In which I make a peg bag..

I had finished making a doorstop the other day and my sewing hunger had just not been sated, when I glanced up at the rattiest, oldest, most threadbare peg bag you have ever seen. Inspiration had struck. I knocked up a new peg bag which now hangs on the door and looks very at home in our kitchen. 

I used the remains of the oilcloth that I used for my doorstops. Now this fabric is fast becoming my least favourite ever. I love how it looks when it's finished, but it's hideously difficult to work with you. I sewed the strap inside out, which in theory makes the most sense, but this fabric sticks to itself like billy-o. This resulted in me, wait for it, pouring olive oil through the top to coat the whole handle to make it easier to turn it the right way round. This was messy. I don't know if it notices in the picture, but the strap is a very slightly different colour than the rest of the bag; olive oil stains. Who knew? So next time, I'm going to concoct some way of sewing the handle the right way round. 

I'm usually too impatient to handsew, but I handstitched the lining to the top of the bag (the visible bit) and I am SO happy with how it turned out, it looks very neat. Neater than I thought I was capable of. 

Making this was the most impromptu and fun piece of sewing, it really reminded me why I love making things. 

My mum said I should make one for my Grandma for Christmas... Does anyone else think that a peg bag is a bit of an insulting gift? I think maybe it could be just a little extra..

A bits and bobs sort of post...

This post is LONG overdue. Around this time last year, my beautiful housemate taught me how to knit. And then ensued the longest battle ever to not enter into a knitting coma for the duration of my degree. I exercised huge amounts of self control. Shortly after my inaugural knit, I took on the task of knitting a jumper. Which took me approximately nine months to complete. I lost interest in it round about February, when everything at uni just went mental and I only managed to finish it this summer! It really is rustic. There are holes ALL over it, and the seams are all on the wrong sides, it's actually awful. But I LOVE it, it's so warm and cosy and a lovely festive dark red. 

Usually I'm at least a little bit proud of anything I post on this blog, but the jumper? Not so much. But, if I didn't post it then I would be presenting a false image! That's the whole point of this blog, to catalogue my crafting explorations, whether the result be relatively pleasing or truly awful. I think my jumpy is somewhere in between. I'm not sure if this is something that we have invented or not, but my boyfriend and I call very woolly jumpers 'jumpys'. I have no idea why. So this my jumpy. 

 Please excuse my messy bedroom...

In conclusion, RE the jumper - I love it. But I will probably never ever ever knit a jumper again. Secondly, just a quick photo of my Twit-Knit club Project #1. It was supposed to be a blanket, but I ran out of the wool I was using and really didn't want to add any other colours. And I had no clue what wool I was using. So I turned it into a cushion and popped it onto my sister's bed, ready for her return from university! It's crazy how well it matches without my even intending it to!

For the back of the cushion I 'upcycled' an old, rather grotty, cushion cover I had knocking about. It felt nice to turn it into something that would be used more. 

Speaking of upcycling, my Mum brought Refab's card home for me from Greenwich Market. I LOVE the doorstops. If you love upcycling and all things home-y, definitely check Refab out - I absolutely love little companies like this. DO IT! Hope it inspires you all.. If you have cats, then I'm pretty sure it will...

It's a doorstop-y kind of day..

I decided a few weeks ago, in a fit of boredom directed at the retail industry, to handmake ALL of my Christmas gifts. I've always intended to do this, but either never had enough time or enough inspiration. Since I started this blog I have discovered so many crafters who blog their beautiful creations, and it really does make the stitching fingers itch.. Seeing all these beautiful and simple, yet clever, ideas, is so inspiring.

One such blog is Flossie Teacakes, a blog that is full of lovely, handmade goodness. There is a lot of rather complex crafting going on over there, of a standard I most definitely aspire to. There is even a post on how to build your own pizza oven, which I particularly loved. I've haven't yet discussed this with my boyfriend, but when we grow up, we're having a pizza oven.

I spotted Florence's doorstop pattern a few months back and have found the perfect opportunity to make some for some Christmas gifts. I won't go into too much detail in case of little prying internet eyes, but there are two very special people living temporarily with some very heavy fire doors. Thus, the doorstop was born. I purchased the pattern this morning and come evening, I have a doorstop! I love things that I can see taking shape quickly, as I have mentioned countless times before. Because of this I have a tendency to rush things and not take enough care, but not today! I really want these to look profesh, so I measured and then measured again.

The pattern itself is so beautifully presented and easy to follow, with a lovely little personal note at the beginning! It made making the doorstop feel all the more special! There are step-by-step instructions with a picture to match that makes it exceptionally difficult to make a mistake. It really is a very well constructed pattern.

I think I've used a particularly difficult fabric to construct mine; I used a very thick oilcloth that stuck to itself when I tried to turn it the right way round or move it in any way. I'm not sure that I like the shiny effect either..

The print is absolutely PERFECT for it's intended receiver, it reminds me of a print from that well known high street retailer that spews floral print on everything. In a good way.

It feels so satisfying to know that I've made this for someone to open at Christmas, knowing that they'll love it. I've given my local fabric shop a little more business, at a time when large companies are struggling in my town, let alone small, independent businesses. And it feels good to support a blogger in this way too.

I've filled it with dried marrowfat peas, as they were the heaviest thing I could find. I'm not sure if that's a good idea, but I'm sure we'll find out in a year or so...

So, that's two Christmas presents down, many more to go. Inspiration welcome! And thank you Flossie Teacakes!

Is anyone else giving any deliciously handmade gifts this year?

Oh, for the love of Corgi...

It may seem that this blog has become but a catalogue for projects I start and don't finish. But this is no longer the case! A couple of months after the deadline, I have finished my Twit-Knit club toy! I believe this was the second project, after the patchwork blanket (which I am yet to blog about), and has only taken me mere months to complete! HA. And he's tiiiiny. You may remember the moment I realised quite how small the pattern would make him.. 

So here is what he's supposed to look like...

Very neat, I'm sure you'll agree. And here is how my little chap turned out!

He does look a slightly different colour, but I think that might be the rather unforgiving flash on my camera. So now he sits on my Charbonnel and Walker box looking regally down from my book shelf.

When I say, "he looks regally down", I do use the phrase with some artistic licence, as he is somewhat boss-eyed. The eyes are supposed to be french knots, something so seemingly simply. Apparently not. I think they are supposed to be quite a lot smaller than that, I think I've quite probably done something wrong. And his nose is far too huge. So huge, in fact, I decided against sewing a little mouth on.

I am also aware that it is rather scruffy, I am SO bad at joining knitting pieces together, I use the 'stitch-it-and-see' approach. Ain't no method over here. If anyone has any tips on how to make the seams a little less pronounced, they would be very gratefully received!

Look out for the outcome of Twit-Knit club project #1..

p.s. The dog's collar is a chain of crochet! I painstakingly taught myself to crochet with the aid of YouTube! Another craft conquered! (sort of. But not really at all.)

A somewhat unconventional use for the household mug..

I own a very vast array of Cath Kidston mugs. There, I said it. There is absolutely no justification for this. Whenever I see them separately, in shops, I am CONVINCED that they are completely different to those that I already own. Put my collection together and they take on uncanny similarities. When I was at university, it was absolutely fine; one needs a lot of mugs. At home, in a house with two other mug addicts, they have been rendered useless. There's no room in the cupboards for them, and if my mum drank a cup of tea from one of them, she'd probably wee herself when sneezing. They hold a LOT of tea. (I really hope she doesn't read this).

And so, to the point of this post. Until now, the mugs have been gathering dust on my bookshelf. I present to you, mug candles..

 I'm aware that mug candles make them sound like some amazing new invention, wherein the candle is actually built into the mug, but this is literally just a tealight in a mug. But so effective! They really do look lovely. There are lots of frankincense and myrrh candles popping up all over the place at the moment, so you can even create your own festive version. I'm sure someone has done this before now, so I won't take all the credit for it. For we must remember, it is just a tealight in a mug.

I'm sure there is a joke in here somewhere about mugs and my being one, so there's the material, do with it what you will..