My handmade Christmas

In an effort to use my new skills, save money and give meaningful presents this Christmas, I attempted a handmade present for everyone in my family (I only give presents to my immediate family so it's not too many). In fact, the only person who didn't get a handmade present from me this year is Sam (his present - a log bag - was handmade, but by a Mummade colleague rather than myself!). I don't have a photo of the linen laundry bag I made for my brother and his wife for their travels (they are currently spending 3 months travelling round SE Asia and Australasia) but here are the photos of the rest:

The doll I made for Matilda - complete with a dress that matches hers.

Drawstring playmat for my nephew

Shoulder bag for my sister

Fingerless gloves (made from jumper sleeves and lined with fleece) for my other sister

Baby doll for my 14-month-old niece

Crayon/pen roll for my 5-year-old niece (plus matching roll for her doll)

Wine cork board for my parents (who run a winery). Frame from a charity shop, painted to match the winery colour scheme.

Making presents for everyone was fun (if a little time-consuming!), and they seemed to be well-received - I'd love to keep it up next Christmas if I can!

Finally - a babywearing bag!

I've been mentally planning this bag for ages. I wanted something simple, versatile for wearing with a sling (and a toddler!), large enough to hold a couple of cloth nappies, drinks bottle, snacks and all the other stuff I seem to end up carrying round! I bought some canvas months ago to line it with and finally found some suitable exterior fabric a few weeks ago - it's a Liberty print called Strawberry Thief. I found it hiding away in a charity shop disguised as a curtain, and at £2 - what a bargain! The straps are long and tapered at the ends - I can tie them together in various ways depending on how I'm carrying Matilda. I put in an internal zip pocket, big enough for wallet, keys and a few other bits and bobs; the bag itself closes with a velcro flap over the top. I'm really pleased with how it turned out - I'll try and take some action pics soon!

A bag (and first attempt at applique)

This weekend I made a bag for my niece for her 5th birthday. I used a pattern for a small shopping bag which I had from a 'learn to sew' course at my local knitting/sewing shop. Some new Ikea fabric formed the bottom half and the handles, and the denim was left over from some old jeans I recently cropped. My niece loves all things pink so I used some dark pink thread for the top stitching.

I had decided to add an applique butterfly using some fabric from a japanese-style satin-like top I bought at a car boot sale. I ironed some bondaweb onto the reverse of the top, drew a butterfly shape onto the paper backing and cut the shape out. I then ironed it onto the bag fabric and zig zag stitched around the edge. I'm really pleased with the result - I love the look of applique but when I tried some out before (on some scrap fabric) it went all stretched and the shape was warped - possibly because I didn't use any bondaweb, or possibly because the fabric was t-shirt jersey so had some stretch in it. Anyway, this worked really well - two non-stretch fabrics probably made it easier - so I'm feeling enthusiastic about trying some more applique in future!