Sunday Sewing

As today is monthly Morsbagging sunday (http://www.morsbags.com/) I thought I would make the effort this month and I've made four bags, that's a total I've made of 108 bags altogether and I've still got enough fabric left to make 96 more bags!!

But I've got a long way to go to catch up the top pods, just look at how many bags have been made!

and 86,733 bags made in total so far in the four years since Morsbags started! For every Morsbag which is made, it means that 80 less plastic bags are used.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Other sewing I've done this week, I had some fabric leftover from shortening the curtains in the downstairs toilet so I trimmed some towels, I think they look great!

Josie x

One Project A Month - June

Well it's time for One Project A Month again. I've made the rag tote bag and I've washed it and it looks a bit raggy... I don't think it's one of the best things I've made, not as good as other bags I found on google last month....I think I'll stick to my shoulder bags instead. and I've had to take photo's with my mobile, not sure if you can tell but there is a pocket in the front section.... Remember the denim shoulder bag I made for myself last year, I've used up the rest of the fabric to make this bag and bought some lovely cotton fabric with a cloud design, which I bought as backing for a coin quilt which I cut out months ago, I bought some seaside fabrics to make that, so hopefully that will be 'finished' later this year. The back is the same as the front and the bag and straps are lined with a lovely pale blue soft cotton fabric and it's a good size, 19" inches x 12" inches and the straps are 30" long, perfect for summer days out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I've also made some more Morsbags which takes my total to 103!

Josie x

Sewing - Morsbags......

I've finally done it, I've made 100 Morsbags! here are bags 89 - 100.

you can find more info here http://www.morsbags.com/

Josie x

One Project A Month - February 2010

It's the end of the month again, well I started off at the beginning of the month making one thing and ended up at the end of the month finishing two other things instead, so at least I know I will have something finished for next month.... The trouble is I've started too many things at once, I've started another shoulder bag from Ikea fabric, another peg bag (more Makower fabric), cut out fabric for two quilts (one is going to be a patchwork from cream and pink floral fabrics and the other is seaside fabrics, pebbles, boats etc I can't wait to finish that one!) and I've still got the lilac heart duvet cover/rag quilt to finish from last year yet! Oh and I've made seven more Morsbags as well this month,which now takes my total to 88!
Shoulder bag no 8 - which I started last year, it's made from cream fabric and some lovely floral fabric, but it's not really turned out how I imagined it would and I've stitched the button loop on the back instead of the front, oops! At least I've managed to stitch the lining in without too many problems, you can't see it very well from these photo's but the lining is a rust colour, the same as the flowers.
Hopefully spring is just around the corner so I've made my second peg-bag of the year. I just had enough left over from my Mum's rag quilt to make a patchwork peg-bag using this lovely garden design fabric from Makower.

I'll be updating my Etsy shop shortly as both items are for sale.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back next month....

Josie x

Last weekend and this weekend....Updated

Edit: scroll down for updated info and pics from the Pontefract Festival...

.................................................................................

Last weekend hubby had a long weekend....

Thursday : we went to visit his dad and step-mother, they live at the coast and we were directed by the sat-nav (personally I hate the damn thing, give me a road map anyday and yes I'm a woman who can read a road map!)

Last month when we visited the sat-nav took us the shortest route and we ended up going down something that looked like a farmers dirt track so I can understand how some drivers follow the sat nag and end up in a river! At the time I did the nagging wife bit and said " are you sure this is the right way?" but hubby was adamant that it was the right way after all men are never wrong when it comes to directions are they? so this month hubby programmed in the quickest route, took us over 3 hours to get there! We were too late for our fish and chip tea at a favourite cafe so we ended up going to a local pub instead and the meal was just as good! Afterwards we had a stroll along the beach as the in-laws live literally five minutes walk from the beach then back to the house for tea and cakes, it was good to sit and have a chat, we set off back , finally getting home at 2am thanks to the sat nav!

Friday: we went to Holmfirth in the afternoon after staying in most of the day waiting for my blog book to be delivered and its great, 132 pages all about my blog, my sewing and recycling, well worth the £20 I paid. ( The book was published using Blurb.com - there is a link on the sidebar on the left)

We had some anniversary money left from my mum so on the way we called into a favourite farm shop and bought an home made meat and potatoe pie and some home made buns as well.

I had the rest of my birthday money to spend so I went to my favourite shop, the Linen Cupboard and finally bought a quilt, it was reduced from £55 to £35...... I have already got the matching pillowcases from a previous visit. The quilt is just beautiful, all thick and fluffy, here is Kitt inspecting it for softness!

Saturday: we went to Waddington Air Show, it was the first time I'd been and I really enjoyed it, but the weather was very hot walking round all day. the flying displays started at 10am and lasted most of the day, the best part for me was between 12-1pm, the red arrows were flying! I've only ever seen them on dvd's hubby has bought of Waddington so to see them for real was brilliant!. Then we looked round the hangers and met Vic Hallam, he is the man who wrote books about Derwent Dam ( remember that's where me hubby had our wedding pics taken) he was very friendly and we bought two dvd's from him. We looked round some more, had something else to eat, watched some more flying displays then made our way back to the car park, luckily we didn't get stuck in a traffic jam on the way out like we did on the way in. We really enjoyed going.

Sunday: we started gardening but it started raining so we decided to have a lazy day in after a busy weekend.

This weekend, I will be going to the Pontefract Liquorice Festival on sunday where Morsbags are giving bags away, here are just some of the 40 I've made so far. That's why I've bought a new quilt as I've cut up two duvets covers and some old pillowcases!

Have a good weekend.

Update sunday: eventually arrived at Pontefract for about 3pm, hubby had been working in the morning and was running late, well he is a bus driver! met four other Morsbaggers for the first time, it was nice to meet them, really friendly, altogether including my bags a total of 305 bags were given out during the day! People just cannot believe we give cloth bags away for FREE!

Me with armfuls of bags bagging some of the public at Pontefract - my 40 bags are the last of about 300 bags given away! photo courtesy of http://www.morsbags.com/

Josie x

ps) no more nocturnal activities as yet from the nutty neighbours!

This weeks sewing.....

Well I've just made a dent in my fabric stash this week, I've just made nine Morsbags towards the Pontefract Festival in July. I've recycled two pillowcases and a 10p valance ( green patchwork) I bought last year from Dunelm.

and today I've just finished this month's Peg Bag, which also includes a matching carrier bag holder. This lovely set is now on sale in my Folksy shop.

Josie x

This weeks sewing.....

This month's pegbag, which I have just finished and is now on sale in my Folksy shop.

...........

I have also making some progress on the patchwork duvet cover I am making, approx 330 squares to cut out and sew together.

The pile on the right is the curtains I bought for 50p from ebay.

I was inspired by a patchwork pattern called 'Just Charming' from Bunny Hill Designs. The patchwork sizes on the pattern are 1 and 3/4 inches so I thought it would be one of those projects I would start and not finish so my size patches are 5" squares.

All the lilac heart shapes are hand-stitched onto the white squares using blanket stitch, all 100 of them, just 90 to go!

I tried sewing them by machine but the material was just puckering and didn't look right.

I am also making another Morsbag ( no 32), I have bought the fabric specially as it is for a birthday present as they like music, there is just enough to make two fabric flowers as a finishing touch to the bag.

I have also been asked to make some kitchen seat covers, they've let me choose the fabric, the spec was "colourful" so I've chosen this fabric called 'Aster', so I hope they like it!

I bought it from Sew Creative , there is just so much gorgeous fabric on sale and I had a telephone call from the owner Sylvia to confirm my order which arrived the next day! I would recommend this website and if you live in Norfolk, I would recommend a visit, me and my mum visited the shop last year on holiday - March 2008 , lovely fabrics and kits, a perfect sewing shop.

Josie x

One Project A Month - April

One Project A Month - this is what I've made this month. Yet another Morsbag, this is no 31, which is made from leftover curtain lining and a fat quarter of fabric I bought last year on ebay....All round the hearts has been hand-stitched with blanket stitch in a contrasting blue thread, which took me about three days in total, picking it up and sewing a bit more when I felt like it. I have some more blue fabric left, so I've already started making a peg-bag. Edit: now for sale in my Folksy shop. (If you want to see the other 30 bags I've made, look on my Flickr album.

Also I have just started to cut out over 200 five inch patches to sew together to make a patchwork double duvet cover, I think this is something I will finish this time as it is a mixture of lovely colours, lilac hearts (using the script tie-backs on the left) on a white background cut from the 10p tie-backs I bought from Dunelm's bargain box last year... also I've cut up some curtains my father-in-law bought me and hubby for our bedroom years ago which is lilac patchwork print fabric (bottom left and right) , the fabric in the middle at the top is some I've had since making a peg-bag in 2006 and I'm hoping to make two pillowcases to match as well!

But I'm not sure I will have enough fabric so I've bought these 66" x 72" curtains from eBay for just 50p so I won't have an excuse not to finish it!
Josie x

Happy Blogiversary!

Happy blogiversary, where has a whole year gone? and with it I've had the ups and downs of family life, making new things, recycling old things and making new friends along the way.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my blog and leave comments. I'm going to do a giveaway.

Q) As you know I make Morsbags, so how many have I made up to now?

Oh and don't forget to include this one in your total as well. A completely recycled bag made for the Morsbags valentine competition. I used scraps of fabric to make the 'heart' petals of the flowers and leaves, the cream fabric is old curtain lining.

The prize will be Issue 4 or issue 5) of Sew Hip magazine (or Sewing World or Popular Patchwork, if you already have this issue) and other goodies as well, the competition will be open until the end of February, the winner will be chosen on 1st March, so good luck!

Josie x

ps) there is a clue somewhere in the blog! so you will have to read it all!

Christmas - the presents

I've finally sold something, someone asked me to make a sewing machine cover with a matching pin cushion specially for them..... and I've sold some stuff on eBay, so with a budget of £26 ( to buy pressies for three people!), I'm off to the Charity shops next week, to look for some cups and saucers to make these.....
This is an idea from Niki @ Nostalgia At The Stonehouse
http://nostalgiaatthestonehouse.blogspot.com/2007/11/tea-time-treats.html but instead of cotton hankies, I've bought some nice floral paper hankies. (I've already used the cotton hankies somewhere else!)

I've already bought some books from Amazon and chocs from Tesco and I've made another Morsbag for my Mum, the embroidery which I've appliqued on is from a tray cloth and the cream fabric is some old stairs curtains. I'll post pics when the camera is working again.

If you need more inspiration for Christmas on a budget, Martin Lewis's website has lots of "Festive Fivers" ideas http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/festive-fivers

Here's a photo of Kitt Cat wanting to know where her food is....as we had just eaten a home-made vegetable curry (recipie somewhere on blog)

Josie x

this weeks sewing.....

24th October 2008

Well I've just finished Morsbag No 9 , this is going to be a christmas pressie for my mum. The beige fabric is an old pillowcase and the new fabric is Cho Cho Sampomichi, from a pack of five fat quarters, which I bought when we on holiday in Norfolk earlier this year.

I've also finished this sewing machine cover, applique hearts of Rosali fabric, floral, spot and gingham, finished off with flower buttons, generously sized at H = 13" inches, W = 16" inches and D = 6" inches, this is for sale in my Etsy shop prices at £10 plus P+P. (sold - thank you)

Current WIP are :

• back of the denim button peg bag
• 4 cushion covers and two pillowcases from the Dorma fabric
• and the Button berry bag from ages ago, I just can't seem to get motivated to finish that, I think it's because it means sewing small pieces of fabric and it's a new pattern.


• Morsbag no 10 and 11 and .......

....well I'm off to try and finish something, so I hope you all have a good weekend.

Update: Finished the back of the button peg bag .....and also made Morsbag No 10, the fabric is also from the fat quarter pack and there are also three applique flowers on the other side.

and Morsbag No 11, ( three hearts) I think these fabric bags are much nicer than boring plastic bags and you can wash them!

Josie x