WELCOME 2017

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to old and new friends.  I have been very busy and also naughty for not keeping you up to date with my crafty news.  As you can see it has been ages since I have said hello.  Spring 2016 in fact.  Where does the time go?.  Anyway, 2016 has been a busy year for me.  I have had lots of one of a kind commissions to do.  I have also got more into my embroidery, getting more experienced regarding downloading designs and applying them to my makes.   I have made a few memory cushions to order,  using customers treasured baby clothes.  I also made a memory bear from treasured baby clothes.

During 2016 I dabbled in craft fairs which is very new ground for me, both fairs were Christmas fairs.  One in November and one in December 2016.   It was definitely a learning curve for me, I met lots of talented people and learned lots of tips.  I think I would consider taking part in a craft fair again.

I have started off 2017 by updating my logo.  I am very happy with my new logo, it was designed by a talented lady called Emma from Bless It Forward.  I would highly recommend her,

I am off to bed now.zzzzzzzzzz  Take care everyone.   Maggie xxxxx

HELLO SPRING

Hello Everyone, and of course hello to Spring...........How wonderful to see the sun shining at long last, it seems like we have had constant rain since last year.

I can't believe it is April already, where has the first quarter of the year gone?  I have been busy making and sewing in my little craft room keeping up to date with orders.  I have also had time out,  I went to Dublin with my sister to celebrate St Patrick's day.   We had a fabulous time in our home city celebrating.

I am also very excited at the moment as I am taking delivery of my new Embroidery Machine next Tuesday 5th April, My new machine is a Janome 500e.   I am upgrading from my Elna 881 which is the twin machine to a Janome 200e.  I love my Elna, however,  the hoop size is 5.5"x5.5"  which limits me to keep my designs to that one size. My Elna is a fabulous machine but I feel I have outgrown it now.   I will be sad to see it go as it is the first embroidery machine I ever had and it has taught me a lot.  My new Janome 500e embroidery machine will allow me to produce bigger designs as the hoops are much bigger, amongst other things, it has a lot more editing functions.   

I have kept myself busy making and creating orders for customers.  Here are some of my makes.  I hope you like them.     I will be back soon to let you know how I am getting on with my new Embroidery machine.  Watch this space.  Bye for now folks!!!!    Margaret. 

A CORNER OF MY SEWING ROOM

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

Hi, and a very Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope 2016 is a good one.   I have been very busy with my crafting right up to Christmas 2015 this has meant unfortunately I have been neglecting my blog.  However all that is going to change in 2016.  I will be making sure to keep you up to date with my antics and also giving some tips and tutorials to all you lovely people who like to sew and create hand made unique items.   Whether you make them for yourself, family, gifts, or to sell to the public, there is nothing nicer than knowing someone owning a unique item which has been made with love.   I love trying new things, so I am a constant learner.  At the moment I am enjoying the new addition to my sewing room which is my embroidery machine.  I am loving it, I can now personalise the items I make if need be.  I am also getting to know my over locker  which I have had for quite a while,  I have not used it much due to the fact I am not so confident on it.  However I have signed up to a class on Craftsy.com, so I think 2016 will see me use it a lot more.  That's my plan anyway.  

Here are just a few of the items I have made recently.  I hope you like them.  Any questions don't hesitate to contact me on this blog or alternately, you can contact me on the sites listed below, I would love to hear from you.

 www.facebook.com/sewmaggied, also visit my shop at folksy.com/sewmaggied

A couple of make up/wash bags made to order in lovely fabric.

LITTLE CHILDS  FOLDABLE TOTE BAG

A LOVELY TOTE BAG MADE TO DONATE TO CHARITY

GOING SHOPPING EMBROIDERY

COLLECTIONS OF ITEMS MADE BY ME

KNITTING BAG MADE FOR MY FRIEND AS A GIFT.

PEG BAG MADE FOR ME BY ME

A GIFT TO ANOTHER OF MY FRIENDS

MADE TO DONATE TO MCMILLAN RAFFLE

ANOTHER MCMILLAN DONATION

BESPOKE BAG MADE TO ORDER.

A COLLECTION OF MAKES BY ME.

I HAVE BEEN A BUSY BEE

Hi Everyone,

Lovely reversable shoulder bag. 

Sorry I have not been updating my blog.  The truth of the matter is that I have been enjoying myself making and creating in my craft room.  I have been totally into my crafting and never left myself enough time to write about it in my blog.  I hope I am forgiven.   Here are a selection of some of the items I have been busy making.  I hope you like them.   As you can see I have been very busy.  I have also opened a facebook page (about time my daughter tells me)  Find me on Facebook    Sewmaggied.  Also, checkout my shop Sewmaggie.d on Folksy.com.  I will be back next week to let you know what I have been up to. Bye for now. 

Gorgeous girls bag made in
 Airy Fairy fabric by Harlequin.

Beautiful girls bag made in
fabulous ballet dancer fabric.

Fabulous bespoke book bag made to order.

Lovely quirky one of a kind girls bag.  


                                                                           

REMOVABLE SEWING CHAIR COVER TUTORIAL

(A SEWING CHAIR MAKEOVER)    

This is my sewing chair wearing the cover I made.  This was my first attempt at making a removable chair cover.  I am so pleased with the result considering I have never made a chair cover before.   I love the fabric I think it suits the chair.  The fabric is called Kiana by Harliquin fabrics.   I have had the fabric in my stash for a long while I knew it would come in handy one day.  My sister bought it at an auction for me.  She seen it and thought of me.  I think she knows I am a fabricaholic.  

  HERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THE SEWING CHAIR COVER.









1/  Measure the chair back, from top front to  seating area, (lenght).  Measure back of the  chair from top to bottom . 

2/  Measure the width across the front and measure the width across the back.  However,you will need to take into consideration whether the back will  wrap around to meet  the front fabric like mine did. Measure the seating area to include overhang  of fabric. Measure width across and lenght  front to back.  Note:  The back measurements may be wider then the front.  In my case it was about 4" wider as the fabric wrapped around to the front.  But obviously this will depend on our chair measurements.  The main thing is to get the measurements    right for your chair.
  

3/   Choose your fabric.  You will also need tissue paper or pattern paper, scissors, pencil, and ruler.  I used inches but it is personal to you whether you use imperial or metic measurements.

4/  Transfer your measurements onto the pattern/tissue paper.  Cut the pattern out.

5/  Pin the pattern onto the fabric and cut the pieces out.  You should have the following pattern pieces:  Front/Back/Seat.  Three pattern pieces.

6/   Tack the back and front fabric pieces together and try on the upper part of the chair.  If alterations need to  be made, then this is the time to do it before the  pieces are sewn together permanently.   

 7/  Turn inside out and try the fully finished  back onto  the chair.   Then put the seating fabric piece onto the seating area of the chair. 

8/ Find the centre of the seating area fabric piece and match up to the centre of the back of chair, then machine stitch both pieces together.  Now the seat and back are attached.

9/   Pin the corners at the front of the seating area as shown on the pictures.  Machine  sew these corners and snip off excess fabric.
 Also machine sew the fabrics together where  the seat  fabric meets the back fabric in the area around back legs of the chair.  



10/   Measure around the full circle of the chair   around the bottom where the fabric ends.   Then cut a strip  of fabric to make a skirt  for the bottom to go all around the chair.    How far you want the skirt to hang is your  personal choice.   Remove the cover and  attach the skirt all around the bottom of the cover.   The cover is complete.  All you need  to do now is  press it and put your creation  on your chair  and pat  yourself on the back for a job well done.   

Why not have a go at making a removable chair cover. You will not only save yourself money but you will also have a pattern to make more if ever you fancy a change.   I hope my tutorial has given you inspiration to have a go yourself.   

Bye for now........Margaret

YIPPEE!! MY SEWING ROOM IS FINISHED

Hello again,

My sewing room is now finished and ready for me to start sewing again. Have a look at the pictures below.  I love my new sewing room and can't wait to start creating again.


This is the right side of the room
 which will be used for cutting out and ironing

A view of both sides of the room with
plenty of storage underneath and above.



Finished at last. 
 The section  to the right of the chair
is where the spare sewing machine will go so
my granddaughters can join me sewing if they wish.



A view showing my quilting/sewing machine
and my embroidery machine.

A view of my cutting out and ironing section.
You will notice a piece of wood at the end which will be my new ironing pad. 
 My first task will be to make my ironing pad.   

I will be back soon with news of my latest creations.
bye for now.........................Margaret