Category Archives: Craft

Yoga Mat Bag

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I’ve recently taken up yoga again and decided it was about time I made a bag to carry my mat in.  After scouring the web for ideas I came across a blog by Sewaholic which I thought was a great tute with step by step photos and clear instructions.

So I used some fabric from my stash and the bag went together easily.  However, I did make a few changes:

  • I cut the body 30″ x 19″, increasing the width by 1″ after reading that some people had trouble fitting the bottom circle to the tube.
  • I wanted to give the pocket a bit more body, so I cut mine at 12″ x 6″.  Fold in half RST and stitch along both side seams.  Turn to right side, press and proceed to add velcro as per instructions.
  • For the strap, fold the fabric in half lengthwise, press.  Open up the fabric and fold each long edge to meet in the middle.  Press.  Fold lengthwise enclosing raw edges.  Pin and edge stitch along both long sides.  I always make straps this way for a sturdy, neat finish.
  • I wanted to strengthen the bottom of the bag, so I cut a second 7″ circle from lining fabric.  Place one circle on top of the other WST and sew a line of basting stitches around the edge just outside the seam allowance.  Proceed to pin this end piece to the bottom edge of the tube, easing any fullness by pulling up the basting thread.

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I am pleased with how my bag turned out, with my happy fabric purchased in Fiji – and best of all, it was put together without having to insert a long zipper!

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Work in progress-Moving On

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After much stitching, unpicking, pressing and re stitching, I have at last turned my strips of triangles into a Thousand Pyramid quilt, a very old design.  Some of the points are not lined up perfectly, but I am pretty happy overall.

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Now I am looking forward to going to the annual Quilt and Craft Show on Wednesday, when I intend to buy myself a mini steam iron to press all seams, and believe me, there are a lot!

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Next thing to think about is a border……

Quick Stitches

Cross stich Owl

Owl’s Teacup

Cross stitch flower (2)Cross stitch flower

 

Here are some little cross stitches that I have finished recently.  They were free kits with a couple of craft orders.

You would think that, being small, they would be great little projects for beginners to try.  But the owl had quarter stitches, half stitches and French knots while the flowers were stitched with one strand over 18-count!

Cross stitch Owl card

I made up the owl into a quick little card so that I could write a note to a friend.  As for the flowers, they are small enough to fray the edges and mount as patches on the front of greeting cards.  Or maybe use them on a scrapbook page.  Any other ideas?

 

WIP No 2

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My favourite lap stand hoop

I am so happy!  Now I can finish this WIP.  It’s been packed away for ages;  I lost the graph and just found it yesterday.  So now I can make a start on all the back stitching.

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Looking a little bit creased and rumpled from being packed away for so long, but it’ll all come out in the wash – literally!  When it’s finished I’ll swish it through some warm water and gentle shampoo, rinse, roll it in a towel to squeeze out the water and then iron dry face down on a fluffy towel.

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Cross stitching accessories

These are my necessities for cross stitching bar the needle.  Scissors, floss, needle threader and two items which may be unfamiliar.  The little dark blue plastic box contains a sponge.  I run the thread through the damp sponge to keep it flat so it doesn’t twist as I embroider.  Does anyone else do this?  Also my pink floss card winder.  Each card can hold one full skein of floss.

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Plastic boxes for holding embroidery floss cards

I have been reading some cross stitching blogs and it is interesting to see how different people store their supplies.  This is pretty much my whole collection of DMC thread, which doesn’t take up much room at all.    In addition, I have a box of unused skeins of DMC floss plus two containers of other brands, so it all easily fits into one drawer.

When I’m done stitching, I roll my cross stitch in a towel and store in a clear plastic tote; everything else fits into my little case in the top photo.

WIP No 1

Half Square Triangles

WIP – what is that?  Work in progress, to the uninitiated!

Crafters knows that term well as a way to justify all those half finished projects that tend to accumulate.

This is one of mine and what you see are half square triangles in random colours that I am sewing into strips.  Eventually, they will turn into a quilt.  Just not sure what it will look like yet!