the gift of giving

In a blatant move to avoid some seriously late bee blocks (top of the list now I promise), my sewing over the past week or so has focused on gifts.  Latest finish but first up, my dearest friend hit some dizzy heights last year after a hard slog and I've only now managed to make something to say how proud I am of her....

#love

I got the exterior fabric from Spoonflower - it's by Patty Sloniger and the flowers are pretty big (5.5" tall).  I wanted to showcase them so needed to draft a pattern that would be big enough to do so.  Cue lots of googling and remembering that the best tutorials helping you draft your own pattern are from Rebecca Lynne, Lisa UHandbag and the lovely Emily.  Using all three, I managed to make something that fit really well into the frame (7" x 3.5"). I meant to square off the corners but in my excitement, I forgot #oops.

The interior fabric was gifted to me by a lady with a beautiful soul and it felt right to use it for someone who is similarly blessed.  That makes me insanely happy.  I just need to wait for the glue to dry so I can clean up the frame before sending it on its way.

Next up, a gift for the kitty fabric lady who had a significant birthday recently - it was a bit late (obvs.) but it has been received so I can show it now....

mirror balls and tula!

I bought the mirror ball fabric from Kerry and promptly forgot all about it until our recent guild get together where it was handed over.  The Tula Pink was also gifted to me, this time by the lovely Liz,  so again it felt right to use it here.  Again, I had to make a new pattern for this frame.  I had the baguette purse pattern from Lisa UHandbag already but that is for a smaller frame (6"x3") so I took a punt and printed it out at 110% and just went for it.  It worked out pretty well, shockingly, just some little puckers along the top where it was slightly too long for the frame but the sides fitted perfectly, which has always been my issue with that pattern so #phew. In my rush to get it in the post, I wrapped it and posted it before realising that I hadn't done the glue picking part or added the couple of little mindings that I had sorted. I'm such a numpty.

Finally, our next door neighbours have been having some big kitchen renovations that meant scaffolding in our drive and other inconveniences.  But it's all done now and they had a big party to show it off last weekend.  I couldn't go as I was at the ballet (Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake - chuffing awesome BTW).  They were kind enough to give the wee man a Christmas pressie as a way of thanking us for helping them out so I thought I'd make some big place mats as a well done for getting through the last 6 months.....

they're pretty big... 18" x 12" ish

front and back

I used some IKEA home dec fabric for the back and some some linen IKEA for the front, along with some Flora and Fauna and Kona Teal I've had for donkeys years.  They have been gifted, I don't know if they like them or not #heyho.  I only recently realised that they have been calling me Marianne for the past 7 years - I thought I was just not listening right!  They know my actual name now ;)

Decks are being cleared for another bee block marathon but probably not before a wee man free weekend in Edinburgh this weekend #woopwoop......

Linking with Sue and Brit Sewing Thursday Linky