Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Tutorial Tuesday




I've always been intimidated by trying shirring.  Though now I can't imagine why.  Disney from Ruffles and Stuff makes it look all so easy!  Check out her great tutorial here.

Monday, March 11, 2013

New Pattern!

UPDATE ON TEAPOT AND SNAIL!!!


Woohoo!  I did it - the new pattern is out and up on Etsy as we speak.  My daughter's started at preschool and loving it so I have those days to get stuck into some shop work.  I have some ideas for patterns running around in my head and here's the first one:

It's a coffee carrier for four takeaway coffee cup and it's called the Espresso Express.  It will also fit those big smoothie/juice cups or water bottles.  I just got fed up with those cardboard trays and wanted something I could take coffees down to the playground in, or wherever really, without it being a balancing act.  I gave one to my MIL as a gift and she and her husband take coffees down to the beach in winter with a blanket and a book.  I wish I'd thought of this idea when I was working in an office and doing the coffee run for colleagues.

The one you see in the pic above is made from chalkboard cloth that I bought from Me Too Please, which is an Australian company, online.  This stuff is brilliant because you can write your coffee orders on in chalk.  I have to get to work making these for gifts now.  Lots of them!

This week I will be getting onto my next pattern which has been inspired by a request from Christine of Poppie's Pretties.  She's after a little girl's handbag to sell on her Facebook shop so I will be scaling down the Pony bag.  I'm thinking of adding a big bow to the front just coz I know that's what my chickie would love.  I wonder what other little girls out there would like?

Sunday, December 09, 2012

New range!

Sling tote bag in Measure Up fabric

So I decided to make a short run of Sling Tote bags for those of you who don't sew and I put the first one up today.

Here it is in all it's measurey glory - love this fabric.  I went a bit nuts and got a fair bit of it so if there's another pattern you'd like done in this one just convo me on the shop or email me at teapotandsnail@gmail.com.

I figure I can make one of these bags a day (in amongst activities with my three-year-old), so I look forward to being able to show you another one tomorrow!  I don't intend for these to hang around long though.  Anything that doesn't go on Etsy will be going to market so get in quick if you want one.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Again and again

I have made a couple of attempts to get back into regular blogging here, but life's just too busy.  How about we all make the move over to teapotandsnail.blogspot.com for a while?  I'll pop the kettle on - just come on over whenever you have a free moment.  I promise I'll be there.  :)

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Today's work

Today I used a bunch of coffee bean bags to make:

a big outdoor bean bag

four outdoor chair cushions


and a wall hanging

I've been checking out the coffee bean bags you can get on Etsy and some of them are gorgeous.  Maybe I'll pop up a tute on my Etsy shop showing how to make these things out of them...

Saturday, September 01, 2012

deeeeeeeep frost

it says it's currently -2.5 (at 7.45am) but it must have been lower than that at some point overnight coz all the water in the pot bases on the deck are frozen rock solid. sadly my tomatoes didn't make it. lesson for next year, just keeping them out of the frost isn't enough. on the upside the fish are somehow still alive. after a nuclear holocaust (or perhaps the advent of a new ice age) it will be cockroaches and goldfish. but no tomatoes.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Vintage Toys

Just found this great vintage toy shop on Etsy.  There's some fabulous stuff here.  I love some of those old Little People.  Wouldn't mind getting some of those for Elsa but fear they would be rejected for *gasp* Barbie :(

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Artsefrtse

Vintage Fisher Price Little People Shopkeeper

Lot 5 1970s Fisher Price Little People Vintage Barnyard Friends