Have probably been done before, but I just love making them - I'm addicted!   Idea is from this fab book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stray-Sock-Sewing-One-Kind/dp/0715330160/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278692345&sr=8-1 stray sock sewing, by Dan Ta - only I like to give my sock puddies a tail to swish, and I love the variety of expressions that appear with each one - totally unpredictable personalities, just like real kitties!  

So simple to make - I use stuffing from a new pillow instead of toy stuffing - much cheaper! You need a pair of trainer socks or trainer liners as they may be called - the type of sock that stops below the ankle. One sock makes the puddy - stuff it to shape, use the heel of the sock for the cat's face, and sew the ankle of the sock in a slight curve, to form the ear shapes. The other sock makes the arms - cut off the toe, then cut in half and you have 2 arms....and the tail - use the curve in the heel for the kink in the tail - sew with right sides together, turn and stuff and sew on very firmly.  Then have fun embroidering a face on!   I used a hair elastic for the collar on the first one, but ribbon is cute too!

The bathrobe was made from 2 beach towels on special offer! :p Have been wanting new bathrobes for ages, but too expensive for me.  Got these towels instead for £8 for 2! 

First wash and dry the towels! Then cut off the top 18" from both towels.



Cut the binding off one of the 18" offcuts and cut in half (the other one makes a good hand towel)



Then cut the other towel in half lengthways, swap the sides over so the bound edge of the towel is in the centre, for the front opening of the bathrobe.



neaten all the raw edges from cutting, using a deep zigzag stitch on the machine. I set mine to 4 zigzag and 2 on normal stitch.



sew the back to the 2 front pieces at the shoulder seams, right sides facing each other - sew about 10" along from the shoulder edge (if it's too big on the neck you can easily sew a bit further by hand like I did, after trying it on)



With son's robe, I then sewed up the side seams, sewed the sleeves into tubes, and set the sleeves into the gaps I'd left in the side seams. With mine I opened up the shoulder seam flat



opened the whole thing up flat, right side up



found the centre of the sleeve piece by folding in half (use the bound edge for the cuff)



matched this to the shoulder seam and pinned



opened out the sleeve piece flat and pinned to the body of the robe, right sides facing each other



sewed both sleeves on - this is what it looks like opened up after sewing



folded the robe in half again, right sides inside



inserted a ribbon loop for the belt carrier - loop to the INSIDE of the robe, roughly at a square angle from the sleeve cuff



pinned and sewed each side from the cuff down to the hem in one go. When you do the underarm there is 6 layers of towelling! So to get the machine to sew through this thickness, lift up the presser foot while you go round that bit. To turn corners leave the needle down in the fabric and pivot the garment. And you're done! Of course if I had a car and money I'd have gone shopping for some MATCHING ribbon and a cord for a belt, but I'm a make-do-and-mender 

these little coasters make such a difference, and protect your furniture at the same time. Easy and fun to sew by hand, they are a good sewing project to take out and about with you, or to whip up when time is short  

5" (13cm) square of patterned fabric - same of cotton towelling (or use 3 layers of cotton teeshirting) - plus about 7" (18cm) backing fabric



fold the sides over once



then again, and pin



pin opposite sides then tack with large stitches, unless you're an experienced sewist



pin the other 2 sides



use 3 strands of embroidery floss, or 2 of normal thread, and stitch big running stitches all round the border



then quilt it with running stitch to hold the layers together

Made these from a box of cheap Christmas cards.  You could reuse cards from last year, but if you use new you can have an ornament with matching front and back.  I cut circles from the cards, stuck back and front together with double stick tape, covered the ornaments in book film for durability (available from stationers, for covering books), trimmed around leaving a small border, used a needle to make a hole at the top for hanging, and then used jewellery findings to finish - you could use yarn or ribbon though if you preferred 

So easy and quick - perfect for surfing and sewing - I have several pairs, long and short, and just throw them in the wash - they don't unravel or anything - no sewing needed, and a great way to reuse poor old, worn out socks!  

I expect there's been a million of these but I haven't logged on for nearly a year - forgive me if I'm being repetitious! 



Veeeery simple apron - I hand sewed it because I was feeling Luddite that day!  A slimmer person would not need the pleats at the waist, but I have a fat mummy tummy to accomodate  (this is my slim son modelling BTW)

I simply folded the closed end of the pillowcase up towards the middle, and stitched down the sides, then made a couple of pockets by stitching partitions through it.  Then I sewed up the open end of the pillowcase, folded it over a couple of inches, and stitched a couple of wide ribbons into either side for tying in back.  I then found I had a fat tummy  and made a couple of little pleats at the front.  I would also change it next time and make a couple of carrier loops at the front/sides, so I could bring the ribbons right around and tie them at the front - I really struggle reaching allllll the way back there to tie them