My current WIPs

I've had a few projects on the go at once - none of which are finished, which is why the blog hasn't been updated in a while!!

The first one is that I managed to con Bren into helping me sort out the spare bedroom. It took a while - and we're still not finished - but it is now useable ... as my craft room =D So to celebrate, I started by making my owl cushions for the sofas.

 I made up a simple square pattern to cut the fabric. Then, I put the zip in at the bottom. To make the ribbon pleats at the sides I overlocked the ends of the ribbon to stop it from fraying, pinned the first end 15mm from the top and then made the pleats. I measured carefully - remembering what the Sewing Bee judges kept saying about making everything evenly spaced! - and measured to 10cm and then pleated back 5cm and pinned. After the pleats were done, I pinned them into the seam and then sewed the last 3 sides together from one side of the zip to the other.

 As you probably noticed, I've gone for a bit of a mix and match theme with the cream and blue! Unfortunately, I didn't have enough owl fabric to make a third cushion for the armchair so I'm using special fabric for that, but you'll have to tune in later for that!! I also need to finish making the last cream cushion (the overlocker's at my mum's!!)

Today, I went to BoJangles with my friend Rachel. For those of you who don't know BoJangles is a creative cafe where you can go to paint ceramic pots or do decopatch. Rachel and I both chose a ceramic piece today. For the best results, you have to paint over each area in 3 layers to build up the colour - looks really effective once it's been fired in the kiln. I must have been talking too much because while Rachel finished hers in the time limit I just about managed to get my 3 layers of green on! Still, we've booked another slot in a few weeks so I can go back and finish my dragon and so that Rachel can start another one!

I've also had the Stitch and Bitch Society tonight. Katie's finished her big zoo train piece and it looks amazing! Isla's making good progress with her "Dictionary of Technology" which has inspired Katie and I to work on our next "dictionaries" together - she's got Coffee and I've got Tea! Jenny's baby sampler for her unborn niece or nephew is lovely too! As for me, a few weeks ago I started the little girl collecting shells on the beach, but the fabric is too big to work on without a frame, and since I lent that to Katie I decided to wait. Tonight, I started on the Humphrey cross stitch that was part of my leaving present from Chesham Bois. Katie gave me my frame back tonight, but I think I'll finish Humphrey first and then go back to the shells.