I have gathered all my embroidery and cross stitch supplies together and realised I have a lifetime’s supply. So I was delighted to find inspiration from Mistikomakes on YouTube.
Not only did this give me lots of practice on fly stitch, chain stitch and French knots it inspired me for little makes that are satisfyingly fast to finish.
I am gradually reducing the fabric stockpile and this project must have used up oh, a millionth, in one go!
Part of a polo shirt, stained beyond use, was sandwiched between two layers of old cotton sheeting to create a new supply of reusable face wipes.
The trick for fast production is to make a large rectangle sandwich then draw on, with a frixion or erasable pencil, circles which you sew around. Then you cut around the sewn circles with pinking shears before ironing to remove the pencil marks.
I am stitching on cards this month, but it is a long process so these upcycled Christmas cards were stitched on the sewing machine.
A simple star frameA pattern stitch sandwiched between two wandering straight stitch framesMy favourite: the machine’s version of cross stitch lifts this cardStitching with gold thread is subtleMounting the stitched card to set it offSimple so I added lots of stickles for dimensionA zig zag stitchDelicate straight stitch on this one
Each card has a tailor made envelope using the plain side of 12x 12” patterned paper. The stash for Christmas 2023 is underway!
Multi media pillows have been created to use up some of the fabric stash. I combine free motion, appliqué, hand embroidery including lots of French knots, fabric pen drawing and pearl drop embellishments.
A quick and straightforward sew converted elderly placemats into storage bags and pots.
I folded a mat in half so that the fringed edges became the top hem then seamed both sides to make a simple bag. Then I boxed the bottom corners to give it structure.
Because these are heavyweight mats the finished article stands up well.
Smaller bags were made by chopping a mat in half and following the same simple sew.
Made on the same basis as lavender bags, fabric sachets are filled with activated charcoal (as used in home aquariums). These are supposed to absorb the sweat in trainers and shoes.
The sachets are lined with dark fabric as charcoal is very messy. I decided to label them with fabric pens so recipients know what to use them for and will enclose a note explaining that the charcoal can be reenergised if warmed in the oven.