Weaving Fabric

 Hello everyone, this week I have continued my scrapbusting and also thinking up more ways to use them and get creative with them.  So for a change I thought I would try something new, the idea was to weave the scraps together but in a neat way, not in a rag rug way if you know what I mean.

So firts of all I cut lots of strips in four colours that I thought would go nicely, then I stitched them together at one side so that they didn't unfold, so after folding them in half I stitched down the length of each one then pressed them flat.

I was unsure what to weave them on, had a good look around, thought about the back of a picture frame then finally settled on a cardboard box.  I pinned the strips each side then set about weaving on the box.  Not the easiet but it was what I had and sometimes you have to work with what you have.

After I had finished the piece I had to press it to some interfacing to stop it all falling apart, this was not that easy as soon as I released it, it began falling away!  I quickly rewove bits and got the backing on, then I stitched some cotton to the back of it.

I suppose there are lots of ways you can use this and lots of fabric combinations mean it is endless in what you can create. Perhaps I will get my husband to create a frame for me from odd bits of wood so that I have a more stable area to work on.

For my piece I have made one of my bags, it is on one side and the other is one of the fabrics from the weaving so the bag can be used either way.

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I hope this has given you a little inspiration this morning for what to do with your scraps, other uses could be pot holders or coasters may use in a quilt or I thought of adding it to a top as a bit of extra embellishment.

Have a good week, everyone, bye for now. 

The First of Many Solid Colour Makes

 Hello, I said a  few weeks ago I would let you know how it goes with the viewing of daylight early in the day and if it helped my sleeping at all.  Well I can report that so far yes! It does appear to be working, first of all I am taking the dog longer walk first thin before I do anything else so I get a good amount of daylight there straight away.  I have always had a long dog walk at the end of the day when I finished my sewing jobs but that has meant that it is always gloomy during the winter.  So I do think this shift has helped.  I have kept the same getting up time too but then this has never really varied that much.

In sewing news I have made a plain white sweatshirt this past week, this is to fill the gaps in my very patterned wardrobe and to ensure that more things blend together well.  I have made this pattern before, it is the Simplicity 8982 and I have made it as a sweater before and also as a dress.

Last week I read the book My Name is Monster by Katie Hale, I nearly put it down halfway through but I stuck with it and it did appear to pick up but alas I was not a fan of the ending.  It was one of those that seams to fizzle out. This week my book is The Porpoise by Mark Haddon and so far I am disturbed. More on that when I have read more of it.

Today has been very busy I had to take my mum to the hospital for an appointment, she now needs more surgery on skin cancer on her nose that she has had previously.  We went for lunch after that, as it is her birthday this week and we are back across town to the hospital again with her tomorrow for the eye clinic this time. Old age is not an easy ride, she has been very healthy all her life and I am reminding her of this as for 86 she is doing really well. 

Well that is all for today back soon. 

Denim and Tweed Jacket

 Hello everyone I hope you have had a good week.  Last week I did mention that I had started on a new jacket.  This project was using up some leftover denim, buttons and topstitching thread plus a good sized piece of what I believe to be a tweed that was gifted to me sometime ago.  Now I had held off using the tweed fabric because I was uncertain what to make with it without it looking old fashioned.  I think there is a certain idea I have in my mind about jackets that made from that sort of fabric in that of people out in the country riding horses and walking about the manor house in their jodpurs, do you know what I mean? Anyway I was trying to steer clear of this somewhat outdated picture that I had in my mind, complete nonsense I kow but sometimes you just get a picture in your head and you can't get rid of it.

So I had decided to go with the denim jacket look and a mixing of the two fabrics, also the leftover jaquard lining I had in red was to give it a nice detail on the inside.  I am very pleased with how it turned out and also the idea that sometimes it is good to hold onto things for a while as the just the right idea will present itself in time.  I wore the jacket when we ran some errands on Friday and it has a smart feel to it without being a formal jacket and I think the demin does that.  Be prepared for  a number of images...

I added an additional internal pocket with trim for my phone.

There are also inseam side pockets added which are not on the pattern.

I love the pop of red on the inside.

     I only had to buy one packet of jeans buttons for the whole project as I had some other ones leftover.

So in all this was a great scrap busting/stash busting project and I feel I have something I will keep for a long time.

Not to stop there I carried on with the whole use it up theme and made some super large tote bags using patchwork.   I know I was trying to think of less time consuming projects for them rather than patchwork.  However I have only used a nine square design on each side and it is super for using up leftovers.  I have also added them to my Folksy shop and you can find the link to my shop in the side bar.

I think they are fun and of course big enough for a beach bag with towels etc.

I am off to do some work now so I will leave that with you please share any of your scrap busting ideas with me in the comments. Bye for now.