Keeping track of battery chargers

Like every household we have several battery chargers, looking similar but not exactly the same.  This can be irritating if my husband and I grab the wrong charger. Keeping track of 'His' and 'Hers' chargers is a nuisance so  at the weekend I decided to make 2 drawstring bags using Pink Penguin's excellent tutorial.

The tutorial is straightforward to follow, especially as she has lots of photographs showing each stage very clearly.  I made them in different colourways, a more girly one with pinks for me and a more masculine one ( black, green and blue) for my husband.

So now we should have no problem keeping our battery chargers safely. I think the bags will also be very useful when we go away as it should speed up the packing   Instead of hunting in drawers for various chargers, they will be together in their little bags ready to go!

 

 

They didn't take long to make especially as I used already cut 2.5" squares from my stash. I keep all my smaller pieces of fabric together so it only took a moment to find suitable fabric for the linings and casings. After I had cut the lining and casing pieces I had some scraps left over and I straightaway cut a few 2.5", 3" and 1.5" squares for my stash.

 

I keep pieces of ribbon too and I was able to find suitable lengths in my Ribbon Box and, of course buttons from my large Button stash!

 

Nothing is wasted in this house!  Bagged squares are much easier to store than irregular sized scraps which end up creased up and neglected.  I thoroughly recommend cutting up your scraps at the end of each project.  That way it's not a daunting task and your cut squares stash keeps growing.

Another Crochet baby blanket finished

I have now finished a second crocheted baby blanket, this time using stronger "boy" colours.

I'm pleased with it. This one is a little larger than the first one I made as I think I had more links in the chain - 81 this time. I couldn't remember how many I had in the first one.  It's s nice size, measuring 25" x 31", and I like the colours I used.  A few of them are the same as I had in the first blanket but I didn't use the mauve and the pinks, adding a burgundy, a cream and a bright lime green to make it more suitable for a boy.

Here it is:

 

 

And a Close up of the stitches and stripe colours:

 

 

 

This blanket is waiting with the girly version to see which will be needed for the new baby expected any day now.

Hash Tags blocks for Sydney

I have just mailed 4 blocks for the wonderful project Molli Sparkles is running.  He is hoping to have enough blocks made so that he can make quilts for the families of victims in the Sydney Café Siege.


Click on sewing for Sydney to find out all the details.

The blocks are easy to make and don't take long to complete.

Here are mine, already winging their way to Australia:

Hope you can manage to make a couple of blocks too.

Granny Stripe crochet baby blanket

I haven't done any crochet for almost five years but I avidly follow Attic24's blog. I love Lucy's vibrant use of colour in everything she makes - it makes my mouth water.

One of my Patchwork friends Sarah is also an Attic24 follower and she took the plunge a while ago to make some stripey blankets, firstly based on Lucy's pattern and then on another idea she saw on the Little Woollie blog.  Sarah and I both love Lucy's Ripple Blanket and have desperately tried to follow the pattern, Sarah more successfully than me.  I was so disappointed - I really dislike things beating me!  Then Sarah suggested I tried the Granny Stripe pattern from Lucy's blog as she thought I would be able to manage that one.

So I have.  And I'm thrilled.  I decided to try a sensible size to start with and not throw myself in at the deep end with a full sized blanket.  I have had great pleasure in making a baby sized blanket.  With the edging it measures 22" x 27" which will be a nice size for a new baby.  One of our cousin's daughters is expecting a baby on New Year's Day so if Helen has a girl, this woolly blanket will be gifted as well as a quilt.

Ta dah!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

I  am so pleased with this blanket I have started another one in "boy colours" in case Helen has a little boy.  I have been confined to the house for the past few days because I have a horrid cold so in between spells of  resting in bed I have hooked away, enjoying watching the stripes grow.

 

Stay tuned for another finish.......................  eventually.  There is Christmas coming up after all.

 

In the meantime I am off to sew handles onto the two patchwork bags I have made.  These have to be handed over tomorrow as I am meeting up with my sister for a present swap.  The bags are for two of her grandchildren.

 

 

 

Little gifts for Christmas

I have finished two little gifts for Christmas: little needlecases which have an appliqued strawberry on the front and small patchwork squares on the back.

Here they are:

 

For this one I chose a fabric with small cherries as the background for the strawberry. Added a small pair of scissors.  This is my Secret Santa gift for my patchwork group.  We are meeting again on Thursday morning and the Secret Santa will take place then.

 

This one has a Vintage look to it and I have added a cute owl decorated tape measure. This is for a friend and now has to be wrapped ready for posting.

I love these little needlecases which are based on a pattern by Nanacompany.  I have made several in the last couple of years and all have been well received.

I love the patchwork backs, made from 1.5" squares so good for using up tiny scraps of fabric.

So, two gifts finished but I am still trying to complete the two bags I am making. Still lots to do there!