Another bag finished.

Hurray, I've just finished this bag for my friend's 40th birthday.

The last three bags I've made have been basically the same design so I think it's time to try a different design next time. This is my own design and I think I may try a bought pattern next.

As you know the title of my blog is sew love to sew and I have been thinking about how true this is. Wouldn't it be terrible to not have a hobby to loose yourself in?

I went into my sewing room yesterday, picked up the project I was working on and felt a rush of joy and exitement at the thought of some sewing time. I just love the textures, colours and the satisfation of creating.

A non-sewing friend asked what I'd been doing one day. She looked at me as if I was bonkers when I told her that I'd been sewing, but I'm so grateful to have a hobby which I love sew much!

So what's next? I'm planning to make a couple of charity quilts for project Linus. A few years ago I made and sold fabric gifts for children and I have quite a lot of children's fabric left so I thought charity quilts would be a good way of using some of it up.

I also have a small amount of the Amy Butler fabric I used for the table runner left. I thought I'd make a small wall hanging with it to go in the dining room to match the runner. Just got to come up with an idea for what design to use.

Bye for now, Maria

Table Runner.

Hi, In my last post I showed the placemat I made in these beautiful, fresh Amy Butler fabrics. Well, I've just finished this table runner to go with it. And although I say it myself I think it's great! It's only a short table runner so hasn't run very far - ha ha.

I did some what I call twirly quilting on it. It looks fine on the front but the stitches don't catch properly on the back. This is ok for somthing like this or a wall hanging but I want to quilt a bed quilt with free motion quilting and the stitches need to be good on the back and front. Well this leads to the fact that I need (want) a new machine! I have decided that it has to be a Bernina so I now have to save up some pennies to pay for one. I'm even doing some extra shifts at work to earn the money - I must be desperate!

Below is a preview of the bag I'm making for my friend's 40th birthday pressie. I love those purple batik fabrics. I need to give it to her on Tuesday or maybe Wednesday and as usual I will be rushing to finish it in time. Why do I always do that?

Bye for now, Maria.

My new placemat

This is the first item I've made in 2009. It was good to start with something quick to get me back in the swing. I needed the instant gratification!

The placemat was made from fabric from Amy Butler's Midwest Modern range. I used the pattern given to me by my partner Marie from Linda's bag swap.



I was planning to make a full set but decided to make a table runner to match and I haven't enough fabric for both. Our dining table is now rather scruffy so I now keep a cloth on it and the mat looks lovely in the centre with this glass bowl on top.

Here is the side board on which I plan to put the table runner. It is looking rather bare as it is, mind you it is often the home to mail and other junk but I'm trying to keep it tidier. Not easy in this house.

I can't decide what pattern to do the table runner in. Must hurry up and make a decision soon though as I'd like to start it today. I have a HUGE pile of post Christmas ironing to catch up with though and it's staring at me in my sewing room.



Bye for now, Maria.

The last of the christmas sewing.

Hi, I hope you all had a great Christmas. We had a fairly quiet family time. I had to work christmas night but at least I had the whole day at home. We went to Norfolk to stay with my parents for a few days between christmas and new year, it was great to have someone else do the cooking for a while!

This is the bag I made Mum for christmas. I was very pleased with how it turned out. I used a stiffer interlining than I've used before and put in a special stiff base in the bottom. It stands up on its own well. I didn't finish it until about midnight on the night before christmas eve.

Mum showed it to some of her friends who all loved it which does the ego good. I'd quite like to have an etsy shop to sell some in but as I have to pay full price for the materials I'm not sure the profit margin would be high enough to make it worth while.

Below is the last of the cushions I made as christmas pressies. It's not really my colours but the young lady I made it for has a black and grey bedroom so hopefully she will like it. ( she hasn't received it yet - I won't bore you with the details)


I haven't done any sewing since I finished the bag before christmas and am ready to get going again. I'm planning to make a couple of charity quilts but think it's time to do something for myself first!

Bye for now, Maria.