Sorting

I was reading a post on BariJ's blog yesterday about organizing your embroidery stuff. I'd love to be organized (I want to write that word with an 's' instead of a 'z' but Blogger doesn't let me!) but I'm pretty hopeless at it, as the photo shows. Even the cat looks a bit lost...And this is just one of my craft hang outs in the house. The books, patterns and the hoops are not the biggest problem. The Floss is...My Floss stash continues to grow and I'm kind of fed up with winding all the skeins on bobbins. I'm also a very messy stitcher and don't want to worry too much about numbers and bobbins while I'm creating. So I'm thinking of just sorting skeins on colour (roughly) and put them in little baskets or zip locks, would that work?  I actually would love to own one of those awesome vintage DMC cabinets (like this one) to store my floss but the prices for those on Ebay are just way too high! I guess for now I will just invest in a pack of zip locks instead. ;)

Zoe's bag (made from my stash)

It's a good thing I don't visit Ikea as much as I used to because every time I'm there I just have to buy some of their fabrics. Some of the IKEA fabrics are quite heavy (canvas probably) and durable. Perfect for making bags and tote bags and so on, and that's what I did! Zoe needed a new bag for her Theater Class and this bag  holds everything she needs: ballet shoes, clothes for dancing, a drink and a snack and a binder.

The bag is simply shaped like a long tote bag with a 'boxy bottom' and the top folds over so it looks like a messenger bag. It was super easy to make apart from the bits where there were multiple layers of canvas to sew through. I used a 'jeans' needle for that. It was a bit noisy but my Husqvarna managed to do it in the end!

Look! I haz cute Ikea fabric lining too!

I followed this tutorial but simplified it quite a bit. I have a less fancier strap and did not bother with an inside pocket or a closure.

So while I was actually using some of my stash to make this bag. Some new additions to my stash arrived!

The very lovely Katy and I did a scrap swap. That is to say: I sent her some sorry scraps, she sent me enough to make quilts for the whole neighbourhood!

Sunday stash # 5 Saffron Craig fabrics (and others too)

O.k. I'm rewriting this whole post (I'm a bit of perfectionist) because I got it wrong the first time. I was under the impression that all the fabrics I showed here were by Saffron Craig but Georgia, who sent me the fabrics, corrected me (thanks!) : "The top one there with the tree silhouettes is actually from Aunty Cookie (Shannon Lamden), http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=36645 . The hearts underneath are from Saffron Craig. the red one under the hearts is Lara Cameron (I think?), and the next red one is saffron Craig again."

Since I received the fabrics in a swap with Georgia I've only looked at them and have not been able to cut them... yet. Especially the one on top which is like a panel and I must think of a project to use it as a whole without having to cut it. I love birds with cages and trees and keys! You must check out Saffron's online shop. The fabrics and quiltkits are so adorable! The topfabric is from Aunty Cooky and she has many lovely designs available too.

P.S. update update You have no excuse not to go to Saffron's site now because she has a gorgeous giveaway if you enter a comment on her blog. Of course I would rather have you did not go there so I have a bigger chance of winning the lovely goodies! :D