Bracelets and Giraffes

I'm pretty sure that the fave for bead wrap bracelets is long gone, but that didn't stop me from making one. And then another one. And then a third.

If I hadn't run out of leather cord, I would have kept going .... (I've still got plenty of beads)

It's been a while already when I made this little, adorable giraffe. I used air hardening modeling clay, which I worked around a glas tea light holder (so the plant doesn't get in direct contact with the clay)
It's a b-day present for my sister, who loves giraffes. Hope she likes it.

Dany Bag

Every woman needs more handbags.

Rigth? (well, I'm actually most of the time an easy going backpack person, but sometimes I do get urges ... you know)

This is Dany. I've bought the pattern a while back already, but only now got around to the sewing.

As you can see, I've used jeans (once again). I also used parts of an handwoven African blanket, which I had just gotten from my mom. As I have little use from blankets myself (looking over to the ton of quilts and knitted and crochets blankets I've made myself), I thought of another use for it.
The bag itself has a lot of great details.

I particulary like the way the shoulder strap (which is made from rope) is connected with the closure of one of the outside pockets.

Speaking of pockets. This bag has plenty. Two at the side, two (invisible ones) behind the front panel and one in the back. For the lining of those outside pockets I used the coolest marvel fabric with Thor and Daredevil and Captain America and Ironman and Black Widow and ...

Sadely, I didn't have enough of this fabric for the inside, but luckily I had a pretty cool alternative in this comic themed fabric, which I picked up in this little store in I-can't-remember town and of which I should have bought more of, because, dang it, I love it.

Ah, the inside also has a double pocket.

All in all, very happy with the bag. It was fiddly in parts and my sewing machine had to work though some really thick patches, but I do love the finished bag.

I'm even thinking about a second one (you know, I have this one fabric, that would look really great ...)

More Jeans

The Jeans saga continues.
From the left overs of the picknick blanket (I had more than a hundred rectangles, but needed only about 91) I cut 3 x 6 1/2 inches stripes and made a shopping tote.

As just plain jeans got a bit boring, I hand stitched a star filled with flowers on each side. The stitching thread is all from an old box of thread I inherited some years back.

I also used two of the jeans back pockets for inside pockets, but sewed them in in such a way, that I actually got four pockets out of it.

For the linning I used an old pillow sheet I had left from when I used the duvet cover for the backing of a quilt.

From the jeans saga, two more projects sprung forth *grin*
Potholders, yeah! (One can never have enough potholders, right)
The first pair are made from the cut off lower edges of the jeans (and are also bound using those edges)

The second pair are from smaller pieces which I cut into hexagons and sewed together (first time sewing Y-seams on the machine. It went surprisingly well (though not neccessary perfect))

Finally, a none jeans related teaser (though, do not fear, there is more jeans stuff in the works - you'd be surprised on how much fabric 11 pair of jeans yield). 

More on this next week.

11 Jeans

Last weekend I had cut up 11 pairs of jeans (as mentioned). Most of the material went into a picknick blanket.
I cut the fabric up into 9 1/2 x 6 1/2 inch large patches then laid them out in a hopefully pleasing pattern. As I had about the same amount of blue fabric to white/gray fabric, I thought this pattern looked quite nice.

The blanket sewed up quickly and came out at a pretty good size of 155cm x 195cm.
I decided not to add any batting, but just to sew it against an old duvet cover. As I wanted the blanket to be as light and lofty as possible, I also decided not to quilt it, but simply tie bind it in the center of each block. 

It was the first time I used that technique, but I'm pleased to say that it went really quickly and I do love the feel of the finished blanket..

This was one of the fastest projects ever (especially for something this size) and I couldn't be any happier on the outcome.

Rugs, Shawls and Pies

Over time, I accumulated quite a few pairs of old jeans, which were, for one reason or another, deemed not wearable anymore. Yesterday I cut up 11 pairs and started sewing. The biggest project, a large picknick blanket is not done yet, but I finished one project from the second cut (first cut was 6 1/2 inch wide stripes, and from the rest, if doable, I did cut 2.1/2 inch stripes. I also have a third cut, but more on that on another day)
I tooks those 2 1/2 inch stripes and simply wove them, then zigzaged them onto an old towel and got myself a new little rug (70 x 45cm) for my bedroom.

 I found a nice blue starry fabric for the binding (which I also zigzagged).

Last week, I also finished a crochet project. I got the yarn (a cotton/poly mix) at the Schwabsburger Wollfest last year, but never could quite decide what to make of it. I had started knitting something, but it didn't click. Then I switched over to crochet and voilá, a shawl was born. Bright and colorful and I love it (the pattern is called 'Dragon Belly', and it was super easy and quick to make)

And, just for fun, an apricot pie. Yummy!