tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58364448310428541722024-03-12T23:07:22.788+00:00The Mermaid's PurseMermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-46844302635833357152013-11-14T11:47:00.000+00:002013-11-14T11:47:20.384+00:00Christmas Shoebox Time<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child 2013 have now been dropped off so will soon be on their way to bring a little joy to a child in another land. It's quite amazing what we can achieve with very little money by looking for bargains all year and making some nice things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some boxes we've completed this year: </span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Girl 5-9. The most expensive thing in this box is the plasticine which was still less than £1. I always feel guilty making boxes for this age group as they receive far more than any other but we've had some things a while which didn't really fit into the older or younger categories so 5-9 girl it is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A jigsaw puzzle (made up and laid on the bottom of the box in 2 sections with a cut out of the picture for maximum use of space), plain paper, A5 hardback notebook, A5 colouring book, A5 dot to dot book, mini colouring book with stickers, more stickers, fairy wings craft kit (removed from box with instructions cut out), plasticine, pencils, colouring pencils, crayons, sharpener, eraser, novelty dog eraser, alphabet and number stencil, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, comb, 3 cards of hair accessories, pony bead bracelet kit, min baby born doll, skipping rope, barbie with knitted outfit, spare knitted outfit for Barbie, knitted hat, knitted puppet and a home sewn pencil case. This box is 33cm x 15cm, a little longer than the recommended 30cm but not as wide with just a little space left for some sweets:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another girl 5-9. I made a ladybird purse (holding some hair bits) and pencil case for a little bit of continuation with the ladybird pencil topper, stitched some hair scrunchies and knitted the hat and barbie outfits:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boy 2-4 with a little fish print lined drawstring bag to hold the puzzle (currently flat in the bottom of the box) or crayons or even the small toys or toiletries:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another boy 2-4. This box is larger than the previous one but they both contain a similar number of items just on a smaller scale:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Girl 2-4. The doll was £3 in a 70% off sale, much more than we'd normally spend on a single item but irresistable at that price and compensated with a number of handmade things. Knitted hat and mittens, a set of knitted dolls clothes, knitted puppet, stitched lined drawstring bag and hair scrunchies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making little fun things and browsing for bargains all year that we'd otherwise have no use for gives us immense pleasure knowing that they'll bring a little joy elsewhere in the world.</span><br />
<br />Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-69411017001531954152013-09-04T00:44:00.000+01:002013-09-04T00:44:52.266+01:00Christmas Shoeboxes<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is probably one of our favourite shoeboxes and for a boy 10-14</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For this box I made the Dennis the Menace hand puppet, matching hat, Desparate Dan pencil case, beaded bracelet and a small lined drawstring pouch to store the marbles in. The majority of the items in the box have been bought at reduced prices as and when we've seen them ......... the Chelsea FC bag was free with items purchased from the megastore, football stickers free with the newspaper and the small magnifying glass from a Christmas cracker! Hidden is also a bar of soap, compass set, notebook and sheets of plain paper.</span><br />
<br />Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-33822321778777240242013-06-10T11:22:00.002+01:002013-06-10T11:23:24.057+01:00Shirts <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So many ups and downs this year but the latest project has been fun! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Can you make me a sh*t shirt mum?" "Well actually you can make us all one if you want for our boys weekend". Here's a few of them:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">McCalls 8409</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">McCalls 7720</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">McCalls 7720</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">McCalls 7720</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hardly do any dressmaking but the eyes aren't so good for embroidery these days so I may be doing a bit more .............. I'm rather pleased with these :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've used McCalls 8409 before ............ it comes up big, very big! However, the collar sizes are pretty normal for the pattern size ................. small is a 15" collar but the chest measurement of the shirt is 49" .......... not exactly proportionate</span>!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Palmer Pletsch 7720 2 hour shirt is a much better fit for the smaller sizes though I'm not keen on the lack of front band. If I were to make more I might think about drafting one. I used the two piece collar. I couldn't envisage me ever finishing one of these in two hours but I do prefer a nice finish (French seams etc.).</span></div>
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Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-6853238421037173872013-02-23T02:13:00.000+00:002013-02-23T02:13:47.306+00:00Romany Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A mini quilt actually just big enough for a baby in a car seat or buggy inspired by the rich reds of an old painted vardo. Quite randomly patched from an assortment of "red" squares ......... a little darker and richer than showing on my screen here and I actually really like it! I can just envisage some small space in a wagon storing these small jewels of fabric until there were enough to create something useful yet beautiful ............ the meandering lines of the free motion quiting fit nicely too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is there really a distinction between excited and terrified? Local artists of any media have been invited to submit work for consideration for an exhibition later this year ............ I have expressed an interest! Haven't even got the form yet but the thought of a portfolio seems somewhat terrifying. I'm not sure that it should be but it is. I should know how to put some stuff together, perhaps 10 things but what? First I need to sort out or borrow a decent camera to get some better pics and sure once I get started it will start flowing together. Then there's preparing a design or two and I keep changing my mind about that. I did really want to do something more creative this year but didn't really have a reason until now and feel a bit lonesome and lost now I've said I will!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-67707522811420467832013-02-08T22:13:00.003+00:002013-02-08T22:18:39.183+00:00I Spy Quilt<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another I Spy quilt finished. Black isn't something I would normally choose for the border but it was hard finding something to work with this one ................</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't yet have enough different squares for another on but there's plenty of UFOs and other "must do things" to be getting on with. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The knitting bucket looks better with the handle shortened a bit .........</span> <br />
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.Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-61445117323407720012013-02-03T01:30:00.000+00:002013-02-03T01:44:37.607+00:00Yarn Stuff<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will be much easier to do a bit of knitting or crochet in those spare moments now I've made myself a bag ............. no more hunting out needles/hooks and carrier bags full of yarn I'll have it all to hand. The handle's too long (I was worried about getting "into" the bag if it was too short but it will be ok) so I'll be unpicking that and then this will be nice enough to leave out and I'll know for next time. The machine (Juki Exceed) was playing up a bit with wonky stitching until I remembered that I'd altered a dial by mistake (instead of a lever) when setting up for free motion the last time it was out so it's fine now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had this "Desparate Dan" fabric for a while (ebay bargain) without really knowing what to do with it so am pleased with the pencil case to go with the "Dennis the Menace" (or my interpretation of lol) puppet and other bits for a shoebox later on in the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a few more knitted puppets that I finished last year ........................</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thankyou </span>
<span dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/03475016895916334790" rel="nofollow">bois-fleurie</a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and</span> </span>
<span dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/05052647792272529960" rel="nofollow">Puppet Lady</a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for your lovely comments about the lampshade, I'm really looking forward to seeing them all soon. Bois-Fleurie I'm so sorry that I can't comment on your blog ........... every time I fill the box in it reverts back to an empty box. The painting's you've been doing are beautiful ......... such pretty colours!</span></span><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-33884833765943487462013-01-26T04:42:00.002+00:002013-01-26T04:42:42.088+00:00Crochet Lampshade<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Purl Queens (organiser of the display of poppies all the way down the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.421888494543976.96587.130976250301870&type=1">Road of Remembrance</a>) is co-ordinating the decoration of 60 lampshades to be hung from the trees as part of <a href="http://www.strangecargo.org.uk/news/2013/cheriton-artland-light-festival/">Cheriton Lights Festival</a> to be held over two nights next month. I asked for a lampshade. Duly collected the shape was a bit daunting but with just a little bit of thinking ..........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My forays into crochet are very few and far between but with plenty of different yarns I soon got to work. Exciting stuff!!</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Initially I thought about covering the shade with fabric but learnt (it was a learning curve having taken about two hours to work out how to double crochet over parts of the actual frame lol) how to crochet over the whole thing thus providing a background for the smaller elements:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm very much looking forward to seeing all the shades displayed!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-35635865215188641912012-10-16T17:11:00.001+01:002013-02-03T01:31:57.501+00:00Free Puppet Patterns<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By far the most viewed post on my blog is that for the Free <a href="http://mermaidspurse.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/glove-puppet-knitting-patterns-and.html">Puppet Knitting Pattern</a> links. The main purpose for my making of little hand puppets is for the OCC <a href="http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/">Christmas Shoebox</a> appeal but they were very popular at our recent charity event too. Here are a few more links to free patterns for puppets to knit, sew or crochet that I've bookmarked:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://wayback.archive.org/web/jsp/Interstitial.jsp?seconds=5&date=998138839000&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alphalink.com.au%2F%7Ewoodsy%2Ffreehandpuppet.htm&target=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20010818124719%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.alphalink.com.au%2F%7Ewoodsy%2Ffreehandpuppet.htm">Piglet Puppet</a> Knitting Pattern </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1neKN9zbopykF5TGzIQBx72ANrAr0g2NWdnmejoy5mg0r57cICzTk8uHDHduKdky1XYiTt2e1BeGGfgdCYKnUGofPURyDvBgblu94jw_6demicekJ1UOaedZdUSxANH0bQJsyh0_TjERH/s1600/puppet+people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1neKN9zbopykF5TGzIQBx72ANrAr0g2NWdnmejoy5mg0r57cICzTk8uHDHduKdky1XYiTt2e1BeGGfgdCYKnUGofPURyDvBgblu94jw_6demicekJ1UOaedZdUSxANH0bQJsyh0_TjERH/s1600/puppet+people.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.morehousefarm.com/Knitting/with/Leftover/Yarn/111213029/">People Puppets Knitting Pattern</a> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhnQjMkGfYA52h1xIiwNEImx9lYnezdbeFP3qDd7PSndZSo2H9K8mPu_YfgMcEk5lZUSZ8KO3YO9XDKhyphenhyphenLpi-RUKskw5JcYbN2oYBoAWANK24rbOXTTFf6F9tjlNwyzuj28yUv3gULCKi/s1600/sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhnQjMkGfYA52h1xIiwNEImx9lYnezdbeFP3qDd7PSndZSo2H9K8mPu_YfgMcEk5lZUSZ8KO3YO9XDKhyphenhyphenLpi-RUKskw5JcYbN2oYBoAWANK24rbOXTTFf6F9tjlNwyzuj28yUv3gULCKi/s320/sheep.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Sheep Puppets to Knit and Crochet. Click <a href="http://www.malabrigoyarn.com/patterns_free.php?p=3">here</a> and search for "puppet" in the free patterns</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLE_K4TRnbUzhCItPgmrtAU2NwvHik8OfQQ3FPMp53d6JRkDmVOdd8TGmewThquz383PyQSAYOS9gAxG6PuN8_IHez_YivLOxAg0mqcOkcWshrT0R8rTLQMhO38tertQpEBXKV3QwJkIO/s1600/puppet+crochet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLE_K4TRnbUzhCItPgmrtAU2NwvHik8OfQQ3FPMp53d6JRkDmVOdd8TGmewThquz383PyQSAYOS9gAxG6PuN8_IHez_YivLOxAg0mqcOkcWshrT0R8rTLQMhO38tertQpEBXKV3QwJkIO/s320/puppet+crochet.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://gosyo.co.jp/english/pattern/eHTML/ePDF/1101/3w/amikomo-7_Cleaning_Mitt.pdf">Crochet Frog, Pig and Bear Puppets</a> (pdf) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM00QK4dQzQRvytYuCiBWCy8vtZEhfZ8rmYzYkFUGfL0A1BZ5nyyrDOSK4IHUgiR00e64apDimNEqyX9BgugLJKTKIh4JR5Ua89YbXj0x0YYuscLi1vcLTo5qEGtkeGm_X1dIsSL1qG9Wx/s1600/puppetss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM00QK4dQzQRvytYuCiBWCy8vtZEhfZ8rmYzYkFUGfL0A1BZ5nyyrDOSK4IHUgiR00e64apDimNEqyX9BgugLJKTKIh4JR5Ua89YbXj0x0YYuscLi1vcLTo5qEGtkeGm_X1dIsSL1qG9Wx/s320/puppetss.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.redheart.com/files/patterns/pdf/LW2056.pdf">Cat and Bear Crochet Puppet</a> or Mittens (pdf)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRynqKO2ShuPz3WUZ8BgJytWsG03smHOw9TViSQbyqevL5FAtCe7_xkPre_gNchDZN-YFoWPTKd1Cnd0lldHO4WOmvGVDBRrCLYVcCileTMfcg77CluApkTObatgK3EfMCRcm8oaHUygo4/s1600/puppetwash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRynqKO2ShuPz3WUZ8BgJytWsG03smHOw9TViSQbyqevL5FAtCe7_xkPre_gNchDZN-YFoWPTKd1Cnd0lldHO4WOmvGVDBRrCLYVcCileTMfcg77CluApkTObatgK3EfMCRcm8oaHUygo4/s320/puppetwash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.sewing.org/html/washpuppet.html">Puppets or Wash Mittens Sewing Pattern </a>and Tutorial</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWTD5YOnlNEqG3_unbvG43C1y9w35P5r_BXYbU9ZxMwtjlMhekK94mJGXGCXT1JmtzL1eER03O5DoTpx8GvPNsgtxRM6AYC_8bkZ2M_qLnPP5TfoVwWvDkromJJLFd29GJAXhAk5DhfIh/s1600/puppets+sew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWTD5YOnlNEqG3_unbvG43C1y9w35P5r_BXYbU9ZxMwtjlMhekK94mJGXGCXT1JmtzL1eER03O5DoTpx8GvPNsgtxRM6AYC_8bkZ2M_qLnPP5TfoVwWvDkromJJLFd29GJAXhAk5DhfIh/s320/puppets+sew.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://jessicapeck.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/doorway-puppet-show-felt-hand-puppets.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Animal Puppet Sewing Patterns</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkQFUuTDQMVg-iAYygpEw-kegGHVLfb7vgKvZM6_XhxPTDUcKIjJQK6d8bAVoURgMyvjzrlM62eJBqmXVMyz190WmUeD9IyLm-sFwVs2JkIUdmgFHddeX0hJ7phyphenhyphenYzSRIf0hKIfcDE-m2/s1600/puppet+bugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkQFUuTDQMVg-iAYygpEw-kegGHVLfb7vgKvZM6_XhxPTDUcKIjJQK6d8bAVoURgMyvjzrlM62eJBqmXVMyz190WmUeD9IyLm-sFwVs2JkIUdmgFHddeX0hJ7phyphenhyphenYzSRIf0hKIfcDE-m2/s1600/puppet+bugs.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.joann.com/felt-hand-puppets/xprd181378/?_requestid=1279493"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bugs Puppet Sewing Patterns</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhew0zzx_pazYJ5kPIQycIkIa3QPCwyLMR6Zvg2jyy6IF_piKsCRYfBkcMFXwRgMXLNl6bkarCpfMa8bdQ8PfkZNvd1sEQ9ie-grkoCrB_fIcXY8I_kniyPnS1AoCc9DauekP2Q9cThpZLp/s1600/puppet+farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhew0zzx_pazYJ5kPIQycIkIa3QPCwyLMR6Zvg2jyy6IF_piKsCRYfBkcMFXwRgMXLNl6bkarCpfMa8bdQ8PfkZNvd1sEQ9ie-grkoCrB_fIcXY8I_kniyPnS1AoCc9DauekP2Q9cThpZLp/s320/puppet+farm.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://zitzmanfam.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/old-macdonald-puppet-tutorial-and.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Old MacDonald Farm Animal Puppet Sewing Patterns</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34LkXK7lOHbuRiJYhV2EdjQgcBqV9-ZZNfETLYuGuD_Svz8eTXewoXD4QVKutGaxvsl8tHH0LX32Qca87AKevJncEN1QCzQpcxdelf-yHfYgLRFABffH5J88nxAbYVbuLfsZdg4itVx9t/s1600/puppet+zoo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34LkXK7lOHbuRiJYhV2EdjQgcBqV9-ZZNfETLYuGuD_Svz8eTXewoXD4QVKutGaxvsl8tHH0LX32Qca87AKevJncEN1QCzQpcxdelf-yHfYgLRFABffH5J88nxAbYVbuLfsZdg4itVx9t/s320/puppet+zoo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://sculptedlight.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/felt-zoo-animal-puppets.html">Zoo Animal Puppet Sewing Patterns</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy these free pattern links as much as I have but do remember that puppets for shoeboxes sent from the UK should not contain any stuffing due to customs regulations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-34393577700061554482012-10-02T16:11:00.001+01:002012-10-02T18:31:36.763+01:00Novelty Doorstops!!!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A comprehensive list of what was likely to sell at our Macmillan Coffee Morning would have been helpful as I was relatively in the dark with this type of event. The morning has been and gone and I can report that the Novelty Doorstops very quickly sold out!!</span> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBH4wugs6e5uLRmhFhEte7lWGhUiuh2taaDXwltQ4enEMJJEOPmC1Gkqt8-BgYSknA0BiQyOxDx73umq9lPfv9xOPB4o20bJjhEpS-1u1SXHKfsmm0lRTkVoec2wzgG8OpWBfrqdf9gbn/s1600/cupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBH4wugs6e5uLRmhFhEte7lWGhUiuh2taaDXwltQ4enEMJJEOPmC1Gkqt8-BgYSknA0BiQyOxDx73umq9lPfv9xOPB4o20bJjhEpS-1u1SXHKfsmm0lRTkVoec2wzgG8OpWBfrqdf9gbn/s1600/cupcake.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cupcake Doorstop</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcNCODDPgaXaVJuRHKB2_QY_gFte5WLJ05KdaBbNEBllDGuGdKYbYrZoAG5lof-nwnjN6WDfl6QiPJcA6JXuBGtOpwHUuJCFA5_kWghC9T3qvI8QKdT3iu3R7QgetwdEm-hleUCJpPouS/s1600/SDC14215+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcNCODDPgaXaVJuRHKB2_QY_gFte5WLJ05KdaBbNEBllDGuGdKYbYrZoAG5lof-nwnjN6WDfl6QiPJcA6JXuBGtOpwHUuJCFA5_kWghC9T3qvI8QKdT3iu3R7QgetwdEm-hleUCJpPouS/s320/SDC14215+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Owl Doorstop</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used/adapted this <a href="http://theeternalthread.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/to-print-pattern-click-here.html">tutorial</a> for the owl and it worked really well. Several people were disappointed to miss out so they paid and I have to make those. The knitted hand puppets also sold out and the spectacle cases (some being purchased as phone cases) were popular too. We didn't sell any of the sets of 4 quilted coasters though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best of all, today we have banked £904.93 which far exceeded our expectations. Lots of hard work by a few people but totally worthwhile and it couldn't have been done without the donations, cake contributions and people who came to spend some money!!!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry that I still have trouble commenting on blogs. I have no idea what's causing it or what to do about it????</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<br />Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-55746546253387889312012-09-06T16:26:00.002+01:002012-09-06T16:32:40.020+01:00Sewing Pattern Review ........... Simplicity 2708 YoYo Toys <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-87163497135302120192012-08-21T00:53:00.000+01:002012-08-21T00:53:37.676+01:00Try Again .................<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next month, together with some of my husband's family, we're holding a coffee morning for Macmillan Cancer Care in conjunction with their "World's Biggest Coffee Morning" event. Some of the bits I've been making for the craft table:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfauphns-8LHvjsExaQDYEte_TiEVCnLACE9dUT1w6rGUgRDeFFCEM9wOP3aWPVOgr6fhXKT_-IxjmCqYraoegZkeBKNgwtiXFgfvd5cO9CT5KWJUOmhxfb12wV-8tGUT_MFwegHRan9VC/s1600/SDC14160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfauphns-8LHvjsExaQDYEte_TiEVCnLACE9dUT1w6rGUgRDeFFCEM9wOP3aWPVOgr6fhXKT_-IxjmCqYraoegZkeBKNgwtiXFgfvd5cO9CT5KWJUOmhxfb12wV-8tGUT_MFwegHRan9VC/s320/SDC14160.JPG" width="314" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuM3gTw7_aQILxPUDddjuDR-xyOeBl-0aNh04iUnNxBQsS5mhLF0seb40I1UAFP3LVur5K7SCMCSiYm4CR2jpMhAoZKf51YwsqElMbp9gF1eZYCzKiId1iN_i8Z-sqLzih5HP0-cZUeZj/s1600/SDC14179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuM3gTw7_aQILxPUDddjuDR-xyOeBl-0aNh04iUnNxBQsS5mhLF0seb40I1UAFP3LVur5K7SCMCSiYm4CR2jpMhAoZKf51YwsqElMbp9gF1eZYCzKiId1iN_i8Z-sqLzih5HP0-cZUeZj/s320/SDC14179.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsj9MzZYkUyIg3MOctez9zRpmWcczfxvOmXXMSqalDCLaLDy5eaiJZ1T56kYRaJp9mwktiSfSmxqLc0BCx1FnvFPQQgyWU5IW8fgCr5x60AdoEBNj1tPUSL4bRkKRgTo_SFUGNFDbteghd/s1600/SDC14175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsj9MzZYkUyIg3MOctez9zRpmWcczfxvOmXXMSqalDCLaLDy5eaiJZ1T56kYRaJp9mwktiSfSmxqLc0BCx1FnvFPQQgyWU5IW8fgCr5x60AdoEBNj1tPUSL4bRkKRgTo_SFUGNFDbteghd/s320/SDC14175.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm having lots of fun making small things with not too much outlay and can't wait to see what, if anything, will be popular on the day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am hoping that the blogging glitch that put me off has righted itself </span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-40144355415420260162012-03-29T22:55:00.001+01:002012-03-29T22:55:32.335+01:00A Plethora of Fabric Fish<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A couple of fish would look nice hanging from the cupboard. The tail was a bit narrow on the first practise one ............. easy to sort</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a hanging ornament I didn't really like the rounded bellies nor the closure point I'd decided on .............</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Different opening for stuffing and symmetrical is better (for me!) ...........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And some fatter ones too ........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No adornment! Less is sometimes more my husband says. Yes, I know but no decoration at all??????</span><br />
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<br />Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-46020753041177045652012-03-23T23:47:00.001+00:002012-03-23T23:47:30.931+00:00Patchwork blind no. 2<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I still have lots of blog stuff to catch up with but in the meantime I finally finished the pink and green patchwork window blind ............. it's up and I actually love it!!!!!!!</span><br />
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.Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-54408377922530156752012-03-21T11:30:00.001+00:002012-03-21T11:30:49.147+00:00I Do Not Do Alterations <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's taken me about 6 months to shorten a couple of pairs of floaty chiffon trousers for my mum. They were horrid to work with and I'm still not sure they're short enough until I see her to try them on. More recently she produced this top with weird sleeves for me to cut up and use as I please.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Instead, I've transformed it into something wearable with a simple alteration. I cut it straight down the grain from the armhole seam and across the grain for the sleeve hem. It was horrid to sew but I managed a pretty neat job on the outside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One doesn't need to be a genius to realise that many more of this particular top would sell (to ladies of a certain age) with the plain short sleeves and they'd be cheaper to produce with a lot less fabric too. Fashion often prevails over commen sense but is this really "fashion"? In any case, perhaps my "show and tell" will encourage somebody somewhere to refashion/upcycle something that a simple alteration would make usable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I want to create creative things but there's lots of more mundane stuff that require doing and finishing right now. Before I settled on the bedding in the previous post, I ordered this <a href="http://www.lauraashley.com/bedlinen/on-the-sea-cotton-duvet-set/invt/ontheseasbl">nautical set</a> from Laura Ashley. It was absolute rubbish ......... really thin. Acceptable for quilting maybe but not a duvet cover. The co-ordinating gingham sheet was so thin I could envisage a foot going through it within a week! No problem (apart from the cost to send it back!) except that I purchased some matching (used but very good conditon) matching curtains. Ok, well I can get my money's worth out of them by cutting them up and using them for other things. This <a href="http://mermaidspurse.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/success.html">blind</a> needs finishing (is it really a whole year since the I pieced it together?).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was going to put the pic up again but can't save it from blogger to the laptop - something to do with Google Chrome (we use Firefox) and a script stopped working it says. Blogger just doesn't want to be my friend any more. I click on links to blogs either via google, my blog, from other blogs etc. and they flash up for a split second before reverting to a blank page. I can't comment on many blogs except, and that's only sometimes, to reply to somebody elses comment and then I can't get back to the comments to see what else has been written. Sometimes I even get the blog doesn't exist (or something to that effect) but then I can find it later ............. it is very frustrating and I really don't know how to get things back to normal ............. clearing cookies, ad and virus scans all good this end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Going back to the Laura Ashley stuff, I cut the blackout lining from the curtains yesterday (perfect for backing the blind), put it in the washing machine on a very gentle 45min wash ............... and the backing disintegrated into bits!!! The label did say "dryclean only" (and "made in China") but I've washed this kind of stuff plenty of times before so either it's very substandard or been affected by hanging in the sun but, saying that, I've had this kind of lining in south facing windows before and it's washed no problem. There's so many blobs everywhere it looks like it's been snowing beneath the washing line!!!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Am now going to see if any of it is salvageable before I cut up anything else ...........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not quite sure who won the cushion fight Diane, daughter thinks she did because a) she has two and b) her square one is much plumper! She is right about the plumpness - two cushion pads of the same size from Ikea and one is much plumper than the other ...... you can't tell when they're purchased rolled up tightly in bags ........ but the buttonholes are much nicer on the blue one now I know what I'm doing on the Juki or, more to the point, allowing the machine to do it rather than interfere because I didn't have faith that the machine would actually do it automatically so to speak lol!</span><br />
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. <br />Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-9697205066299401252012-03-20T12:27:00.001+00:002012-03-23T23:48:14.498+00:00Being Resourceful<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The bedding I was after is £45 for a single quilt cover and £13 per pillowcase so I was more than pleased when I managed to get a kingsize cover, double flat sheet and four pillowcases for the same price! I've reduced the cover to a single so combined with the fabric from the sheet there was plenty enough for another single cover using just over £3 worth of popper tape. Forgot to take pic of the 2nd cover but basically it's wide bands of varying depth using the three fabrics with the nautical stripe on the reverse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two sets of bedding (plus two extra pillowcases) for the price of one ........ I'm really very happy with that! There was plenty of fabric left for the two planned cushions though the bolster didn't happen. I don't do well with feather pillows (they make me wheezy) but I did buy a feather bolster pad a few years ago. Getting it out of the bag I brought it downstairs, placed it on the sofa and went to look on the laptop to see exactly how I'd done the last (foam) one. My eyes started watering so I rubbed them ........... they were instantly very gritty, puffy, swollen and even more watery and the whole of the whites were completely bright red. I hadn't done anything except touch that feather bolster so my husband threw it straight in the bin whilst I loaded the throws from the sofa into the washing machine. I know I'm allergic to dustmites ........ sneezing and a bit wheezy but this was another level! Fortunately I was fine after just a few hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The cushion that did get done ............</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The kids don't really say much about my stitching exploits. The very occasional "What's that for?" or "I don't want you to make me anything for Chrismas (sigh)" so the very best bit for me was when my husband said they were arguing ............. 20 and 25 and they're arguing over whose cushion(s) are best! YES, thankyou!!!!!!!!!</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With a hospital visit imminent I suddenly remembered yesterday that I hadn't made my husband the promised cover for his Kobo Touch. In a flash I thought it would be easier and quicker to find a <a href="http://happyintheinbetween.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/diy-kindle-cover.html">tutorial</a> on the net and amend the measurements to fit ............. wrong! Not reading it through before hand I found it rather long winded to follow, got to step no. 10 and the said points didn't match at all. Never mind, I worked it out and got there .........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like the back pocket for the lead .........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think that's enough with that fabric for now though more to catch up with soon ..........</span><br />
.Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-61630896860345985202012-02-09T21:32:00.000+00:002012-02-09T21:35:34.118+00:00YoYo Caterpillar<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attempting to dream up fabric "toys" without stuffing or "bits", Yoyos came to mind. It might have taken four attempts to get the right frill but I do now have something that I find acceptable! Sorry the tail's hidden but this is the best pic of a bad bunch tonight .......... I do honestly think it looks much nicer than it does here. No prizes for guessing the destination of this but I hope it's constructed in such a fashion in that it will be remembered and perhaps even replicated in part by somebody in years to come in the same way that I remember the YoYo clown sitting in a great aunt's spare bedroom when I was a child ........... the inspiration for my YoYo Caterpillar </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I can finally post the contents of my giveaway at the end of last year now <a href="http://linda-stokes.blogspot.com/">Linda</a> has received it (my fault it was so late) ......... some of my hand coloured stuff along with a couple of other loosely co-ordinating bits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blogger says try the new Blogger Interface .............. I don't suppose I can go back now!!!!!</span><br />
<br />Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-41361480646404467752012-02-06T13:35:00.002+00:002012-02-06T14:14:30.446+00:00More Free Stuff .........<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fabric Paper Dolls! I couldn't resist having a go at this <a href="http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/02/flat-emelie-and-matt.html">free pattern</a> substituting the fusible fleece with felt and Supermend bonding powder (<a href="http://www.supermend.co.uk/">it's non toxic and BSI approved</a>)</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It meant a bit more fiddling about but I really don't mind that and am rather pleased ..............</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I ran out of velcro so, sadly, she won't get a change of shoes but she does have several outfits. Mindful of her journey, I've stuck to 100% cotton fabrics but can you imagine being let loose with all manner of synthetics and frivolous bits? The hair and clothes, excepting dress, all fit within a 5" charm square so a great use for those and she won't take up much room in a shoebox!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thankfully no big dinner to cook tonight with enough of yesterday's vegetable stew and dumplings to keep us warm.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WnwAbH_sC69M3Pm45ucKr-f7MPCicbdq5VVKK4qr3qua_ekZx5p_Whf5JficHqxqjUqRPrIQW3Hbc7QkI35kwvP5hM9v0P-0EV8jkYJjZFtLXhTE_rrg-6Hzu0Pdl_78dQCxUgp4X0Yv/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WnwAbH_sC69M3Pm45ucKr-f7MPCicbdq5VVKK4qr3qua_ekZx5p_Whf5JficHqxqjUqRPrIQW3Hbc7QkI35kwvP5hM9v0P-0EV8jkYJjZFtLXhTE_rrg-6Hzu0Pdl_78dQCxUgp4X0Yv/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>.Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-58271516999838678702012-02-04T18:08:00.001+00:002012-02-04T22:36:05.165+00:00Pinterest and Stuff<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>, that totally compulsive, addictive, viral online pinboard ......... if you've never heard of it then don't look, it WILL take over your life! My husband often moaned that he couldn't find his few bookmarks amongst my hundreds (I do sort them out but it soon gets out of hand again) so I started transferring them onto Pinterest. It's wonderful to be able to see a pic to remind oneself rather than having to click on every link to find just the thing one's looking for and to be able to organise things via boards - heaven! One of my boards is ideas for Christmas Shoeboxes so I started seeking things out. A fabric alphabet I've just finished ...........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I used the template <a href="http://chezbeeperbebe.blogspot.com/2009/10/tutorial-how-to-make-plush-alphabet.html">here</a>. I'd make them a little bigger or do them a little differently another time to allow for easier cutting of the internal apertures but I do like the way they've turned out. All different fabrics with plenty of colours, spots, stripes, checks, flowers etc. for added play value, cut on the bias as much as possible to minimise fraying and a great way of using up all those little scraps - they're probably a little less than 2" high.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This week it's been just the weather for some warming winter soups ......... very cheap too! Root Vegetable soup = potato, carrot and onion (or leek or both) sweated down in a little butter for a few minutes. Add some stock, a few herbs and seasoning plus a teaspoon of sugar. Sometimes I'll omit the herbs and add spices instead (ground coriander/cumin/curry) or add some chopped fresh coriander at the end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Simmer in a lidded pan until the vegetables are soft ...............</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">then blend with a stick blender whilst still hot .................</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A head of celery had been in the fridge drawer since Christmas so that got used up too, sweated down with some potato, onion, an apple and a clove of garlic. I used half stock, half milk, salt and pepper. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The milk curdled it but it didn't look too bad blended and tasted wonderful. It was only me that ate it anyway ....... over a few days!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-47397877991627686302012-01-28T10:18:00.000+00:002012-01-28T10:18:18.238+00:00More Cooking than Stitching<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've kinda lost my way a bit this week with the stitching. First off I removed the paper from the back of the patched sleeves and noticed a lot of the bottom stitching was quite loose ..........a huge disappointment with myself for not checking earlier! Thankfully it was only a top tension issue and tightening it up a notch seems to be ok. I just need to get on with it! The elephant is stuffed though ................</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cheese and bacon whirls (of which I ate far too many) ..............</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Basically a cheese scone mix (salt, white pepper and mustard powder for plenty of flavour) mixed with egg and milk and with more cheese and minced lean unsmoked bacon laid on top before being rolled up and cut into slices. A great use for Sainsbury's cooking bacon (£1.09 for 660g) as is the Bacon and Onion suet pudding we had for dinner last night. I was going to take a pic this morning but the remaining portion in the fridge has gone! For a cheap and easy dinner if anybody is interested .......</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bacon and Onion Suet Pudding</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">250g SR flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">125g Suet</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pepper, mustard powder and a little salt for seasoning</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">225g lean unsmoked bacon (rashers, chopped or minced)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 large onion chopped</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mix all dry ingredients together with water for a manageable dough and roll out on a floured surface to about (guessing here) 9" x 12". Place bacon and onion on top and, starting from the short end, roll up like a swiss roll. Parcel in foil and, making sure any joins in the foil are on top, place into pan and steam for 2.5hrs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We had apple shortcake this week too, here's one I made earlier:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I can't remember which recipe I used for the one in the photo but this week it was from Nigel Slater's "Kitchen Diaries" .............. just as he says except I don't caramelise the Bramleys too much as I prefer the crisp clean look of the apple and cooked for a little longer (more like 1hr rather than 40 minutes but that could be my oven and the fact I placed the baking tin on a tray) to prevent a soggy middle ............ the apples keep it moist anyway. Oh, and I've ate far too much of that as well!</span><br />
.Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-72600118991478281502012-01-22T00:34:00.000+00:002012-01-22T00:34:33.495+00:00Sorting Out<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today was a tidy up day. At the back, fabrics for the jacket and some small pieces that will fit in somewhere ........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bottom left a small pile from which I should be able to do something ...............</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He needs ears attaching, stuffing (when I remember where it is) and some adornment before he's off to a new home (more about that later). The pile of fragments left (I can't really call them scraps) will go in the bag with kilos of other fragments to make pictures when I've no fabric left to do anything else if we get any more energy bills like the one we've been hit with today!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The jacket fabric pile looked very depleted with the two fronts and back still to go so I had a hunt for some bits that I could overdye turquoise ......... </span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some worked better than others but at least I have some more to choose from which should keep me going for a bit ........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the cupboard was a bottle of salt solution (labelled), one empty bottle and one nearly full bottle of another solution. Was it Urea or Soda? No idea, so I made up another bottle of Soda. What was the point of putting the unlabelled bottle back in the cupboard then?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Angela, the free bag tutorials I've just found by googling for free bag tutorials or searching for free sewing patterns in general just to see if there's anything that I may like to make at some stage. If and when is another matter lol!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. </span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-84222491016147674982012-01-20T23:11:00.001+00:002012-01-20T23:14:50.106+00:00"Hidden Lives"<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's the name of the patchwork jacket ............ . The last two days have been busy. I've drawn out all the pattern pieces to size on the foundation paper and finished piecing another sleeve.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGHwgZQsj92Fv41kAIMmfYhwKPw2doPZKCaPO3kMNGijlWJXHocb2zWmyTfYmRX3p908aKq36ObWWUM3qYJP4IJKQXcV4uS9eMiSUmq2alh3Cn5tzehUIGq2vntEwkMzntP8nLshk79yc/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGHwgZQsj92Fv41kAIMmfYhwKPw2doPZKCaPO3kMNGijlWJXHocb2zWmyTfYmRX3p908aKq36ObWWUM3qYJP4IJKQXcV4uS9eMiSUmq2alh3Cn5tzehUIGq2vntEwkMzntP8nLshk79yc/s320/002.JPG" width="220" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I worked out what was wrong with the baking parchment on the machine ............. nothing! Having switched to greaseproof, was stitching strips together to make pieces large enough for the pattern and had the same problem ........... it was the sheer volume of the stuff causing drag or rather my failing to support it properly to the front, rear and/or side. It's not ideal working on a round table in the kitchen but it will have to do until it's a bit warmer and I can retreat to the conservatory ............ well until it gets too hot in the summer!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the 1st of January, I said that the bathroom blind was priority .......... I did start drawing some of the blocks onto paper! I have 2 more blinds to finish and another to make. There are three seascape bits that could do with being put to bed and a quilt that needs making up. I quite fancied having a go at the <a href="http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/p/free-motion-quilt-challenge.html">Free Motion Quilting challenge</a> but am being sensible about putting too much pressure on myself. Then I find the <a href="http://liz-moments.blogspot.com/2012/01/sewingroom-sewalong.html">Sewing Room</a> sewalong with a relatively easily achievable project each month. January's is a sofa/armchair sewing caddy and I could really do with one of those (mustn't forget the one my husband has asked for to house his remotes though). It's just as well blogger wouldn't let me comment!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-85293111497253579472012-01-19T23:01:00.004+00:002012-01-20T14:12:49.441+00:0025 Free Bag Tutorials<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm always cluttering up the "bookmarks" with stuff that "might come in handy" or that I "might" want to look at again when I've got more time. There's hundreds of free bag patterns and tutorials on the web but here's some of the ones I've bookmarked:</span> </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqhmUiXICwZBI998nem6ue9sUzKBdx8sCuAu0ftQPuyy1RE4klJlIdbGuKLD-HDv5kP2hY8VkEc0PoqTN4b_YybV0l_KOIH5O1BIN3C_WhKzX91g-cL-5TozxDXq5HZgkR4q5vMYG5fUG/s1600/bag+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqhmUiXICwZBI998nem6ue9sUzKBdx8sCuAu0ftQPuyy1RE4klJlIdbGuKLD-HDv5kP2hY8VkEc0PoqTN4b_YybV0l_KOIH5O1BIN3C_WhKzX91g-cL-5TozxDXq5HZgkR4q5vMYG5fUG/s200/bag+1.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><a href="http://awednesdayafternoon.blogspot.com/2009/06/owl-gift-plus-links-for-other-owl.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Owl Bag</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLK3kF2bXOL0dKgfTY36fSfs01Mcp9sxlf680A67vuPBM5AYLjnp8AWF7tqQi6OdNT_rsZHKvuTGdVABN0mJcbFcAHwmoS1abNz7tqajPpHhe4tjUWB6nxAlZihMb8ddj0RI7X_DLo74cJ/s1600/bag+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLK3kF2bXOL0dKgfTY36fSfs01Mcp9sxlf680A67vuPBM5AYLjnp8AWF7tqQi6OdNT_rsZHKvuTGdVABN0mJcbFcAHwmoS1abNz7tqajPpHhe4tjUWB6nxAlZihMb8ddj0RI7X_DLo74cJ/s200/bag+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Collapsible-Bucket/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Collapsible Bucket</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMdEDG8CY2jKJoeLChOxc7hk1MTn9sSTW-MeR24rt3suMocB8no7mhrQj9Dn8v83-_yuCTIn-srmwd4vK8YumBncC8usEz-Qu6Nj2_3-nyX6cMKZw7HHcy6lsWc8tcXbDqSMrI1HK50Sj/s1600/bag+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMdEDG8CY2jKJoeLChOxc7hk1MTn9sSTW-MeR24rt3suMocB8no7mhrQj9Dn8v83-_yuCTIn-srmwd4vK8YumBncC8usEz-Qu6Nj2_3-nyX6cMKZw7HHcy6lsWc8tcXbDqSMrI1HK50Sj/s200/bag+3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2010/08/back-to-school-pencil-case/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pencil Case</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfCXstbg5O7KpMha4BUqtrCu8UkR6QgUXdQxPhXJvIzV9PDvS_EbnT8uyJroqwvbDiX7oHmqTO-QYJnaFB3rXAJHPZybXzBBN_rRpqJt1JRqH5aoZ_UDqoSmitkxp9nYYBrzaN1OPR4UT/s1600/bag+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfCXstbg5O7KpMha4BUqtrCu8UkR6QgUXdQxPhXJvIzV9PDvS_EbnT8uyJroqwvbDiX7oHmqTO-QYJnaFB3rXAJHPZybXzBBN_rRpqJt1JRqH5aoZ_UDqoSmitkxp9nYYBrzaN1OPR4UT/s200/bag+4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://indietutes.blogspot.com/2009/10/toddler-backpack-pattern.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Toddler Backpack</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(the pic is my version) </span> <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZYwddgvdBrY_1gqfXfH7gLiUJCpfextfYyVNI7cRkDvHQo5hO_UOsEbWu6WwMHE70P6DKh6yfkKBGGdsfWuuypXfxB2f4iur5hI0NU7rk1dQ_2vP7_XfKdURy_8yRa6lX-rcuMupnkUX/s1600/bag+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZYwddgvdBrY_1gqfXfH7gLiUJCpfextfYyVNI7cRkDvHQo5hO_UOsEbWu6WwMHE70P6DKh6yfkKBGGdsfWuuypXfxB2f4iur5hI0NU7rk1dQ_2vP7_XfKdURy_8yRa6lX-rcuMupnkUX/s200/bag+5.jpg" width="146" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ottobredesign.com/fi/kaavat/pdf/purse_EN_5-07.pdf">Dotted Dream</a> (pdf)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6cgAPVDE7Is0FjB5VJsWkLcDgRA3o9jv_ucG_F-C04RtecepPjWCZ8rc9Z2O3PoGoJvCWq-rg00nPbVFWYIGEoCyxz8tzSqCfyRl5b1yEHWhSAO9kG9F636uaGW88t_hOlRkXy6qOmJ_/s1600/bag+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6cgAPVDE7Is0FjB5VJsWkLcDgRA3o9jv_ucG_F-C04RtecepPjWCZ8rc9Z2O3PoGoJvCWq-rg00nPbVFWYIGEoCyxz8tzSqCfyRl5b1yEHWhSAO9kG9F636uaGW88t_hOlRkXy6qOmJ_/s200/bag+6.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ottobredesign.com/fi/kaavat/pdf/bird_bag_EN.pdf"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bird Purse</span></a> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(pdf)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLicY6ZxzvLGv4rRs6m6jsa3-GelZyhS7acFd5k_Ge9ED9uiEgYXUGl52_VLngFc0QrvKRkwsOVAsa-Fu3IGOtjsKBnwHxof77KR3naXj0S1z4B_UwZlyDXx0_YG6gp_Hp3EmrhEbFdYi/s1600/bag+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLicY6ZxzvLGv4rRs6m6jsa3-GelZyhS7acFd5k_Ge9ED9uiEgYXUGl52_VLngFc0QrvKRkwsOVAsa-Fu3IGOtjsKBnwHxof77KR3naXj0S1z4B_UwZlyDXx0_YG6gp_Hp3EmrhEbFdYi/s200/bag+7.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2009/12/elizabeths-fabric-focus-simple-party-clutch/">Party Clutch</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVMB3onIHuAAG0Mll38KdDkJc0dpdKkAzXcpj4z7ZNGbTCWWfLdJvWQ99_8wrwSx75jMIIY1kausLrpqR6Fs1kSiILgdmHsMmE8hleFBBvrXkPLn8omauHtnR9DW4_MhAD5tda6LYvfit/s1600/bag+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVMB3onIHuAAG0Mll38KdDkJc0dpdKkAzXcpj4z7ZNGbTCWWfLdJvWQ99_8wrwSx75jMIIY1kausLrpqR6Fs1kSiILgdmHsMmE8hleFBBvrXkPLn8omauHtnR9DW4_MhAD5tda6LYvfit/s200/bag+8.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.sewtogether.com.au/1/post/2011/03/a-tutorial-how-to-draft-a-pattern-and-make-a-zippered-purse-with-a-flat-bottom.html">Flat Bottomed Purse</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBThzzMdfgM4-xM-EXdbnmCHzeyciTTHkhz3zN_ZpUdFXpfH7MR51rdmihXy4UxOsVPncc3a_WYFNXjtwxcCOBzpI-G3ro3xkUlSM2E34lADtBt7QaAhd_TpoaRw8E-0cuZnzcO1LXSsD/s1600/bag+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBThzzMdfgM4-xM-EXdbnmCHzeyciTTHkhz3zN_ZpUdFXpfH7MR51rdmihXy4UxOsVPncc3a_WYFNXjtwxcCOBzpI-G3ro3xkUlSM2E34lADtBt7QaAhd_TpoaRw8E-0cuZnzcO1LXSsD/s1600/bag+9.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.oakshottfabrics.com/Free-Patterns.aspx"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Komebukuro Bag</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiDQdrCK8YUcmFDVyhHTf7fLmPv3Gh-WaOhpR4Phgdmi0mXa3-MGXBypnqYD3Pb-B-8ZzPyANnnsh5Ju4pPkAJjJk00b2RMxRug6i86T0bNB58J0BOFvBN40KNd_XZ5wbL2wqCjcuea1V/s1600/bag+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiDQdrCK8YUcmFDVyhHTf7fLmPv3Gh-WaOhpR4Phgdmi0mXa3-MGXBypnqYD3Pb-B-8ZzPyANnnsh5Ju4pPkAJjJk00b2RMxRug6i86T0bNB58J0BOFvBN40KNd_XZ5wbL2wqCjcuea1V/s200/bag+10.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.juneatnoon.com/2009/08/make-it-on-monday-drawstring-backpack/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drawstring Backpack</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-QCsIm0rW6B3xyo5RFwOFz1qDt8adkCwg7RUUOlTe3wm47qjSJpNlPYTO-XeG52g8U0ns0gjyrkV4QHwQCAGAPnrAkw2w9waStogtjknMNQkIf_NlLNm2PTAtl41bLofvGvdjt1cn1Dn/s1600/bag+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-QCsIm0rW6B3xyo5RFwOFz1qDt8adkCwg7RUUOlTe3wm47qjSJpNlPYTO-XeG52g8U0ns0gjyrkV4QHwQCAGAPnrAkw2w9waStogtjknMNQkIf_NlLNm2PTAtl41bLofvGvdjt1cn1Dn/s200/bag+11.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.craftpassion.com/2010/04/bag-tutorial-shaggy-bag-with-lining.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Crochet Bag</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzhBp_82iFBMe5JuvAiwPcz5SlMBusTOgJD0quiZVX86o3jLR5sat-KJ3WDRclIkRKIbmN4z5XgNVmhX6Ee8U86k1OFU8S3fr4jbZd8H0LsDMT-rBcUsB-lxMV6VATSdeKLjrEcZ1xbF3/s1600/bag+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzhBp_82iFBMe5JuvAiwPcz5SlMBusTOgJD0quiZVX86o3jLR5sat-KJ3WDRclIkRKIbmN4z5XgNVmhX6Ee8U86k1OFU8S3fr4jbZd8H0LsDMT-rBcUsB-lxMV6VATSdeKLjrEcZ1xbF3/s200/bag+12.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.finecraftguild.com/bow-bag-free-sewing-pattern/#axzz1jwb5lh4A"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bow Bag</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy3PKodOoPzHsY5Qp0LzxgM72fjoUay5LTHIWMF9h-DTeUiGs_cHlwgrG_yOaWWXzkzTaUBDETmgUoWQtA1fjyQAxkIe8y1tWfc82ozAhKQF275lV6dYmkG822QteB678jqi63NYaJsTl/s1600/bag+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy3PKodOoPzHsY5Qp0LzxgM72fjoUay5LTHIWMF9h-DTeUiGs_cHlwgrG_yOaWWXzkzTaUBDETmgUoWQtA1fjyQAxkIe8y1tWfc82ozAhKQF275lV6dYmkG822QteB678jqi63NYaJsTl/s200/bag+13.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://luannkessi.blogspot.com/2009/12/quilted-zipper-bagtutorial.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Quilted Bag</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76zE5IbY2P5IVH_rukSz7F1AsdTngJasXf3-bW1VG9ZQByuml3qGaBw9QdZ9swCJGs59k6_hgtksg8-BlUJE1mV87oljLbGPGQJ5yUcxt6EDMUJPxK9ASwpLGVWyrBVyM7H1iTiUqOiuW/s1600/bag+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76zE5IbY2P5IVH_rukSz7F1AsdTngJasXf3-bW1VG9ZQByuml3qGaBw9QdZ9swCJGs59k6_hgtksg8-BlUJE1mV87oljLbGPGQJ5yUcxt6EDMUJPxK9ASwpLGVWyrBVyM7H1iTiUqOiuW/s200/bag+14.jpg" width="175" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.finecraftguild.com/diaper-bag-pattern/#axzz1jwb5lh4A"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Phoebe Bag</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUlC_k8RPdwrOdXkCOuhff2d9zNpNSq58HTdoeBxuln0loNt8xXM5VjYt86dslupkzxOqcn3ENiEDsQTSbJP8HzWqngNFKyO2W6MWFJp3g0gfqTCPvvAG8X6dxT6bsd_ZtPNrWs1AHanX/s1600/bag+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUlC_k8RPdwrOdXkCOuhff2d9zNpNSq58HTdoeBxuln0loNt8xXM5VjYt86dslupkzxOqcn3ENiEDsQTSbJP8HzWqngNFKyO2W6MWFJp3g0gfqTCPvvAG8X6dxT6bsd_ZtPNrWs1AHanX/s200/bag+15.jpg" width="174" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/projects-ideas/bags-pillows/trim-it-tote_2.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Trimmed Bag</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMvsR9UY5NFjUCXmmZ9qnix90Xx8ZHfvTC8NHojKPH-pyzSMnbExky3aFSeyxMuPmg7A9x0-DDxkcxxg5xNsZGLJsV96r6srmN_umQc_D9nDNfPRNbJCN044tWUiWplkyL9KNqcd0GHHF/s1600/bag+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMvsR9UY5NFjUCXmmZ9qnix90Xx8ZHfvTC8NHojKPH-pyzSMnbExky3aFSeyxMuPmg7A9x0-DDxkcxxg5xNsZGLJsV96r6srmN_umQc_D9nDNfPRNbJCN044tWUiWplkyL9KNqcd0GHHF/s200/bag+16.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sharimariecreations.com/page11.php"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shari Marie's Bag</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-pU8pGZ4m2-X0SNYX4OO91Jm9B60fG2-CJ_16RiGmBuaYoZluhIhtEOzNn-WkwoCModHRS5k042RzYLG4A_VVuTQB0Bh_rdsyBev_3sGtjlGRaP1586FxZV9nxLOAOhixMhZGEfqfGCS/s1600/bag+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-pU8pGZ4m2-X0SNYX4OO91Jm9B60fG2-CJ_16RiGmBuaYoZluhIhtEOzNn-WkwoCModHRS5k042RzYLG4A_VVuTQB0Bh_rdsyBev_3sGtjlGRaP1586FxZV9nxLOAOhixMhZGEfqfGCS/s200/bag+17.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thelongthread.com/?p=6217"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lunch Bag</span></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDGJcaSynX_WFFddnuZ4Xrg94s77KoXCTmDqC9k0DDgIe6Tjaq6cwGhF5YloCsv1DkYqk9hu_RE7uxE_ibMsvSNNylB09_pevAuA2ARUMV86oSodO990U_T9bGR06iD-1nm61NBvFLY0a/s1600/bag+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDGJcaSynX_WFFddnuZ4Xrg94s77KoXCTmDqC9k0DDgIe6Tjaq6cwGhF5YloCsv1DkYqk9hu_RE7uxE_ibMsvSNNylB09_pevAuA2ARUMV86oSodO990U_T9bGR06iD-1nm61NBvFLY0a/s200/bag+18.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.echonyc.com/%7Edreaming/handbag-tutorial/handbag-tutorial.html">Strippy Handbag</a> </span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCu0Q1XVsujr44VLw0TOHPa5juwGLfz5lhW1DY22FfrfqlHyjdN3pRsZF1d14w-2-jor0H7-xegMVGHihbj3vYssm0fi2ZmDk3VfLhHVWuEY2RSUPt_tkS5SSt3R36wVXmVxFejyrUgXma/s1600/bag+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCu0Q1XVsujr44VLw0TOHPa5juwGLfz5lhW1DY22FfrfqlHyjdN3pRsZF1d14w-2-jor0H7-xegMVGHihbj3vYssm0fi2ZmDk3VfLhHVWuEY2RSUPt_tkS5SSt3R36wVXmVxFejyrUgXma/s200/bag+19.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://u-handbag.typepad.com/uhandblog/2010/06/free-bag-purse-pattern-the-love-basket.html">Love Basket</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrEU57lx1-FYkfUy_itsUmkOZZJ3gOZAJmUxGLKGcosfAKikNFT6mQC1LB1PspctamWUYyYQZNRR6HDOl-m8LIlg0FcPYK_1NQbX4XIcWvejzb2CBu2qDzC3UaueAfo2pUNmqU8_pkrXv/s1600/bag+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrEU57lx1-FYkfUy_itsUmkOZZJ3gOZAJmUxGLKGcosfAKikNFT6mQC1LB1PspctamWUYyYQZNRR6HDOl-m8LIlg0FcPYK_1NQbX4XIcWvejzb2CBu2qDzC3UaueAfo2pUNmqU8_pkrXv/s200/bag+20.jpg" width="176" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/projectdetail.jsp?projectFlag=true&CATID=&fullPath=quilting+%2526+patchwork&PRODID=xprd509566&subCatName=quilting+&AID=10843226&PID=3872207&SID=skim1847X546955X2722d7c30a20f5ffec019922115a0e5b">Quilted Plate Bags</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfi0Fdon4Icv8Yt4v8amXMb2U51qpRa0akbXRHM23E4bGSPDSrR6dfmCk8hjQLeMhyXerTKEEH7L7TNtMFsaXD_CzXtLj_kjzKWBeSywci1_8yGjDCq3iEwQNnpXWU0pJLb8eIXMRuppr/s1600/bag+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfi0Fdon4Icv8Yt4v8amXMb2U51qpRa0akbXRHM23E4bGSPDSrR6dfmCk8hjQLeMhyXerTKEEH7L7TNtMFsaXD_CzXtLj_kjzKWBeSywci1_8yGjDCq3iEwQNnpXWU0pJLb8eIXMRuppr/s200/bag+1.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.needleandspatula.com/2011/01/quilted-wine-tote-sewing-tutorial.html">Wine Bottle Bag</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYngZlfz-SXupymG2CFz-lXgg7LAWvnO3rj6sQdPP_EFbw4l6YvjR_32RhnlyNbPK11tL7qblFHr6CQMdLb_TsdGb3c3XypjR64MwV7OqKvsBoZKxqMFZtkhJyNgQUGbZ2HwXMcx84tAk/s1600/bag+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYngZlfz-SXupymG2CFz-lXgg7LAWvnO3rj6sQdPP_EFbw4l6YvjR_32RhnlyNbPK11tL7qblFHr6CQMdLb_TsdGb3c3XypjR64MwV7OqKvsBoZKxqMFZtkhJyNgQUGbZ2HwXMcx84tAk/s200/bag+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://whipup.net/2008/06/28/free-bird-pouch-pattern/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bird Purse</span></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72TIbXSZpnFpnIM4Qv60ZhSQiWk1gH0iz8LuW4vKj17H1vFjQsyjtzoxmJiLzeWFwg-g0e6Gy33kNEqf3ygtQec0TjLB-E8MahXPSjQPx-vX5k1mYtN0UEMPUJ18mEudGevDWDVna6JcK/s1600/bag+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72TIbXSZpnFpnIM4Qv60ZhSQiWk1gH0iz8LuW4vKj17H1vFjQsyjtzoxmJiLzeWFwg-g0e6Gy33kNEqf3ygtQec0TjLB-E8MahXPSjQPx-vX5k1mYtN0UEMPUJ18mEudGevDWDVna6JcK/s200/bag+3.jpg" width="143" /></a></div><a href="http://www.a-ditchin-time-quilts.blogspot.com/2012/01/tutorial-for-my-car-trash-bags.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Car Caddy</span></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGPs3YEpRK-rtelX_hnXSUFDdhve-bUpfMqKhq5Yzz3acuhK0qGav4n7lvOmEgQ_zbqmVhnfGrVV2jAzSSi8IGukqiYsBr0GfSBwGE8UAE-qBuExQt2jboPD1ttmwVwT5Yzhs88DeyXtS/s1600/bag+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGPs3YEpRK-rtelX_hnXSUFDdhve-bUpfMqKhq5Yzz3acuhK0qGav4n7lvOmEgQ_zbqmVhnfGrVV2jAzSSi8IGukqiYsBr0GfSBwGE8UAE-qBuExQt2jboPD1ttmwVwT5Yzhs88DeyXtS/s200/bag+4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://duringquiettime.blogspot.com/2011/12/sew-what-rosy-wedge-bag.html"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cosmetic Bag</span></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl69bxlEE0YJNXzRZnPO1Hvly2UaNAfhSFP9eAfh7d2Ap2Sw9aO-RHpAGEiAtaZzbczlkq8QZOM2ji5Hf3ezG_slPBYt-cicg-MHeBgTIfn7ODOsj_4fk3EwJDm4gJfZ9su0iZ0YVKAxZU/s1600/bag+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl69bxlEE0YJNXzRZnPO1Hvly2UaNAfhSFP9eAfh7d2Ap2Sw9aO-RHpAGEiAtaZzbczlkq8QZOM2ji5Hf3ezG_slPBYt-cicg-MHeBgTIfn7ODOsj_4fk3EwJDm4gJfZ9su0iZ0YVKAxZU/s200/bag+5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://www.youcanmakethis.com/products/free/free-spring-fling-felt-purse-pattern.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Spring Felt Bag</span></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've only ever used one of them and that was for the toddler backpack! My husband quite fancies the "car caddy" and I shall make him one when I've thought up an alternative "lining".</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. </span></div></div>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-31578225558223165362012-01-18T23:49:00.001+00:002012-01-18T23:50:01.922+00:00The First Sleeve<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, stop thinking! Two days hard work and I have one patched sleeve excepting a couple of bits that need hand stitching down and with which I was rather pleased until I put a picture up ............. they show all the flaws! Perhaps the other side looks better but I'm too tired to go and look now. I wanted this to be very much "as it comes" though did remove one rogue patch early on - I've taken all the "blue" blues out of the mix. If I take out more then it'll be something else that stands out and we'll be going into contrived mode which is far removed from the original idea so I'm being brave .......... or stupid! I've just this minute realised that I might need to think about the positioning of fabrics where the sleeve meets the armhole. Not exactly stress free!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcI9hPuqPDTsSDvMcOUpbApDaGgOhcCL8nJ8Bb4t2pyxVHSEubffcBqCN4cpE7pgZunpCKms7phn5OVJ8eMd1nRzufrc-Lb7OGwzY5FWVI7bAlUIDm2p1HEFC_r1PB1mI9pTZ15TX8ly3/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcI9hPuqPDTsSDvMcOUpbApDaGgOhcCL8nJ8Bb4t2pyxVHSEubffcBqCN4cpE7pgZunpCKms7phn5OVJ8eMd1nRzufrc-Lb7OGwzY5FWVI7bAlUIDm2p1HEFC_r1PB1mI9pTZ15TX8ly3/s320/002.JPG" width="249" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've changed the pattern a bit. I'm using the width and the neckline for the Vogue one but the sleeves were rather fitted so I've changed them to a less fitted version with a wider shoulder. The sleeve is wider too and I've worked out, I think, that if I quilt as on the armchair caddy then I'll be ok shrinkwise.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXePzyp6ILrBzBuKyogiVxlp7hSTH7mGI5j75I1nlwpnp1CPcizYFfpzXG9p4-w_0JKMFBpCmyXFHa7UbR3fbPVrIhhQhPPvg3q4X5hrj0Iy8Ff7Z-lhHtP-xH7oNdeXNupKH96VQxveH/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXePzyp6ILrBzBuKyogiVxlp7hSTH7mGI5j75I1nlwpnp1CPcizYFfpzXG9p4-w_0JKMFBpCmyXFHa7UbR3fbPVrIhhQhPPvg3q4X5hrj0Iy8Ff7Z-lhHtP-xH7oNdeXNupKH96VQxveH/s320/003.JPG" width="253" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The overall starting width was 16.5" and I cut the patch pockets at 7" wide so looking at the picture I've probably lost a bit less than an inch! The safer option? I'm aiming at cutting before quilting now ........ we'll see!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Juki does not like the baking parchment foundation - it needs quite a bit of help! I'm beginning to wonder now if it was greaseproof paper that I used on the Bernina without problem ............. if it weren't for the automatic thread cutter I'd get it out ....... all those ends to push through isn't appealing right now not to mention all the extra thread used. I should have thought to get some greaseproof at the supermarket earlier today. I'm not supposed to be buying anything extra for this but think I will need to get some thread.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thankyou for all your comments ............ I do read (and listen)!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-91722657178113644602012-01-15T23:54:00.000+00:002012-01-15T23:54:47.073+00:00Starting "the" Jacket ............ tentatively<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Selecting the fabrics is the easy bit! There won't be enough of the batik to line the whole but that's ok, I quite like that different parts will be lined with different fabrics. The more mishmash this is the better. I have lots of different fabrics but I don't have a lot of many of them. There are a few half yard pieces that are new as is the batik (I would have purchased enough to line the whole jacket had there been enough) but much is scrappy bits left over from other stuff. This is what delights me the most, using up what I have and trying to make it all work together!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnaC_E2JX8YXM867n3l1pEKcCgg-_HvAqei1YqM3lJK7SvKTmQxDYW3w_EzLu3UbjScsSHQgr7NFBTpU7-9QUYnZJq08XDtwzR0jjaBe0aZfbeKAViO9Bfz69aDGC6oEoZqw1kgY8gY7B/s320/007.JPG" width="196" /></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not sure yet but it might need some further colours ..........</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLLrw-a8ok4Iof-AliawqRjJdY-FcMvM__eAfyoZwXIsA7jS0q1Bo6sUb-Ar5NIeSngM-JVFiVcWTU-xjuwBokKbxe28CS0wTMuBHhUtVmIib_fve_J3J9AvRq9e90lI9aRE3JWy6kbbT/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLLrw-a8ok4Iof-AliawqRjJdY-FcMvM__eAfyoZwXIsA7jS0q1Bo6sUb-Ar5NIeSngM-JVFiVcWTU-xjuwBokKbxe28CS0wTMuBHhUtVmIib_fve_J3J9AvRq9e90lI9aRE3JWy6kbbT/s200/004.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now for the uphill struggle! How many more days can I spend thinking about this before getting started? I can't think of a better alternative to paper piecing for now .............. a) I'd rather there wasn't anything between the main fabric and batting for smoother quilting and b) probably the less layers the better. The Pillsbury Doughboy I could be but let's try not to get to Michelin Man! The more I quilt it the less puffy and quilty looking it will be right? Well that's what I'm hoping!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The baking parchment isn't wide enough for the pattern pieces so I'll sew sheets of it together. It's quite strong yet does tear ok when needed ............. I don't want to be rustling like a packet of crisps walking along the road if I can't get it all out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Using Vogue 2915, I shall crazy quilt the pattern pieces onto paper (back, fronts and sleeves) extending the pattern a couple of inches all round to allow for shrinkage when quilting ........ except for the length of the sleeves which drown me already!. The random patches need to be upsized from that which I'd normally use ............. nothing smaller than 3" perhaps? That might actually be a challenge!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I plan to free motion quilt the top fabric onto the wadding and lining. Although I'm not actually there yet, this is where I'm stuck. I don't want the quilting to extend into the seam allowance so that I can stitch the side and sleeve seams through the top fabric and wadding only if that makes sense. It would leave less bulky seams plus I could neatly hand stitch the lining in place where applicable. Problem is, as the quilting is going to "shrink" the pattern piece, where is the seam line going to end up so I know where to stop the quilting? Oh and there's another thing, should I carry out any embellishment before or after the quilting? Maybe I should make a mini jacket first ............ and hope it doesn't put me off! Perhaps starting with a square ie. cushion size would be easier for measuring thus more helpful for sampling? I've had the pattern cut out for two days now but I seem to be making this all sound rather complicated .............. thought processes take time. Searching for answers one finds other stuff ............ pretty stuff that one can "pin" rather than clog up the laptop with so many bookmarks that other people can't find their stuff ................ getting addicted to "Pinterest" was not part of the plan and, I am quite sure, will not help stitch the jacket!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836444831042854172.post-29686854922813552032012-01-13T09:42:00.002+00:002012-01-13T18:20:50.783+00:00Thinking about "The Jacket"<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wearable art or wearing a quilt? There's a very fine line between the two and I've got to be careful not to cross over to the latter ............ particularly a crazy quilt!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I know what shape of jacket I'm going to do and I know the theme (think sea) but I'm still undecided about which technique to use to create the fabric. Foundation pieced crazy quilting? What to use for the foundation? Something light that is going to behave when freemotioned with the wadding (I'll be using Hobbs 80/20) and backing. It's got to behave in the washing machine so muslin is out! I have some cotton lining which is rather stiff so I could wash that to see how that comes up or perhaps piece onto paper ............ I'm sure I could get some help to remove it all!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Square and/or rectangular patches would be easier. No need for a foundation, much quicker to make up and less wastage of fabric! Hmmm ........... not reknowned for taking the easier option I really do need to think about this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've ordered a book hoping that there might be some useful hints and tips within. I couldn't find much about it on the web but it was cheap so not too much to lose if it's not helpful. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6U4DCCialR8h4rkP1zvO3KeO4MEatBGmLNRDdm0rmQjZp-x_tfzy4EWH6wDytR39f1O9cYUBle1VRvDxinOErxLRIZa5G6AWsBbQ2b4efWPEXERArn75AsDjBrJgdmC8zX72Rb_cfTYI/s1600/machine+quilted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6U4DCCialR8h4rkP1zvO3KeO4MEatBGmLNRDdm0rmQjZp-x_tfzy4EWH6wDytR39f1O9cYUBle1VRvDxinOErxLRIZa5G6AWsBbQ2b4efWPEXERArn75AsDjBrJgdmC8zX72Rb_cfTYI/s200/machine+quilted.jpg" width="153" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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Yesterday, as part of my birthday treat, we went to Goldhawk Road. It's not the sort of place where I'd want to hang out for any length of time but, for anybody that doesn't know, it is fabric shopping heaven! <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/maps?q=&layer=c&z=17&iwloc=A&sll=51.502540,-0.226348&cid=12490064593844887247&cbp=13,348.1,0.7,0,0&panoid=x0iZh9IuOP6ksR-ZKvdKzQ&q=a+one+fabrics+goldhawk+road&ei=v_MPT5CLLcSD8gPfy9DZAw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=streetview-image-link&cd=1&resnum=5&ved=0CAcQnwIoADAE">A One fabrics</a> (right next to the Shepherd's Bush market entrance) was the first stop. Much of their stuff is priced unlike some of the others nearby - I find it somewhat offputting when picking up a roll of fabric, being told it's £3.95 a metre then you can have it for £3.50 when you put it back. I'm sure you could haggle well in a few of these places if you're that way inclined though. Anyway, amongst the dressmaking cottons were some quilting fabrics, mostly Woodrow ............. who could resist at £3.50 a metre?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO49R1NCNuqtzd_O-E_VvgMbiG-axQPAu0MkxKAx64DGirROYFhTfT8m-XRuNp9D1hhHooWasnhXCiMyLzGkf9kIqt745U456bNO8uo9IOTxtXY5mxV96FeSTiUSt9MF66fJMCpjQJdk5o/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO49R1NCNuqtzd_O-E_VvgMbiG-axQPAu0MkxKAx64DGirROYFhTfT8m-XRuNp9D1hhHooWasnhXCiMyLzGkf9kIqt745U456bNO8uo9IOTxtXY5mxV96FeSTiUSt9MF66fJMCpjQJdk5o/s320/003.JPG" width="195" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Cooke's Pie and Mash shop next door is a treat for the husband (no bathroom there though) ............ photo from a previous visit</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMQYqg-cPbNoy0h1GsqOezvYyTZR5fgWw47qeF1clhszprWl6gZue_o-jYnPSUJxIR4A3PZjKJGZ3hS4Q2wtG8HI1-varcoHnAdQCGknuDdWNfe6TYEtmqRWRePUNRyzM9K0VKlscAbKe/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMQYqg-cPbNoy0h1GsqOezvYyTZR5fgWw47qeF1clhszprWl6gZue_o-jYnPSUJxIR4A3PZjKJGZ3hS4Q2wtG8HI1-varcoHnAdQCGknuDdWNfe6TYEtmqRWRePUNRyzM9K0VKlscAbKe/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A few doors along is Unique Fabrics where they had cotton solids for £3.95m ........ they would be £6.50 to nearly £10 at the shops nearest to me. I had all the bits I needed so didn't even venture into the shops over the road yesterday but I have been in all of them before! The small market is also worth a visit ........ chillis and other veg that's on the more expensive side in the supermarkets here are ridiculously cheap ......... it's worth taking a cool box just in case!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As an aside, has anybody used the V&A's <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/microsites/quilts/patchwork">Patchwork pattern maker</a> with any success? I need to find the "right" photo to have a play around and remember that it's not going to convert into an intricate cross stitch chart lol!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm off to do some tidying up, put the washing on and THEN I can start sorting out some fabrics for the jacket and hope the postman hurries up with my book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. </span>Mermaid's Pursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765513149862274679noreply@blogger.com2