Show and Tell

As you had two tutorials last week, I thought you might like a bit of a rest this week, so instead I am going to share a couple of completed projects from this week together with some bits and pieces that I acquired over the past couple of weeks.


This weekend, I made a smaller tea cosy using a number of different techniques - machine embroidery, free hand embroidery, ribbon flowers, applique and chinese ball buttons.  Having battled with the cord for the chinese ball buttons... there was a degree of language involved and a deep regret that I failed to get past the reef knot and the clove hitch in the brownies... however I did crack it.  Just love the technique you use to cover the cord!  There will be a tutorial...

Argh... cropping tool will not work...

Do you remember when we did some basic embroidery back in January and I told you about the book that I learnt from... well I managed to track one down on E-Bay... it is just as I remembered and my fingers are itching to get hold of some embroidery cottons.   It has lovely simple line drawings and you feel that the Bayeux Tapestry is well within your reach!  Actually the book and its reminds me of the Catholic catechism, I was one of the lucky ones who just missed out on having to use it but my brothers and sister had to endure learning it.  Although my sister did admit that she used to pray that she would not get called to be a nun... that is until one of the nuns at the Convent mentioned that was what she used to do... Annette abandoned that course of action pretty quickly!

So, you remember the little dress which I made last weekend, it now has a matching pair of ruffled panties to match it.  I used a french seam inside the panties and the elastic around the legs goes through a bias binding casement... more of bias binding later!

I have finally capitulated and bought myself a bias binding maker... no not the electrical one that you see on Create and Craft but the old fashioned variety that looks like a whistle and is used in conjunction with your iron... I feel a bias binding tutorial coming on... you have been warned!

Hmmm... I know it looks like nothing but it does make great bias binding!

And finally I found two great ribbon tapes, cheap enough to use to wrap up a handmade gift and robust enough to cut up and sew onto hand crafted knits and sewing projects.

Well a little later than usual, I think it's about time to head over to Wendy's Handmade Monday, brilliant inspiration from the best of the nation's crafts people!