The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Tuesday 3 October 2017

The Christmas Challenge. The mobile mending kit by Jane.

I have been looking forward to posting this!  Jane was sharing a project with me as she was making it.  The whole idea was so nice I said this better be a tutorial!

Over to Jane!



‘Grab and Go’ Sewing Basket.
I have been sharing with Annabel a project that I was working on for my DIL. Whilst we were all camping together in June, she saw me get my ‘Grab and Go’, little hand sewing basket to sew a button back on one of Tilly’s overalls. She was quite taken that I would have something in the caravan to mend clothing. In fact, she was quite taken with the idea that you could mend clothing. We did a bit of work together and she now feels she can mend using hand sewing.

This led me to think that I would make her a needle case.




I went on Pinterest and found some ideas and then I put this together. I didn’t have any felt for the needle pages, but I did have some flannelette. Inside the back cover I made a pocket. On the outside of the pocket I have used ribbon to tie on a needle threader. In the pocket, I have some embroidery scissors, that I have also tied in with ribbon.
The little needle case by itself, just didn’t seem enough and was the catalyst for the idea of making a “Grab and Go” hand sewing basket, just for Jo.








In my gift cupboard, I had a cane basket that I picked up at the Op shop. I painted this gold. It still looked ordinary.

  I decided to line the basket. I did this by tracing around the base and cutting that out. I then measured around the sides and cut out a long strip. Onto this strip I sewed another to form pockets.


I attached the sides to the base and then another strip as a gathered frill for around the top. Elastic was sewn to the underside of the frill. I used ribbon to hold the edges together around the handles. The entire lining can come off easily to be washed.



It was then time to fill the basket with simple sewing items...



Pins are required for most sewing activities. To keep these in check a pincushion is a good idea. I chose a pattern off Pinterest for a little bird pincushion. This was a quick and relatively easy project. I made it a little nest so that it would sit flat in the basket and not tip over.






 The next addition was some small, rice filled, pattern weights. These are just triangles formed up into little pyramids. There are lots of Pinterest patterns for making these. 


This little basket holds quite a bit. 



 Scissors, thread snips, Three basic coloured threads and two primary brights, three tape measures with one being retractable, Two thimbles, glue stick, pin cushion with pins, pencil, seam ripper, small cross stitch project and a needle case.






 I had a lot of fun putting this together. A lot came directly out of my supplies. I bought all the scissors from Aldi earlier in the year. Some are in the basket and some are still in the cupboard. I have priced this little gift as costing me about $5.
I had a lot of fun making the bits and pieces for this basket. I will add things as they catch my eye.

Thank you so much Jane!  This is not just a beautiful gift idea but something we can make for ourselves!   Also many of the components are beautiful gifts by themselves i.e. the needle book or the pin cushion!    You have given your DIL a great gift too in just sitting with her and teaching her things!  She sounds like a willing learner too which is wonderful. 

I am inspired!  I hope you are too!  

We are in October!  Christmas is in all the stores!  This is the month I make my fruit cakes, review my Christmas cupboard, make a list of what else is needed and get moving! 

I hope your week is going well!  I am off to Aldi today! xxx

35 comments:

  1. Annabel and Jane ... this is just too cute and useful and practical ... how blessed your daughter-in-law is Jane!

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    1. Thank you Patsi. It was a lot of fun putting this together.

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  2. Wowsers! That is utterly adorable Jane! I'm beyond impressed! What stitcher wouldn't be thrilled with this as a gift? And I love how easy the basket lining is. So often we look at these things and think we could never replicate them, and really, when you break it down, they're just a series of simple elements, combined. If it was difficult, the big companies wouldn't bother, would they! Lovely work. And you're right Annabel, Christmas is just 11 Mondays away. I can't wait. Love, Mimi xxx

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    1. Thank you Mimi. Making a lining for baskets, or even boxes, really is not difficult. I used a piece of gingham that I picked up from an op shop ages ago. I went straight to cutting the fabric but using some newspaper would provide a template to cut around.

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  3. OH Jane!!!! How perfect! I have been thinking about doing this for one of my daughters! Thanks for the inspiration! I will be using many of your ideas! - Holley

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    1. Holley this was so easy to put together. An old biscuit tin or a lined box would also work. Go for it.

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  4. Jane, I love your basket and I agree that it is a real gift to teach. Just this morning I saw a young woman's post looking for a seamstress to do some mending. How sad that she does not know how to do so herself.

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    1. Lana my DIL thought that mending was a task that required special equipment and expertise. She also thought buttons had to be sewn on with a sewing machine. She now realises how easy it really is.

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  5. The basket is darling and so useful. Jane is very talented. Thank you for sharing. Nancy

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    1. Thank you Nancy. It was great fun to make.

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  6. You are a clever little vegemite, Jane. The basket looks lovely and will be so functional as well. The bird pincushion is very cute too.

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    1. Thank you Chel. The pin cushion was so easy. It is one you could make using the machine, as I did, or you could sew it by hand. I just did a search for pin cushions on Pinterest.

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  7. Dear Jane!!!!!

    This is beautifully practical! Little practical things that are eminently portable, and beautiful, are excellent! We think alike! Ha ha!! The yellow fabric is so cheerful, too!
    I love it!!
    Regards,
    Rachel

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    1. Thank you Rachel. This is one of those gifts that just told me what was needed. It was so nice to be able to have a start point, the needle case, that just led from one thing to the next.

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  8. This is very sweet! Thanks for sharing, Jane.

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  9. I love this such a wonderful idea. Yes the holidays are here 🍁🌻I love this time of year.
    Blessings,
    Patti

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  10. Hi Annabel and Jane.

    Thank you so much for putting this up Annabel and for showing us your wonderful creations Jane. What wonderful and special gifts !.

    Sewingcreations15

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    1. Thank you sewingcreations. It was a lot of fun to make.

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  11. what a beautiful, practical gift Jane. Much nicer than the tin I gave to my daughters when they left home.
    Margaret

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    1. Margaret I was thinking of one of my upcycled tins until I opened the cupboard and saw the basket. Thank you.

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  12. Absolutely lovely, Jane!! Thank you for the tutorial. Blessings, Cookie

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  13. What a wonderful idea, Jane. How clever you are!! I love the lining for the basket! Very inspiring! Thank you for sharing this, Annabel! xx Jen.

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    1. Jen it was a one of those simple things that came together so easily.

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  14. This really a very nice gift for anyone, for starters I'm going to make one for myself to keep in the car. I have a small sewing kit in my handbag but this would be a real time saver in the long run. I think I'll add a small drawstring bag to hold different buttons and hooks, just in case. Thank you for sharing I;m going to need to make 4 of these for step daughters. Such a good idea.

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    1. tealady I love the idea of the drawstring bag. I'm going to use this idea.

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  15. Jane- I love this what a wonderful idea! You are a very talented lady and everything you make turns out just perfect!
    XOXO
    Vicky

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  16. Oh my goodness, how creative and lovely.
    Great idea.

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  17. I love your sewing basket, Jane, especially your little bird on the nest! You have such a beautiful sewing talent!

    Jeanette

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  18. Annabelle and Jane, thank you! What a great idea, and I love all the little pieces that make up the finished basket. So easy to finish one or two components if you don’t have a huge block of time.

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  19. Great work Jane, it looks awesome and I can hear Annabel’s mind ticking over “mmm where can I put some of those bird pincushions”. Fi

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  20. This is awesome! Thank you for sharing, Jane. I've made a pin cushion and a needle book for sewers but never a whole basket. Thanks for the ideas. This will equip many future seamstresses!
    Blessings,
    Leslie

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  21. What a beautiful idea and how nice it all is. Gracious, I must have a pretty sewing basket for myself now...

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