a pincushion tutorial...ish

Today instead of doing the crafting I'm mean to be doing I made a little pincushion. Don't worry i will be doing some of the crafting I NEED to get done a little later after I have consumed vast quantities of coffee and had a little stroll around town. Tomorrow is an inset day at school before half term so I'm determined to get the most out of today and have some me time. Which includes sewing for no reason and going for a stomp around town with my ipod blaring in my ears. Anyway here is a little tutorial that you can use to justify the buying of chocolate. Seriously.

ingredients:
1 package of Sainsbury's pots au chocolat (or any alternative pudding in a little pot)

a spoon

dish soap

fabric

pins

toy filler

all purpose craft glue

these are the puddings you are looking for.

instructions:

1. Open the package of pots au chocolat. Using the spoon scarf down one pot. the wash the ceramic pot with the dish soap and set aside to dry.

2. cut a circle from your fabric that is roughly twice as big as the pot au chocolat ramekin.

3. carefully sew around the fabric circle about a quarter of an inch from the edge. Gently pull the threads together creating a little pouch to stuff to the gills with toy filler. Carefully tie the threads together. It doesn't matter if it looks messy no one will see it.

4. making sure the ramekin is perfectly dry squeeze out a large dollop of glue in the bottom of the pot.

5. carefully place the fabric puff into the pot. You may need to hold it for a minute or two so that the glue adheres to the fabric. And there you go a new pincushion.

crafter's notes: The fabric is a pink and white harlequin that I received in the Alice in Wonderland craft swap. I will probably give the pincushion away as I'm not big on pink but I am pleased with how the pincushion turned out and as there is a second empty ramekin floating about the kitchen I might use that one too.

Go Ask Alice...

everything I sent.. ignore the books.. they are everywhere

Things I made for the Alice in Wonderland Craft Swap...aka how I'm a totally crap photographer and have no skills with image editors and blogger hates me

Ok perhaps things aren't quite that bad but blogger isn't liking me this morning and my photography skills appear to be greatly lacking... next time I will have Matt take photos for me. He can be easily bribed with baked goods and chocolate.

I did really enjoy crafting for the Alice Swap, I felt really inspired to craft and create and just doodle things in my journal and sketchbook. I was really happy with the needle book, the bookmark (made with Anna's fabulous Alice Tape) and the primitive style Cheshire cat in fact a friend of mine asked me to make her one as well so that's not too bad for my lack of sewing skills. :o)

Say Cheese...er Cheshire Cat

Mad Hatter looks like a Mentat

bookmark made with lilla lotta Alice Tape tape

teacup needle book

craft goodies from the States and some lavender sachets

little lavender sachets

First before I get into the pile of crafty things I brought back from the states I would like to show off two little lavender sachets I made yesterday morning. The little owl is my favourite made with linen mix fabric, with onxy bead eyes, and "Owl" stamped on the back with my lovely alphabet stamps.I adore my abc stamp set

metal embroidery hoops

I don't know if you followed my twitter feed or not while I was away, it did tell more than drinking vast quantities of coffee, honest. While in Idaho we went to a few yard and estate sales, at the first one we visited in the "free" box by the door I found two metal embroidery hoops. They were in excellent conditio, I would have happily paid for them, but as they were free that was even better.

fabrics from Bear Paw

Near Fred Meyer's grocery store there was a quilt shop, Bear Paw Quilting and Bernina, I only got to go in for half an hour but I had a fab time. I don't quilt, I'm sure Katy or Leah will say I should add "yet" to that statement, but I had fun looking at fabrics and bought two fat quarters one with little numbers and a retro-y one with children and toys (I know I'm bad at descriptions today). There were some really fantastic fabrics and quilt patterns, and classes too, I may have the chance to visit my parents in summer and it would be fun to take a class or just buy a few more pieces of fabric.

vintage button assortment

My mother found these vintage buttons at a few yard sales she visit last summer and kept them for me. I don't know what I will be making with them but they are very pretty, the mother of pearl ones I found in Wiggits antiques in Coeur d Alene and as they were only small and cheap I treated myself to them, before going to get an iced latte, from Starbucks naturally. I also visited a Michael's crafts and bought some lowercase alphabet stamps that were on sale and some embroidery floss, I attempted to do some embrodiery while at my parents house but it didn't work out.

pretty little fabrics

My last stop for craft things was to Esther's Fabrics on Bainbridge Island, Wa. We met up with Selena of Apron Thrift Girl on the Island after meeting her and her husband for lunch the day before in the University District of Seattle. Selena lives on the island and we met for coffee and pastries at the lovely Blackbird Bakery and She showed us around the little town and then took me to Esther's Fabrics for a nose around all the pretty fabrics, I was spoiled for choice, especially with the cute selection of japanese fabrics.

Alexander Henry Tattoo fabric

After heming and hawing for an indeterminate time I bought a small selection of pretty fabrics to play with, under the guise of them being an birthday present. I have ideas for the tattoo fabric, a very belated birthday present for a friend because what I made for her just wasn't quite right, the rest I don't know butI'm happy just looking at them.

vintage copy of the Wizard of Oz

One last item, Selena gave me this fantastic abused vintage copy of the Wizard of Oz, its great I never read the book so I'm going to read it then take it apart for my art as its in very poor condition which is exactly what I have been serching for for months. You just can't find a copy around here anywhere. I read the first few pages aloud to H on the ferry back to Seattle so I will see if he wants me to read him any more. Though if he likes it I will probably have trouble taking it apart for my art. Selena also found a art neveau book in Polish that should though would look pretty painted on. I'll be dragging my paints out in the next week I think, though I still have pleny of pages from a vintage copy of Alice in Wonderland to work with first.

random chapter

Alphabet Stamps

Alphabet stamp set, fabric ink, natural cotton ribbon, and fabric all from Karaku. I ordered these last week and they arrived Thursday and I am absolutely besotted with everything. The fabric, and the fabric scraps are adorable, and the first bits of fabric I have ordered online, I have been experimenting with the alphabet stamps and fabric ink for the tea time swap, though I can't show you what I have been making yet. There may be spies reading my blog. *looks around paranoid*

scrap Japanese fabrics ordered

more scrap Japanese fabric

H says he wants the robot one made into a lavender rice warm bag, its a secret who its for but I think I can guess it will go no farther than his room. I don't know what I will do with the rest of the fabric, probably more lavender sachets, door hangers, owls, and lavender rice warm bags.

the lovely fat quarter of Spool fabric

I would really love to make little zippered pouches and small bags, but my brain doesn't always interpret tutorials well, I love to read them and look at them, and if there are enough pictures something clicks in my brain and translates what I have seen and read into something I can understand. Which I'm not sure anyone else would understand but I guess that would probably just be me.

lavender sachets for Out Framed

Hey look aside from drooling over all of the Japanese crafting goodies I have actually done some crafting the last few day. Only a small amount of lavender sachets for Out Framed Gallery. Tomorrow I have a huge to do list for getting crafty things done next week, but its Mothering Sunday today and I'm not starting any projects that I know I won't finish. Happy Mother's Day!

lavender and rice warm bags

lavender and rice warm bags

I would probably call them heat-y bags as that's what we call H's warming wheat bag. I made these with a bit of "help" from H, for his great-grandmother and for his grandma too... they are made from some Laura Ashley fabric that any grandmother or great-grandmother would love. Probably a little wonky in places due to my less than exemplary sewing skills but they look nice and smell like lovely. They can be warmed in the microwave or popped in a bag and chilled in the freezer.

They were quite simple to make even with my sewing skills and that makes two more presents to pop on the ever growing pile of wrapping I have to do later. After I have been shopping later today to get all the things I have been too sickly to sort out during the week. Luckily we are all on the mend so its going to be very busy these next few days before Christmas. If I have a chance I will blog a few more Christmas-y recipes and maybe a few more crafty things too before I put away my scissors, my pliers, my pens and just wear an apron and carry a wooden spoon in hand constantly. Tis the season after all...