OTT Glee Swap - Sent

my partner for this swap was ZidishaLuxe ... she actually participated in the metal swap I organised, so I knew she'd be a good partner.

I made her a set of embroidery hoop coasters, emblazoned with some of Brittany's best quotes from season one of Glee :-)

Christmas Secrets REVEALED!!

So, here's one thing I've been keeping from you, my adoring public:

This is an embroidery that I did for my mam for Christmas *waves at mam*. My mother knows the ways of the Internet so I couldn't show you for rear of ruining the surprise :-)
The pattern is from Tipnut's library of free downloadable embroidery patterns... seriously you should go on there! there's loads'a stuff! fair enough, the site is basically a collection of links to other sites, but it's a good set of links, and if you're looking for pincushion patterns, apron patterns or things to embroider on your tea towels (??) then this site is really useful.

Of course, the text was added by me... this is the original pattern:

So many more things to tell you! make sure you check back soon, make sure you 'like' my facebook page to get real time updates on my crafty adventures!

x G

I love my oven =^.^=

Ok so I've been wanting to make oven gloves for a while now, I had a very early foray into making oven gloves before I started blogging, when I made the 'Gleeful' Danielle dress (which I've only worn twice) where I made 2 mistakes (1) I used too many layers of the wrong kind of fabric trying to be a smartarse which meant I was literally pulling the work through the machine (2) I drafted the pattern myself and misjudged the size of the thumb vs thickness of fabric,  and therefore could turn the work wight side out.

In other words I killed myself trying to sew something and then when I'd sewn it it turned out to be a pile of crap :-(

However that was April and 4 months later I'm over it.... well... not really, or I'd have sewn oven gloves rather an this rather curious substitute. The uncomfortable truth is I do INDEED love my oven, but my oven does not love me. I own very faithful stainless steel pans which burn the palms of my hands with their very hot handles, and about once a week I scald myself with the rising steam escaping from a pan or casserole dish.

So the problem is that I need oven gloves but I refuse to buy them because they are such a simple sewing project, finally I accept unless I make something soon, I will burn my fingers off and be no longer able to sew anything at all. So being a philosopher I found a compromise, I didn't make oven gloves, I made FINGERTIP MITS!

I followed savvyseams lovely clear tutorial with no problems at all, I changed it just slightly because I didn't want the patterned material at the bottom (my cookery often causes permanent stains) this was a great little project to prevent further damage to my fair hands and give me my sewing 'fix' which I prewash my supergirl fabric.

oh yes and being an upcycler I didn't bother with any of that cotton wadding malarky.... I used an old handtowel I got free from some people at a carboot sale a few weeks back.

and you shouldn't mark your patterns with a sharpie either!

Things to note! at points here I was sewing through 8 layers of fabric, binding tape x2, towel x2, chili fabric x2 and muslin x2, my little sewing machine had no problems whatsoever. The off missed stitch now and again but that will happen with a mechanical machine. Well done little Singer <3

x G

Ps all the fabric used here was given to me, for free, how sweet is that!?!