Tuesday 18 December 2012

New Email Added to the blog

Following and evening sat with my beloved and some children in the lounge watching Television and hand sewing the binding on Gaia's quilt (her hand made Christmas present from Mummy).   I have come to view the blog and see what was occuring.

Directly following a poorly beloveds departure to bed, (he got what I had, but it will be much much worse!).  A programme came on - A Welsh Christmas, a musical programme, in which several great singers entertained a studio of willing listeners.

I however, upon hearing the beautiful songs, song at a time of year when family get together and enjoy each other's company, was not filled with joy.  Infact a deep sorrow.

The Christmas before my father passed away I chose to work, the hours were double and it meant more food on the table for the children.  I didn't know it was Dad's last Christmas, if I did, I would have been there, I would have cuddled him so tight that he couldn't breath... He would have the best presents you can imagine, he would be waited on hand and foot... so many things that make a difference.  

Only, I didn't go, the Christmas following his death, I did, he wasn't there, he didn't cook the Turkey as he always had, he didn't tell stories that would have all around the table streaming in tears of laughter (maybe not Mum), He just was not there.  We did want him to be, the kids wow they were great, if they weren't there it would have been a depressing event. 

At the end of the meal my then 3 year old son, who had lost his other Grand father that summer, held his glass high and proposed a toast, ... it went like this 
'Cheers Taidy, Cheers Grandad'

He knew who was missing, and knew that to toast them was to remember them
(Taidy is Welsh for GrandDad)

Please take care of the ones we no longer have to hold, and please take extra care of the ones we do x

Sorry this blog entry went beyond what it was meant to do...

You should now see some links to my email address, you can email me direct or via the blog, I will get them,

Janey x

Sunday 16 December 2012

Blog Hop Winners

And the Winners Are!!!!

Vickie

Farm Quilter

Jeanne Gwin


The FaceBook winner is....


Carla Geates.


Congratulations to all who entered, thank you so very much for following my blog, some day's I don't get the time to update but I can assure you I think about it ;-)

The last few days have seen me in bed nursing a bad chest, I still have a bad chest, but at least I can stand a while without feeling the need to fall over.


Thank you once again and If I don't see you before Christmas... 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY MERRY NEW YEAR x

Love Janey and pride x

Friday 14 December 2012

Facebook Page now has the items listed

Unlocked items...

Click on the above link to see the items that have now been unlocked and are ready to be sent to the lucky Facebook recipient!

In the mean time... our family Friday night holds such excitement that we can't control ourselves.








For just about two hours, my Step Daughter and I wrestled with a rogue Wendy house.

I bought this from a friend for Gaia for her Christmas present.  The rather romantic plan was that she would come into the lounge, see the wendy house and little else, go slightly mental about that and when she looked inside, there would be her Christmas presents all wrapped up!

I thank Shannon heartedly, because, if she weren't here with me I would most probably still be on the floor arguing with the poles and losing my temper increasingly.

What we found were, several broken poles (broken by a very hasty man, who dismantles by pulling apart too quick and doens't think of the consequences at the other end or that the poles may need to be in one piece!)

Simon in his haste to get it into the car and then out of the car, has broken poles and has lost one too. 

I am not impressed at all, but yet again, I am the one paying not him, I am the one who has to pay out again and not him......

Why did I take photo's of the item before Xmas morning?
This was for Xmas Eve, so we have some guide. My eldest daughter is drawing up a plan of poles as I type with all the pole number/letters clearly logged, the photo's will now be printed off so that we have some very clear instructions to piece the house  back together again with!

Ah, maybe I will see bed before 0400 on Christmas morning!

J x

Give Away needs more

We haven't had many people want to be a part of this blog giveaway...

Some are saying hello on Facebook, Some hello on the blog, but still the numbers are fairly low.

We have some fabulous items ready to be sent out to the lucky winners, they need homes to go to and fast, as this giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight!

All you need to do is, follow or subscribe to this blog leave me a little message to say hello and how you follow us, that is that..

There are more blogger's giving brilliant items away, fabrics, kits, sets, home mades, you name it..  go to the link below to see more....



Good Luck to all, and I really look forward to meeting more of you in the next day... or two

The fourth item to be given away is to b e revealed on our Facebook Page this evening


Take care of all of you

Janey x

Thursday 13 December 2012

QUICK UP DATE!

OUR FACEBOOK PAGE HAS JUST TIPPED 50 LIKES...

THE FOURTH PRIZE IS BEING COLLATED AS I TYPE

GOOD LUCK FACEBOOKERS 


J X

Cross Stitch Anyone?

I have accumulated hundreds of Cross Stitch Patterns

A friend gave them to me when I was trying to set up a craft club in our local area.  The craft club fell flat on its face, but the patterns remain in my tender care.

I am letting them go, no cost involved but bundles of 10 (two bundles per person max).  They will come as they are... I can't go through and select ones you may prefer, it would be too time consuming.

The postage is obviously an issue... I will be able to send them out via the cheapest possible method (over seas will go by land and can take up to 2 months to reach the recipient)

Message me if you'd like a bundle - Overseas can have one bundle max due to the cost of postage.

Thanks in advance for helping me create space in my study (which is getting smaller by the fat quarter)

Postage - I will tell you what it cost me,  I think it prudent that you the recipient give that amount to a charity of your choosing.  Is that fair?

Take care and happy blog hopping 

J x

P.S. 49 likes on the Face book page...   one more to unlock the fourth give away!"

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Give Away Items

Items up for Grabs....

I am open to entries from all over the world, one proviso must be that what ever you win, must be legal to be posted to your country.

I will break down the prizes in order to make postage a little less frightening on my side.

We have some lovely fabric's, 
Two FQ Moda Felicity Rose in Ivory and Blue, donated by the lovely ladies at Pin it and Stitch ( Click here for more Pin it and Stitch items )



The next bundle is a lovely pink Cup Cake photo frame and a fabulous book called Covered with love, applique patterns for Children's items




The final prize is a bundle comprizing of  a book called Handmade Cards, and another Jazzy Jean's, great idea's of  things you can make with jeans that have passed their sell by date, or a too big now 
And
I picture called Lady In Red by a local artist.




To be in with a chance to win these delightful bundles (one per winner - 3 winners in total)
all you need to do is subscribe to  this blog and leave me a comment so I know who you are.
  
I also have a Facebook page (the link is below)  If this page tops 50 likes before the end of the giveaway on Dec 15th Midnight I will open up a Fourth Prize....  So get liking...


It couldn't be simpler could it?



THE FACEBOOK WINNER WILL BE NOTIFIED BY FACEBOOK 

I will notify Blog Winners through the blog comment left 

Good Luck Bloggers and I look forward to getting to know you all soon
Janey x

Monday 10 December 2012

Blog Hop Giveaway

The Quilting Gallery

The above link takes you to the lady who is very generously organising a Blog Hop, in which many people world wide go from blog doing what needs to be done to be in with a chance of winning an item, be it fabric, patterns, books, you name it,

Tirelessly she has also co-ordinated the Sandy Quilt Block Drive in which Quilters and sew'er's again world wide have submitted blocks to quilts for families who were devastated by Sandy and Mother Nature.

To be in with a chance to win please stay tuned and I'll post an update in the morning (only 7 hours away!)

Thanks and I hope this works Michele... Janey x

And its all finished

Alright maybe not.

What is finished is College, We had our last lesson today.  Bid a sad farewell to the Box Xmas Tree thing we have been putting together with little success - Not one of us had any enthusiasm for this project..

Whilst it does look nice, and once I have put the 'chain's' onto the leaves to prevent the children from tearing them open and off in excitement, mine will be all done.  What I didn't do was - follow teacher's instructions particularly well, mostly because I forgot what she said within seconds of leaving last weeks class., and, because at 0330 this morning it seemed to be a good idea to attempt to put the thing together in a final push.

Everyone else's tree will have a box, with an inner box, mine has a box with a lid. My inner box doesn't have the base that it should (as its on the top as a lid!)

I put bells on that lid, and on the top of the tree, so I can hear the little ones open the tree and get their treats for the day.

These tree's are designed as a sweet holder, to be dipped into at any time during the festive season, mine will of course be a different tree - It is an Advent Tree

Each morning the kids will tear down stairs excitedly to see what has been left in the tree for them that day.... Tomorrow....?????

Arg OMG! I haven't thought that far ahead!!!!!! blimey ho, what to put into the box that isn't 'lame' and will make them want to come back the next day?

Money for the older ones and sweeties for the two little ones....

See, Mother's really do know best (Sometimes anyway)

I do hope this has found you well, and also that you have looked over at the Quilting Gallery

This is the same lady who has co-ordinated the Sandy Quilt Drive, in which so many of us World Wide Quilters were driven to creating something for the families who were devastated by the horrors of Mother Nature.

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Tell me this is one hell of a dream.... Please?

Oh my what can be happening in my star's for this to turn out how it's going right now?

A craft sale with over 40 Stalls that I was a 'craftee' in attendance was little more than a children's party with the added bonus of a woman screaming into the microphone for 5 hours solid promoting her new events management company!!!  God lord above, its now nearly 4 days later and my ear's have not recovered, my balance was negative as a result of the dearly beloved partner not listening to my implicit instructions when getting all my items down to pack... (which I didn't get a chance to check before he threw the lot into the rear of our car)

Hence we arrived and I then discover that all the jewellery is not with us.  So all in all not a successful day, £10 for the table, £20 for the fuel and erm well £15 in sales... we just made the cost of the table. In future I will be checking premises prior to booking a table and will be reading the poster's very carefully also.

She asked for feedback from the sellers... I know that at least 4 out of the 18 tables (NOT 40 +), were very upset and miffed about the mislabelling of the event. They didn't leave good feedback, so I was somewhat confused when I noticed the Facebook thread to say it was a resounding success?  False advertising is looked upon very dimly here in the UK, I wonder if she's aware of that?... anyway, that isn't all....

Last Sunday I baked like a demon to make tonnes of Ginger bread men for a fun afternoon at the Local Education Centre where I do my Patchwork. They all looked very dandy, and we were very impressed with them.  Only to find out I'd made them a week early!  Oh Jesus, what's going on in my tiny little Grey Cell right now?...

Not all though,

Christmas is under 3 weeks away, and the quilts I have not quite finished are almost ready for the next stage... One minor, no that's not right, one very huge problem has poked its ugly head up and is guffawing loudly at me... No one can find the quilting extension table for the sewing machine!!!!  OMG!!! I need that so desperately  my Daughter has turned her room inside out trying to find it.  Right, no that's a lye too, her room was already inside out, she tried to blame the looking for the table under the eaves on the piles of dirty clothes strewn about her floor... Now I know I am not the brightest bulb in the house, but even I know that dirty clothes do not accumulate under the eaves to be pulled out when an unsuspecting mother needs something from there....  



Why me? Why me? Why me????????

Please will someone send me some luck in the shape of a mantra, spell, charm, or even via voodoo... the 'other family' are interfering again, so voodoo is appropriate right now also (ok not that much, but enough to miff up my 40th Birthday party plans for my partner - who makes the birthday boy go to them to give him a card? )

So to sum up

I need the extension table yesterday, a very strict nanny to come along and whip my miscreant daughter into shape, a lovely batch of anti-biotic's to give my son's bad tooth the heave ho, and just a smidgen good luck and loveliness so that OH will look at me with something other than contempt... is that alright?

Aw you are too good to me, 
Thanks quilting massive,
J x

Oh one last thought... I did my good deed and completed the four Sandy Blocks, I may do more, but right now, Xmas has me licked x











Saturday 17 November 2012

Christmas Fayre too close for comfort

Goodness me, it was only a few weeks ago that it was summer and the thought of Christmas was calm.  Knowing it was months away lulled me into a false sense of security, weeks to buy the little bits we need, weeks to get it clear what money we have to buy the big bits, and weeks to think about how much food to make/create and where to store it!

Well now, I have only just got the Chutney's on the go, they need at least a month to cure into a full on pickle.  The fruit has been steeping in alcohol since last Christmas, so our Pudding should be knocking socks off. Notwithstanding, I need to get it into  the pot, and ready to cure too.  I haven't even thought about the meat, or vegetables (we'll be taking them to mum's for Boxing Day) - That said, our Veggie supplier has already told me that he'll get our big shop to home for me, so I don't have to worry about attempting to walk it home. (my car should be back on the road by then though)

As for the Craft Sales?  Well the Pushions haven't sold very well so far, and the Shamballa Bracelet's and jewellery have done O.K., but the Candy Cone's have sold a little too well!
Right now I am making Cone's in Disney Princess, Buzz Lightyear, Thomas the Tank, Sponge Bob Square Pants to name but a few... 

The chocolate coins, candy canes, and snow men/Santa's are being stored up in the little cupboard so that little hands can't locate them - they are to stay inside the cones (and not inside prying hands searching for presents!!)

I am not getting bored of the cone sewing yet either, which normally happens when I'm repeating the same thing over and over.. So I must be onto a good thing shouldn't I?

Though, one thing that has taken my attention from the cones -
Sandy Victim's

I have teamed up with Michele from the Quilting Gallery, there are hoards of quilters making Blocks to go into Quilts to give to families who are affected.  A message of hope is sewn onto the back of the quilts - these take the form of Labels we sew up ourselves, so the families know where the blocks have come from.
The blocks are a very simple design, but, they use up our scraps so are Eco Friendly, and Charitable all at the same time.

The design is known as log cabin or strip piecing.  A traditional American design, which is befitting the beneficiary.

As said, click on the link above to travel to the Wonky Block blog page, there you can join in and donate some blocks to this admiral cause.

Thanks for reading
J x

Friday 2 November 2012

Mojo a NoGo...

Not much else to say really is there?

I have the wreath inners ready, I have the Xmas fabric in metres just sitting awaiting inspiration, I have absolutely no idea what I am going to do with it all!

I can wrap the wreaths and then put petals on the front, but, I haven't enough pins to do more of them! and the haberdashers in town has no more pins!  Looks like everyone else had the same idea!  Isn't it always the same?

I really need a mojo slap about the face just to kick start my create and make engines... or at least to get my synapse's passing electric charges back and forth again...

However, that is my only problem, money aside that is, and in all honesty? if that is all I have to worry about then there isn't much wrong with my life right now is there?

and with that very happy note, I bid thee farely well x J x

Wednesday 31 October 2012

What did you do?

The following is the end product of many nights without sleep...


What is it?   its a pumpkin bauble...  silk underneath with orange buttons and beads glued into position all over, with green sequin cord as the leaves and vine.

You will no doubt be able to do a great deal better than my own miserable attempt...  In honesty, my thoughts were else where... daughters birthday party being the main host of my worries... so much to live up to and so much to lose!

I look forward to seeing your pumpkin creations soon,

J x 

Monday 29 October 2012

Where has the time gone?

A small and yet hugely significant event has over taken the Challenge of this month.  Though not a great surprise to me, in fact it was a foregone conclusion that the Challenge would be taking a back seat.  What was it?  What was so Earth shatteringly important that I would not be able to make the item or indeed consider what the item would be?

When I tell you, you will understand, nod your heads, say ah, and indeed empathise totally.  

Our baby girls first ever Birthday party!  She was three on the 28th Oct, she didn't and still doesn't have any real understanding of the word Birthday, there is no comprehension that the party is held in her honour, nor any understanding of the pressure that Mummy (and Daddy) have been placed under.

Why pressure?  Well that comes from other parents, from other members of the family immediate or otherwise, media pressure- and whilst I have vowed to not be swayed by media hype in any way shape or form, on this occasion it got to me.

The cake, I have made her a cake for her Birthday ever since she was born.  The one she had for her first birthday was lovely, it looked great for a first time cake, and we were all eager to eat it up (including the dogs, our youngest male dog managed to get it off the side and ate the lot, I was greeted in the morning by a pile of birthday cake butter icing and dog mess... One was not a happy bunny). We the parents, were in a period of separation at that time, I was pregnant with our youngest, and money was very very tight on my part, so the dogs cake eating really did put some pressure on me to pull one out of the bag with not a lot of money to do it.  One was created but it didn't come up nearly as good as the original.

Last year, the youngest was only 6 months old, and very much a mummies boy. If I were to say he was attached to me at every moment of the day I wouldn't be exaggerating   Creating a cake in this environment is very hard.  Notwithstanding the  obstacle the cake was made. That however was not the only thing to stand in the final items way!.  Ebay was the biggest offender, I bought a lovely silicone cake mould in the shape of a butterfly.  11Inches or something, which would have been sufficient for just us.  Except, when the mould arrived the bag was tiny, I had mis-read the listing, it wasn't in inches - it was in centimetres!  Oh my goodness, that was a panic!  another Ebay buy and the bigger one arrived just in time, as did the pre-made purple butterflies with glitter on.  I made a lovely pink and purple mess on the two butterfly moulds one atop the other.

This year?  

Well I had done a few weeks on a sugar craft course in the early months of the year, so know how to make a rose using ready roll icing, and some flowers using florist icing paste.  Which are great, but not ideal when you want to ice a cake from scratch using ready roll as a cheat but regal icing as the main body of the walls.  I  had also decided to make the cake square, for one huge and sensible reason.  Ready roll comes in rectangular boxes and is therefore a square item isn't it?

I used marmalade heated up as the base glue for the marzipan layer, then I opened the two boxes of ready roll - ready to plant onto the cake   -    The screams could be heard 200 miles from our home.  Ready roll is circular!!!! for the love of god! for the single moment in my life I have chosen to use a square cake and the blinking stuff I bought to make life easier is round! a circle! and in no way shape or form square!!!!

This was an unmitigated disaster!  ok it was going to be ok,, deep breaths, a paper bag or two later, and ok righty here we go!

Slice the tops off to make everything flat and level and much easier to use.  Butter icing in the centre to keep the two moist and together, marmalade on the top to adhere the marzipan to the cakes, righty then the first circle.  I had considered to place the two rounds together and then cut around etc etc, that didn't work. It would be fine, right onto  the cake it went. Admittedly it wasn't too bad.  I just needed to ice the edges, how hard could it be, the Icing was on the packet of Regal icing and if I followed that I shouldn't have any issues.

WRONG!  the Regal Icing wasn't a solid icing, and needs time to set, but the one key problem I had and didn't even think about (and next year I will learn by my previous problems!) - cutting the sides of the cakes to make the sides flat and easier to ice!  Oh I could have spat!  No wonder the icing wouldn't set, I was trying to layer it on up to an inch thick!  It just ran off into a nasty sugary mess on the cake board.

Blue ready roll came to the rescue hours after I admitted failure.

Cake pops, well the candy melts weren't quite as liquid as the online tutorial had suggested they would be. Luckily I have some Trex in the fridge, that used and made the melts lovely and runny, and the cake dough, once dried out a little with some more cake (I would again do this differently, more cake and less butter icing), they were ready to be covered.  Though again, I (through trial and error) used one colour to adhere the pop to the cake ball at the bottom, then another colour to adhere the top of the ball together and so that the stick wouldn't pop right out of the top of the ball... then the sides. All three layers were covered with their own pretties..  And they did look very pretty, if a little stodgy in the inside ;-)   I loved them though 

On the morning, she was up and in a daze, didn't know why everyone had got up with her... then bouncing up and down in the living room pretending to be riding a horse whilst waiting for Daddy to get up so that she could open her presents (caught on film).  Once the presents were opened and done, she didn't know why the excitement had finished!  As you can understand, she didn't have any idea what a 'birthday' meant, and still doesn't really.  Her behaviour dropped right down to grotty then.  Just before the party, we got her dress on, shoes on (instantly kicked off because they didn't fit)  she was so tired, we decided that instead of her stay with our eldest at home whilst I get the food sorted... little one was to, instead come in the car doing the back and forth journey so she could sleep.... 

That didn't happen either, so she arrived with a red blotchy face at her own party.

The disco people came, face paints at the ready, balloons being squeezed into shapes left right and centre, me sorting food and drinks frantically.  Before the guests arrived. One affermative RSVP and three negagives.  Surely more would come than just that one?  After all I had given out almost 40 invites!

No that One little boy came!  To say that I was gob smacked and totally and utterly disgusted with the parents of children that go to child care institutions that my children attend is an understatement.  I am in half a mind to say something at the play school gate when I go to drop her off on Weds.

But there we are, the birthday to take over all other possible events that may or may not be happening. Came, and went - and we are still eating sausage rolls now...  days after...

what to do for the challenge?  I'm still mulling that one over... as I do,

see you all soon,

J x

Sunday 21 October 2012

Hen night sashes

A friend of a friend is getting married for the second time, her hen night the organiser wanted something to make a more original and classy feel...

Hence the sashes, what to do? How big to make them?

One of the ladies is a size 32, I didn't know that clothes came that big!, let alone know how big to make the sash!

AFter a while of umming and arrging, and trying on the sashes with Ange, we come to the right size, and here they are.

8 Hen's and one Bride!









Happy crafting x J x

Slashes of Sashes..

A friend's wedding will soon occur, I got the job of making sashes for the 'hen night',


Thank god the coup is fairly empty, otherwise I would be up to my eyeballs in satin, heatnbond, and bits of shiney stuff!

Finally I am now up to the Bridal Sash, photographs will be posted as soon as they are all finished, (I don't want to jinx this one!)

They were relatively easy to put together, but one thing that I have to remind myself to do if I ever agree to do them again, make certain that the ends of the sashes are straight before I hem them, otherwise you get miss matched hems, not so funny when you have taken the time to decorate them too!

As for my pumpkin?
I have a plan, all I need is acrylic paint and some artistic flair to zap me :-)

in the mean time, it is way past sleepy time for me,
Night night all
J x

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Busy bee's and October Giveaway

Follow this link to see how you can help

As you know I decided to allow last month's gifts to follow to this month as there was little response.  All agreed that this was the best course of action (Thank you all very much)

So this month's Challenge, what will it be, can you guess?

It is obvious really isn't it?

You are to create a pumpkin... 

in your chosen style, be it a patchwork pumpkin cushion, or a pumpkin pie, or even a pumpkin painting? That is your own choice and no one elses... Now what is up for grabs this time about?

Well obviously all that was on offer last month...

Spray adhesive, Two fat quarters, a cup cake picture frame, Jazzy Jeans' HB book, Covered with love book (kids quilts and more), Hand made Cards book, a Water colour painting - Lady in red by a local artist and Jessie pattern from Creative Quilter!

This quantity of items won't be hit again so be sure to enter with time to spare.

All entries must be in before Midnight All Hallow's Eve (in what ever country you live in) - I will work by the latest minute of Halloween for the planet... I do the maths not you ;-)

I don't think it would be right to host a giveaway that was open to the world to view if I didn't allow people across the world to enter!  So anyone can enter... no matter of geographical location.

However, there are a few 'rules' that need to be adhered to -

The work must be your own original handy work.  It must be ok for others to recreate if they so wished to do so (but not to resell as their own), it must be legal, AND it must be hand crafted (where possible upcycled or recycled items to keep us from dumping into the landfills of the earth)

If you have any queries then please let me know, I am approachable and can change my single tracked mind occassionally ;-)

Good luck and take care 
J x 

Monday 15 October 2012

Lunch bag Tutorial... I hope this works!





Here is the pattern, you can try to right click and then fiddle about at your end with printing it out onto two A4 sheets, OR just wait until hubby dear puts it into a zip for me... 

 This may not work at all... though I did try very hard if it doesn't....


  The above is the original sandwich bag that I took my pattern from. Behind it you can see the shopping bag, that I have cut up and utilized as our youngest boy's sandwich bag.  It is a plastic weave fabric (if fabric is the right word!), which is fairly robust, so a large needle, denim would be sufficient, on your machine is most definitely called for, as is a thick cotton thread.


 Here you can see the cut out parts of the bag. Whilst it doesn't look that clear from here, once you have your bits you'll understand what this jumble is.

Begin by unpicking the seams on your shopping bag and then cut them out in accordance with the pattern.
PLEASE check that your cutting board is free from 'debris' - this will avoid any slicing accidents which happened in my haste to get the bag finished for the next day (I will start on another cushion for my mother just as soon as I've mopped up the tears!)

The main body, two sides added together makes one large rectangle.
 Sew together the main body parts, using a 1/4" seam. Fold and then sew this seam flat, this will ensure water tight integrity.

small side rectangle attached to the main body

Fold the side panels in half length ways to find the middle line. Attach the panels wrong sides together with the main panel, ensuring the middle line marries the central seam along the bottom of the main panel.
Other side panel ready to be sewn.


Top rectangle and zip.

Using the zip foot, sew along the edge of the zip. Right side to right side.

Another angle for the same bit above.
 Sew the top rectangles to the zip (or zip's if you don't have one long enough 13", then use two meeting in the middle.)  Fold the seam flat, then sew into place if you wish.

Second zip side


Both sides sewn into place, 

Folded into position and out flat to neaten edges.

Sew the sides (the ones attached to the bottom of the main panels) to the main panel, I chose not to pin much on this make as accuracy wasn't a great necessity for me at this time.. if I were to be making for another though I would chose pins.

Fold the zip panel in half to find the middle point, do the same with the bag.  Match together the mid points on both the main panel and the zip panel, holding wrong sides together. Sew along a 1.4" seam across the top. Do the same with the opposing side....

Now the tricky bit....

Sew the zip panel down the side edges - On all four edges

Remember to keep an overlap where the zip panels meet the side panels.

Sew along these last few bits - wrong sides together and a patient hand.

I would have taken photo's at this stage but, my other half not realising that the bag wasn't finished sent it off with our son to the child minder!.... No binding, or handles... nothing! 






The final bag....  We have now created the zip file for your pattern to print out... all I need now is somewhere to store it, so I can link this to that... all in good time, lets not run before we can walk x 

J x



Bag design tutorial Pattern


Click on the above link to get the tutorial in zip format, you will then be able to print it out onto A4 sheets and tape them together. Good luck x


.