I think the answer to this question is "He can never have too many!!" It seems no sooner has my husband built yet another shed, that it is filled with "man stuff" which threatens to engulf one upon opening the door, although his latest "shed" is OUR summerhouse in which there is still room to sit.
For this latest project I have made him a small wall hanging which celebrates all of the buildings. It measures 24" x 6".
The buildings measure between 2½" and just 1" high.
This is a photo of the actual lean to and store shed on the left of the hanging
..and next to these is the car port - originally built for a van and now home to our diminutive car.
Then we have the white shed (so called because it had a white door at one time and the name stuck) and the old outside privy.
Next the tin shed (so ugly that I've been willing it to fall down for the past 30 years!) and the house.
Moving on to the hen house (sadly no chickens); the log shed and workshop; and Mabel's shed.
Finally the gazebo and the summerhouse
...and this is a photo of the actual gazebo - how I wish for a hot summer in the coming year so that it's not just somewhere to shelter from the rain!!
All the fabrics for the walls and roofs were stuck to the calico background using Steam-a-Seam 2. This is marvelous because it adheres to the fabric without being ironed. This meant that I could prepare all the different pieces first and temporarily lay them in position, moving them about as necessary, and only ironing for a permanent fix when I was completely satisfied. It's not that easy to hand sew through, but I mostly sewed along the edge as Steam-a-Seam sticks so well it doesn't really need to be held down with stitching. Some of the fabric pieces were tiny and my biggest problem was dropping them on the floor and losing them, only to find them later stuck to the sole of my shoe - after I'd cut a replacement - of course!
I think my husband needs a new hobby!!
Happy New Year - Anita x
I tend to leave decorating the house for Christmas until the the week before and have just come across these little angels that I made a few years ago. It's almost too late to show you, but maybe you still have the time and inclination to do some Christmas sewing!! - as if!!
We all made these at Flowerpatch and they looked so sweet displayed together on a wickerwork tree at our exhibition. This is a link to the Christmas Angel Instructions.
I also found a label that I made.
The Christmas tree and pot are simply sewn onto a piece of fleece fabric with a continuous line of sewing machine stitch starting at the top of the pot and sewing the pot on first. I cut the fleece a bit bigger than I needed and trimmed it to size after sewing on the tree, then I decorated the tree with random bullion knot candles and french knot flames. This is a link to Embroidery Stitches. The fleece is sewn onto a slightly larger square of corrugated cardboard packaging with big stitches and thick thread, starting at the top corner so as to leave a tie at the top. I used these on the presents for my nearest and dearest so that I could blag them back on Christmas day to hang as decorations!!
This "merry christmas" bunting is made in a similar fashion, but with blanket stitched fleecy letters.
............and this is what I wish to you! - Anita x
Jo invited Flowerpatch Quilters to Cowslip Workshops for the December meeting and a real treat of stitching and feasting was in store. Jo is a founder member of Flowerpatch and it's always a delight to get together with her for this meeting. She had organised the sewing of a Christmas hanging with a star, reindeer and some rustic writing. These are some examples, but we mostly didn't finish our little squares as there was a lot of chatting, and the aforementioned feasting, going on!
These are some other pics I took of the evening.
Jo and her team always decorate the whole of Cowslip beautifully for Christmas both inside and out.
Last year Jo had us sewing friendship star blocks which were raffled at the end of the evening with one lucky winner of all the squares. Jennifer brought along the quilted door curtain that she had made - and finished just the evening before!
Thank you, Jo, for yet another lovely Christmassy evening.
Our next meeting is on 14th January when we will be sewing the charity quilt blocks together - after we've all had a say in their placement, etc!!! Please bring along the finished blocks and sewing kits.
Happy Sewing - Anita x
