Sew chuffed.....

Hello and welcome! 

I'd like to introduce you to someone. 

This is Amelia.

Now I've had Amelia for 20 years. She was a gift from DH when we first got married and together, Amelia and I have made various soft furnishings including 4 full length fully lined curtains (been there, done that and never again)! We have also made one or two very simple tops for me and the odd cushion cover for friends.

However, Amelia and I have not always seen eye-to-eye. You see Amelia is very experienced. She has gadgets and gizmos and buttons and levers that do all manner of sensational things. I, on the other hand, am a novice sewer and Amelia knows this. Not only does she know it, but she takes great joy in reminding me of it ..... often.

I'll be chugging away on a project when suddenly WHAM! Amelia decides to jam. This is normally right in the middle of a seam or a zip or some other really tricky bit of sewing where I'm sitting on the edge of my seat, holding my breath and sweating like a marathon runner. But Amelia doesn't care. She jams and then makes it very very difficult for me to unjam her. Thread gets tangled, fingertips turn into marshmallows and projects end up being thrown across the room and then pushed roughly down into the depths of the dustbin.

Not today though.

Today, I made this with Amelia's full co-operation.

"Oh!" I hear you cry, "It's a cushion cover. Big deal." Well, actually it's not a cushion cover. It's a rather delectable "zippered pouch" as my American friends call them. (In England we would simply call it "a bag".)

But it's no ordinary bag because it's the first thing I have ever sewn WITH A ZIP!!!! I have to admit that I've tried before but Amelia has always been in "one of her moods" and I've always been at my most nervous. But not this time. This time the zip went in first time, no mistakes, no problems, no jams and no swearing by me! A first in every department.

I even lined it. Aren't you impressed? I am.

So after all my years of fighting with Amelia, how did I manage to complete this project in not only 1 day but in 1 hour???? Well, it's all down to this rather lovely post on this rather lovely blog Melly Sews and I have to say, I couldn't have done it without her. Not only are there pictures (always good for a visual learner like Moi) but there is a video too!!!!!! How cool is that?? Perfect.

More pics? No problem.

The outer fabric.

The lining.

And here it is stuffed with one of my current projects A Log Cabin Blanket from a fab designer Staci Perry at Very Pink. 

And if I do ever get bored using it as a bag then I could indeed use it as a cushion cover (stuffed with yarn, of course)!

I'm off now to skip into my kitchen for a celebratory cup of coffee!

Life is good.

Til soon.

x

ps   No sewing machines were harmed in the making of this bag!