love that book, karin, there are loads of tutorials around the internet to show you how, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih36efqxCoc&feature=related this one on you tube is quite clear!! x

ooh cat in the hat!!!! awesome!!

thanks ellarain, i finished two yesterday, only 22 or 23 to go lol, waiting to get my camera back for better photos, i'm not sure i'll get it done by this christmas, do you think we can postpone it for a month or so??

i'm so in on this thread, i love making things, and will happily make things for gifts, but people mess me around all the time, i put photos of some bags i made on facebook and a girl asked me to make her one and we agreed on a price and then she never responded to my messages when it was done, another girl suddenly lost interest when i said how much one would be, and the best one is that i made my mums wedding dress a few years back as a gift, and bridesmaids outfits for me and my sister in law, not to mention a number of others over the years that i was paid for but someone asked me to do hers for free, as a wedding gift, (I WASN'T EVEN INVITED) my dad was really, really sick at the time, i of course apologised and said i really didn't have time to commit to it, not to mention the fact she lived miles away and didn't drive,  and she deleted me from facebook and hasn't spoken to me since!!

so yeah i'm discovering that people just want something cheap they don't really want to pay for my time or even at least materials, my policy now is i might make you a gift, or i will make you something for what i charge, otherwise you can buy something i chose to make or it's tough!! i put too much work into the things i make to undersell myself!! hmph!!

hiya, this is a totally only just started project, i've started early as i figure it's going to take me a while, my idea started out as being just a simple but lovely advent calendar for my niece who is coming up for two in january, i wanted to make little pockets but it's hard to find suitable small toys for a tot for each pocket and her daddy, my brother, is a chef and very keen on healthy eating and doesn't like her to have too many sweets, so i didn't want to make it with treats.
sooooo... currently my plan is to make a mahoooooosive one with pockets, and a tree sewn on somehow, with little ornaments to hang on the tree every day.
this is where my cunning plan hit its first snag,  though i've already done my pattern for the basic calendar, i thought it would be best to work on the ornaments first to make sure they will fit in the pockets, i tried a myriad of different ways to make my ornaments, fimo, embroidery, fabric painting, fabric pens, card and lots of glue,  a mixture of everything, and nothing was producing anything i was even slightly impressed with, but hurrah, this weekend i think i've had a breakthrough, image transfer paper may just be my saviour!!  
so on with the
first my basic pencil sketches to work out my sizing and designs followed by hand drawn and painted initial designs, i used watercolours with sparkle as i want it to be quite pastelish to go with their decor:





next i've transferred them onto image transfer paper, and ironed them onto white felt, then cut them out as little circles ready to be embellished with sparkles and suchlike got 18 done so far but not sure if they're all staying:


backs to look kind of like baubles!!



some of the fronts, decorated with beads, more to follow




obviously ideas and comments are welcome, thanks for looking!!

oooh i think i've found a new craft to learn!! bookmarking for later use!! they look great!!

ah thanks sue, it's good to know peoples thinking behind a project, i saw you'd put it was for tafe but being in the uk i wasn't sure what that was, it's a great interpretation of your brief, and i'm the same with ideas, i have a million and abandon them in favour of others, hope it goes down well on your course!!

perhaps you could display it all bent over a shelf in a dali style?? it is awesome, but what made you do it??

thanks, me too!!

ok so i was sick of looking for a new bag, i like a little satchel type but mine was too small  and the ones i liked had straps that were too short, so in a flash of stash inspiration i discovered a big hunk of a nice grey suit type fabric i bought ages ago for the bargain sum of £2.50 the pictures don't do it justice at all the stripe is a slightly greyish pinky colour, so i concocted a quick pattern and made this, it has a massively long strap so i can wear it across my body, for hands free shopping and i lined it with some jazzy cotton stripe i also had in my stash pile, i added a little inside pocket and it fastens with a magnet inside and velcro on the flap, so a total bargain bag too as i had everything in the house already, i also stiffened it up a little with a bit of interfacing but i wanted it to stay quite slouchy!! it doesn't look like it but the stripes do match up perfectly on the front!!




the fabric had the most pretty selvedge so i whipped it off and used it to make some swift rosettes which i have made like little broaches so i can take them off if i get bored of them, the little tab with the eyelet in is just for something to fiddle with and too add a bit of extra interest really. it fits tons of stuff in it as i squared the bottom off, i actually fitted in my huge purse, water bottle, towel and i pod in it the other day to go to the gym!! yay!!



all in all i'm pretty thrilled with it, though on reflection using it this weekend i could have made the strap a little wider as it gets a little uncomfortable if it has too much in it, it doesn't photograph well, so i might change them when i get a chance to take some in decent light!! comments welcome, thanks for looking!!