(Picture is available for purchase from ElouiseRenouf on Etsy)
Sew for Victory
House plushie
A little while back, I decided I fancied a small sewing challenge. I have some IKEA house print fabric in my stash, left over from a variety of different projects, and I used this as a basic template to make a house plushie.
Having selected my favourite house shape, I cut it out (and a matching bag shape from some retro floral sheet). I appliquéd on the window shapes, using a couple of different coloured fabric scraps and the sewing machine.
To finish off, I used piece of scrap ribbon as a hanger and sewed the house shapes together, right side together (following the black outline). Make sure there is a little gap to stuff it with! Sew up the gap using ladder stitch.
This was a fun little project, and you could just as easily use a sharpie or a fabric pen to draw the house outline. It hardly took any time at all to make, so could also be a useful last minute present idea.
Flora Waycott
In my browsing for lovely artwork for Wordless Wednesday, I have come across the wonderful little website of Flora Waycott. She has some absolutely beautiful images and patterns on her website, as well as details of where you can purchase her prints (including online through Etsy).
This is one of my favourite, craft-themed images.
Sewing and making by Flora Waycott
Home sweet home ATC
The most recent Very Berry Handmade Fabric ATC swap was home sweet home themed. My partner this time actually was the lovely person who I got my last card from. She lives all the way in Brazil, and she sent me this card at Christmas. Her brief was that she likes pink and candy colours, and as I have been following her Facebook page, I know she is also into patchwork.
This is what I came up with. I did it all on the sewing machine, and used a combination of appliqué, very scrappy patchwork and a butterfly button.
I think it is my favourite card I’ve made so far. Just using zig zag stitch around the edge is also by far the easiest and tidiest way I’ve edged a card too. I will be doing that again next time! However, you really should check out the swap Flickr page. There were some absolutely beautiful cards being swapped again.
Geometric animals
I came across these wonderful pictures by Tracey Walker. She also does amazing paper cut pictures – so much detail! You can buy her prints on her Etsy page. 
1910 Singer sewing machine manual
I have an old Singer machine, which you can read a bit more about here. Well, the other week, I was checking out the Betsy’s Button Shop Facebook page. This is always interesting, as she sells lovely bits and bobs, but the 1910 Singer sewing machine manual caught my eye. I thought it may come in useful for really getting to grips with my machine. 
It really is a work of art, the same as the machine. Check out the graphics on this page about how to wind the bobbin.
The only problem is that it is incredibly fragile, so I’m going to have to be really nice to it to make sure it doesn’t fall apart.
Tea and home ATC
I got my lovely ATC in the post the other day. I have been waiting in excitement for the post every day for at least a week, and I was definitely not disappointed when it came. I never have been – my cards are all so different and beautiful in their own little way. 
This is how my card came wrapped up and also the little note to explain the the background to the card. I’ve got a little collection of the notes that have come with my cards, I like having a bit of background to the inspiration behind the project.
And now for the card. I LOVE this card because it is so “me.” The tower is slightly Oxford (where I went to university) and dreaming spires, and the tea ribbon is brilliant. I actually have a small piece left in my stash 🙂 I drink lots of tea, to the extent that my work colleagues now just don’t even ask me when they do a round, I just get a cup as standard. So all in all, it is a triumph and it is now safely nestled with my growing collection.
My partner has a facebook page called Polka Dots and Cocker Spaniels and an Etsy page to sell vintage goodies, why not go have a look?
I’m not sure when the next ATC swap is planned, it probably won’t be for a while, so keep your eyes pealed on the Very Berry Handmade website.
Wordless Wednesday
Fabric from The Swedish Fabric Company
Pincushion tutorial
This is just a quick and easy idea for a pincushion more than a tutorial. It is a great scrapbuster though (I like a good scrapbuster!)
I made this pincushion for my mum, who is just getting into sewing. I already seem to have lots of pincushions, including a crochet cupcake and my slightly tacky wooden one, which is the perfect size for sitting on my sewing machine while I sew.
You need two squares of fabric in the same size, and four rectangles. My squares were around 14cm by 14cm to start with, and the rectangles were 14cm +2cm seam allowance (1cm each end) by 6cm.
Sew the rectangles together in a long strip, being mindful of the seam allowance. Each seam of the rectangle strip should line up with the corners of your squares. Then right sides together and working one edge at a time, pin one of your squares and the rectangle and sew.
You should end with a box which looks a bit like this.
The next stage is to sew the second square onto the rectangles, making a lid. Make sure you leave a gap to turn it all the right way.
Turn it all right way round, and stuff it with toy stuffing. Make sure it it pretty solid, to accommodate your pins and needles. Sew up the hole using ladder stitch, which is the tidiest way to blend in the seam.
