Handmade Jane

Hi, I’m Jane and I’ve been sewing with a passion for just over a year.  I recently started my blog Handmade Jane where I talk about things I’ve made (frocks and craft items).

Here I am with one of my elves

I’d love to make some handmade gifts this year, because I think they’ll be really appreciated and I’ll get a lot of pleasure from making them.  I tested the water by making birthday presents for my mum and my mother in law this year, and they both went down a storm.  Even if it’s just a small lavender bag, to me handmade means much more than yet another gift set from Boots.

I’ll be trying my hand at making little purses, make-up brush rolls, 50's style half pinnies and lavender bags. I’m more than happy to share links to any on-line tutorials I’ve found (all easy ones!) and any suppliers I’ve found useful. Mostly though, I’m looking forward to seeing what everybody else has been making.  That’s basically what I spend way too much of my time doing anyway, reading sewing blogs! Can’t wait!  x

Whew! Almost finished

Life got away from me the last month.  Apparently trying to make Christmas gifts and starting a blog while working a full time + part time job was not a good idea.  ;)

I want to share some of my finished (as of 10 minutes ago) gifts.
For my two nieces:

 The skirts are the circle pattern from Favorite Things - easy and fun to sew.












The pleated purses are from http://mommybydaycrafterbynight.blogspot.com/2011/10/pleated-purse-tutorial.html .  The pleating takes a bit of time but the instructions for these are great!

We also gave away over 30 jars of homemade jelly.

And my homemade vanilla and lemoncello is ready to decant and bottle up.

  One of my New Year's resolutions is to get regular about blogging!  I received a pressure cooker for my birthday so I anticipate more canning and my fabric stash is getting out of control so sewing will be happening.
   I've really enjoyed seeing the pictures and reading about everyone's gifts.  Thanks so much for sharing and inspiring me.
    Happy Holidays!

Christmas Plans

Hello, I'm Vicki and I blog at Vicki Kate Makes.  This is my first year here at the Crafty Christmas Club and I've loved going back through last years posts - there's so much inspiration there!

These are my plans for this year:

Mum - a photo calendar
Dad - a photo desk calendar and some lebkuchen or biscotti or both!
Husband - waiting for inspiration to strike?!
Boy - Husband is making him a toylander.  Does that count as handmade - I think it does!  I may make him a cuddly dinosaur too from this pattern.
Jess - Makeup brush roll with some new brushes
Adam - I have no idea!  May well end up being bought and some baking thrown in.
Beccy - Cookie mix jar and a purse, maybe using this pattern with some little makeup bits in
John - Again, no idea.  Probably something to do with books or cheese.  So maybe a book voucher and some cheese straws?
Ian - Aarrghhh!  Why are blokes so hard to think of present for???  May well be really unimaginative and give him a voucher of some sort and some baked goodies.
Jo - Purse and something else.  Will have to ask Ian for suggestions!
Husband' Mum - What do you give your MIL?  She's not the most appreciative person so it may well end up being a bought present, or vouchers in a handmade card.  Or possibly a terranium as she likes her garden and plants.
Husband's Mum's Boyfriend -  Another man that I have no ideas for!
Husband's Dad - Photo Calendar
GG - Chocolates from Hotel Chocolat and a framed photo of Husband and Boy
Uncle Pete - Bottle of port

I'm also hosting Christmas Dinner this year.  So I'll be making cranberry sauce with port (nom nom), the christmas pudding in the next couple of weeks and a christmas cake, again in the next couple of weeks so it can mature and be fed!  We also make brandy sauce to do with the pud which often ends up with a LOT of brandy in it.  I have to admit my go to is Nigella's Christmas for a lot of the recipes so I'll have to go through the book and plan the menu.

I'd also like to make some bunting for Boy's new bedroom.  I'll also make the wreath for the door.  As for other decorations it depends on what inspiration strikes.

Now that I've written it all out, that's quite a lot!  Ah well, slow and steady...  There's still 71 days!

Looks like I'm not the only one to love Amy Butler Patterns!

For my birthday I had this book:

and since it had a purse pattern in it that has a zipper for closure rather than my nemesis metal clasp frame huffed about here I decided to give it a go.  This is what it looks like in the book:

and this is my attempt:

I had some Amy Butler fabric fat quarters that I'd treated myself to a while ago so used one for the main body of the purse and the top piece is a fabric remnant I picked up.  I'm using the other fat quarters to make two of the bags featured in the book and going to make more of the purses as Christmas presents as I think I know what I'm doing now I've made one!  Highly recommend the book as it comes with all the patterns in a nifty little holder at the back.

Happy making!

A few things started...

I just wanted to update in regards to my giant list....!

Just a heads up with the free bag pattern from Burda: you need to go to verypurpleperson's blog for the instructions. Maybe you guys don't need the instructions but I was a little stumped when I tried it without them!

But they're all done:

And I've finished my prototype make-up case:

Which I gave away as a birthday pressie for my sister in law....

And I've started on my piggy mobile:

If you want the pattern for the piggy mobile (I actually didn't use it but got the inspiration from Welsh Pixie's version) it's in the book Tone Finnanger's book Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle which I have just bought from Amazon :)

Happy crafting!

Drawstring Purse - Tutorial

I have uploaded a tutorial for my drawstring purse to my blog.


Now I'm onto my next project, a stuffed animal for my niece. Unfortunately I have misplaced the thread and it was the only one I had of the right colour, so I'll see if I find it or when I'll have time to buy a new one. It's not a hard project so I'm not in a hurry (yet).

I'm also thinking of making Charlies as gifts so I might get working on that instead.

Big list this year, time to get cracking!

Hello everyone, my name is Kath and I live in Brisbane, Australia. I have far too many hobbies to list but my most recent endeavour has been my Etsy store bunnyhornet. I make vintage inspired jewellery there and I'll be adding a bit of that to my Christmas pressies list!

BUT!! My projects I have to tackle this year are:

1.    3 x personalised cushion covers for my nephews.
2.    3 x reversible tote bags
3.    Skirt for my sister-in-law
4.    Sundress for another sister-in-law
5.    A few simple make-up cases
6.    Flying pigs mobile (idea found on this blog!)
7.    Some little bunnies (also idea found on this blog - thanks!)
8.    Tuxedo bib for littlest nephew
9.    2 x capes for bigger nephews
10.  3 x aprons for sisters and mother-in-law
11.  Giraffe Toy

OMG! How am I ever going to finish? I don't have a blog of my own so I'll document my sources for inspiration etc here :)

1. Personalised Pillows

My sister-in-law sent me a link for this:

If you click on the picture it will take you to the webiste.

She wanted her own version for her new baby and I have two other little nephews so I've bought fabric for all three and some felt for the names.

I bought my fabrics from Superbuzzy who has some amazing prints and colours.

And the felt came from Etsy user litlbrownbird.

And this is the inspiration for colour scheme I'm working with!

How cute is he!

The fabric picked for Boy 1 is to go with this little fella and I think the oranges and blues will go nicely with his room....

I want to make one similar but that's only in the 'musing' stages at the moment, no concrete plans!

You'll also notice I've bought the fabrics for the 3 reversible totes. The pattern I'll be using is from Burda Style and is free!

Now this tuxedo bib pattern is meant to be for an adult (to look like you're wearing a tux shirt) but how cute would a version be for a baby? Argh! So cute! Another Freebie!

I'll also use some of the leftover fabric for the make-up cases. I'll just make these really simple pouches with a zip closure.

Love this tutorial over at Chezlin!

I also bought some of that felt to make brown bunnies like the ones shown on the blog and on the original website of Betz White.

 The flying piggy mobile I found on this blog here. I've already started on my own pattern - don't want to mess with copyright but as it's for a gift we should be ok! The skin tone and white felt I've bought from litlebrownbird will be for this one.

Ok, and that's where I'm up to with my ideas so far..... wheeeeeeeeee!

Now to find good patterns for the Sundress, the Skirt, the aprons and the capes. Any ideas?

Two purses finished

I've now finished my second purse as well. As with the first one I still need to finish the details. I will take the purses to the supply store some day and see what they have, I know they have an extensive assortment of notions, so I'm sure I can find something there.
Also, like the first one, this one also goes in black and red, I think those colours are great for a party purse. It doesn't look very nice in shape without the closure, but it looks good with it.And both purses together. For my cousins, I haven't decided who will get which purse, but I guess I'll wrap them and stick the labels on without knowing which is which. They're not that different.

My next project is a stuffed animal for my niece, I'm right now doing embroidery for the first time in a long time; sewing the eyes and nose for my deer.