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Craft and Quilts Show Melbourne

A visit to the #CraftandQuiltsShow today to try out the new Toyota embroidery machine #Oekaki. Think I much prefer my #Husqvarna and #Bernina. Lots of people buying lots of stuff. There will be a lot of larger stashes in Melbourne by the end of the weekend!

 

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Make It – Zip Purses

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.com

How to make very simple zip purses

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.com

These zipper purses are so simple to make and will help you practice your zip inserting skills and build your sewing confidents. Plus the finished are incredibly useful and a great way to use up smaller pieces of your fabric stash and any odd zips hanging about!

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comMaterials

  • A zip
  • Outer fabric
  • Lining fabric
  • Matching or contrasting thread

Cut

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comBefore you start cutting, decide how long you’d like your purse to be. Add 2cm to your desired finished length – this will be your cutting length. The purse for this example has a finished length of 14cm, so its cutting length is 16cm.

To work out your width just add 2cm to the length of the zipper you are using. This example uses a 16cm zip, so its cutting width is 18cm.

From the outer fabric and lining fabric cut two pieces.

Sew in the Zipper

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comPlace one of the outer fabric pieces right side up so that the width sides are horizontal and the length sides are vertical.

Unzip the zipper so that the pull is in the middle and lay the zipper wrong side up along the top horizontal side. Align the top edge of the zipper with the top edge of the fabric. Centre the zipper so that its metal ends are approx. 1cm from each vertical side.

Place one of the lining fabric pieces on top, wrong side up. Pin all three layers together, being careful to keep the zipper centred and straight as you pin. When you get to the zipper pull, zip it over to a section that has already been pinned, so that the fabric of the zipper stays straight and flat.

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comUsing your machine’s zipper foot, sew along the pinned edge with a 1 cm seam allowance being careful not to sew into the teeth of the zipper. When you reach the zipper pull, leave the needle down and pick up the machine’s foot, then slide the zipper pull to a section that you have already sewn so it doesn’t get in the way as you finish the seam.

 

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comTurn both pieces wrong sides together so that the zipper teeth are right above the fold. Press and pin the fabrics together along the edge of the zipper’s teeth.

 

 

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comYou can then edge stitch along the fold, starting and stopping at the zipper’s metal ends if you choose or leave plain.

Repeat for the other side of the zipper using the two remaining pieces of fabric.

You will end up with two identical sides with a zipper in the middle.

Sew the Purse Together

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comFirst, slide the zipper pull to the middle to get it out of the way. Pull the two lining fabrics up and out of the way and bring the right sides of the outer fabric pieces together.

Pin the two outer fabric and lining fabric pieces together along all raw edges leaving an opening of approx. 6cm at the bottom of the lining fabric. Make sure the zip is left open and folded in such a way that you can pin its two fabric edges together with the teeth of the zipper pointing up and away from the outer fabric pieces.

Now pin the lining fabric pieces right sides together, leaving the zipper in the same orientation with the teeth pointed up and away from the outer fabric pieces.

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comTurn the whole thing right side out through the gap in the horizontal side of the lining fabric.

Keep the lining section pulled out of the outer section and press both sections flat.

Pin the gap closed, tucking the seam allowance inside the lining. Edge stitch the gap closed. (Since this is the lining, you won’t see this little seam.)

Make your own zip purse - Karhina.comStuff the lining section inside of the outer section and press the whole pouch flat.

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The Hand Embroidery of Textile Artist Gilda Baron

Gilda Baron has a unique style of textile art, which bursts out of the frame with life and vitality.  The techniques she uses include fabric dyeing, batik, hand and machine embroidery, hand made felt and applied pieces.  It is wonderful the effects she creates. I found her work through a Talking Threads YouTube workshop .  More of her work can be found on her website – www.gildabaron.com

 

GBaron1

Country Garden   64 x53cm
Country Garden 64 x53cm

 

 

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Find your inner artist

Great quote, so many of us loose touch with our inner child as we age.   As children we love making some type of art – painting, singing, writing, dancing, playing music or making things. But for many of us  busy lives take over, people tell us we are or aren’t good enough and other activities take over our spare time.

Through our school years we hear that our picture of a our friends don’t look like them. You start to notice people get excited about your friends singing but not about yours. Creating got stressful, nerve wracking and created the fear of not being good enough.

So here’s what we must do if we want the joy of making art back. We must reclaim our artistic loves –

  • because creating is rewarding, fun and calming, all at the same time.
  • because it’s spiritual, healing, transformative
  • because it will help your physical health by reducing the effects of  stress
  • because it will make you a kinder, more generous person to be around.

And if there are kids in your life – let them see an adult, happily creating for the joy of it.