getting market ready

its raining & my son has a day at preschool today, so i am making some little things to sell at my next market...

zip purses in assorted shapes and sizes....

a new butterfly print...

the signature apple print... (shape 1 above & shape 2 below)

up-cycled metal zips from my mothers sewing collection she handed over to me last year

vintage floral sheets used for the lining...

organic hemp denim on the back (and organic hemp base cloth for my prints too)

such fun to make, especially as no two are the same...

:: which shape do you like best?

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& lots more exciting things over at our creative spaces each thursday too so click here to visit

a preschool bag for my boy

my son started preschool this year.... so i made him a little bag to take his lunchbox and water bottle in.

he loves dinosaurs, so drew a few on a piece of plain calico with a textile marker, and he coloured them in using fabric crayons.

i found the pattern for the bag in a great book i have on my bookshelf called sewing for boys. there is a helpful website here for this book too

I love bags.... its even better making them.

:: have you ever made a bag of your own or for someone else?

DIY - handmade bias binding

want a chunky, organic-looking bias binding? 

this DIY takes your through the process of making continuous bias binding from bits of fabric you have at home in your stash or upcycle some old pillow cases / sheets / table clothes etc.

(i chopped up a 100% cotton curtain left over from cushion making project...)

1. grab your piece of remnant fabric & fold in half (good sides together)... now draw a square, probably at least 10 inches wide...

2. my squares measure 14 x 14 inches

3. cut squares out

4. pin squares together and sew 3mm in from edge all the way around the 4 sides. use a straight stitch set on 2.5

5. draw a diagonal line across from one corner to the other like shown...

6. lay fabric back on table

7. flip the fabric and do the same on the other side - BUT you actually want the two lines to form a 'X' when peeking at both sides - so just lift the other side and check

8. snip off 1cm from all 4 corners - this is so the scissors can be inserted in the following steps

9. snipped- corner close up

10. now cut across the diagonal line on one side...

11. flip the fabric and do exactly the same on the other side - BUT when you get towards the centre of the line, be careful not to pick up and cut the underneath layer, have a peek when you get to the middle just to make sure

12. with both sides now cut, begin to open the square from the centre

13. keep gently pulling open the square till the square begins to look like a tubular rectangle

14. lay the rectangle tube flat on the table

15. iron open & flat all sewn seams

16. close up of ironed seams

17. with your fabric tube flat on the table, draw a vertical line 6 or so inches in from the left side as shown...

18. with your ruler and chalk, mark and trim the top and bottom edges to neaten

19. now draw 3cm (1 inch) horizontal lines all the way down the right side of the 6 inch vertical line

20. begin cutting the lines all the way down

21. till you have a piece of fabric that now looks like some deep sea jelly fish!

22. open your fabric from the 6 inch side until you have the un-cut section of the fabric tube centred on the tabel

23. now, this is where the continuous bias comes into play... draw and match up the lower left side cuts with the upper right side cuts

24. until it looks like this...

25. begin cutting along the lines from the top - & trim the irregular top edge off square

26. keep cutting the lines all the way down... i inserted a piece of A4 paper in between so as not to accidentally cut into the underneath layer

27. cutting, cutting cutting....

28. when you get to the bottom, trim the irregular edge to make square

29. and viola!! you should now have a lengths & lengths of bias binding!

30. a great way to keep your bias binding flat and neat is to make a holding spool... i used an old ikea cardboard box cut into this shape

31. tape one end to the cardboard spool

32. now just wrap the bias around the spool & store till you need to use...

33. the binding put to use as a raw edge around a cotton singlet

34 - 36. you can now make bias binding in any colour / fabric to add to your handmade apparel.

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once you have mastered this technique, watch out... it becomes a tad addictive!

:: would love to hear what sewing tips and tricks you use at home to help make your things 

just that little bit different....

more goodness over at our creative spaces today

production series: tea pots -- part 3

we continue on today from part 1 & part 2 of this production series to show you what products i have made using this new tea pot print.

 its a similar post to the one i did about my 'apple' prints. some items are available to purchase in my shop now, others will be there soon after a bit more refining.

tea towels - these started out in just red. but thanks to a custom order request (via my madeit shop), yellow and blue are now featured there too. (ps: i actually LOVE the blue best!)

then onto a bit of creative sewing to make a birthday gift for a friends 2 year old girl...i used a natural linen fabric for the print patch & then appliquéd it onto a bondsie.

important announcement...i have fallen in love with hemp fabric! (organic of course!)

i have begun to experiment with this wonderful textile & i am addicted. you will certainly be seeing alot more BIRCHseed hemp products soon.

 ... and here we have a tea pot coaster to place underneath my tea pot. i have used hemp for the print and some vintage floral fabric from my own stash - have you seen my stash btw?

and finally, i am toying around with the idea of creating a little 'tea party' softie set for toddler-girls imaginary playtime.

i have an amazing tea cup collection to use for some new blockprint designs that will be added to the tea set over the next few weeks. 

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:: Do you think some tea cup tea towels would be good too? i know i will be making some for my kitchen!

ps: this post was featured in this weeks 'our creative spaces' blog spot... some great designers & makers over there so go check it out!