Making up drawstring bags

Yesterday my 7 year old son reminded me that I hadn't actually made him the bag I promised to make mine after he got his Star Wars figures for his birthday (end of May) and now nearly a whole month later I actually make time to do it.

Star wars lined drawstring bag

 

I used Jeni Baker's drawstring bag tutorial on her blog. I had seen lots of people on Instagram using it and thought 'That's exactly what I need' when I was making my Doctor Who craft swap and gave it ago and OH MY GOSH! it was so easy and well laid out that beginners would find it easy to work with. I will probably be doing lots more.

Doctor Who inspired spoonflower fabric drawstring bag

There this a pattern you can buy if you are looking for different sizes.

Thanks for visiting

Zoe xx

Facebook group purse swap

I've joined in a swap with one of the wonderful Facebook groups I joined nearly a year ago.

I love the idea of doing a swaps, the excitement of making something special for someone, the research to find something different, choosing the fabrics and the fear of making something not wanted. As you can see the positives total outweigh the negatives.

I have done looks of coin purses in the past so I had plenty of different things I know I can make. 

Ruler fabric metal frame purse

Rocket Rascal purse

Lace and ribbon coin purse

I know what my swappee likes and now I need to decide what to actually make. I have had a look at lots of tutorials and here are some that I want to try.





Very Berry Handmade

Little quilted purse



Macaroon purse



Piper purse frame

Well that's enough purses for now, Once I have sent my swappee their very special purse I'll show you all.

 

Zoe xx

Crafty Bums Showcase #5

Sorry for not being here last week I was recovering from my niece's first birthday party (not intoxicated but more warn out) I'll show you one of the reasons why in my next post but for now let's talk about Crafty Bums sellers and their wonderful wares.

This weeks theme is really hard to decide on so I'm going to be a bit random.

 

First some sewing patterns

 

Susie D Designs

 



Funky Friends Factory

Some fabric

 



Becci Bunny Makes



Cuddlebums


Or a kit of your own

BettyOctopus



 

 



Rooftop Fabrics
 

All this tail of fabric and sewing I better go and do some work.

I'll be back again soon.

 

Zoe xx

 

 

Felt purse and cupcakes

As part of my blogging to do list I find tutorials I like and make them and tell you all about it, this weeks tutorial I found is one I found ages ago before I started blogging and I always said I'd like to make that so I did. I can't remember how I found it but I found Paper and String's blog and loved it straight away. This is their wonderful purse designed in felt so not worring about fraying fabrics.

 

click here to find Paper and String's purse tutorial

 

I did try to make one of these before but with having a small baby and a pre-schooler around and 3 school runs a day I managed to put it down somewhere and still haven't found it.

This is make try at making this purse.

 

 

The whole process of making this purse was fun, quick and very easy. There are loads of photos to help a novice to advance sewer. It's all done by hand so you can take it anywhere to make.

I made mine while keeping an eye on my poorly DD. And she looked quite interested in making one for herself.

The only thing I did slightly different from the tutorial is add some interfacing to the felt as it was very thin and I wanted my purse to last a while.

 

Zoe xx

Last mintue gift.

When my children have parties to go to I like to get the children a book as a gift but there has been a few times I've had to do something different and I had to do that this week when I was asked by one of the mum's at school if my son was OK to come to her son's 5th Birthday party. I tried not to look too shocked that one I had forgotten and two I hadn't got his gift.

 

I tried to find something that day but I didn't have time to order anything and I had no idea what he likes so the next day (the day before the party) I asked the boy's mum what he was into and she didn't really know what to say. She said he liked Cars and I had a little think.

That evening I got my son to help me find some fabric for a last minute gift, we decided on a cushion with the little boy's name.

 

 

So the day of the party I set to making the cushion. It wasn't a difficult one it was just a square piece of fabric, with felt letters bondawebbed in place then stitch on for security and two back pieces.

The mum was pleased with the cushion as it was so different to the other wonderful gifts he got plus my little boy brought some chocolate too as the little boy did ask for that in the first place.

 

I love making cushions with names on mainly as my children all have names that rarely ever find on items so it inspired me to do this in my work.

 

Here is some on my other cushions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your interesting in one please email buttonedupandpinneddown@yahoo.co.uk for more details

 

Zoe xx

Last week of the school term

With the last week of term lots of people are getting the last bits to give their children's teachers on the last day, but me being me I wanted something a little different, I mentioned a few weeks ago I was working on a special 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' inspired gift for my daughters year 2 teacher.

My daughter loves Wes Anderson's animated film and Mrs. Beans Famous ginger apple snaps which we are going to make later this week.

My son wanted to draw something for his teacher as he loves drawing but he took ages to make something he was happy with, but he got there in the end so I added his drawing to the front of fabric covered notebooks.

My Son's drawing for his nursery teachers, a picture of him and some lavender.

Now added to the front of some homemade notebooks.

These are easy to make and the teachers loved them too.

And my last teachers gift was for my eldest daughters form tutor who is leaving the school, and as we couldn't get the badges we wanted to get I had to check my brooches from my shop and my daughter gave her this lovely brooch.

But these aren't all of the things that was made this week, I managed a new skull and roses skirt

aged 2-3 skull and roses skirt soon available to buy.

And I also made two black and pink buntings slightly bigger than my usual size.

More available in other fabrics.

I think that's all for this week but I've got lots of new things to work on hopefully my fabric order will arrive soon and I can start on them but until then I've got to organise all my stock and fabrics as my lovely mum got me a chest of drawers to fill up with all my stuff.

See you again soon

Zoe xx

Another week has passed

Wow, another week ago gone, another week closer to the end of the school term. I managed to get more sewing done this week, I'm working on bunting, gifts for teachers and made a fabric storage box.
I've been meaning to make more fabric boxes after I made a few felt ones and kept finding other things to make, while looking at one of my favourite blogs I found a tutorial by Pink Penguin and it reminded me to make my own, Mine is a different size and shape to Pink Penguin and her pattern is quite easy to adjust.


My patchwork fabric storage.

closer look at my felt storage with a S

Made from felt ready for bits and bobs.

I really like my fabric storage, my blue one doesn't have DVDs in it but toilet rolls and now lives in my blue bathroom and my felt boxes are in my eldest daughters room and full of all the little things that teens like.

My youngest daughter has been reading Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl at school and inspired by Wes Anderson's film I'm working apple key rings for her teacher, I can't show any pictures at the moment but I will once it's complete but have a little look at this recipe for Mrs Beans famous nutmeg ginger apple snaps I'm going to try making them in the summer holidays.

My bunting will be complete soon this is a preview of it so far (please not I have spelt the name wrong but as the letter aren't fixed in place I managed to rearrange them) I really like the fabric chosen for this bunting which I got  from the wonderful Emma's fabric studio based in the UK. I've got a few bundles for there now and would happily recommend her shop.

Tomorrow we have the Olympic torch coming to Stevenage and I'm going to take some excited children to watch it so if your local I might see you there.

See you again soon,
Zoe xx

Welcome to the weekend

It's the weekend and the sun is shining, what a great way to start the day after two days of rain.
I have money in my account after the technical glitches Natwest and RBS have been having over the  last few days, so I managed to get the bits I needed to get to finish of my latest order for a tablet case.

Sorry for the not very good photo.

This is a dust cover style case for a tablet that is padded with a zip back pocket that is get for adding bank cards and important notes or whatever you need to put in there.

It also has a inside pocket and elastic straps to keep your tablet in place.

This was designed for a customer and more can be made in other fabrics and for different tablets and e-books. Visit my Facebook page for more info x

Zoe xx

I've been blogged

It isn't very often that I have any of my items blogged by another blogger but the lovely Jennifer from Stitch me lane has been just that after I sent her a photo of one of my gadget cases made with some of the fabrics I brought from her folksy shop.

Currently availible to buy from my Folksy shop

If you want to find out more about the fabrics she sells you can visit her shop or find her on facebook and on twitter

I'm off to touch more fabric see you all soon
Zoe xx

Ahoy matey's away

Pirates, aarrrgggh. Pieces of eight and other piratey things are some of the things I think of when I look at my newest cushion idea.

This is any idea I came up with for a friend when see asked for some pirate bunting for her 2 year old redecorated bedroom.

I like making something with the very last bit of fabric I have and I just managed to make a matching personalised cushion with a cute little pirate boy on it.
Soon after I made this one I got a few enquires about it and now I've made 3 personalised ones for some lovely Buttoned Up and Pinned Down customs

Daddy and Logan cushion

Jack cushion

 As they seem so popular I've made 3 new ones for Letchworth's Arts and Craft Market on the 16th June.

Available at Letchworth's Arts and Craft Market

And I may also have 3 new personalised ones too.

I'm off to be busy making stuff, I'll be back soon with more lovelies x

Zoe xx