank-you to Wendy for my brilliant dishwasher sign - I'll show you that another time.
Jo x




Placing the glass carefully

P.S. We have discovered that we are coming up to our first birthday and to 100 posts so watch out for a giveaway!

Snowdrop Valley

My guest blogger today is .... Pickle-Lily

On Wednesday 15th February 2012 My Mum, Brother and I went to Exmoor.

We first visited Snowdrop Valley, a beautiful forest carpeted with snowdrops in February. It has a single track entrance so narrow you can’t even walk past the minibus used for taking tourists up to the valley when it comes up. We parked in a nearby car park and took a Snowdrop valley park and ride minibus up to the valley.

As soon as you get into the valley the vast amount of snowdrops really hit you, and a peaceful sensation fills you with a real appreciation for the countryside.
There is a set route through the valley (on a rather muddy path!) and it takes you through patches of gorgeous snowdrops. The sheer amount of snowdrops there are its amazing. The snowdrops aren’t natural and were thought to be put there by monks in a nearby village. This magical place is only accessible by bus (in February) or walking to stop traffic blockages when the snowdrops are in full bloom.

 

Little birdie

Little birdie

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while but last week I had lots of supply teaching work (which is great and I'm not complaining!) and on Tuesday I even swapped schools at lunch time!
I spent the evenings finishing up some old favourites, the mermaids

 and a new bag design for spring - which I am also using for keyrings and needlecases. I made the bags in lovely soft pastel felt using spotty felt for the little bird.

baby blue - my favourite

lilac

and raspberry

Which colour is your favourite?
Now I'm waiting for the scaffolders to turn up, as tomorrow are having free solar panels fitted, so it could be an interesting few days - as well as being half term.
Whilst I'm waiting I'll be visiting all the other blogs over at Wendy's Handmade Monday to see what everyone else is up to.
Jo x
If you want a simple Valentine gift why not have a look at the felted hearts keyrings.

Festive Friday - Kung Hei Fat Choi

A week late, but as the celebrations can last for up to fifteen days I feel I am allowed a little lee way.
A make for this then ...

Knitted fortune cookie

a knitted fortune cookie!
I made these to put in my role play Chinese Restaurant at school, to encourage small people to write messages or 'fortunes' on. You could send a message to a loved one for Valentine's Day, Mothering Sunday or just pop it in a lunch box!

To make -
Using double knit wool and 4mm needles cast on 12 stitches.
Knit (garter stitch) 1 row.
All rows are garter stitch.
Increase 1 stitch at each end of alternate rows until 20 stitches. I like to pick up the loop after the first stitch and before the last stitch as it gives a neater finish.
Knit 10 rows.
Knit 2 together at beginning and end of alternate rows until 12 stitches.
Knit 1 row.
Cast off.

It will look like this

Now sew the cast on and cast off edge together.

The join the two side pieces together on the straight row edges, like this

Leaving a channel to put your message in.
Very simple, designed for my daughter Pickle-Lily to knit but fun.
Jo x