Teacher thank-you gift

... or I should also add Teaching Assistant gift!

Tissue holder

I haven't done a tutorial recently, so I have decide to do one! It's a simple tissue pack holder and can be adapted for any occasion, not just as end of year present for teachers. Thinking about it, they could also make useful wedding favours!!You buy little tissue packs, which are very neat until you open them to use one, the rest get tatty in your bag so you throw them away. But now you can keep them tidy!
Cut two pieces of fabric 19cm x 16cm, one to be your lining and the other to be the outer.

Iron a 1cm hem along the long side on both pieces.

Decorate the outer with ribbon as I have, or ricrac or even use some of those fancy machine embroidery stitches you never use. Remember the pressed hem is the bottom of the holder.

Make sure your decoration is right way up!

Put right side to right side, pressed hems at the bottom and sew along the sides and top edge.

Sew along sides and top - leave pressed hem open

Turn right side out, push out the corners and press.

Open pressed hem is the bottom

With right side in, seam the two sides together. I leave a little at the top to allow give, as tissue packs are different sizes, before I start the seam. Remember the pressed hem is the bottom of the holder.
Move the side seam along until it becomes a back seam and press the seam open (see photo).

The side becomes the back seam

Seam across the bottom seam now.

Seam across the bottom

Turn right side out!

Finished tissue holder - it will fit all the way inside!

I have even made a little card to go with it - as teachers get through lots of tissues! I will put some of these in my Folksy shop if you would like to buy one rather than make your own. It'll come with a card but no tissues, less postage like that.

Three weeks to go!

10 out of 10!

Yes, it is three weeks until the end of term for Pickle-Lily and I ! Master, actually I think I'd better call him Mr. P-L junior, is now on the longest summer holiday he'll get as he has finished the GCSEs.
So with the end of term in sight, and thinking about my lovely teaching assistants I have made them their very own gold star, because they are absolute stars. Paper and String are now stocking gorgeous glitter fabric, that makes glitter felt look pathetic, so I used the gold to create some brooches for them, but shh, let's keep it a surprise!!!
(They are also in my my Folksy shop if you'd like one of your own!)
If you're on Instagram - -please come and say hello to me there - I'm jopicklelily !

Your very own star!

An apple for the teacher

Here in Somerset the sun has been shining for the past few days and it has already made me think about the summer holidays and end of term.

Hand knitted in cotton

So. I've redesigned my teacher gifts for this year, although the apple cosy has stayed the same, as it is still popular.

Apple keyrings

New notebook design

I'm really pleased with this design, and I hope these will go down well on my Folksy shop.

Folksy Friday

Apple for the teacher!

My apple keyrings have just been featured on Woollyduck's blog. Angela creates the most beautiful felted food - take a look.
Thank-you Angela!

Shopping and teachers

On Wednesday Pickle-Lily and I took big brother shopping. He didn't want to go - but he had no choice1 I'm not really happy at leaving him alone for over a couple of hours - when he's plugged into the xbox he wouldn't notice the house burning around him, just think it was part of the game! I also said he could have the new Rick Riordan book if he came. Brilliant book, yes I know it's meant for kids but I read it in a day totally hooked!

Anyway, back to shopping, we went to the big shopping centre at Cribbs Causeway, he was fine in the first few shops we had to visit, we even went into Game and HMV for him, but it was John Lewis that was the problem! There is just sooo many lovely things to look at. I did suggest he went to the electrical department, but I don't think he trusted us timewise, that we'd take even longer. Still, armed with my list I went to haberdashery, again soooo many lovely things. P and I loved showing each other all we'd found as someone got crosser and crosser! Then we went to pay, and the queue was enornmous, around two walls of the department. Someone was now ready to explode and was muttering away. The problem was he was so funny, P and started to laugh and so did some other ladies in the queue. In the end I thanked him for entertaining us and suggested he waited by the escalators ready for a quick getaway! Then we went to Hobbycraft ... he stayed in the car with his book!

When we were in M&S P and I were looking at teacher cards and talking about a present for her teacher in July. So as I drove home the brain went to overdrive and this is what I spent Thursday and Friday creating...

Apple for the teacher keyring and notebook
(both are on Folksy if you're interested).

Busy times

I have not been on here for a while because for once I have been really busy at school. I am a primary supply teacher, and some weeks can be very barren of supply, but for the past two weeks I have been virtually fully booked, I just hope this continues! It does mean that the crafting slows down however.

P and I did our first craft fair - ever - two weeks ago with the lovely ladies of Bella and the Moo. We had a super day, chocolate cake was highly recommended by P, having to do her homework was not. We seemed quite busy and sold out of some of our products.

These lovely rabbits made from Fuzzy Mittens design are wonderful! They went away being cuddled by their purchasers.

The whole family are off on the annual school Easter Egg hunt this afternoon, so I will post more later!
Jo