This was the very last gift I made and just barely done in time. It was for my brother in law and it’s the name of his band. And a large band it is. So I drew all the instruments in the band and embroidered them, then did the name in cross stitch free hand.  I got a little nervous that I wouldn’t finish in time toward the end of “flatpickers” and I think  it shows.  I’ve learned that cross stitch requires actual planning (this was my first attempt) so maybe next time I won’t just wing it.  On the whole I like how homemade it looks.  Folksy and modern–just like the band it’s for.  I wanted the hoop to be the frame, but a quick look around the internets didn’t turn up much, so I put another piece of fabric behind the embroidered bit and just cut them both to fit.  It’s pretty slippy, does anyone know how to do this properly? The gift is still within my grasp and I could fix it if need be.

Hope everyone had a very merry christmas and got at least something you wanted.

I made this a few months back for a dear friend with a new baby. The pattern is from Amy Karol’s lovely book, Bend the Rules Sewing. But I made it quite a bit bigger so it could accommodate a couple diapers and a travel pack of wipes. The patchwork stripe continues around the back and the bag is lined with the same ruler print. The rest is linen. It turned out a little classy and I think that’s what you need when most of your day is spit up and mooshed carrots and dirty diapers. I got such wonderful feedback when I put the picture up on flickr, that I thought I’d share it here as well. And it would make a nice (and quick) christmas gift.

I’m trying to post everyday this month (in the spirit of NaBloPoMo) but it’s 9pm on the 4th day and I’m already sweatin’ it, so we’ll see what happens.  Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

owls for luka, originally uploaded by elsiemarley.

If you have a blog that is even marginally related to crafts you must make a stuffed owl. This is the number one rule of craft blogs. You cannot break it. I tried. And here I am making frikken owls. And I’ve only had this blog for a week.These were made from Moonstitches tutorial, which I would link to if I knew how (here it is), and really they were a pleasure to make. They are for a new baby boy so I make them with rugged, little boy fabric: cordoroy, denim, wool, and canvas. It was a little bit of a pain when it came time to sew their beaks, as all the fabric was quite thick, but I like how they turned out (if I do say so myself). This was my first attempt at embroidery and it’s pretty wonky, but I had a damn good time doing it.