Three's company

"Quack, Quack" We have a new friend...

Three tiered lavender-filled cushion - TUTORIAL

Yay! This is my very first tutorial. I'm going to show you how to make the lavender cushion you see above. This project is suitable for beginners with some sewing experience. Don't worry - it's not difficult. A little handsewing will be necessary toward the end, but it shouldn't be a problem ;-) I took quite a number of photos; I hope Blogger will not cause me any problems. So, let's get started shall we? Basic tools you will need: Sewing machine Sharp fabric scissors Ruler, cutting mat and rotary cutter (you can use scissors, if you don't have one) Needle, colour-coordinated thread, straight pins Magic Marker Pen (ink disappears and leaves no trace on fabric) Round-tipped chopstick (for pushing out corners) Polyfill Fibre (stuffing used to make soft toys, plushies etc) Dried lavender (store bought or homegrown, if you have the time) Plastic funnel (optional) Your choice of fabric. I find 100% cotton works best. You can mix and match colours or use only solids. Here I used a lavender-themed combination: script, fine line and solid. You will also need some matching ribbon to tie up the cushions later on. Start by making three templates for each size cushion. Unfortunately it's not visible in my photo, but the cushions are three different sizes, the largest (bottom) measuring about 10 x 10 cm (approx. 4 inches) when finished. As you can see in the photo below, I have added a small tab on one side. This is the opening for turning and for filling up with lavender later on. I find the little extra bit of fabric helps when sewing up the opening, because when filled the cushion will be 'puffy', so you have a little fabric to hold on to.

Large - 11.5 x 11.5 cm (approx. 4.5 inches) Medium - 10.5 x 10.5 cm (approx. 4.1 inches) Small - 9.5 x 9.5 cm (approx. 3.8 inches)

Fold the first fabric in half, right sides facing. Now draw the square including the tab onto the reverse side like this: Now cut out the shape through both layers using your rotary cutter or sharp fabric scissors. Next pin the edges, still with right sides together, like so: Start sewing from one tab point (backstitch here) all around the entire square up until the other tab point (backstitch here). I used a narrow seam of 0.5 cm (approx. 1/4 inch) Turning fabric at corners - leave the needle lowered in fabric and lift the foot. Turn, lower foot. Continue sewing: When finished, remove all pins. I like to pull one loose thread onto the other side and secure with a knot, but you can skip this step. I just like it tidy, that's all :) Next, use a pair of sharp fabric scissors to cut off the corners. This reduces bulk when turning and makes neater corners. With the aid of your chopstick or other blunt stick turn your cushion right side out carefully. Make sure to push in the corners to make a nice shape: Iron your cushion on a cotton setting. Now comes the fun part! You can start filling your cushion with little bits of Polyfill fibre. Push into the corners and along the sides, but leave some space in the middle. Aim for a soft shape - don't overstuff: When you are satisfied with your shape, you can start filling it up with dried lavender. You can buy this in most craft shops, in the garden center or online. Fill up your cushion with the help of a funnel or use a small spoon. Seal off with some fibre on top: Now comes the tricky bit. You will need to slip stitch the opening closed. See? This is why you need that tab! Just go slowly and you'll be fine. If you still find this bit too fiddly, you can always use a simple overlapping stitch. Proceed in exactly the same way for the medium and small cushions. Now you have your three cushions ready to be stacked one on top of the other. Using your favourite ribbon (about 1 meter should be enough) wrap up your cushions like a parcel and tie with a bow on top. Finished! These make great gifts and smell wonderful! Keep one in your bathroom, on your bedside table or in your wardrobe to keep away moths. I hope you liked this tutorial. If you have any questions, I'll be glad to help. Just email me at dunibagz (at) freenet (dot) de I had so much fun doing this tutorial. I'm planning some more in future, for intermediate and advanced sewers. Hope to see you back!

This'n'that

Hello everyone!

It's been a busy week, and it's not over yet. Still haven't figured out what is causing my arm/leg pains; I'm hoping my appointment with the rheumatologist will throw some light on the matter.

Meanwhile, I've sold all of my pink sleepmasks. I just had enough time to sew and list two new ones in white/turquoise and white/blue/green. 

The rest of my spare time I've been planning my very first tutorial for this blog! I'll be showing you how to make a three-tiered lavender-filled cushion! I hope I'm all done with sewing, taking pictures and posting it by this weekend. So watch this space...

Special Feature: Aiman::Art Design

While I've vowed to cut down on my fabric purchases, I still like to browse the internet for new and interesting designs. And looking doesn't cost a cent :) Today, I'd like to introduce a new blog I discovered: Aiman::Art Design I haven't seen anything like these amazing designs before. The creator behind these designs is talented freelance textile designer, Aiman, from Pakistan. Her designs are rich, detailed and glamorous. She loves working with paisleys and skilfully combines colours to create a pleasing whole. Aiman's designs lend themselves particularly well to home interiors, but they would make stunning bags too :) Apart from designing textiles, Aiman is also an avid photographer and creates beautiful cards as well! She's also going to be a young mommy soon and she loves cats - how endearing! Please, please do visit her blog and send her some bloggy love...

I won a cute lipstick holder!

Frances' blog Topaz Horizon was one of the first blogs that captured my attention when I was still fairly new to blogging. I kept thinking what a clever, funny and beautiful person Frances is! Her posts are so vivid in their description and highly entertaining - please check out her personal blog; you won't be disappointed. Recently, Frances started a new blog very fittingly called Beauty for a Living (she is a writer/editor for a Philippine-based women's magazine) and kick-started it with a fabulous giveaway! I'm so glad I participated, because I won the 3rd prize!!! It's the first time I ever won anything in a blog contest before. I was so thrilled. Well, that very prize - all wrapped up in a shiny blue envelope - landed on my doorstep a couple days ago. And here's what was inside:

Shu Uemura Lipstick Holder with Hand Mirror

Isn't it gorgeous? I love it! Now I have the perfect place to keep my regular lipstick and chapstick! To my great surprise Frances included a gift she chose specially for me: A lipgloss from Revlon in a yummy wine colour! I have already tested it, and it suits me perfectly! Thank you so much, Frances, for this thoughtful and generous gift. Frances is planning another great giveaway, so if you would like to participate, head on over to Beauty for a Living now! The next winner could be you!

A very stressful week :(

I am so tired. We got back late last night from my mom's. You can see the old part of the city in the photo. I have been going through my emails and comments since 8:00 a.m. and I just want to say you guys are so wonderful. Thank you SO much for your heartwarming comments and personal messages. You are the best!!! Now, the hard part. Sumi is still with my mom. According to the doctor's my mom is stable, although the way they say it doesn't sound good to me. We have spoken to one of her neighbours who very kindly offered to help out with Sumi or the grocery shopping when needed, but in the long run we will have to arrange some sort of carer to come in on a daily basis. This being Germany, this will involve reams and reams of paperwork and other bureaucratic nonsense. Even if I applied straight away, nothing will happen before next year. Sumi positively went bonkers when she realized what was happening. It was heart-wrenching, not to mention my mom being so sad. We decided it was too much stress for the little one, and so after talking to the neighbour we left Sumi with my mom. Of course there will always be a place for her here should the circumstances change. Sammy is overjoyed to have us back. I'm trying to get back into my routine, which I always find difficult after I've been away, even if it's just for a week or so. I also need to see a doctor, because I have developed a weird pain that seems to travel through my body. One day it's my back, the next my legs, my arms and on it goes...as I said - weird. Something weird is also happening to my blog. Can someone tell me why all the links on my blog are underlined and a funny shade of default blue? I tried to change them in 'fonts and colours', but that didn't work. The blue remains. It's affected my tags, my blogroll, my archive - I know I had them in a mauve/pink colour before I left, to tone in with the rest of my blog. Help...anyone? Also, why is it that I sell more items when my shop is closed than when it's open?! I mean, I'm not complaining, but...??? I even got a custom order! Hmm. Weirder and weirder. I am really looking foward to this weekend, so that I can get everything organized and back into order and maybe I even get to sleep my required eight hours... I'm also looking forward to visiting all of your blogs! I have so much catching up to do! hugs ♥