Crochet Card 3D Wall Art - Java Jive

I've been making a few crochet card thingies since I mastered the technique here, but there's a limit to how many pencil holders and nik nak boxes I can have around the place, so i thought ... let's stick it on the wall.

I have always admired the tea-cup shape that I posted about previously from Tea With Friends but I don't drink tea. I dink coffee, a lot of coffee. So here's my homage to my morning Java shot.

I worked out a template in card, then chose some suitable imagery - 'Modern Art'.

I really like the Edward Hopper image of the woman drinking coffee at a table (Automat - Hopper 1927) - I wanted her inside the cup in her isolation so that you had to peek to find her. 

My machine embroidery skills are still in their infancy as you can see! But it's great fun, I'll be practising this over the next few months especially as I picked up a wonderful retro book on the subject from a charity shop last week - deserves a blog post all of its own.

For the background to the finished piece I chose two contrasting fabrics, ran them through the sewing machine then stretched and glued the lot to stiff card. 

Once I'd placed the cup and saucer in a nice dynamic position, a few stitches held the cup and saucer in place and ... ta da!

I'm linking this post with the Handmade Monday linky party - see what everyone else is making this week.

Quilted Phone Case Tutorial

It's a phone sleeping bag with a button and elastic loop fastening. 

Having just invested in a shiny new phone, I was equally excited at the prospect of making a cover for it. This is quick tutorial in keeping with the blog title ethic ... just Make It Up as you go along and put some good tunes on the turntable.

1. Fetch some wadding and two contrasting fabrics, enough to wrap around your phone once - there will only be one seam down the back. Essentially you will be constructing a quilted tube.

2. Cut the fabrics to size (centre a motif on the outside fabric if you like) and make a wadding sandwich. I free embroidered the cactus motif - this will become the front of the case.

3. Trim the outside fabric and wadding from the top edge of the quilted oblong sandwich leaving the backing fabric longer. This is then turned over and used to seal the top edge of the case. Hand stitch in place.

4. Fold the oblong in half right sides together - you're about to sew the back seam. But first grab a length of elastic (about 12cm) and stitch the loop firmly in place to the right of your intended seam line.

5. Fold the the oblong in half again and sew this back seam, making sure it's a snug fit for your phone.

6. Now you have a tube with the elastic loop in place, trim away the excess seam fabric on the loop side. Trim the other side of the seam enough to fold under and cover the loop. This will lie flat like a french seam inside the phone cover and look very neat. Hand sew this neatened seam in place. 

7. The last thing to do still with right sides together, is sew the bottom seam making sure the quilted motif and loop are centred. 

8. Now turn the case right side out. Voila!

**INTERLUDE**

Grab a coffee and a well earned treat whilst you congratulate yourself on following my improvised instructions thus far.

(Cup cake made by my daughter, mug decorated by her also)

8. Finally dig about in your button stash for a suitable button. I chose an 'almost sombrero' early plastic hat. Sew the button into place - I opted for the brown one.

You're done!

I Made Stollen

Stollen is a traditional German Christmas cake, more of a bread really packed full of dried fruit and marzipan. It's my favourite Xmas treat although mince pies come a close second. I made this one to take to our annual family pilgrimage to the Log Cabin.

Quite frankly it weighed a ton, light and fluffy it was not. The dough refused to rise before baking and I was worried the thing might be inedible.

Once the loaf was out of the oven and dusted with icing sugar, I decided it was an homage to David Lynch - er, for all those who are familiar with the Eraserhead baby..

It was a pretty dense loaf - but I have to say, lightly buttered and with a mug of steaming coffee (damn fine) it tasted wonderful! It is served here on my latest crockery find - a 30's spotty plate I picked up from a boot fair last month ... and I got two tureens to match, all for a couple of quid.

I Made Blueberry Muffins

Which is just an excuse to show off my cake stand which I bought at a Frock Me event in Chelsea a few months ago - isn't it fab?

Fiesta!

Here's a fairly recent acquisition - my lovely Fiesatware jug. It's not particularly old, these pieces are still being made I believe. Those in the know will be able to tell you which Fiesta pieces are vintage and worth holding to by the glaze colour etc.. and which are contemporary.
This piece is such a lovely shape, I buy more flowers since I've had it.