Using free patterns

I found the tutorial for fabric boxes ( I think there are several out there) and had to make two - with two more cut out. I would add that it was easier to construct when I pressed the seams open after attaching the front and back to the base.  I also used the one sew binding method as I did for the plastic purse. Cut a strip 2" or 2 1/4 ", press in half then press the raw edges to the centre and fold.
I was going to leave out the pocket but found that it was handy to place an item to identify what was in the box.

I also knitted the little mouse. Lots of fiddly bits but the pattern was easy to follow. Not for the faint hearted though :)

Another favourite is the Christmas chickens. I have finished one. I might make the others and use them as present tags.

Links to all three free patterns are in the right side bar.
Thanks to Anita at Hayestackhayes for finding the mouse.

Happy Quilting,
Val

Past and present garden

Lots of quilters seem to have lovely gardens. After quite a few years of no vege garden I have finally made minimum effort to get something going. It feels really good and I am very pleased with the progress of the little seedlings. I have planted lettuce and little cucumbers and some parsley.

I just tore the bag open and planted.

Unfortunately I am a little ashamed of how minimal it is so I have included some pictures of the garden I used to have. It was based on the mandala method with a chicken dome to nourish each of six beds. I would plant 3 beds in winter and three beds in summer. I had quite a seed sowing thing going, a worm farm and compost piles. I think I kept it going for about 4 years.

One side

Close up of the chickens

The other side

I have plans to start up my vege garden with new energy late next year after all my traveling has finished. It never works to leave someone else in charge of sensitive vegetables. Funily enough I have noticed that keeping up a vege garden is quite a drain on the finances. It is lovely to have fresh veges but having the garden doesn't seem to save money. I may have to sacrifice some of my fabric money to keep it going but since I am traveling in search of fabrics I should have a pretty good stash by then.

My travel bag is coming along nicely. Instead of making pockets for my passport, phone and purse I am going to make a special wallet to keep them all together in the inside zipper pocket. I have experienced losing a pair of expensive glasses as I rummaged in my bag before boarding once so I think a wrap up wallet will keep things more safe. I plan to have only that wallet in the zipper pocket so I won't be rummaging for anything else in that pocket. I have made the tote quite deep to try to stop things overflowing and the top is narrower than the bottom also to discourage overflow. It is becoming quite a work of art :)

Happy quilting,
Val

Christmas through the year

I have had a great time making some designs and playing with free motion applique. I still managed to make a gift. I have appliqued two tea towels with an Orpington rooster and an Orpington hen. I love chickens. I drew these from photos and I wanted to use my brown tone fabrics on the orange tea towels. The rooster was almost those colours but the hen was supposed to be black.

I used my silicone mat (bought it to use in the frying pan) to iron the rooster pieces together first then put him whole onto the tea towel. The mat is a bit see through. It goes on top of the pattern picture and you build the picture on the silicone, put a cloth over and dry iron. When it cools it peels off the silicone ready to stick on your project.

You can view and download the patterns.
Rooster
Hen

You can visit Allie-oops Sweet Happy Life to see what others have made.

Happy Applique,
Val