Thứ Hai, 17 tháng 12, 2012

My Guest Bedroom- Dressing table

Dressing table

Several weeks back I showed you my designs for our guest room

"I also wanted to provide my guests with a table that could be used for a laptop and some storage drawers so I chose the Scandinavia dressing table that matches the Scandinavia bed. I have bought a bright coloured Tolix chair to use at the table so my guests could use the dressing table stool as a luggage rack! "


The Scandinavia dressing table from Argos came flat packed and was easy to put together, but took some time as there are 8 drawers and a stool. As it was out of stock in white I ordered the pine version which I have painted white. I love how sturdy it is and how it matches the rest of the furniture. I changed the knobs to ceramic ones from Bombay Duck - more on that later!

I think you are gorgeous

Stool

Desk top


To see all the before and after photos of my Guest bedroom check out my Facebook album, Guest bedroom- A Transformation.


Have a sweet day!

Thứ Bảy, 15 tháng 12, 2012

Patchwork cushions

Patchwork cushions

The lovely peeps at new craft store Musha Makes sent me a "Winter Memories" fabric charm pack from Tilda. So I decided to make some sparkly patchwork cushions for my Christmas Decor. Here's how...

Patchwork cushion Tools and Materials


Patchwork cushion, How-to step by step

Patch work cushion steps 1-4

Pick 9 squares of fabric from the charm pack. Lay out squares to form a pleasing pattern.
Pin and stitch squares together in rows of three, taking 5mmm seam allowances. Press seam allowances open.
With seams matching, pin the three rows together.

Patch work cushion steps 5-8

Stitch the three rows together taking 5mm seam allowances. Press seam allowances open. Cut a rectangle 34cm x 34cm out of wadding and pin to back of patchwork square. Embroider bead or sequin the squares to your liking. Pin trim to right side of fabric 5mm in from every edge with the bottom of the trim facing the centre of the rectangle.
Cut two rectangles 34cm x 34cm for the back and press under and stitch a 1.5cm hem across one long edge of each back.
With right sides together, lay backs on top of front so hemmed edges overlap. Pin and stitch around outer edges. Turn right side out and press. Insert a 12 inch cushion pad.

beaded trim

Sequinned  flowers

patchwork cushion

Frill edge patchwork cushion

Have a sweet day!

Thứ Sáu, 14 tháng 12, 2012

Beaded bird stocking

Beaded stocking

All my Christmas stockings are now finished and hanging from my staircase. The last one in my line up is my beaded bird stocking, here's how I made it...

Beaded bird stocking Tools and Materials
  • Printed cotton
  • magic beads
  • Sewing needle & thread
  • Beaded trim
  • Brocade
  • Lining fabric

Christmas stocking pattern

Beaded bird stocking, How-to step by step

Start by printing off the stocking pattern at 200% and cut out the pattern piece.

Beaded stocking steps1-4
Place pattern piece on fabric, using your water soluble pen, trace around outside edge. Flip pattern piece over and draw another stocking piece so you have two pieces. Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut out stocking pieces leaving a 1cm seam allowance. Then pin one cut out fabric piece to wadding. Carefully cut around stocking. With your fabric stocking and wadding pieces still pinned together, join them together by stitching on beads. Pin the two fabric stocking pieces together with the embellishment on the inside. Stitch stocking together with a 1cm seam allowance using your drawn line as a guide.Turn stocking out so print is on outside and hand stitch braid, ribbon trim etc around top of stocking.



Beaded stocking steps 5-8
Stitch hanging loop to the top of the stocking so that the loop faces downwards.
Place pattern piece on lining, using your water soluble pen, trace around outside edges, flip pattern over and trace a second stocking. Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut out lining pieces leaving a 1cm seam allowance.Pin the lining pieces together with the right side of the fabric on the inside. Stitch around the edges, with a 1cm seam allowance, (you can use your traced line as a guide) leaving the top open. Now slip embellished stocking into sewn lining and pin together at top. Starting at the back of the stocking, stitch the lining to the felt stocking at the top leaving a 5cm gap, so you can turn stocking out. Turn stocking out and hand stitch gap together. Lightly press iron the top so that it sits flat.

Christmas stockings


Beaded star garland

Have a sweet day!

Thứ Năm, 13 tháng 12, 2012

Snowflake felt stocking

Snowflake stocking

I finished my second felt stocking, and it is now hanging on my staircase. I made it in exactly the same way as my Winter bird embellished stocking but this time I went for a mint coloured felt and decorated it with white felt snowflake table scatters from Papechase. See Winter bird embellished stocking for the full tutorial.

Snowflakes and sequins

I then decided that my hand made stockings needed handmade candy! So whipped up some pretty chocolate snowflake lollipops that I packaged in lace printed bags...

Pink chocolate snowflake lollipop

Mint chocolate snowflake lollipop

Packaged snowflake lollipops

For chocolate lollipop tutorial check out my Easter chocolate lollipops



Have a sweet day!

Thứ Tư, 12 tháng 12, 2012

Mini pom pom snowballs

Winter wonderland window

Inspired by my Bringing Christmas outside garland and wreath, I decided to make mini pom poms to hang in my window. I combined them with my glass marbled snowflakes I decorated a couple of years ago and my handmade felt birds from last year. My own winter wonderland, inside and out!
Here's how I made the mini snowballs...

Mini pom pom snowballs Tools and Materials

Mini pom pom snowballs, How-to step by step

Mini pom pom steps 1-4
Start by wrapping the yarn around the prongs of the fork, (I wrapped my yarn around thirty times)and then cut the end of your yarn.

Mini pom poms steps 5-8
Cut a length of yarn 15cm, and thread beneth your yarn wraps between 2nd and 3rd fork prong. Pass the other end of this length of yarn between prongs over the top of the yarn bundle. Pull both ends and tie into a tight knot. Slip yarn bundle off the end of your fork. snip through all the loops of yarn

Mini pom pom steps 9-12
Roll pompom between palms to ‘fluff’and make round. Trim any uneven ends. With an embroidery needle threaded with bakers twine thread pom poms on to twine.


Snowflakes & pom pom snowballs

Felt birds and snowflakes

Paper christmas tree

Have a sweet day!

Chủ Nhật, 9 tháng 12, 2012

Winter bird embellished stocking

Embellished stocking hung

Last year I started making an embellished Christmas stocking but never got round to lining it! So this morning I finally lined my stocking and hung it up on my banister. Hers's how...

Winter bird embellished stocking Tools and Materials


Winter bird embellished stocking, How-to step by step


Christmas stocking pattern

Start by printing off the stocking pattern at 200% and cut out the pattern piece.

Embellished stocking steps 1-4
Place pattern piece on felt, using your water soluble pen, trace around outside edges so you have two pieces. Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut out felt pieces. Now, with a damp cloth, blot pen lines until they disappear. Then pin one cut out felt piece to wadding. Carefully cut around stocking.

Embellished stocking steps 5-8
With your felt stocking and wadding pieces still pinned together, join them together using the snowflake brads. Sew on sequins and beads. Hot glue gun wooden buttons and attach button brads.


Embellished stocking steps 9-12
Pin the two felt stocking pieces together with the embellishment on the outside. With a needle threaded with coloured yarn whip stitch around outside edges. Hand stitch pom pom trim and ribbons around top of stocking.

Embellished stocking steps 13-16
Stitch hanging loop to the top of the stocking so that the loop faces downwards.
Place pattern piece on lining, using your water soluble pen, trace around outside edges, flip pattern over and trace a second stocking. Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut out lining pieces. Then pin the lining pieces together with the right side of the fabric on the inside. Stitch around the edges, with a 1cm seam allowance, leaving the top open. Now slip embellished stocking into sewn lining and pin together at top.

Embellished stocking steps 17-20
Starting at the back of the stocking, stitch the lining to the felt stocking at the top leaving a 5cm gap, so you can turn stocking out. Turn stocking out and hand stitch gap together. Lightly press iron the top so that it sits flat.

My hand made embellished stocking

Candy cane filled stocking

Stocking hung with glittery sprig

Christmas stocking



Have a sweet day!

Thứ Bảy, 8 tháng 12, 2012

Bringing Christmas outside...

Front door

A few weeks ago I went to the Achica Christmas Grotto blogger breakfast for a morning of making garlands, wreaths, Christmas cards and tree decorations. The event was held at the stylish Haymarket Hotel and the brands that took part were Konesar, Festive and Five Dollar Shake. I had such a lovely morning and met some fabulous crafty bloggers. I also had a great chat with the lovely folk from Festve about Christmas decorations and am planning on visiting there tinsel factory in Wales in the New Year, which of course I will share with you here...

Festive provided the wreaths and garlands and an abundance of glittery flowers, feathered birds and shiny berries to decorate them with.
I chose to decorate a wreath that I adorned with silver, gold and white glittery sprigs of flowers and fauna. The lovely peeps at Festive also sent me home with a garland and a box of glittery sprigs to decorate it with. So today I hung my wreath from my front door using a pretty polka dot ribbon and hung the garland from my picket fence with the same pretty ribbon. Once I had the wreath on the fence, I decorated it with the silver, gold and white glittery sprigs of flowers and fauna from Festive to match my wreath. I love how it all looks and it inspired me to spend the afternoon making snowball pom poms to hang in the window!

Wreath hung on door

Christmas outside

Garland hung on my picket fence

Gold flowers

Silver flowers

A big thanks to Maxine at Achica for arranging such a great event and to all the lovely brands for there generosity.

Have a sweet day!