Showing posts with label Bag. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bag. Show all posts

Thursday, February 03, 2022

WIPocolypse

Hello stitching buddies, old and new!


I've not been here for so long I didn't know how to start up again! 

So ........ I'm just going to jump in and say that I have been stitching lots of cross stitch last year and most of it is over on Instagram - you can find me there as "flashinscissors"


I didn't manage to finish any WIPs last year thanks to my Cancer, and hospital appointments.. I mainly stitched small cross stitch projects that I could carry with me. and for WIPocolypse this year I am going to try to finish a few of those things I started in 2021:

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In the days before my operation I quickly half-made a little bag with the aim of having something with me, to finish in hospital! Although, of course, I wasn't able to do much ...... mostly I slept! But using a big stitch and DMC random thread I was able to stitch the lining in place around the top and finish a row of stitches around the handles. 


I intended stitching some tiny embroideries to decorate the bag.  Crabapple Studios were running a SAL on Instagram at the time I made my bag, with a free download of patterns of tiny embroideries.  I didn't join in at the time because I was mainly stitching the tiny monthly cross stitch calenders from CrossStitcher magazine, for my monthly page markers on Instagram and so this year I aim to stitch those darling little embroideries from Crabapple Studios  


 

Then later last year I started making another larger bag ..... to carry all the paraphenalia I would want with me when I went for my Chemopherapy. Ha ha, of course Chemo has been and gone and the bag is still not finished. There probably isn't much more to do either .....


Then, of course a WIPocolypse post wouldn't be complete without this project I've been stitching for many years, it is getting closer to a finish, ha ha!

Cocoa Sampler

And I have already started a couple of new projects this year!

This will be a scarf/wrap/sweater

Most evenings I've been knitting the scarf/wrap thing as I'd like to finish it while its still chilly weather, but it's slow going.  I need to knit until it's 52" long and I'm about half-way. So I'm investigating different ways of speeding it up - Continental Knitting and ....... oops sorry this is probably too much for today so maybe there will be another post about this soon! (Well OK soonish)

"Snow Place Lke Home"
From CrossStitcher magazine - Jan 2021

 I've even started knitting socks now


Who knows, maybe I'll do better at finishing this year!?!?

Happy 2022 everyone!, 

Hugs,



Barbara xxx! 


Now I'm off to visit some of you. See you soon!!!.


Tuesday, October 01, 2019

Cactus Bag - Finished! and a couple of "Squirrels"

Hello my friends,

First of all, thank you all for your kind comments wishing me well with my back troubles ....... all much appreciated, and just to let you know I'm a lot better at the moment and I am now able to catch up on lost sleep.

I haven't wanted to look at a computer screen because my eyes have been so tired and as soon as I do look they want to close, and I'm asleep again! 


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We had a little sunshine the other day, so I popped into the garden with my newly finished cactus bag (from my last post), and had my own little photo shoot session .....

If any photos look a little blurred
 just click on the photo to see them a little clearer.
Theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk
Just right for carrying my crochet projects!
Have I mentioned? I've been crocheting this year, and I've actually finished a couple of things!!! A teeny Back Pack (pink and green), a Scottie Dog and, not quite finished, a camper van. It's been fun, and I seem to have acquired bought quite a few balls of cotton, so there are likely to be a few more crocheted projects in future.

Theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

Theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

Theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk


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I was meaning to carry on with my cross stitch Cocoa Sampler, but one thing leads to another, and I found myself chasing a metaphorical squirrel! Which fits in nicely with Sandra's meme: DrEAMi "Drop Everything And Make it" Pop over to Sandra's blog HERE to see what I'm talking about. There's lots of lovely patchwork to see. The meme is held at the end of each month. 

 I am saying this is a "possible" Squirrel because it such a small one! Which is why I'm a little embarrassed  to add it to the party, but I'm just saying this has been my squirrel this month! Tee hee!


(Sorry Astrid, if you are looking in, I will have some cross stitching here soon!)


Soooo ..... to get back to the story, I have this new bed ..... with a remote control which will assist me to sit up or lay down in bed ....

after a few days of using the bed I realised my fingers were hurting. At first I didn't realise why. Then it suddenly came to me that the plastic cased remote control was so slippery that I was gripping it  tightly most of the night. I was worried I might drop the controls and not be able to raise or lower the bed should I need to.

Soooo, I decided the remote needed a cosy 
to stop it slipping from my hand .....

therefore the "squirrel" making commenced!

I had a bag of scraps my sister gave me and my idea was to use pieces from those scraps, which worked quite well and I only needed to add a small piece of plain pink to them. It's lined with some of that non slip plastic to stop the controls slipping out ..... but, with hindsight, I don't think that was really necessary! I stitched down either side by hand ..... tricky stitching through the non slip plastic, but do-able. The handle was Osnaburg again, my favourite fabric.

The patchwork went together very quickly. I started at lunch time and I wanted to have it done ready to use that night. I did finish it the same day ...... but don't ask what time it was ...... well into the wee small hours (which wasn't really a good idea in the circumstances).

The patchwork pieces were stitched onto cotton wadding,
Theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk
ends folded in, and hand stitched together along the edges
Theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

As you can see I added a handle, but really it's in the wrong place ..... so, when I've finished the next squirrel I'll be taking the handle off and moving it to to the bottom RH side (of the pink pieces) which should be much more convenient!

Anyhow, the cover does the job and the controls haven't slipped off the bed once! Yay!!
So I'm sleeping much better now!


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 I'm already working on my next project. A little cushion cover (and I do mean little, it's approximately 9.5" x 8.25") which I just had to make after seeing the cushion Patty made over on her blog: Elm Street Quilts (HERE)

My colours are a little pale, but they match the remote cover, as it will be a cushion for the bed.

Theflasingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

I think my draft pattern (on the right of the photo) actually looks better than the finished cushion, but maybe the quilting will pull it together better. 



See you soon. Happy Stitching!!!




Hugs,
Barbara xxx

Sunday, September 01, 2019

Friendly Challenge 116 - Cactus

Belatedly I am showing you my Cactus project:
theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk
I had hoped I would have this finished for the Friendly Challenge ..... but unfortunately I have had problems with my back, and been unable to sleep very much, meaning I was unable to work on my stitching or spend time at the computer writing this post. 


I had intended writing another one of my tutorials!! Tee hee! but I'm sure you all know how to make a bag by now! I used lots of different stitches and had wanted to list them all ..... but as it is painful to sit for too long I am trying to keep this short (you ought to see a long post!! tee hee!)



My fabric is Osnaburg, lined with cotton wadding because it is a nice combination for embroidery ..... you can hide cotton ends in the wadding easily! The only down-side is that Osnaburg frays terribly. When I have more time I would normally hem stitch the edges before starting.

Osnaburg is what they call a utility fabric, useful for tea towels, serviettes and the like. It is also very good for embroidery ..... because of its open weave.

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk
Reverse of work - finishing stitches in cotton wadding

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk


theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk

theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk


Not quite finished! Just need to stitch the lining in place, complete one handle, then stitch both handles in position.


I had hoped to join the Friendly Challenge No 116 being held at “El Taller de L'Ana”.

Perhaps you will come along with me to see what other friends have made for the day!


Apologies for being late Ana! I kept thinking I would finish in time .....




Hugs,
Barbara xx

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

November TUSAL and WIP


Hello my stitching friends!


Today I am joining in with Daffycat's TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long).

If  TUSALs and ORTS are a mystery to you pop over to Daffycat for all the gen - but don't forget to come back and visit here too!!!


I'm a little late as we are supposed to link up to coincide with the New Moon .... which was 18th November, but I am excited to tell you of my latest project and the use I found for some of those ORTS, so I hope Daffycat won't mind too much!


Most of these ORTS are from the butterfly cross stitch I've been stitching this summer, which unfortunately I can't show at the moment as all the photos are on my phone  ..... ooops! I will eventually work out how to download, or upload them, whichever the correct term is!!


Anyway, down to my TUSAL post!

The little pile of cottons on my cutting board are what we call ORTS.
I've been popping all my little ends of cotton into my Mini Thread Catcher (on the left).
The jar on the right is my collection from the last year .... the pretty cottons in the folded paper are for the sampler I'll tell you about in a minute.

Someone once asked me what I was going to do with my ORTS, and I have to confess ..... I didn't have a clue at that time ...... but they have actually come in handy for my latest project.

By way of background .....
 I've been following Queeniepatch (of Queenie's Needlework) with her wonderful "Sunday Stitch School" over the last year and have been meaning to use some of the unusual and pretty stitches she has shared.
I would strongly recommend that you visit Queenie HERE to read more about her "Sunday Stitch School" and her quest to learn some lesser known stitches.

Only last week I discovered some fabric I'd cut ready to make a small bag to keep vegetables tidy  in the fridge .....
in a light bulb moment I decided to use that fabric to make a stitching sampler for easy embroidery stitches ..... which would eventually become a stitching project holdall ....
but then I remembered I had been meaning to find a project to practice some of Queenie's pretty stitches, and decided this piece of Osnaburg,
 backed with cotton wadding, would be just the right size for what I have in mind!

The Flashing Scissors - TUSAL / Embroidery Sampler


I expect some of you will remember my saying that my ORTS are normally miniscule ..... 
but recently they've been getting longer, 
and I was able to use these longer threads as guidelines to keep my stitching evenly spaced.


The Flashing Scissors - Tusal / New to me project / Sampler

In the picture above you can also see another project I'm working on ..... 
the name badge I've wanted for sooooo long. 
This was another idea prompted by Queeniepatch: reverse applique or MOLA, and you will see what I mean if you take a little peek HERE.

I've made a small start on my stitch sampler with the following two stitches:

The Flashing Scissors - Rambling Rose Stitch
Lesson 42 - Rambling Rose

The Flashing Scissors - Moss Stitch
Lesson 43 Moss Stitch 


Oh, and lastly, this is where I've got up to with my MOLA or Reverse Applique, 
which could actually be classed as a "new to me" project!

The Flashing Scissors - Name badge/New to me project



Now don't forget to pop over to Daffycat's blog where you can find out who else is linking up with their TUSALs this month.

Thank you for visiting today.

Keep well and safe, and carry on stitching my friends!





Hugs,
Barbara xxx