Embroidered Pictures in Vietnam

On our recent trip, Backpacking in Asia with our girls it was nice to see lots of arts and crafts as we travelled.

In Hoi An, Vietnam, we visited a small shop where people were embroidering pictures. 

Embroidered pictures were on sale in every market and they were just beautiful.

You can see from these pictures just how detailed the stitching is!

 One of the finished pieces!

They were just amazing to see - and on a totally different level to this picture I stitched when I was a teenager that my daughter now has on her bedroom wall!

Have you ever embroidered a picture?

Jill

Messenger bag from cargo pants - another clothes upcycle

Continuing with my Clothes Upcycling Challenge for 2015 I made a messenger bag from a pair of cargo shorts and some other fabric from my stash (helping my stashbusing cause at the same time!)

I've wanted to try this tutorial from Noodlehead for a while so decided this was the perfect opportunity.

This is what I started with:

Since the pattern uses a pair of cargo pants not shorts, I had to alter it slightly so I had enough fabric. The strap I made entirely from the co-ordinating fabric rather than half and half, but I think it works ok. I also had to unpick a pocket and make the whole bag slightly smaller than the pattern to give me enough fabric.

The pattern itself was fairly easy to follow although perhaps a little less detailed than I'm used to. I tend to go for overkill and photo and describe even the smallest stage in my tutorials as that's how I work. Still - this is overall a straightforward bag to make and a great way to upcycle a pair of pants!

The strap was possibly a little bit long for my daughter. Generally my girls love to model things I've made for me, but not on this day! However, I did manage to cajole my youngest into a couple of shots!

Left over fabric from the shorts?  A few pockets, a zip, buttons, label and the waistband. I've added them to the bag from last week's upcycle to be used in some future project I haven't yet thought of!

I'm pretty happy with this week's upcycle.  Do come back next week to see what I make next!

For over 600 ideas for clothes upcycling, check out the ongoing linky here. Please do add your own ideas too!

If you are interested in upcycling, I also share lots of upcycling ideas, for clothes and lots of other things too, on my Facebook page.

Jill

Stashbusting start

This week I've made a start on my massive fabric stashbusting challenge for the year. 

I'm still catching up from our big holiday and getting the girls back to school, so I wanted to start with something easy.

I sorted my fabric at the end of last year and worked out a rough plan of what to make with things.

This pile of fabrics is ones I'm not so fond of.

I decided to use them to make some fabric wrapping clothes (furoshiki) and fabric gift bags.

I have a wrapping box full of left over gift wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bags, old cards to be used as tags - and also some wrapping clothes. We try to keep our gift wrapping environment friendly!

So now we have some more wrapping cloths:

Some simple gift bags which can be tied with ribbons or scrap fabric:

And also a couple of gift tote bags.

At least now this fabric can be put to use, and also prettied up with ribbons, colourful scrap ties - and I also plan to make plenty fabric flowers from my scrap fabric that can be added to our gift wrapping box.

All in all a good start to my stash-busting!

I just need to keep chipping away at the pile - a little each week!

Have you done any stash-busting lately?

Jill

Sewing related in Asia

I thought I'd share some of my sewing related pictures from our recent trip in Asia!

In Hanoi, Vietnam, shops were collected together in streets all selling the same kind of thing.  These shots are from the street where sewing machines were sold.

In Chiang Mai, Thailand, I found fabric on the market, where I managed to just look not buy

(since I'm using up my fabric stash this year not adding to it!)

I did however buy a few zips and threads from a lovely little shop there - necessary accessories for all the things I'm going to make when I use up that stash!! 

Finally, in Singapore, the area where we were staying had a lot of industrial sewing shops where men (and I only saw men) were sewing heavy duty canvases and the like. 

The shops were open fronted and most of the sewing was going on out on the street front!

It was interesting to see sewing going on in the various places we visited. So many of the shops and homes were open fronted - allowing you to see much more of people's lives than in most Western countries.  

Hope you enjoyed seeing this glimpse too!

Jill

Bag and elephant from shirt and shorts - starting my clothes upcycling challenge 2015

I've settled back in from our big holiday now and am back into sewing - in particular I've started my big clothes upcycling challenge for 2015.

I started out with this shirt and pair of shorts.

I had decided previously what I wanted to make - this Reversible bag, a free pattern and tutorial from Very Purple Person.

I wanted to use the pockets on the clothes in the bags.

So it meant being a little creative in my pattern placement and cutting.

The template is free and simple to print and stick together. The instructions are also clear and straightforward with pictures and drawings to help.  It's a nice simple bag, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

 Of course there was fabric left over, so I wanted to try and use it to make something else.

I've so many patterns and tutorials on my Pinterest boards, that I have decided to make use of these for this clothes upcycling challenge.

This time I chose an Elephant Softie, using this free pattern from Made by Enginerds.

Again the template is free and easy to print and use.

It's a very simple elephant to make, and the tutorial is nice and clear with good photos. I'm really pleased with this cutie - my girls have given him the definite seal of approval and want to make ones for themselves now!

The elephant and bag look cute together - maybe I can sell them as a set?

The last of the remnants of this shirt and pair of shorts I have deconstructed into parts I may be able to use - zips, buttons, labels and fabric scraps:

And the seams etc I'll keep to use for stuffing for something!

Overall, I'm very happy with the start of my Clothes Upcycling Challenge for 2015. 

 I hope you'll keep on coming back to see what I make each week from my selection of old clothes!

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My fabric stash has got to go!

“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.”

 - Tony Robbins

Since we were away for most of January, February is my 'New Year' for 2015 for starting projects.

This is  BIG year for projects!

The picture above shows our rearranged spare room. We took apart our spare bed and stored it in the built in wardrobes at the back of the room. These robes were hiding my fabric stash - but no more!

Now my stash is piled up in a heap. My task this year is to work my way through it - sewing things to use, give as gifts or sell.  By the end of 2015, I want to just have my sewing desk (on the left) and the wooden chest of drawers that you can just see peeking out on the right. All those boxes, bags, pockets etc have to go!

Having everything out in the open is going to be a daily reminder and motivation to keep on sewing. To start with I'll have to move boxes just to reach my sewing machine!  I have lists of things to make and I've tried to divide the lists up into a time schedule over the course of the year.

I think I'm venturing into unchartered territory here. I can find lots of posts on blogs and articles about stashbusting, reducing your stash and organising your fabric stash; but nothing about trying to use it all up!

I know it's a massive ask - but the way our spare room looks now is a HUGE motivation to get this done. All the fabric, notions and other bits and bobs I've saved over the past 10 years, are going to be put to use.

Use What You've Got is my motto and that's certainly what I'm sticking to this year!

So how about you?

What does your fabric stash look like? Do you have any pictures to share? Does it need to be used up? 

I may be a bit crazy to attempt  this challenge - but I do hope you'll follow along and see what I make and also the progress photos of my shrinking stash over the year!

Better get started!

Jill

Personalised Crochet bag - a tutorial

This is a bag I made for my younger daughter for Christmas - but had to wait until after Christmas to share it in case she saw it on my blog!

It was inspired by one I saw on Pinterest.

My daughter is slowly learning crochet and loves to make endless bracelets and scarfs etc from wool, She's slowly learning to make basic amigurumi as she'd like to make lots of cute little critters!

So - leading up to Christmas I visited the charity shops whenever I passed and picked up balls of wool from there of various colours and textures. I also found several crochet hooks of various sizes, so all that I then needed was something to put them all in!

Here's how to make a crochet bag that can fit LOTS of wool in and has plenty space for hooks in around the sides!

You will need 2 co-ordinating outer fabrics, one inner fabric and some buckram (or stiff interfacing). Extra pretty fabric and fusible webbing for personalised name applique.

Cut your fabric first:

Outer fabric 1: 1 circle 32cm (12.5") diameter

2 rectangles 52 x 20cm (20.5 x 8") - main base of sides of bag

1 rectangle 52 x 12cm (20.5 x 4.5") - for crochet hook pockets

Outer fabric 2: 2 rectangles 52 x 20cm (20.5 x 8")

Inner Fabric: 1 circle 32cm (12.5") diameter

2 rectangles 52 x 38cm (20.5 x 15")

2 straps 1m20 x 10cm (47 x 4")

Buckram or stiff interfacing: 1 circle 32cm (12.5") diameter

2 rectangles 52 x 20cm (20.5 x 8") - main base of sides of bag

Fusible webbing and pretty fabric for name: cut rectangle approx 30 x 15cm (12 x 6")

First take your inner fabric pieces. Lay the 2 rectangles, right sides together on top of each other. Pin down the two short sides leaving a gap of about 15cm (6") on one side - (to turn the bag right sides out at the end through) then stitch.

Next take your inner fabric circle and fold it into quarters. 

Mark each quarter on the edge with a pin then open out again. 

Use these pins to help you line the circle up as you pin it around the side pieces you just sewed together to create your bag inner. 

Keep right sides of the fabric together.

Next take the straps you cut. Fold the short end in then the longer sides in to the centre and then the whole length in half again to completely enclose the raw edges. Then stitch around all 4 edges. You may find it helps to iron each fold as you go before stitching. I used soft shiny fabric that doesn't like too much ironing so just folded as best I could then stitched while holding it together!

Do this with both strap pieces.

Now to the outside of your bag.

With your first outer fabric, take one large and one small rectangle (for the pockets).

 Place the small rectangle on top of the large rectangle at the bottom and lining up the edges. Stitch down both sides to hold in place.

Now lay your crochet hooks and scissors if you like in between these two layers where you would like them to be.

 Pin down the sides of these to form 'pockets'.

 Then take out the hooks and scissors and stitch lines where you have pinned to create the pockets.

Then lay this piece on top of one of your rectangles of buckram (stiff interfacing) and pin and stitch around the side and bottom edges. 

Now to the other side of your bag. Take the other large rectangle and your pretty fabric with fusible webbing. Iron the fusible webbing to the back of your pretty fabric.

Now write the name you want to applique onto the bag on the back of the fusible webbing. 

NOTE: you have to write each letter as a mirror image as when you cut the letters you have to turn them over to place on your bag. I was lucky my daughter's name is the same both ways!

Cut around each letter, peel the backing paper off then place centrally onto your outer fabric rectangle. Iron on as per your fusible webbing instructions, and applique or tight zig-zag stitch around the edges.

Now place the other rectangle of buckram (interfacing) behind this named piece and pin then stitch around the side and bottom edges.

Next take your other outer fabric rectangles and place them face down on these rectangles you just made. Pin then stitch along the top edge of the name piece and the top edge of the pocket piece.

Now your two bag side pieces are ready to join together.

Place these two piece right sides together on top of each other. Pin then stitch down both sides.  IMPORTANT:  You must leave a gap on both sides near the top of the sides seams for the drawstring to go through. Make this gap around 2.5cm (1") down from the top edge and around 2.5cm (1") wide.

Now iron open the top seam from the inside, where you have left the gaps. 

 Flip the fabric over to the right side and stitch a rectangle around the opening you have left on either side. This is where you will thread the straps for the bag through.

Now you need to add the base to the outside of your bag. Take your outer fabric circle and your buckram (interfacing) circle. Place them both together and pin around the base of your bag with right sides of the outer fabric facing.

Stitch all around the edge, making sure you enclose all the seams you have previously stitched.

Turn this bag right sides out.

Now to put the bag all together.

Slip the outer bag inside the inner bag which is inside out. So the right sides of the inner and outer bag are facing each other. 

Pin all the way around the opening edges of the bag and stitch together.

Once you've stitched the two bag pieces together, you can turn it out through the gap you left in the side of your inner bag. Hand stitch the opening closed once you've turned you bag right sides out!

Iron the top opening of your bag so that the seam lays flat. 

Then top stitch around the edge. Also run two more rows of stitching around the top of your bag on either side of the two rectangles where you will thread the handles through - this will make the casing for your handles.

Using a large safety pin, thread your straps through the casing all the way around the bag one through and out each side opening. Tie the ends of each strap together.

Now your bag is finished and ready to be filled up with wool and crochet hooks!

My daughter likes her new crochet bag so much - and all the varieties and colours of wool I filled it with! I can't wait to see what she makes with it all this year!

For the free downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

If you enjoyed this tutorial - I have over 100 free sewing tutorials for all levels and abilities of sewing.

Do take a look here!

Jill