My Ami fami...

Since starting to crochet I have been sitting on the sofa every evening while MrB xBox's with a DVD playing on the pc and a crochet hook in my hand.
Here are what I have made so far, mostly either from the Lion brand website or from Ana Paula Rimoli's fab book 'Seriously Cute Crochet'
I made an octopus to start with, you can see he's a bit gappy!


then a fishy still a bit gappy!


then it was valentine's so I made these for DH


Mummy and baby fish, getting better...


Jellyfish (made this one up myself)



Easter bunny



All these are more of less the same size, 3 or inches high.
Then it was a good friends son's 2nd birthday, and he loves penguins, so, a little bit late, but II just finished this



DangerB holding it for size


Next job is an ami picnic set...watch this space!

Car/Playmat Bag!

You will need a FQ size of your playmat base plus a backing fabric (I have used Michael Miller's Merryville and some plain black cotton)
One square of outer bag fabric 14" by 12" ish.
Sewing machine and pins!



Cut the outer fabric in half and one half in half again so you have the shapes here.



Fold the larger part of the outer fabric in half and sew up the sides.



Fold the edges of the 2 strips in and then fold in half. Press and sew down side to make 2 straps



With right sides together sew playmat and backing fabric together all the way round leaving a gap where my fingers are here.
Make sure this gap is at the top of the fabric if it has a pattern!
Turn to right side



Now for the tricky bit. Insert outer bag into the gap you have left in the playmat. Fold the edges of the mat and the bag down and pin together starting at the outer corner to make sure it is level.


Insert the straps on both sides as you are pinning round

I am missing a pic here as my camera battery died but you then top sew around the playmat and bag, backing up over the straps and sewing over again so they are secure. The tricky part is the inner join of the bag and playmat. The easiest way to do this is to sew from the inner join on the back all the way round stopping just at the edge of the bag. Then add the backing fabric under your needle and topstich over both layers of playmat and backing from the very edge of the bag insert all the way round.

If you wish you can sew over the playmat to make sure it doesn't bunch up. I have sewed lines down the roads before now but didn't have time for this one!



This is your bag unfolded. Fold in in three from the left towards your bag, and then fold up from the bottom. Reach into your bag, grab the bottom of the bag and the playmat fabric and pull. You should end up with this!



I hope that makes sense, let me know if it doesn't, thanks!

I am making these to sell at school fairs so would be grateful if people only make these for personal use or gifts. thanks!
(This it my first ever tute, be gentle!)

Pinafore dress

World Book day was a few weeks ago, and princessB decided she would like to go as Emily Brown so we needed a dress. She may be a Princess but she doesn't really do skirts and dresses, or dressing up..

I found this fab tute and ended up with a great dress, one side purple pattern (was the only fabric I had that was kind of right) and the other side is part of an ikea duvet cover, perfect for our summer holiday

Front fo dress in Emily Brown style


Back


and the other side

Cot duvet!

DangerB is getting a bit too wriggly for her nice 'sheet and blnaket neatly tucked in' combo, she ends up with it wound round her legs, so I made her a quick duvet cover using an old stained cot blanket and some spare fabric. I just hemmed one end, sewed right sides together and then folded it over about 3 inches at the open hemmed end and sewed the edges down so the blanket
can't slide out.





























Then it had to be tested out. And of course PrincesB couldn't be left out!
It works much better than the old blanket/sheet combo as she can pull it up herself adn not get tangled up in it (so easily...but I am sure it is just a matter of time...)

My new bag! (yes, another one!)

Haven't been able to blog about anything I have made recently as it has been for a secret swap, but now I have sent all my gifts off I can start making things for me!
So, in a fit of madness I bought a really pretty skirt in the sale that is never going to fit me

Nice isn't it?

Then I decided to make a purse/wallet out of it as when I go to the shops/school run I just want to take my money, cards, phone and keys, I don't need nappy and child stuff all the time. So I got scissor happy and made this

The one on the left is a purse, made from the zip section of the skirt, with the hanging tie left in so I can clip my keys to it with my money and it zips without me having to add a zip!!!!

The bit on teh right is a small wallet thing made of the skirt outer and liner plus 2 snaps. It has 2 pockets front and back, divided down the middle, each pocket section fits either cards/stamps/receipts or my phone (which I was using to take pics but it fits, honest) The purse also slips into the middle so I can carry the whole thing in one hand easily, or put it into a pocket with no problem (unless I have too many coins....then I start to keel over)

Then, a few days later I looked at the remnants of the skirt and figured I could sew up the big slice I had hacked out of it, cut a strip off the bottom and make a bag, so I did!

Here (scuse rubbish pic) you can see the strip of pockets I made by sewing the strip off the bottom around the lining and then dividing it. I added a D clip onto one side

The outside.
And you can just see on the left, a pocket I added with elastic at the top that fits a ball of yarn and a crochet hook, so I can crochet on the go without removing all the yarn or another project bag!
I used the waist tie of the skirt as a strap, currently it is tied onto the waistbands but I am thinking of fixing it at some point...maybe.

Took about an hour altogether, and I love that it looks all neat and seamed, when I didn't have to do anything to the edges!