Friday 23 December 2011

Over Easy!

So I was advised by my beloved husband on Saturday last…"Maybe you should stop sewing now for a bit?!" Oh yeah, okay… like I'm going to do that, your a brave man to even think it let alone say it out loud! Okay I'll stop sewing if you can stop breathing… lets be honest it ain't gonna happen!

…but I have stopped being so frantic, and I have been able to step away from the sewing machine and socks for long enough to get all the christmas presents for the family, and wrap them! I now have christmas well and truly under my belt! …is that even a saying?

We sat for ages wondering how to wrap the presents and decided on brown craft paper with a silver bow…


Nice and simple bows to make but we used up quite a lot of ribbon, but now that they're all wrapped they look lovely under the tree.

Friday 16 December 2011

Thank goodness its FRIDAY!

Wow what a week, I've been so busy everyday, if I've been in the house longer than an hour at the time I was lucky… don't get me wrong I'm not complaining but I am I little daunted by the fact that I now only have 2 monkeys left!

Now is the time to panic… other than my niece's bag I have no other presents for my family! I'm thinking of making the same bag but without the owl/penguin embellishments for my slightly older niece… and I'm sure a few of my nephew and nieces would love a sock monkey or a sock snowman – I know this because a few have asked!

I photographed my owl/penguin bag properly today and it now has a popper closure on it. I love this bag, I am going to have to make one for myself without the face!


So will I get any more sewing in before christmas! I'm hoping so but the ironing pile is getting higher and higher! Problem is that my head is spinning with ideas at the moment and ironing is not an outlet for my creativity… that's my excuse anyway!

Thanks for stopping by

Merry christmas

Rachael

Thursday 15 December 2011

Owl Bag!

…I did it! Can you believe it? I did something without getting side tracked – I made my first bag, and I'm so pleased with it and still so excited!

However… apparently it looks like a penguin so I didn't quite achieve what I set out to do but I still think it will be a fab present for my niece!








Apologies as always for the rubbish photos but it's late, and dark!

I lay awake last night working out how I could make it and it turned out really well, not sure there's anything I would change. I wish I could remember the photo that gave me the inspiration though.

The blue is a lovely vintage denim colour teamed with a pale blue and green spot bottom and gorgeous green lining (I also mimicked the outside spot on the inside lining). The underside of the wings are either blue or green… not that you see that unless you lift them up! I just need to get a fastening so that it closes at the top!

So there you go, my first penguin bag… ahem! I mean owl bag! Apparently it's the beak colour that changes it from a penguin to an owl… so say my family – brown beak for an owl, yellow for a penguin. 

…I may add a pocket to the next one or maybe a zip closure!

Oh yeah, I also made a heart for the little girl thats stolen my boys heart!


Yay, monkeys all finished,
…owl bag made,
…christmas tree up,
…I have nothing to do tomorrow other than ironing!
…quick, think of something, anything!

Thanks for looking… what do you think, owl or penguin!

Oh yeah, I will be potentially be making some kind of bags to sell next year too, maybe ones similar to my owl/penguin bag!

Rachael

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Dreaming of bags

What a day, school performances left right and centre, extremely tired children, sock monkey madness… and then there's me going off in another direction again…

…I saw an image of an owl last night and for some reason decided I should try and make an owl bag for my niece for christmas! For CHRISTMAS – AM I NUTS!

Never mind that I've got two little boy monkeys that need their arms sewing on! Oh no, I need to make a bag. I need to get the idea out of my head, on to paper and then on to fabric! So I did, well I started at least, got as far as drawing the finished item, making a make shift pattern (like I do), and choosing some lovely fabric! Oh yeah… and making a mess in every room I went in…


This is meant to be living room floor, but I think floor space is overrated!

I have to say I'm very excited about this bag. I hope it looks as good finished as it does in my head at the minute!

I think I partly did so much today because it's been a tough day… my children have been pulling on the old heart strings and I miss my mum even more at christmas. I have shed quite a few tears today especially…  I'm quite emotional most of the time anyway but that teamed with a chorus of children wishing you merry christmas pushed me over the edge… that and my boy bursting into tears at the end of his christmas concert performance, amongst all of that my teacher whom I help out every week bought me a special gift…


…which of course made me cry too, especially when she said I was her angel! She's just lovely and I have been told by Mrs T that she's not just for christmas and she must stay out all year! …that said – she's going to live in my bedroom!

So I'm thinking… next year girls, we're going to make felt angels!!!

Thanks for looking and your always welcome to leave a comment.

Rachael

Monday 12 December 2011

Maxines' Sock Snowman no1

…so here she is!


Yay, I'm so proud of both the girls for making them (Kaly's are still in progress), and not meaning to sound cocky when I say …see I told you you could do it!

Despite the over stuffing in the beginning she has turned out just gorgeous – and most of all she's loved by her new owner! Unfortunately I could only photograph one of them because the other went on an outing into school today! See sometimes you just have to give things a go, the out come may really surprise you.

…there is one little thing though! You left a thread on your button Max!

Any other sock creations we can think of… seen a lovely cat!!! No, stop enough!

Thanks for looking

Rachael



Sunday 11 December 2011

Peg Bags

Finally got around to photographing all the peg bags!

Bigger photo, sizes, description and reference under For Sale, but I haven't quite got around to putting them on Folksy yet… they are still for sale though, please just email me the reference number and I will reserve it for you!



 



 










Right must decorate the tree… I just heard a rumour it's nearly christmas, wish somebody had of told me sooner!

Thanks for looking.

Friday 9 December 2011

When they're gone…

…they're gone!

No more… Never! Baby monkeys are as much effort as the big monkeys if not more. So this is it! 3 little baby monkeys for sale – actually there's just 2 now, 1 is sold already… and one sold before she was even finished – a gorgeous purple one who now is living with her big sister Veronica (sold last month) in Australia. I can't believe I forget to take a photo of her – I'll try and get a photo of them in their new home! Oh that would be fun… asking owners to send in photos of their monkeys… what am I talking about! I think these monkeys are making me mad! Right somebody slap me and bring me back to reality!

Okay, I'm back and just to reiterate – no more baby monkeys made by these hands (unless I find cute boys socks that I just can't resist!). Never say never Rachael… I should have learnt that after the Mumbo incident (my first sock monkey that I wasn't even sure I'd finish).

As before… email me if your interested! Babies are £10.


Annie



Mi Mi – RESERVED



Angel – RESERVED

Thanks for looking

Rachael

Thursday 8 December 2011

I used to quilt…

…now all I do is make sock monkeys!

This is just a little update for all those people who have expressed an interest – this is potentially my last batch before christmas – although there may be a few more little girls springing up!

Monkey Mug Shot Wall of Fame
just heads at the moment but it gives you an idea of colour.

If you are interested in a particular monkey please email me the reference and your name and I will aim to reserve him or her for you, and don't forget there are still a few little girls still looking for a home! Visit my sock monkey page!!!


mu.011 – RESERVED




br.pi.001

Sunday 4 December 2011

How to make a Snowman costume!

I am up to my eyes in my new range of sock monkeys at the moment but I did have to take a break…

…a break that I had been putting off because I wasn't quite sure how to do it… "mummy – I'm a snowman in the school play!"

Not so difficult I hear you say and that's what I thought when I set off to buy my lovely fleece fabric last Wednesday morning with the ambition of having it finished that afternoon!

I lay the fabric on the floor. Looked at it! Umm'd and err'd for a good 10 minutes… and then folded the fabric back up and decided to get on with the monkeys!

My task was only made difficult because of how I wanted the finished costume to look. I could have quite easily just made a little trouser like suit, but I wanted a costume that was shaped… and that's when it came to me! Saturday morning, 2am, I sat bolt upright in bed… 'it needs to be made like a pear!' All I needed was to see a photograph of a pear pin cushion and I knew I could do it.

I went straight back to sleep but was wide awake at 7.30 (which is unheard of on a weekend) googling images of pear pin cushions and drawing round my daughter on a piece of wallpaper.

For all you people out there who have no idea how to sew from a pattern… I'm with you! I make it up as I go along, but the more costumes I have made the easier it gets… so here is my first 'very professional' step of making a snowman costume…

…draw round the child in question – ta dah…


Step 2…  using aforementioned child template make up some kind of pattern! Feel free to just make it up and change it at any point! I do!