Hanmade in Cornwall

Hanmade in Cornwall

Friday 30 November 2012

Hanmade Advent Calender

Here it is!
I am really pleased how this turned out. And am looking forward to enjoying it this year with our daughter.
Each number is a pocket and in the pocket will be a mix of christmasy things that we will get up to or a small chocolate!
 
So lets get started....
 
Get together;
 2 pieces of fabric for the front and back
scrap pieces of fabric for the numbers and pockets
ribbon
embroidery thread
wooden rod
 
I printed out numbers 0-9 on card and cut them out. Then draw around them the wrong way round onto fabric and cut them out. This took abit of time, but worth it.
Cut out 25 small pieces of squared fabric.
Start arranging the numbers onto your squares. I didn't always put them into them in the centre. Sew into place - this is where you can start getting creative and use different stitches hand or machine.
Have fun with this bit!
 

Use different embellishments on the pockets; ribbons, buttons, lace etc
Arrange them into place on your bacjing fabric.
Cut out 25 white squared fabric. These will be the back of your pockets.
Place them facing each other, pin in place.
Sew around the edges leaving a small gap at the bottom. trim the corners. Then turn the right way round. Use closed scissors to push out the corners. Press.
They look so cute!
Push the opening inside and press.
Lay them ironed out onto your fabric.
 
Pin them into place. Make sure you leave space inbetween the pockets to the sides and below and above to be able to use the pockets.
Sew around the sides and botton leaving the top part open. Pay extra attention to the bottom part where the gap is. Make sure you sew close to the edge.
Next part is the embroidered stitching at the top.
Print out the words you want from your computer. making sure they aren't too big! Make sure they are a good thickness so you can see them through the fabric.
Put the words onto a windor/ door and stick the fabric over the top in the right place.
Copy the words onto the fabric. This worked really well.
Then use a back stitch onto the words.
This looks really good and fun to do.
 I put 4 red ribbons in the top to loop some wood dowl rod through.
So cut 4 pieces of ribbon.
Measure them into place onto the top part of the the fabric, equal space between them. 
Put the backing fabric and put over the top (so the fabrics are inside out)
Pin the fabric paying attention to where the ribbon is.
Sew around the edges of the whole piece of fabric leaving a gap in the bottom.
 
The picture above is the fabric turned inside out stitched all around with the small gap in the bottom.
Then turn it round the right way.
Press all the edges.
Pin closed the gap.
I then put a red thread into my machine.
Stitch all the way round of the calender. this gives a nice border but importantly closes the opening at the bottom.
 
Attach a wooden rod for the top.
 
A close up look at the pockets.
 
 
 
 
Some of the stitched numbers.
 
Now that it is made you need to put some nice things into the pockets...
I made some small cards/ tags and wrote some activities that we might do;
*make some ginger bread men and decorate
*go and see the christmas lights
*go to chirstmas party
*make some christmas decorations with friends
*wrap some christmas presents
*potato print some christmas cards for friends
*put up the christmas tree
and the list goes on, be as creative as you can depending on the age of the person who will take the tags out.
I also put a few chocolate coins in every now and again.
 
 
And its DONE!
Hooray!
I hope you enjoyed reading this.
I had fun making it, I think it looks good.
I hope you are inspired to make one too.
Have fun!
 
 * Happy December!! *
 

Hanmade scrapbook pages

I have been making a small scrapbook of our year for someone special for Christmas. I was really pleased how it came out.
I thought you might like to see some of the pages.
 
 
 
The bottom one is quite simple but I like the effect, especially with the red border.
 
I love the use of the doilli - what do you think? And splitting one picture into four?
 

Thursday 29 November 2012

Hanmade Christmas Crafts on Pinterest

I hope you have enjoyed looking through some of my Christmasy projects.
I will be posting up some more ideas, but in the mean time why don't you check out my Christmas Craft board on Pinterest, go here.
 
 
In the next few days watch out for my Hanmade advent calender, I can't wait to show it to you!

Paper Christmas ideas

Check out below lots of Paper ideas to make for christmas, including; wrapping presents, reindeer cards, 3D cards, window hangings, ornaments and a printable.
Wow so much to choose from!
Enjoy browsing!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Christmas decorations

 Its not that far away and there is always time to do some decorating!
Below are a few crafty ideas for your home either using fabric or paper. I hope you get inspired, I have chosen some really lovely things and want them to be as varied as possible to help get your crafty juices going!
Click on the images to enlarge, have fun!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday 22 November 2012

Hanmade fabric tags

Good afternoon!
I love this little project, it is so cute, very simple to make especially if you have some small fabric scraps that you want to use.
So here we go, lets get started! Click on the images to enlarge them.
 
Make some templates, I made a tag template and a heart one for my appliqued design.
Cut your fabric out from the tag template.
Cut out 2, one for the front and back.
 
Cut out some small fabric lengths and stitch them together, I sticthed them by overlapping the edges together.
When you have a large enough fabric area, bigger than your heart, use your template and cut a heart shape out of the fabric lines.
 
I did some hand embroidery and added a button to the heart.
Now sew onto your main tag fabric.
The front it now done.
It look so cute!
 
Sandwich the front and back together, with the right sides facing each other.
Add in a ribbon, with the fold sandwiched inbetween the fabric.
Pin around the edges.
Sew almost all the way round. Leave a big enough gap to turn it the right way rounnd.
You can see my gap.
Now sew around all the edges, taking particualr care of the gap, you want to make sure this is neatly sewn up so it won't come undone.
Thats it!
Good job! I told you it was easy, so why not make some more.
 
**Why not use them as a gift tag or a book mark or a door handle to a kids bedroom!
 
 
 
 

Monday 12 November 2012

Hanmade fabric baby cube

I have made these before and I think they are great. Fun to make and good to get you trying out different techniques. I have included a zip opening, buttons, ribbons, a flap and personalised it with an embroidered name.
 
I have broken the steps down to each side of the square to make it easier to follow.
Please look at them and see what you fancy making....
 
 
 Gather your fabric together. This cube is for a boy, so more blues and greens.
Make a template, mine is 6x6"
Patches
Cut our four squares of the same size, just a bit bigger than half the origional template (You need to leave yourself enough for seam allowance once you sew them together.
Sew two sqaures together, repeat and then sew the 2 sets together.
Press open the seams.
 
Zip
Cut our 2 squares, one for the front one for the back. The front one (green in the pictures) needs to be alittle bit wider to take into account for the seam allowance on the zip.
Cut the front fabric in half.
Sew the zip into place.
Sew the back fabric onto the front fabric, making sure its sewn bigger than your origional template.
 
Embroidered name
Write your name onto the fabric in pencil or you can use invisible pens.
Dot with a pen equal gaps inbetween. This is where you will sew.
I used back stitch as I like this stitch, use any you like.
 
Applique and velcro flap
Make a small shape and sew it onto your fabric. I made a balloon with a thread zigzag stitched over the top to keep it in place.
Cut out a larger piece of fabric, this will be folded in half, make sure you leave enough seam allowance.
Turn it nice sides together, sew almost all the way round, leaving a gap.
Turn right way round.
Sew over the gap and add velcro into place.
 
 Applique
Choose your fabric, cut out your pieces and pin them into place.
I used a small zigzag stitch around the edges.
 
 Buttons
Choose some buttons and hand sew them into place.
 
Now you have 6 squares already to be sewn together.
 
Assembling
 
 
I paired the sqaures up to start with and sewed them together, right sides together, then started to add the other squares. Remember don't sew more then 4 togther in a line, else it won't fit together.
I cut some ribbon, folded them inhalf and added therm into a few of the seams.
Sew all the seams to the one next to it.
Once all your seams are sewn together leaving one side open, cut the corners off.
Turn the right way round.
Push the corners out with a closed pair of scissors.
Stuff it with stuffing.
Pin the one side closed and stitch closed.
Perfect!
And well done!
 
 
 
 
 
 
I hope you have enjoyed making this. I know I have.