Bitten by the Sewing Bug

On the day that we went to Chelsea Flower Show it was my best friend's birthday.  It was a "special" birthday, so I wanted to make something for her in addition to her bought gift.

I decided to knit a Crescent over Lothlorien shawl for her in Nimu Blea, a silk yarn from my stash. 

I knew she would love the colourway as, like me, blue is her favourite colour.  I have a second hank of this yarn, so I may make another shawl for myself.  This one was more of a shawlette size, so I'm wondering if I can alter the pattern to make a bigger one?

Next I decided that it was high time I used the sheep material that I had purchased in Norfolk during April.  I had bought it mainly for the purpose of making some project bags.  After watching a number of knitting podcasts, where all the WIP's were kept in beautifully stitched project bags, I felt slightly ashamed that my projects were kept in plastic! ;)

Sheepy Bag Number 1

Another aim of sewing these project bags was to stash dive for trimmings as I have so many!!  The grey braid is a scrap leftover from my son's memory cushion and whilst I was stitching my son was "playing" in my sewing box and he found the sheep button in shrink plastic, that was a leftover from a T-shirt I had decorated for my daughter when she was little.  Now I have a memory bag. ❤

I might have gotten a little carried away with the sheep theme! :)  I decided to make a little beaded sheep as a zipper pull.  I made him up as I went along!

The inside is lined with the spotty fabric.  The bag is approximately 30cm wide x 22cm high.

 Sheepy Bag Number 2

This one is a little smaller at with the top approximately 20cm wide, but the gathered bottom opens up to be 30cm wide. Overall the bag is 20cm high.  Again lined with the spotty fabric and with a tab on both sides and a recessed zip.

 I embroidered a sheep to cover a button and finished it with a crocheted rosette.  The grey fabric is a square patch that came with my son's junior school trousers, ready for mending any holes in knees.  Luckily my son never holed his trousers - what a good boy! ;)

Sheepy Bag Number 3

I decided that I needed a bigger bag, so this one is 30cm high x 33cm at the top, opening up to 45cm at the base.

This one has handles and is again lined in the spotty fabric.  I've almost run out of the spotty fabric now, but still have enough of the sheep fabric to make another item.

I stitched some tiny spotty buttons at the bottom of each pleat.

 Not Much Room in Here Bag!

Sorry, I couldn't resist! :)  It's actually 36cm wide x 25 high.  The handles were free with a sewing magazine, possibly last year.  The lining matches the bow and is a soft furnishing remnant I bought many years ago from Laura Ashley, intending to make a cushion!

 I crocheted 2 toadstools in linen, partly following a pattern and partly winging it!

 I like the way the gills have turned out on the spotty toadstool.

 I then decided that I really needed a bigger bag!  This was a deep stash dive (and this is only a small portion of it)!  These are most of my fat quarters.  I have made items from some of them, but most are unused.  My next bag is going to be made using patchwork and featuring cats.

I'll post about that when I have finished it, which may be at the end of June as we are now into our birthday season with both my birthday and my son's birthday next week and my husband's birthday at the end of the month.  It's also Father's Day soon.  My parent's are coming to stay for a few days next week, which I am looking forward to as I haven't seen them since April. So I might not get much stitching done.  I still have my first pair of socks on the needles and hope to finish them - some time this summer!  I also want to continue with my crocheted hexie blanket and another crochet pattern is winking at me! No wonder my husband has always said that crafting is my vice! Good job I have an understanding hubbie! :)