A little blue rice bag

Here's the allotment. Not providing much in the way of food at the moment, but oh boy! Isn't it pretty?

Yup, no doubt about it. Prettiness everywhere you look.

Back at home, my sewing machine's playing up. I changed the needle which improved things, but the tension's not right and I've tried different makes of thread and that helped a little. I think the machine needs servicing, so will find out where I can get it done locally.

While it was grudgingly behaving itself, my stroppy machine obliged by sewing the seams of this little bag. It's based on the Japanese rice bags that I've seen being made in YouTube videos, and was an easy make.

Five squares of fabric for the outer, five for the inner, small rectangles for the loops, cord and beads for the tie.

I used cotton material, without interfacing, so the bag's quite floppy.

A denim version would look rather handsome, don't you think?

Pleased with this blue bag, I started making a larger version with pink as the predominant colour. Will show you that when it's finished. I've a feeling it won't be as successful, mainly because I reckon these bags look best when they're small and cute, not larger and a bit unwieldy. Oh well, it's all a learning process, isn't it?

Oh, before I go, yesterday's 'Year of Wonder' music was based on Nordic folk music. Ribers No 8, Danish String Quartet. While today's was the lush and romantic Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from 'Spartacus' by Aram Khachaturian (1903 to 1978).

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Threads of Freedom and charity shop bargains

It's Saturday afternoon, and I haven't done half the things I'd meant to. Partly because I spent most of this morning messing about with paints, stencils and the gell plate. Never mind, everything on today's 'To Do' list will join tomorrow's 'To Do' list ... it's hardly life or death if I don't haul the hoover around the room or pull up weeds in the front garden. I thought I'd show you what I made on Wednesday. I'd gone to my monthly StitchArt group, and this time we did something a little different. There's a project called 'Threads of Freedom' which is working with various community groups across the city. It's about creating little stitched pieces, some of which will be included in a textile panel to go on display at Leeds art gallery. There was lots of fabric we could choose from to sew with, and I picked this vintage tray cloth with the roses embroidery. My own embroidery's not a patch on those flo...

Another week's flown by ...

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Sari scraps, PVA, a couple of books and a necklace

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