Tutorial: Gift Tags

Welcome to our last week of Sip Tea and EPP Sew Along! It's been a wonderful adventure that we shared with Irina @nordiccrafter and all of you who joined us by sewing with us, leaving comments on our posts and simply liking our work. Thank you so very much!

Today I would like to share with you the way I make gift tags. A small gift tag can add a lot of charm and love to any gift. Once you see how easy it is to make the base for your gift tag, you would want to create tags not only for Christmas, but for any special occasion. So gather your scraps and let's get crafty!

Work in Progress

It's been a while since I posted anything about my current works in progress. As always, I have quite a few small things going on at the same time that I switch between depending on my mood and the time I have available for sewing. Some of the projects have been planned, some are simply a spur-of-the-moment decisions, just like the project below. I came across that little scrap of Belle and Boo fabric (I keep a small basket on the desk where I put some of the precious scraps). I pulled a few more floral scraps and got lost in playing around with pretty fabrics and buttons. It did not take long for a vague idea to form and I can say that now it's finished. Something quite cute that I will be sad to part with. Pinks, florals and cute buttons. I cannot wait to show it to you.

Mice Invasion

I am not kidding... They invaded all my sewing nook, they took up my time, they messed up some of the pretty fabrics. It was so bad that they even nibbled on some of the felt that was meant for a soft toy I was making for my Little One! These mice were so sneaky and cheeky, but I have to admit they are super cute.

ATC Posting Week

Oh my! I can't believe that I left it till almost the very last minute this time around. So much planning, organising, thinking through, sketching, but still only two nights ago I managed to finish this Artist Trading Card.

Four Little Coasters

Finally I finished these four floral coasters that I started after the holidays, but planned to make last year. The tiny squares with fruit and vegetables were made while I was practicing free motion machine embroidery which was a lot of fun. A few of the squares I have already turned in to different things, but for these four I only now found the time. Don't we all need more time?

It's ATC Time Again!

I am very excited about this round of Artist Trading Card swap at VeryBerryHandmade. Firstly because I love the theme "Winter Comforts". I can just imagine how cute and cozy all the cards are going to be. And secondly because I am being one of the guest bloggers at Ali's blog that I really enjoy to visit regularly.

If you would like to have a sneak peek at some more photos and read about my work in progress, head to straight to VeryBerryHandmade. Have a wonderful day! Larisa xox

One Idea Leads to Another

A small piece of linen, tiny fabric scraps and a sewing machine. I was trying out an idea for an envelope but ended up with something completely different. This embroidery/applique is based on one of the sketches from the Hedgehogs series. I just wanted to see how it would look like done on the machine. Once the piece was finished, it was too small because it was just a test, but I felt really sorry to throw it away. I had to use it somehow.

Cooking Notes

Do you like cooking or baking? I do. Very much so, especially when I have spare time and the weather is cool. I am always on a lookout for some new quick and easy recipes and new ideas. I tend to bring home a new recipe from places we travel to. Just like the one for muffins (they are truly the best!) I pulled from a local Queenstown newspaper three years ago when we went skiing there.

A Test Run

Remember my practice in free motion stitching? Those tiny pictures? Well, I turned a few of them into something small, very simple and as always very easy to make. Key rings with reverse applique.

Pretty Houses

Come wander with me along this colourful street. A street full of pretty cozy houses with chimneys and street lanterns, with window sill flower boxes, with bright attics, flower pots and even cats.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

That's the only way to get better at what you are doing. So today I have been busy doing exactly that. I really like free motion stitching but my hands are not steady enough for this type of "drawing" on fabric. So I've decided to practice a bit. Make something quite small.

A Little Bit of Warmth and Lavender

I can't believe how long it took me to finish this small project. Not the actual time of working on it but the time to get started. I was distracted with too many things lately - ideas, plans, projects and even unexpected gifts that caused even more pleasant distractions. But right now I am glad that finally I managed to find a couple of hours to complete these cute heat packs while watching an old movie.

The heat packs will make a lovely gift. They are filled with beautifully scented lavender flowers, buckwheat and barley. I love the scent of lavender. It's refreshing and soothing at the same time, it's sweet and slightly spicy, fruity and floral. Have you ever received a heat pack as a gift? I have and I really enjoyed it on cold winter nights and as a relieve for my sore back.

These bags are small, about 19cm by 11cm. I used free motion machine stitching for the plants and added just a few hand stitches to give a bit of colour to the flowers. I could not stay away from my favourite running stitch that goes around all edges in a lovely deep green shade.

It all started with a drawing of Plantago and Clover. Beautiful plants that you can find almost anywhere in the world. They always fill me with sweet childhood memories. I did not know where these sketches would end up, I just took one step at a time while enjoying the process of sketching, stitching and sewing. But I am happy with where Plantago and Clover are now. Have a wonderful creative day!

Funky, Wonky, Crazy Cat

... with a red tummy.

Here is a different style of a Funky, Wonky, Crazy Cat Lunch/Snack Bag. An applique for the tummy has been added for a splash of colour as requested by my son. To give this bag a more structured shape, a topstitch has been added to all side and bottom edges.

The flap is stitched on on the front of the bag and closes on the back with a prong snap. Note to Self: I might use a magnetic fastener next time, it would be much easier to close and open the bag. I really like them more than any other type of snaps and on top of that I have a whole bag full of them. I am off to work on something exciting. Have a wonderful weekend!

Adorable, Funky, Wonky, Crazy Cat

A long time ago, when my Not So Little Boy was really Little, he made a drawing of a cat that he called simply "My Cat". No, we didn't have a cat and he never wanted to have one but in his imaginary world it was his cat. Absolutely adorable, funky, wonky, crazy cat that I simply fell in love with from the first sight.

We always talked about making t-shirts for all of us with a print of this cat but we never managed to do that. But yesterday morning I had an idea - why not stitch a smaller version of this cat on something? Not thinking for too long, I scanned the drawing, made it smaller, transferred on calico and got lost for a while in a soothing noise of my sewing machine. A few minutes later the cat was ready. According to my Not So Little Boy, it looked messy but cute. Phew!

While admiring my creation, another idea entered my already excited mind - I was going to turn it into a lunch bag but not any bag. A bag inspired by a brown paper bag. That sounds a bit strange, I know. A few sketches, some calculations, cutting, pinning, sewing, a bit of giggling, more sewing, hammering, finger whacking and this is what I ended up with.  A cute small bag with two snaps at the top.

Now, looking at this bag, I already have a few more ideas; different styles that might work quite well.

Sing a Rainbow

Red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue... Which one is your favourite? Out of all the colours here, green, purple and orange really stand out for me. This is a tiny quilted wall hanging that can be used as a placemat as well - perfect for an afternoon cup of tea with a friend.

I like the happy colour combination and how the running writing around the flower turned out, and the way the binding accentuates the colours of petals. For this quilt I used a straight edge binding.

It still surprises me that while I am working on a project, everything seems fine but once it's finished, I see quite a few things that I wish I had done differently. I suppose it's an avoidable part of a hands-on learning experience. You can't perfect your technique if you don't experiment, if you don't try various ways of creating things. I believe there's always room for improvement and that's what makes it so enjoyable. 

Framed Applique: A Girl Went Walking

A little girl goes for a walk on a sunny autumn or maybe spring day. It's not raining and it's not cold but she loves her new red gumboots and a matching beret, she has to wear them no matter what. She just likes walking around the neighbourhood on her own. It does not matter if the sun is out or if it's raining, there are things to see and explore around.

Here is one more raw edge applique that was done a while ago but was not photographed at the time. The hand stitching of the walking girl with some applique elements was ment for a fabric envelope at first but the piece of fabric was cut too small for the envelope. Then I thought of using it for a bookmark but the girl ended up here instead. The houses were done with free motion machine stitching. If you are interested, you can see the same houses done by hand here.

Work in Progress: Free Motion Machine Stitching

Have you seen my sketches of Clover and Plantago on the Sketches page? Well, I am using them for this quick and easy project. It's a fun way (even addictive I have to say) to practice my newly acquired skill of free motion machine stitching and, yet again, to use up some of the small cuts of fabric.

Using calico and black thread I "sketched" my pictures with ease. It did not take any time at all, and I like the fact that it looks a bit messy compared to hand stitching. I do not have a special free motion foot for my machine and I do not use a hoop or gloves for stitching but still that does not stop me. I just have to be careful and watch my fingers while "sketching".

You must be wondering what is it going to be. Well, you have to wait for a while to see the final result. It won't take long if I manage to find some free time of course.