BUNCH OF “NEW” CARROTS – SPRING “21!

I have just bought some rather groovy new orange and green fabric for my NEW 2021 SPRING CARROT collection!

Here they are!

Over the last few days while it has been very cold and snowy I decided to get my sewing machine out and make up a bunch of new carrots.

If you fancy having a go at making some for your self this SPRING – EASTER to jazz up your kitchen with some of these, please visit my Etsy shop THE SEWING WREN where I have made up some kits.

Each kit has a selection of orange and green fabric from the design/pattern shown in my pics, plus instructions and pattern. You will need the use of a sewing machine for best results, plus polyester toy stuffing and matching sewing thread.

I have randomly put the fabric together.

In the past I have made my my ‘carrots’ up with the same fabric for both sides, for the green tops also used the same fabric. However, I thought it might be a wee bit whacky to mix it up a little, which might be fun for you too!

You choose!

I hope in these weird times we are living in at the moment you are keeping busy, happy and safe… best wishes to all for a future world of joy, health and peace…

A little snippet for you from Snoo…

“Every year, millions of trees grow thanks to squirrels forgetting where they buried their nuts!!…”

Jay xx – The Sewing Wren

ESCAPE TO AUSCHWITZ – A TRUE STORY

A good friend has written a book after finding a cache of letters found in her parents home after their deaths, for over 50 years they were hidden and undiscovered until recently.

World War Two TRUE STORY – AUSCHWITZ – Moving account of three women in Hitler’s war torn Europe during 1930’s – 1940’s

A fascinating TRUE STORY “ESCAPE TO AUSCHWITZ” the moving account of these three women, their emotions, their struggle, their triumph.

This valuable and heart breaking exchange of correspondence has been beautifully crafted into these pages by the next generation, through letters, photographs, documents, and manuscripts, a magnificent tribute to these heroic women.

It was 2004, and a cache of letters was found when our parents house was cleared in preparation for sale.  Ilse, our mother, had kept them safe for 50 years, never mentioning them nor telling their story.

Hulda, her mother Gisela and daughter Ilse, all born into an Viennese Jewish family were caught up in the tragedy of Hitler’s Europe.  The three women, bound together by a love that flows through letters, were physically torn apart by the racist politics of the 1930’s and 40’s.

Ending up in three different countries, they tried to keep hope alive through their letters to each other.

What became of them?

Did they survive?

Or did they become just another statistic of the Holocaust?

This is their story, told mainly through Hulda’s letters.

Top photography – front cover of book – Left to right Ilse, Hulda and Gisela.

I have a few copies of this book for sale in my Etsy Shop  The Sewing Wren if you would like a copy.

Take care, keep safe…

Jay xx

Little snippet for you from Snoo “The film Titanic cost more than the ship Titanic”

CHRISTMAS WALL HANGING – WINTER HOUSES IN THE TREES!

I have been busy with my projects and taking a view into the near future with my designs, well, I do have the time!

This is what I have come up with, roughly the same “picture” but two different colour ways.  The rustic one (first photo) I will hang in my living room as I have an exposed York stone wall.   The other in my hall which is a standard plastered wall.  Each will bring a bit of Christmas into my home without any glitter or tinsel!

This one I made with woven, plaid and tweedy fabric’s.

This one from bits and pieces from my general patchwork and quilting fabric stash.

I have made up a kit of each of the above which I have for sale from my Etsy Shop THE SEWING WREN if you fancy having a go!

In the kit you have every thing you will need to make one of these wall hangings. Full instructions and diagrams, selection of fabric (some will differ from the originals in my photos, have tried to keep with the colour/texture values) wadding, buttons and embellishments.

If you want just the instructions and rummage through your own stash I do have the pattern only for sale on my Etsy shop too!

I am busy coming up with other idea’s and kits that might be of interest so please do keep me in mind!

Thanks very much for stopping by!

Jay xx

Little snippet from Snoo “A camel can shut it’s nostrils during a desert sandstorm”

 

HEXAGON ‘PAPER’ QUILT

There are some simply wonderful quilting ideas out there in this modern world of patchwork and quilting. However I am a BIG fan of the original patchwork quilt…. Scraps and not over planned!  Also the simple shapes that I always think of in vintage or retro styles of quilting, squares and hexagons. My very first bit of patchwork was using a hexagon, I’m not at all sure where it went (I am guessing I was about 10 years old and the fabric pretty awful!) most likely thrown out into a jumble sale (remember those!) as for the quilt, it was a bit like this, completely random and a weird selection of colour.

My next hexagon project (40 years later) is quite different! I decided I wanted it to look like it had been  around for years, maybe a quilt my grandma had made and bequeathed to me.  Something from the 1930’s – 40’s?

So with her in mind I started planning.  One of the things I do remember from my grandma’s kitchen was, what I thought  at the time,  very old fashioned was the colour scheme. She had green and cream enamel storage tins, it was that green so fashionable in  crockery, and kitchen cabinets door fronts… I think I found almost the same green in the pindot!  These are the  lovely “vintage prints” I chose,  some of which I wasn’t particularly fond of, but the design and colour perfect. My next dilemma was the hexagon papers. I remembered that I had learned how to make a hexagon shape at school using a compass, but found a much, much, much better way to sort out this bit of the planning… buy them already perfectly measured and cut out!

Jackie Wills is the answer to your prayers! She has an online shop with all sorts of sizes of popular hexagon sizes, plus other shapes. Her site is full of brilliant ideas, tips and information about hexagons, paper piecing, quilt projects.  And her fantastic waistcoats. I bought my hexagon papers from her shop, they arrived in the post the very next day.  Well done, Jackie, perfect service! Back to the papers. Oh, I can’t tell you what an absolute joy it is to have them all cut out perfectly.  Jackie has taken that burden from you so you can get stuck into the part of your hexagon patchwork that you really want to do,  the fabric and quilt design. Have a read through Jackie’s advice on how to use the papers. I have decided on how I apply my fabric, tips from Jackie:-

Get in touch with Jackie on :-

www.jackiewills.com

Method 1.  If you are new to hexagon paper quilting you might think this is the way to cut fabric and tack on the papers. It’s not wrong,  just time consuming and fiddly.

Cut out your fabric hexagons  larger all the way around your hexagon papers using the larger template.  I would say 1/4 inch a bit skimpy, 1/2 inch better – allows a bit of movement.

Then stitch fabric “around” hexagon papers like this, you will need lots of stitches to hold the paper hexagon in place,  and they will work just fine.  I have done this method too!

However I find this is way too tedious for me and too time consuming to cut all those fabric hexagons.  This is similar to Jackie’s advice too!

Method 2… the method I use and prefer.

Cut fabric  into squares – you don’t really need to measure anything as long as you leave a large enough lapover.

Stitch and fold fabric around the hexagon paper.

You will find you will need less stitches which will save time and all that fiddling to keep hexagon paper in the right position.

Then snip off the excess fabric like this to reduce the bulk of fabric on the underside.

If you are using quite a small hexagon paper size I wouldn’t bother to snip any off excess fabric.

When you have a nice little heap of fabric covered hexagons you can get cracking with the design.  Heaps to chose from:-

Small florette using a centre colour with the same around , or centre colour and similar colourway around creating a slightly different look.

Add more and more….

In a diamond…

In lines…

Totally random…

with a diamond insert…

The above colour scheme quilt is a working progress, I have made up heaps of the hexagons, now sitting in the evening doing the best bit in my opinion, stitching them together!  I will let you know and share with you once I have finished this quilt!

Best wishes, Jay xx

Little snippet for you from Snoo “The Penguin is the only bird who can swim but can’t fly”

 

SCRUBS!

My next door neighbour is a nurse and has asked if I could make scrubs as the hospital are really running short – absolutely, count me in!

I have been on line and bought this pattern from Ebay (Butterick Professional Uniform Basics 4946)

This is the fabric and matching thread

Off we go on a scrubs journey!

With any dress making project, studying the pattern lay-out and instructions are essential for success I firmly believe.  First job is identifying which pieces are needed. I have been asked to make the basic “V” neck top and pull-on trouser bottoms.

Then out with the sewing machine.  I found the “V” neck on the top quite difficult to master. I also thought I’d put that extra line of stitching down the top front pocket on the tunic for a pen!

 

The pattern advised to put all the pockets on the tunic first, also make up the trouser pockets to stitch into the outside side seam.  I was pleased with the curve under the arm pit of the tunic – inside all pieces I over locked the seams to give extra strength as this sort of garment will be in and out of the machine frequently.

I aslo made two face masks and a laundry bag so used uniform could get shoved in the bag and the whole lot into the washing machine!

The colour of the scrubs were actually deeper blue than the above photo, actually all my photo’s have come out with different shades of blue.  The “true blue” was very similar to chambray/light stone washed denim.

Take it easy every one – hope life if getting a little easier for you!

Best wishes, Jay xx

Little snippet for to you from Snoo “Baby African elephants throw themselves head first into the mud when they are grumpy!”

FRESH EGGS…

My dear friend keeps chickens, I popped over to see her the other day as I knew she had not been very well, thought she might need a little company.  We sat out on her front patio area in the sunshine enjoying a good old natter!

I stayed a few hours in her excellent company, as I was leaving she handed me half a dozen eggs from her much loved chickens who roam free in her rather large garden. Naturally I was delighted, nothing like fresh produce not from a shop…

Got a little snap happy with my camera, yup,  a bit carried away perhaps with an egg “photo shoot”

Yeah, I know a little bit bonkers!

And finally for my tea with a cuppa!

Thanks again for stopping by!

Best wishes to you, Jay xx

Little snippet for you from Snoo “typewriter” is the longest word that can be typed using the top row on a qwerty keyboard…

 

 

BABY BUNTING! – It’s a girl!

We have a new baby girl in the family, how exciting!  So decided to  make some baby bunting for the little ones nursery!

Found in my fabric stash some very pretty prints,  rather than go completely pink I added a selection of duckegg blue, the pink and white gingham tape brought the colours together nicely don’t you think?

Thought this fabric  colour way quite cute and pretty for a baby girl,  might be okay for a few years as it isn’t typically for an infant.

I thought I’d go really bright and funky with the paper, curling ribbon and card!

All packed up ready to post out tomorrow!

PS… While my sewing machine was out I have made up some more bunting (not the same as this blog post)  I have available on my Etsy shop –  thesewingwren which you may be interested in if you want a quality crafted idea to give as a gift or for your home, they are:-

Retro Christmas

Funky flowers!

Baby boy blue bird

Baby pink and duckegg blue

Thanks for you for popping by!

Jay xx

Little snippet for you from Snoo “Girls have more tastebuds than boys…”

 

BABY BEANIE HATS – Fish and Chip babies

 

This jolly batch has been sent to the charity.

It was such a long time ago I blogged about the Fish and Chip baby jumpers my sister and I knitted for the babies,  I’d forgotten there was a follow-up with little beanie hats for the same charity.

So, my big sis and I got knitting again – nothing like a bit of competition!  Think were were neck and neck with the final tally!

The pattern is really very easy:-

You will need double knitting wool/yarn – various amounts ranging from whole ball to odds and ends.

The varigated colours are rather fun to knit as each turn out a little different!

These three balls made the cutest little hats with surprising results

The last hat (bottom right)  was not made from the wool pictured, however the other three are from the wool shown.  I was especially pleased with the way the second hat (top right)  looks like I planned the way the pattern went, but that is just the way the wool knitted up!

Cast on 64 stitches

For the next 14 rows knit one purl one to create a rib

Row  15 knit the whole row,  then row 16 purl, continue until the whole piece of knitting measures approx 11cm.

On the next knit row, knit 6, knit two together – continue to the end on the row.  Next row purl.  Then on each knit row reduce the stitches knit 5, knit 2 together and so on… (knit 4  knit 2 together – knit 3 knit 2 together – knit 1, knit 2 together) remember to purl in between each knit row!

You will end with 16 stitches, pick the stitches on a darning needle, gather up and secure with a stitch, turn inside out and stitch seam together – turn to the right side.

The very first batch of beanies were dispatched ages ago, however I did remember to take a photo of the original lot.

90 little hats!

We used up all sorts of little bits and bobs of end of knitting projects,  some of the wool we bought from local charity shops and other teeny scraps given by friends and neighbours, a total group effort by all!

Since then we  have made a few more…

Thanks for stopping by,

Little snippet for you from Snoo “The Beatles” used the word “LOVE” in songs 613 times throughout their career”

Bye for now, Jay xx

I HAVE BEEN AWAY SO SO SO SO LONG

I’ve had a strange chapter of my life in recent years, some times not quite knowing who I was, and who I am going to be.  I have drifted in and out of happy and sad times, perhaps trying too hard to grasp onto the past, and not planning my future.

This weird time we are living at the moment has brought me personally to the surface,  I need to breathe fresh air into my life which I intend to do, little changes and little thoughts,  starting with writing my blog and creating my ideas…

Blast off into blogging again!

Please come with me as I get going…

Some days I have a few clouds,

And other days I have fewer clouds,

And fewer,

And some days there are no clouds at all!

Little snippet from me to you…

There are approx 7500, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 grains of sand in the worlds!

Jay xx

Keep well, keep safe, keep happy…

FISH “n” CHIP BABY JUMPERS

Absolutely ages ago – approx. four years, I blogged about the little yellow jumpers (30th May 2014  – TOUR DE FRANCE JUMPERS) my friends and I  knitted for decorating  my home village to support Le Tour as it passed through our streets.  After the event they were collected up and presented to the local vicar who passed them on to the charity “Fish ‘n’ Chip” babies.  Maybe you might wish to visit  yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/The-Fish–Chip-Babies-Of-Africa      … it hit such a cord.

Since then the  collection of odds and ends of yarn has grown!  My friends, my sister, my mum, my neighbour, my colleagues  have searched through their craft stash and come up with a lovely colourful selection of yarns so to  continue knitting these little jumpers!

So… my big  sister and I challenged each other to a  “knit-off” mini jumper  competition!  It was not just about how many we could knit between us (which is the most important factor naturally) also to make it enjoyable for the mums of the babies too.  Having  a suitable cosy piece of clothing for their special infant.   Colour range, as in groovy (!)  needle size change (for tiny babes) This is our the result …

A dear friend (who has donated yarn) is associated with a fabulous team of individuals who go out to Uganda and literally take the jumpers (amongst other things) to the maternity clinics  for the premature and new born babies.

Just half a size needle change  and a slightly different yarn type makes a huge size variation…

We are  so moved by this foundation we find  we are  unable to ever pass a charity shop in our local towns just incase they might have a little odd ball of yarn to finish a little jumper creation.  This is our  favourite way of obtaining yarn as it’s a great way to get a yummy little stash, and “boom” the charity shop gets a few pennies too!

Look at bottom left … got a fantastic HARRY POTTER – HOGWARTS – HOUSE COLOURS going on here!

We had not only bits and bobs of small amounts of yarn, we had whole balls so we could create some total block colours which look equally good!

Some of the most effective colours were created by varigated “sock” yarn, not only super groovy colours, the yarn is fine and soft, perfect for a babies delicate skin.

Last batch before going onto another charity knitting project!

I’ll be back soon….

Thanks for dropping by, please leave me a comment I would love to hear from you!

Best wishes,  Jay x

PS … a little snippet for you from Snoo “… Koala’s have the closest finger prints to humans than any other animal…”