The Lucy TARDIS pencil case

My daughter has been after a pencil case for a while now.  Her old case was too small as she wanted to take lots of different pens and pencils to school.  Who am I to argue?

So yesterday I took some PVC table cloth fabric and a zip and set about making a new pencil case for her.

She picked the tablecloth and coordinating zip.  And she absolutely loves it!!

This is the view from the side.

I remember when the very thought of inserting a zip used to give me the heeby jeebies.  Oh that was so last year LOL! 

You will see why it's called the TARDIS because of the number of pens, pencils etc that have accompanied my daughter to school today.  And as you can see from the photo above, it is still only two thirds full!

I wonder what else she will find at the bottom of the case?

I'm looking forward to the reports later on today!!

Fluffy Scarf (aka neck warmer)

When it comes to fabric, I'm very hands-on.  If it feeeeeeeels nice and soft then the chances are that I'll love it!

So when I found a square of the softest faux fur fabric imaginable I just had to give it a home, if only to stroke it every now and again.

As a square wasn't conducive to wrapping around my neck in the depths of winter, I cut it into sections and sewed it up. 

I can now wear it as a scarf tucked into my coat on days when the north wind's blowing.



No more cold neck for me!

Ocean duvet covers

I love everything to do with the ocean. 

Beach, ocean surf, waves, rockpooling, bodyboarding  - you name it - if it's connected to the ocean then I adore it!

So when I came across a preloved duvet cover with cute ocean creatures on it, it just had to come home with me.

It didn't stay as a duvet cover for very long though.  I needed some new pyjama bottoms but I couldn't find the right ones for me.

And then I had an idea. 

What if I were to cut up my old bottoms, make a pattern and then create some new ocean pyjama bottoms?

Well, here they are!

They fit like a dream, are totally comfy and fun to lounge around in.

I also reused the buttons from the bottom of the duvet cover on the front of the pyjamas.  I try my best to incorporate as much of the original item into my refashions.

I also used ocean coloured threads throughout with a different shade both top and bottom.  It's the little details like that that I love having fun with!

And the best bit is that I have quite a lot of duvet cover left over.

I'll let you know what I end up making!

Large fabric shopper

A good friend from America gifted me some wonderful fabric and told me that I should just play with it.  That's my favourite kind of sewing, that is!!

So I made a huge shopper as a Christmas gift for a very special lady. 

I did have a smile on my face when I spotted it when I bumped into her at the shops today!

The handles are softly padded and doubled-up as she only has little hands :)



It has huge pockets both inside and out and is totally reversible.  It's also interfaced throughout making it quite sturdy.

From a design by Amy Butler.

A few Jazzy Journal Covers and their stories

I love making journal covers. 

But not your ordinary, everyday journal covers. 

Covers with a difference.  Unique covers.  Covers made especially from preloved fabric.  Covers with a tale to tell.

 

Each journal cover was purposely designed to hold the Your Body Speaks journal by Dr Kathleen DesMaisons.  In fact, Dr DesMaisons was one of the first to purchase one of my journal covers!

Here are a few of the padded journal covers I have been working on recently followed by their stories:

Blue and Pink

This journal cover was created from a beautiful top that I discovered on one of my many jaunts to a local charity shop. 

I just loved the pattern and how the colours work so well together.  This has got to be my favourite shade of blue. 

I made the magnetic tab from the contrasting frill at the bottom.  You can just see it in the picture above.

  

And the interior is lined with a matching blue heart print.

Peacock

The Peacock journal cover was made from a teal coloured baby cord jacket.  It didn't fit me, but I bought it anyway. 

If I like the look of a particular design or texture of clothing, I tend to buy it and THEN find a use for it.  It's surprising how often I discover that I already have just the right fabric for a project!

Being baby cord it's just so tactile!

The interior is lined with lime green silk which I bought from a lady who was selling the off-cuts from her daughter's fashion design course.

You can read more about that story here

Sanderson

Sanderson was created from a pair of curtains that I discovered languishing in a charity shop.  I do love looking in charity shops.  You never know what you might find. 

There's this one particular charity shop in a small town that I frequent every so often that I can guarantee I will find some fabric of interest.  And it's right opposite my favourite independent fabric shop.  What a combination!  That always makes me smile!

How did I know it was made by Sanderson?  Well, it told me so along the edge of the curtains when I was removing the lining!!  And besides, a friend has since told me that her Nan used to have some curtains identical to this.

The interior was lined with dark bronze cotton which I also used to make a Roman blind many moons ago.  I never throw away fabric.  I never know when it is going to come in useful!

Tropicana

Tropicana was made from a gorgeous multi-coloured skirt that I found.  I love colour of all descriptions.  The brigher, the better!

The interior was made from blue satin which gives it an even more tropical feel.

Spring-Time


Another find in my favourite charity shop - a cushion.  I could see its potential from a mile away. 

It reminds me of a spring-time garden bursting into a riot of colour. 

I bought some matching orange fabric for the interior.  And the eagle-eyed among you may notice that the daffodil can be matched up across the cover too.  My daughter pointed that one out!

Jungle Boogie

Jungle Boogie was created from a top that I discovered feeling sorry for itself at the back of a rail in a shop.

It really would have been a crime to have left it there!  The print is so vibrant and happy :D

The interior was lined with purple cotton that I had already given a home to. 

These journal covers are now available from my Etsy shop either with this link or via the Etsy Mini link on the right hand side of my blog.

Don't forget - there are only one of each of these covers available!  But plenty more in the pipeline!

The story of a journal cover

One of the things I love most about using preloved fabric is that behind it there is always a fabulous story waiting to be told.

So when a friend asked me to make a journal cover for her of course I said yes! 

You see, she had lost a substantial amount of weight by following a plan designed specifically to address sugar sensitivity.  She entrusted me with her much loved skirt (by now far too large) and suggested I might like to make a journal cover from that.  Well, yes please!   

 It had the cutest little sunflowers strewn across it.

After 4 different prototypes I was ready to have a go at making the real thing.  And this is the resulting cover.  The journal fits perfectly!

It had ribbon ties to prevent it from falling open at an inopportune moment and inner flaps to hold the journal snugly in place.

The green polka dot interior picked out the green leaves and stems of the sunflowers.

And of course, every time my friend now comes to write in her journal she is reminded, not only of her beautiful skirt, but also of how healthy she is now and just how far she has come.

I love it when that happens!