Creative Block

Cool! Check out my feature spot on the topic of creative block in this month's issue of Craftseller Magazine :o)

Hot-steppin'

My sister is preggers, big time. Whilst eagerly awaiting the now-fashionably-late little miss, she has not allowed herself to grow idle. She's used the opportunity to really get her craft on, with some impressive results.

Check out these funky booties she's crafted to make sure her bub steps out in style - amazing! Following a pattern from Mollie Makes Magazine, she whipped these up using felt, fleece and some serious embroidery technique. So clever!

We've been enjoying the recent London heatwave with some balcony action. After the long climb up my three flights of stairs, Sis got the star treatment (propped with cushions, feet on stool, fan a-blasting, icy lemonade...) but that was nothing compared to the treat I got when she pulled these out of the box to show me.

Well done Kim!

 So come on baby, what are you waiting for? You've got some serious hot-steppin' to do!

Sad Happiness?

Is it really sad that the highlight of my day was receiving a package of fabrics in the mail? I was so happy I thanked the postman profusely, to which he replied, "Lady, it's what I'm paid for".

Undeterred, I sprawled a signature on his electronic thingie and rushed upstairs to behold this understated beauty:

First peeks:

And behold!

checked, black, leopard 

red lycra, navy, retro yellow stripes

vanilla, mocha with black stripes

sandstone, tribal, cranberry

stack of amazingness

this is what amazingness looks like close up

love

The endless possibilities! The mint and teal ones at the top of this last stack I actually got from my local craft shop yesterday. Here's what I made from them last night.

Check back soon to see what I make with the other fabrics - I'm especially excited about that tribal one! 

Love Leanne xx

By the way, this is what the laundry/sweatshop looks like behind the scenes...

Fabric drying inside

Fabric drying outside

Oops, I didn't tidy up, no magazine showrooms here ;o)

iMake Interview

A very big thanks to Martine from iMake for featuring me on her lovely blog :o) Martine is very crafty Guernsey gal and her blog really is a treasure trove of all things handmade and craft related, including photography and cookery as well! So go over and check it out! You can read the full Chi Chi Dee Handmade interview here.

Bye-e! Love Leanne xx

Monday Makes: Kindle Cover

Hello Monday! Today's post is especially for the lovely Lauren, my Crafternoon pal, who has just got herself a new Kindle and needs some inspiration for a cover. Hope this helps :o)


For this 'Make' you'll need:

About one fat quarter of fabric for the outside
About one fat quarter of fabric for the lining
About one fat quarter of wadding (batting)
(You won't actually need all of that fabric but it's better to have a bit more than you need, just in case. You can always use the excess fabric to make another cover for a friend...)
A button
Usual sewing bits and bobs like pins, needles, thread, scissors, a ruler, a pencil, paper/card for your pattern template, a sewing machine, an iron, a rotary cutter and cutting mat (last two are optional)


Process:

Start by measuring your Kindle. You can simply trace around it with a pencil onto some paper or card. Next add a 2.5cm/1" border around your shape for seam allowance. I like to keep the top edge straight and curve the bottom corners. This is what my template looks like (the yellow one)...

I don't actually own a Kindle so I had to improvise with some thick cardboard! 

Use this template to cut 2 pieces of outer fabric, 2 pieces of lining fabric and 2 pieces of wadding.

This is an upcycled shirt

Let's make our loop. Cut a small rectangle of the outer fabric. Mine measures 4x14cm. This is where it helps to use a cutting mat and rotary cutter, but scissors will do the trick too.

Fold the piece lengthways and press with your iron. 

Fold the raw edges into the centre crease and press again.

Fold that whole sanwich in half and press again. Take to your sewing machine and run a straight stitch as close to the edge as possible.

Put the strip to one side for now.

Next take your two outer fabric pieces and lay them on top of your wadding pieces. Smooth out any wrinkles and pin the corners. 

You're going to run a straight stitch around the perimeter to baste the fabric to the wadding. Try to keep things as close to the edge as possible. This stitching is purely functional, it just makes it easier to assemble the cover. The stitching will disappear into a seam later on so it doesn't need to look perfect. 

Grab that strip you made for your loop earlier. Find the centre point at the top of one of your fabric/wadding pieces and pin the strip there like so:

Use your ruler to check it's centred. By the way, this piece will become the back of the cover.

Make sure your pins aren't too close to the edge as you're going to sew that seam in a minute...

Now lay your lining piece on top, good side down. Do the same with the other pieces that are going to make up the front of the cover and pin in place if you need to.

Run a straight stitch across the top of both of those sandwiches, using the side of your presser foot as the guide. Sew a zig zag stitch close to the straight stitch to fix the raw edges. 

Neatly clip the seam close to those stitches.

Press the seams open. With the pieces still open, lay one on top of the other, good sides facing.

Have a peek to make sure your seams match.

Pin everything in place

Sew a straight stitch all the way around the perimeter, starting at the lining bottom and leaving a big enough gap to be able to turn the whole thing right side out.

My gap is about 8cm / 3"

Turn the whole cover right side out and press. Hand sew the opening closed with a whip stitch.

Push the lining inside the case and sew a top stitch around the opening, using the edge of your presser foot as the guide.

Almost finished! Just need to attach that button. Flip the loop down to see where you need to position the button. Make sure that point is an equal distance from either side of the cover. Hand sew the button to the case. Double up your thread to speed up the process. Knot securely.

And you've finished! Well done :o) 

See you next week for another 'Monday Make'. Byeeeeee! 

Love Leanne xx

Chi Chi Dee Handmade