Swapbot May 2016.

I left swapbot around three years ago for a few reasons, it's not a perfect site (in fact, one of my first return swaps has seen me having to send to a confirmed scammer/multi-profiler because even though it was reported, the scammer was just partially suspended) but it's full of really wonderful, creative people and it's a real boost to be surrounded and interacting with like-minded people.

The only real unpleasantness so far (apart from that scammer...) is how expensive postage has gotten! I posted a tea swap yesterday and three of the envies went to Germany...£2.45 each! I posted two out of EU packages and they were £3.15 each. Ouch! I'll have to be very selective with my swaps in the future...

But of course it's all worth it when...

Something exciting arrives! I signed up for a chocolate swap (£4.75 to post to the USA, eep!) and this was from my partner...

Caramel chocolate! Dark/milk chocolate! I love the packaging design too. My partner was very generous and included some notepaper and this adorable postcard which she used to write a quick note to me. What I really loved about this package is that I loved all these things but I probably wouldn't have chosen them myself, if that makes sense? That's the reason I returned to swap bot. 

I've sent off quite a few swaps now but those have mostly been small bought items, I did send off this yesterday though:

It's for the Unusual Holidays June TM patch swap! It's to celebrate International Sushi Day (June 18th) and I based it on the local sushi place (Yo Sushi!). Oishii is a variation on saying 'delicious!' in Japanese. I didn't notice the dragon fabric was upside down until I nearly finished...but I think it gives a slightly sinister Pee Wee playhouse vibe to this sushi bar. Upside down dragons, sushi with eyes and the fact all the sushi is the most expensive plate...truly a bizarre place. I hope my partner likes it!

Every Last Scrap.

I made a fabric yarn ball. All the long skinny fabric bits just knotted together. Once I have enough, I'll knit a mat. I really want to try the t-shirt yarn making method now. 

Just before my machine finally gave up (rest in peace, tiny machine!) I started this patch. I was going to add some beads saying 'believe' but I think it feels complete this way. 

Seeing as I'm starting to grow a nice collection of patches, I thought I should start on a bag framework. This is one of the side panels. I used cotton batting because I want each side to be the same size and this is the easiest way. I want to keep them somewhat simple because all the fun stuff will be on either front side. The bottom panel will be demin, just for toughness. 

On Monday, I realised we had some yogurt and eggs that were close to going off so I made this recipe substituting Greek yogurt for banana and custard flavoured yogurt and adding chocolate chips. I definitely try hard not to waste food (and to be fair, everyone in this house loves food so there's no excuse!) so it makes me very happy when I can save produce and make something delicious.

On the subject of my machine...I've had it for over five years and it was very much a beginners machine and probably never meant for so much use but it has always tried to do as I ask. It would have cost almost half what its original price to fix and I've wanted to take a step up the machine ladder for a while so I bought a replacement.

 I do feel like it's the sewing machine equivalent of that Simpsons episode where Bart orders a schmancy catalog dog leaving Santa's Little Helper in the cold but...that's not even that great an episode so I think I can live with it. :3 

Teesha Moore Patches #2.

I've kinda been on a patch making spree so far this week, trying out different ways to assembling them and different ways of designing them. I CANNOT STOP. 

I don't really have much to say about this one...it's a patch? I might go back and add more embellishment. It's not quite popping for me yet.

The picture is a bit shiny but that's a Shonen Knife pick that I bought when I saw them in Manchester. It's been sitting in my oddments box for years but now I'll be able to use it in a way that I can enjoy a lot more. 

I traced the embroidery after I stuffed the pillow. Not the best way but definitely a more Teesha way.

This one I really love. It came out exactly how I wanted it.

This was made from part of an old pyjama top, hellyeah for recycling! I did want to embroider a mouth but the fur pile is way too dense. I'm not sure if this is entirely finished...if there are sew on pet noses with whiskers then I'm getting one to finish him off. 

And finally, the googly eyed ghosts! I freaking love googly eyes and they work so well here. The rest is just basic embroidery and a little black butterfly sequin. 

I also made a patch for a tag game on Swapbot but forgot to take a picture. Oops. I saved the templates I used so I might make some 'sister' patches for the one I sent away. I was reluctant to part with the patch but the fact it's going to America (like Father Ted! Haha.) to be enjoyed by someone else is really awesome. Also, I'm pretty sure if I keep up this pace I'll be buried under patches within a month...

Teesha Moore Patches #1.

Hello!

I've wanted to make some Teesha Moore patches for a while and this weekend, I did. I was impatient to get started so I only watched halfway through the tutorial so if I've missed something major...oh, well, I think mine turned out okay.

This is what I ended up with following (well, sort of) the TM tutorial:

I like it, though I was unsure until I attached the butterfly sequins. I wonder if I slightly overfilled my pillows (another personal flaw, generous to a fault. :3) because without embellishments all over, it just looked weirdly lumpy in parts. I also found it difficult to embroider as smoothly as I'd like. I do like that it isn't perfect and that I'm okay with that...but I dunno. 

Then I tried making a patch a neater way:

I can't remember how I came into possession of a cent piece but I did so I thought I'd use it here. I bought some clear plastic table top protector and used a vinyl/leather needle. Then applied the beads, then the embroidery. This was all just on the fabric and a layer of quilt batting. When I was done (and I was sorely tempted to add sequins...) I stitched a 1/4 inch line around it to secure the backing, then folded over and embroidered it. 

I like this style for for the ease of embellishment but I miss the puffiness of the first one. Argh! I feel like freaking Goldielocks here. I've signed up for a TM patch swap on swapbot and I think I'll use this method mainly because I want to do a fair bit of embellishment and end up with a 'neater' product to present. Even though the whole point of TM is to be perfectly imperfect, I'm not perfectly imperfect enough yet...

Maybe soon though.