More Japanese gifts

A Japanese bag kit somehow found its way into my basket when I was browsing the gorgeous fabrics on offer from Katie at Japan Crafts at the Japanese textiles workshop recently.  I wonder how that happened??

So, when I was looking for a gift bag recently for a birthday present for my niece I thought that it might be the answer to my search.

And it was!

The kit is the Hana Japanese Bag Kit and it couldn't have been more straightforward to put together. Hana apparently means flower in Japanese and the bag is named for the petal like appearance of the top flaps when the drawstring is closed. It was so quick to make and took only two FQ's of fabric plus the cord and two beads that I am sure that I will be making this again. So much more useful than a paper wrapping too :)

With the completed Sashiko cushion for my son, I am surprised to find that I have used everything that I bought or tried at the workshop. I usually have an unfinished piece of something hanging about for ages after classes or workshops, so it definitely makes a pleasant change to actually have some finished objects to show for my time.

Sadly the same cannot be said yet for the recent class on couching, where this is all I have to show for my time so far!

 

Not even any couching in sight either, however, my order of fancy new threads has now arrived so, hopefully, that will change soon :)

 

Well, once I work out what to do with them that is!

Linking up to  Crazy Mom Quilts

Owl Notebook Cover

If you are looking for the Sew Sweetness Bag pattern Giveaway, you will find the post here
The Giveaway closes Sunday 24th February 12.00 p.m. GMT so you have plenty of time to put yourself in the running for a pack of fabulous bag patterns!

Now that I know my partner has received her package I can show you the Owl Notebook cover that was part of my Friendship Bag Swap package.

I really enjoyed putting this together and fortunately my partner likes it too!

The notebook was a small pocket notebook purchased in the local supermarket and the paper-piecing pattern for the owl is available here. Any 3" block or paper-piecing pattern could be substituted for the owl if owls are not your thing!

To make the notebook cover in addition to these two supplies you will need two small beads for the owl eyes, although you could also stitch the eyes if this was intended for a child, and scraps of fabric for the cover and border and a piece of fabric twice the width of the notebook plus 5" x the height of the notebook plus 1" for the lining.

Using your paper-piecing pattern create the Owl front for your cover.

Add borders to your block in the background fabric to make the block equal 2x the width of the front cover of the notebook plus 5". Make sure that your paper-pieced block is centred on the right-hand half of the block allowing for the overlap.

Add border strips to the top and bottom of your block to make the block equal the height of the notebook, again centering the owl.

Add beads for the eyes or cross-stitch eyes instead.

Cut your lining fabric to match the dimensions of this block.

Add a 1.25" border strip in contrasting fabric to the top and bottom of your cover block.

Right sides together pin and stitch the lining fabric to the top and bottom edges of the notebook cover.

Press the lined block centering the lining and notebook cover to create a contrast border on the top and bottom edges of the lining and outer cover.

Pin and stitch one side edge together, then repeat for the other edge but leave a gap to turn the cover right sides out.

Turn notebook cover right sides out through the gap and slip stitch the gap closed. Press.

Centering the paper-pieced block on the front cover fold the excess cover at each end to the inside of the notebook. Pin folded fabric to the front and back of the cover at the top and bottom edges. Remove the notebook from the cover and slip stitch the inner folded fabric to the outer cover using matching thread at both top and bottom edges.

Slip book into cover and you are finished!

Linking up to TGIFF! which is hosted today by Gingersnaps Quilts, Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and LAFF.

Don't forget too if you have tried something new this month that the February link up of

will be up and running on Monday, 25th!