OPAM January 2020

I really enjoyed getting started on this year seasonal gift projects.  I am planning to make at least one item for the 'end of year season'.  For some crafters it is tooooooo early to mention the word Christmas.

Not me, I am getting an early start with this Santa Wine Bottle Topper.  These are very popular on Instagram.

Everyone needs a key fob.  It is a great way to using up all my scraps. I will probably make a whole bunch off these key fobs for my Etsy shop and well as for my gift box.  It is always handy to have a few items made in the gift box for unexpected birthday or celebrations.

I have already started cutting out February's seasonal gift.  See you next month....

Travel Tissue Cover

I have made hundreds of travel tissue cover over the years. They are easy and quick to make plus they sell well at craft fairs. These are what I call 'pocket change' sales.

I have been playing with a new design for the tissue cover. Again this new cover is a quick and very easy to stitch.

I am gong to tweak the measurements to decrease the aperture a bit. Other than a bit of tweaking, I am happy with the new cover.

New Year, New Quilt..

I have been designing a new quilt to teach at my classes. Jan - June all the blocks are pieced and July to Dec the blocks are appliqué.

I am using a fat quarter bundle that I have had for several year now. There are about twelve fat quarters. They are not my usual colours or tones but as I am trying to reduce my enormous stash.

The blocks are all six inches.  So I am going to have to make lots of blocks to use all the fabric. I love working on small blocks but I know it is going to be a challenge for some of the ladies.

Would you like to see some the finished blocks made by my lovely ladies...

Gifts

I purchased this PVC fabric some time ago with the intention of making several of nieces some bags. It was a discontinued fabric at Dunelm Mill shop. As it is a Disney license fabric I cannot make items to sell on my Etsy shop. When I purchased the fabric, I thought my young nieces would like it as it is 'Frozen Princess'.  All my nieces are princess.

PVC can be difficult to machine stitch without the correct foot.  I use a teflon foot.  They are not a standard foot that usually come with your machine.  But it well worth investing in a teflon foot.  I use it to stitch not only PVC but also faux leather.  Remember to also increase your stitch length and insert a larger size needle.  I refer to use a 90/14 universal needle.

These two shopper bags were made for my youngest twin girls nieces. I am making bags for the other girls. 

The metre of fabric cost £4 and will be able to make about six bags. The shopper bags are the largest bags.  I will upload photos of the other bags when I have finished them. 

My Words for the Year.

A new month, new year and new decade.  The 'roaring twenties' has arrived.

Today is the first blank page of a 365 page book.  Write a good one.

Brad Paisley

A new adventure that I have learnt from the past 365 days.  Life and dreams are the pages of the same book. Every day is a new adventure. 

The last year and decade has disappeared so fast.  I am not sure where they went but I always love a fresh start.

So here is too the 'roaring twenties'.....