Mini Pop-up Fabric Baskets

These baskets are so cute, useful and easy to make. 

The larger versions are great as thread catchers for 'travelling' sewing!  But the smaller versions I made are perfect for holding earrings in for safety.  My girls both recently had their ears pierced but have to take their earrings out when they play hockey on the turf a couple of times a week, so I thought they might like one each for that!

I made them using this YouTube video tutorial from AngiesBitsandPieces.  The video is about 12 minutes long and is very clear and easy to understand.  It's mostly made using hand-stitching, only one seam stitched by machine.  I also later found an earlier version of this tutorial in PDF form from Red Hen Fabrics if you prefer a printed and written version!

Here's some photos of mine being made!

The video tutorial I followed uses a section cut from a Pringles can for the top section of the thread catcher, and cardboard for the base.

For batting I used some scraps of fleece.  I love that this project uses all recycled materials and scraps of fabric!

Here's my first one cut out and ready to go!

There was a lot of hand stitching.

The cardboard bases with the batting are covered with fabric stitched like you would stitch a fabric yoyo. The outer fabric drawn up around the card.

These circles are stitched together to form the base of your basket.

Then the rectangle that is the main part of the basket is stitched into a tube using a sewing machine - the raw edges pressed over first, then the seam pressed open.

Next the ring cut from your Pringles can is pushed over this tube into the middle.

Then the tube is folded over the ring, enclosing the ring at the bottom.

The ring is then stitched into place using a simple running stitch.

Then you push the inside of the basket up through the ring and  hand stitch the base to it.

Last of all, you push the base back through the ring and hand stitch it to the other side of the main basket.

And that's your pop-up basket finished! Simply twist and push the base up into the ring to fold and seal!

I made another slightly larger basket using a ring from a drinking chocolate container we'd just finished!

The tiny baskets I made using the plastic rings from the top of plastic milk jugs, just under the lid.

Cardboard circles just smaller than the ring, and the rectangle of fabric 13 x 13 cm (5 x 5 ").

I really like these pop-up baskets.

My girls claimed these four, so I'll have to make more if I want any for myself!

Do you like them too?

Will you try making them?

You could use any firm kind of ring for the top of these baskets - an embroidery hoop, kid's plastic bracelet... the only limit is your imagination!

Super Simple Pumpkin Soup

One of my favourite things to have for lunch is soup, and this is the easiest soup to make there is I think!

Here's how to make yummy pumpkin soup! The amounts here are just rough - you can adjust them according to what you have available or whether you like thicker or thinner soup.

You will need:

Pumpkin (1kg), stock (1 litre), 1 onion, olive oil, plain flour (1 heaped tablespoon), cinnamon and nutmeg (1 tsp each).

Saute the onion in a little olive oil.

Then add the chopped pumpkin and stir fry for a few minutes.

Add the flour and spices and stir until all the pumpkin is coated.

Add the stock, stir and simmer, covered, for about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and blend until smooth.

Serve while hot.

 (season with salt and pepper to your personal taste)

See - super simple!

Do you have a favourite soup to make?

Single, Double, Half-Double and Triple Crochet - more learning

After my success last week feeling like I'd mastered Granny Squares, I wanted to keep learning and try something different this week.

I browsed through my Crochet Pinterest board - which is full of so many amazing things that I hopefully will one day be able to make!

First I tried this pattern to make a simple daisy (the yellow flower in the picture above). Then I tried a star using this pin (the link won't work but the pictures on the pin are pretty clear). Finally I tried a heart using this pattern.

I think they all turned out ok. I had to look up triple crochet and half-double crochet, but I understand them all now. They all seem to be basically the same basic 'stitch' but different number of times to yarn over and pull through a different number of loops depending on the length and size of finished 'stitch' you want.

So far the biggest problem I have is knowing where to put my hook into to start each stitch. If anyone has any hints or tips for learning this I'd much appreciate it!

5 Stunning Storage Solutions to Sew

Have you ever had problems storing particular items - maybe you have too many of them or you want to put them in an awkward place.  These are 5 solutions I've come up with over the years to storage problems I've had. Maybe they can help you too.

1. Magnetic Fridge Pockets 

If your fridge is anything like ours, there are endless small magnets holding up scraps of paper with notes on, vouchers, coupons etc.  To tidy up your fridge you can make these super simple and quick fabric pockets with a sewn in magnet. Perfect for slipping in all those coupons, notes, vouchers and even pens and pencils for writing more notes!

2. Hanging Hair Tie Holder from Jeans

I have 2 daughters who at an early age began to accumulate endless pretty clips, ties and bows to put in their hair. But where to keep them all?  Hang them up on the wall !  All you need is an old pair of kids' jeans, and some pretty pink fabric!

3. Cap Holder

 For some reason we have a LOT of caps in our house. To tidy them up and make them easy to find, I made this simple hanging cap holder with easy velcro straps.

4. Hanging Fabric In-Tray

Too much paper work for the space available? I created this hanging fabric in-tray from a wire coat hanger, cardboard and fabric so you can make use of the space under your shelves as well as on top of them!

5. Storage Jems

These are my favourite little storage solution - Little Jems. Made from sections of PVC piping and scraps of fur and other fabric, they are cute, cuddly and make great novelty desk tidies, jewellery holders or even drinks holders! They are also great gifts for kids who love to keep all their special trinkets in them!

Do you have any storage solutions? I'd love to hear from you and your ideas. Or perhaps you have a storage problem - maybe I can help you find a solution!

AND

I have over 100 more free sewing tutorials available here to share! 

Click here to see them all - there's something for everyone.

Mini Sundried Tomato and Fetta Dampers or Scones

In trying to find more lunch box snacks for my girls this year, I've started making these super simple 'Mini Dampers' which are a big hit.

Damper is a traditional Australian bread cooked on a camp fire with just basic ingredients. The very basic damper would be flour with butter rubbed in then mixed to a dough with water or milk and then baked in a large round. 

To me, this is basically a simple scone recipe like I grew up with in England - although we didn't cook scones on a fire and generally they were cut into smaller pieces rather than one large round.

So anyway, this recipe you could call a type of Damper or Scone.  It uses fetta cheese instead of butter and adds the extra flavour of sun-dried tomatoes, basil and onion.

Ingredients

2 cups Self Raising flour 

1 onion chopped and lightly fried

5 or 6 sundried tomatoes

1 cup fetta, crumbled

handful of basil leaves chopped

milk to mix (approx 1/2 cup)

Method

Preheat oven to 200C (400F)

Sieve the flour then add the onion, tomatoes, most of the fetta and the basil. Gradually add milk and mix until a soft dough is formed. 

Knead lightly on a floured surface.

Divide into 8 portions, shape into rounds and place on a baking tray.

Mark a grid - like a noughts and crosses (tic tac toe) grid on the top of each one and sprinkle with remaining fetta.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

These really are best enjoyed warm from the oven, but also keep a couple of days in an airtight container and make great lunch box snacks!

I like to cut mine open to eat!

Yum!

You could add really anything you like to these mini dampers - use butter instead of cheese, and substitute anything you like for the sundried tomato and basil - pumpkin, zucchini, other herbs, or even something sweet like sultanas or dates.

What kind of snacks do you put in your kids lunch boxes? I'd love some new suggestions and recipes to try with my kids!