football fever

It's everywhere at the moment...I can't go anywhere in work but people are talking about the world cup. YAAAAAAAAAAWN!!! is what i say to the thought of watching millions of football matches one after another. But the last time the world cup was on i used it as an opportunity for craft!!!
...now that's my kindof football fun!

powerpuff experiment

Just thought i'd post a couple of pics of my first ever quilt, i made it years ago...when i knew absolutely nothing about sewing, never mind quilting. I just wanted something bright and random that would use the embroidered picture of the powerpuff girls that i had made many years before.I made four coloured tassels, one for each corner....and the four panels were made up of patches of random material with buttons, beads, flowers, sequins and everything in between, sewed on for decoration!!! lol subtle it is NOT!!
I had completely forgotten what different patches i had made so it was a laugh to see them all again....i had sewed patches of net, voile, cotton, silk, pvc and microfleece and was annoyed when they didn't hang together perfectly....lol!!
I made little felt pictures of each of the powerpuff girls and of their logo and sewed them into little windowed patches in the middle of each of the panels. I also blanket-stitched around millions of suede hearts that were to go around the outside edge, but when i started to attach them i changed my mind and thought that maybe i liked it better without....i never did make a final decision so left them half-done!!...naughty, naughty!!
I think the back is my favourite part! haha!

sweatskirt

So I shrunk a pair of tracksuit bottoms (or sweatpants..hence the blog title) in the wash....they still fitted me but were a couple of inches too short. I could have made them into the mid-calf kind but i decided to go for something different...a skirt!!

I cut the trousers just above the crotch, giving me the waistband and a couple of inches of material below it. The trouser legs were split up the seams and cut into strips to make the frills of my skirt. I just roughly sewed them on in two layers, one longer than the other obviously, making pleats as i sewed. The rainbow trim was actually the trim down the outer side of edge trouser leg which i thought i would reuse to cover the seam. Don't look too closely or you'll notice that i didn't even measure the frills...just kindof "went for it"...maybe i'll make another one, but more carefully!!!

In the meantime...i just got another skirt to wear on holiday!

holey hoody

Another hoody-hack that i carried out was to remove the arms and widen the side armholes for a lighter weight sleeve-less hoody. I bought an extra-large so that it would be long enough (-ish) to wear as a sweater dress. I just roughly overlocked the seams as I wanted a bit of a rougher-edged look.I took out a panel of the back and replaced it with stretchy fishnet for more aeration...it also means that I can wear it in the summer without melting. ...and a cowboy-style sheriff's badge because...well, just because!!

ye olde medicine chest

Well..not quite so much "ye olde chest" more like "ye new medicine pouch". Fed up with trips to italian pharmacies and having to buy extortionately priced weird medication that needs to be snorted...yeah i know - weird right?...i decided to get prepared this time, because really you would think i am allergic to holidays...everytime i leave this little island i contract some ultra-strength flu or super-seismic migrane. I used the same cool pouch tutorial that i found online and had used before for pencil cases etc. I just amended the measurements to allow it to fit tablet boxes and throat sprays etc.
And in they go...here's to germ decimation! Hooray!

fence on fire...

o no wait...more like fire on fence!! As in the fire of my candles that will brighten up my patio on the still summer evenings, and add atmosphere to our BBQ nights!!
These were all made with more of the little creme brulee jars (...a moment of silent ecstacy as i remember the taste...mmmmmMMmmm!)
and i just formed some simple garden wire into a hanger and decoration!
Mostly garden related...flowers...
...leaves... ...starry nights...
..umm...snail shells???
...and more flowers!!
This is the way i placed them, around my (yet-non-existent) garden chalkboard. When SuperD's hand is better he's gonna make me one so i can write welcome messages to my garden guests!!!
...i can't wait!

bath & buffet for birdies!

I've always loved teacups and so when i saw them made up as bird-feeders and bird-bath in one....i just had to have one!! There are lots of these online, but this is the best tutorial i found.
I had the pole and the fixture just lying in the shed, dying for a purpose so i simply stuck the fixture on the bottom of the saucer with super-glue, then perched the teacup on the saucer and glued in place...then placed a cheap teaspoon (6 for 99p - score!) on the saucer, sticking out making a little perch for the bird to stand on!
Then just filled the cup with water for bathing-birdies, filled the saucer with oats and lentils (note to self...buy real bird food!!) and perched it on the pole!
I'm not around much of the day but if i manage to get a snap of a little bird availing of the bath or buffet i will upload it here!!

rival royals

So when i saw a full chess set in the £1 shop for a grand price of...yes you guessed it...£1!!! I really couldn't resist!! Although i knew from the beginning that the horrible cream and black matt plastic finish really wasn't going to cut it.
It didn't last long!! They look much more fabulously regal like this surely??!!
The gold family were super-fun to do!!
Now they can face off in style!!

a shed-shelf!

So i had run out of space for window boxes and plant pots on the patio and windowsills out the back of my house...enter Super D with saw in hand. "D quick i've a little mini window-box that i want to put on the shed...between all the spiderwebs!!"

I need a shelf...stat! Nice!...I like it! Fits perfectly!

hook-hangable hand-towels

So mamma bought a towel for hanging on the back of the kitchen door...but it was too big and she wanted me to cut it in half and hem it. Only problem was, that it was then a weird square-rectangle which just looked like half a raggey towel....hmmm...what to do...?
Let's make it look like it was meant to be half-a-towel!! I had these little holiday-themed cross stitch pictures which i made ages ago. So it was a great excuse to use them too!!
A bit of bias binding to secure the box-pleats in the towel and a little piece to act as a hanger.
The best bit is that i was stitching these little holiday scenes when we were on holiday many years ago...so they have a bit of mamma's favourite thing built in....holidays!!!

Don't remember exactly where i was when stitching....probably a mix of lying on the beach at La Tranche (France), sunbathing at the campsite in Jabbeke (Belgium) or cruising through the German Alps looking over the steep sides of the mountain road....who knows??!