Patriotic appliqued cushion cover

I love it when I get inspired!

I was looking through my fabric stash the other day wondering what I could make next - don't worry, there are a million and one projects that I *plan* to make, it really just depends on the order!

So I find a preloved denim skirt to upcycle.  Then I spotted a red shirt with the dinkiest little daisies all over it.  Hmmm.  It's looking rather British to me.  So I add a preloved tablecloth and the idea is beginning to form.

I have enough denim to make a cushion cover, thinks I, and I haven't appliqued anything in a while.

Yes, I will make a cushion cover with the Union Jack on it.

It was great fun seeing it all come together, even though the tablecloth fabric did begin to look like an octopus before I had appliqued it to the denim - there were 'arms' everywhere!

The back was made with a tuck-in design.  I did consider adding Velcro (not quite the look I was after) and/or a button, but thought that that might be a bit uncomfortable in the middle of the back!

And this is the skirt that the main fabric came from.  Just so you know!

I do love a fun project!!

Next...

Lunchbag recipe

I'm not sure why but sometimes I confuse the colours pink and orange.  I know that it's pink but my brain says 'orange'!

In the same way I sometimes use the words 'patterns' and 'recipes' interchangeably.  So I thought I'd devise a little recipe for making a lunchbag:

Ingredients

- floral vinyl tablecloth
- clear vinyl
- thread
- velcro
- time
- stitch unpicker

Method

Cut up floral tablecloth to desired size and then make handles and strap

Add a sprinkling of velcro to keep the strap secure and the sides from gaping open

Using copious quantities of thread and time, mould the tablecloth into a lunchbag

Repeat for clear vinyl lining

Insert lining into outer and secure with yet more thread

If at any time you are unhappy, use the stitch unpicker - it's very therapeutic

When you are 100% satisfied with your creation, go and make yourself a cup of tea - you deserve it!

____________________________________________

And here is one I prepared earlier:

Next!!

Everlasting Summer shopper

As you may know, I love using unusual fabrics - they can be anything from preloved clothing to PVC.

So when I saw the fabulous print on some vinyl tablecloth, the Everlasting Summer Shopper was born!

I was looking for a way to reinforce the corners of the shopper but nothing sprang immediately to mind.

And then I remembered that many moons ago we recovered some white fabric dining chairs with leatherette to make them more durable.  They have been brilliant and so hard-wearing too.  And I was sure I had some of it in the loft still...

 

 

 

 

So I used the leatherette to protect the corners.

I had so much fun trying to figure out how to add them to the bottom of the bag!

And then I thought, what the heck, let's line it too.

So I added a red cotton lining to make it even more cheerful.

Et voila! 

Another shopper has arrived!

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!!

More lunch bags!

I never realised what a huge array of differently coloured and patterned vinyl tablecloths there were available - a whole new world of 'fabric' out there just waiting to be utilised!

So I made a couple more lunch bags - tweaking the design a little here and there as I went.

Every time I create something, I always make a note of how I've made it in the event that I want to make another one.  You should see all my scribbles for this design LOL!

 This lunch bag was made a bit larger than my previous design in order to accommodate a specific lunchbox.

New to this design is a wipe clean inner - the tablecloths, by their very nature are kinda soft and fluffy on the inside.  Not really conducive to leaky tuna mayo.  Not that this one should tip up, mind you, but just in case.

I also made an orange and white lunch bag too.

Told you there was a lot of different tablecloths out there!

Velcro on the top of the sides prevent the bag from gaping.  I learned that one as I went along!

And with a lunchbox inside.

Hot air balloon shopper

I have a thing about hot air balloons.  Every time I see one I have to go outside and just watch it float past.

Perhaps it's the way they soar seemingly effortlessly across the blue sky. 

Perhaps it's the colours. 

Perhaps there doesn't have to be a reason.

So can you imagine how excited I was when I discovered a hot air balloon tablecloth?

Well, I had to make something out of it, didn't I? 

:)

So I made a shopper.

What I like about it is how sturdy it is, being vinyl tablecloth and all.  It can carry pretty much everything that you want to put in it.  Everything!

The handles are doubled up so that they are more comfortable to hold.

And the inner seams are taped to provide extra strength and a neater finish.

I'm planning on making either a backpack or a flight bag from hot air balloons at some point. 

Watch this space!

And perhaps one day I might even go up in one!

Tablecloth aprons

You may have noticed that vinyl tablecloths are one of my new favourite things :)

It's so darned versatile!!

So I added a pocket and plenty of cotton tape and made a child's apron.

And another one...

And then a full-sized adult version.  As you do.

I might even see if there are any festive tablecloths to tinker with...

A place for ones pegs

You see, the thing is, I love sewing.  Anything. 

You might have guessed. 

So when a friend asked me for a peg bag I thought - never made one, but let me figure out how. 

So I did.

I thought long and hard about what size, design, colour.  Then I added my favourite fabric of the fortnight (vinyl tablecloths) and had a play.

I designed it myself and I like the way that it turned out; the roundedness of it; the colour.

I added some bias binding around the hole, added a coat hanger and ta-dah - a peg house :)

Next time I'll figure out a better way of getting the coat hanger in there without struggling LOL - still, it's a prototype, but a very workable prototype.

I think I'll make one for myself too!

*Roadtest results* - polka dot lunch bag

You may remember that I went up to London for lunch with some friends last week.  It was great to see everyone again!

The lunch bag itself held up to being carried across London - the tupperware container and all its contents stayed the right way up.  There were no spillages of any description whatsoever <grin>.  The handle was comfortable and just the right length.  The velcro strap between the handles worked well to keep the bag closed.  And I loved the polka dots!

But surely it wasn't perfect first time out?  Well, not perfect, no, there were a couple of things that I would alter slightly for the next version...

So what have I changed already?

I've added some velcro at the top inner corners to prevent the bag from gaping open or the cottage cheese tub from skittering about on top of the container.

What would I change for next time?

I'd make sure the bottom was a teensy bit more solid.

Anything else?

Oh, I might just line it with more tablecloth fabric to make it wipeable inside and out.

And I'd love to make it with proper oilcloth in the future and see how that feels to work with. 

You'll be sure to hear about it here when I've had a go :)

Oilcloth (ish) polka dot lunch bag

I'm going to lunch with some friends in London on Saturday - I can't wait! 

Whenever I've been up in the past I've always taken a tupperware container of food for the trip home as it's a long journey.  But by the time I've come to eat it, it's been spread out all over my bag/main bag/anything else that gets in its way.  The container had shuffled around, tipped over and dumped its contents liberally throughout my bag.  Not a good look.

I hadn't found the 'right' bag to carry it in either.

So, with my new-found enthusiasm and polka dot tablecloth fabric I set about designing a lunch bag that would do the job - keep my food up the right way!  Copious research proved fruitless so I had a go myself.
 
Using baking paper I figured out how best to carry the tupperware container and made a miniature prototype first - just to make sure it worked out ok!

Here's the resulting lunch bag with the container inside it already:

The view from the side:

The interior is quite large too:



The top gaped a little so I added a velcro strap to keep it together.  The velcro was repurposed from my daughter's old school book bag - it's perfect for this project because it was bright red - you don't see red velcro very often!!

I throw nothing away LOL!

Early results indicate that it not only keeps my lunch up the way it was intended, but it's also large enough to hold other food/items too.

I'll let you know how it goes on Saturday!