Embroidery ...buttons ... thrifting and my cat ...

What a lovely spring day...I must admit I could easily have spent the day in the garden.

However tempting.....I had to work. First things first... my car had to go in for it's mot.

 Whilst waiting with fingers crossed that nothing was wrong with it, I went on a continued search for some pea green material. I make owls....I make pussycats...and have been planning in my mind to make some pea green boats........ I have hunted every shop that sells fabric with no luck at all....I have green material, but not pea green...I wonder do they make such a colour....

I did buy some new embroidery threads....I wanted pink, black and white, but found it was actually cheaper to buy an assorted pack. I wonder how long they will stay all neat and tidy...how long before they join the tangled mess with my other threads....

I also bought these cute wooden heart buttons .....

And....after a quick look around the charity shop....I found this....

Well I never....another cat...very similar to the one I bought Charlie. So I bought him for Charlie as well, even though he is not keen on the first one...I like him. He was only 45p !

After a wash and brush up...here is my new stripy cat. Charlie thinks the new one is worse than the first.....I think they are fab.

And here is Bloopy having a snooze on what was my bed throw. He likes how squishy it is...you know..when cats do that pawing thing before they lie down...he purrs so loudly whist pawing it for ages that Charlie and I end up in hysterics. ....

Oh...and my car passed its mot..it just needed new wiper blades.....so all is well...

Handmade gifts...girls applique cat tote bags...

This is how I make my patterns...it all starts as apicture in my head...then I cut paper to the size I want, adding seam allowences etc..I make notes on the pattern so that I will remember everything at a later date...I cut out the shapes and juggle it all around untill I am happy with the design...then I cut it from fabric....It takes me longer to choose the fabrics and trimmings than it does to sew the item up...I want everything to be as perfect as possible.

I made four different bags by altering the placement of the design...

These bags are lined in white cotton curtain weight fabric with a little pink rosebud design. I put wadding between the lining and main fabric to make the squishy and add body...The bottom corners are squared off..and the handles have been inserted and top stitched three times to make them as child proof as possible....They measure  width 31 cm...depth Not including the handle..25cm...just the right size for a little girl...

I put one of my cats in this bag to give an idea of the size.