Drawstring party bags

ethical drawstring party bag

This weekend my youngest daughter celebrated her 10th birthday with a stand-up paddle boarding session down at Brentford Lock. And oh my did they have fun! The weather was perfect… 25 degrees C for all ye of little faith!

For those of you who haven’t heard of this newish craze, one stands on a board, much like a surf board, and paddles down the river!

paddle boarders on pontoon

They started on their knees and were up on their feet in seconds. Took to it like ducks to water, they did!

So what has this got to do with sewing, or the price of fish, I hear you ask. Well. Let me tell you. This week has been so stupidly busy. More stupidly busy than ever with Mr O working away in Monte Carlo; my work as manic as ever and children with stuff going on! So busy that I forgot to get the party bags. And I’d scare you silly if I described the look I got when I picked up LMO from netball last Friday and admitted that I hadn’t managed to get hold of any.

Don’t panic I said. I have a plan I said.
Which is? she growled.
We’ll make them I said… with a furrow of an eyebrow.
What? All 15 of them?
Why the devil not I said with amazing confidence given my state of pure exhaustion!

So after dinner was done and the plates cleared. Out came the machine and the pinking shears. And a little cottage industry was born. I measured, cut and sewed. LMO pinked and pressed and took charge of threading the cord.

2 hours later, 15 cute little drawstring party bags, fashioned from a second hand John Lewis duvet cover, with cool aeroplane print to boot, stood at ease for a photoshoot!

 

Instant gratification.

ethical party bags

Now it could be argued that this task was well over the call of duty. That costed out they would have commanded a stupid price. And that a cheap bunch of paper party bags would have totally saved me the bother (Had I remembered to get them). But what I got in exchange for this tiny sewing project was 2 hours of precious one-on-one time with my daughter. Not to mention a cool stash-bust. That cover has been in my fabric box for eons. Oh, and not forgetting the Brownie points for the ethical factor!

I loved teaching her and she loved learning how. We laughed and we sewed and we made ‘the best eco-friendly party bags ever’. That in itself is priceless!

Full party bags

 

 

Little Miss Ooobop’s Fabulous Quiltblock Cushion

quiltblock cushion cover

Let it not be said that my littlest daughter doesn’t finish anything! I am so proud of her and I think you can tell by the photos that she is pretty damned pleased with herself too! And most amazingly, all the photos were bribe-free! No hard cash, no ice creams…. nuffink!

quiltblock cushion coverShe made the central quilt block – a double four patch – back in January. She sewed each little square by hand and made such a neat job of it. I can honestly say I wouldn’t have done any better myself!

So this weekend, when she asked if she could turn the block into a cushion cover I dutifully abandoned any sewing plans of my own, made a dash to the market for a cushion pad, and did some maths to work out the remaining blocks needed for the front panel and two for the envelope back pieces. Actually, the maths, was probably the most time consuming part of this project!

quiltblock cushion cover

I had the powder blue linen in stash so this counts as a minor stash bust too…yay!

And Little Miss Ooobop! cleverly rooted through the button box to seek out these lovely purple buttons for the back.

cushion cover envelope backShe loved being the ‘master of the machine’! And as soon as she’d finished the cover she was practicing the different stitches for her next project!

It is so lovely to share a child’s enthusiasm. Especially when it is focussed on something so basic and traditional. I know I can’t push it too far. I so don’t want to put her off. She has to come to me with her own desire for crafting but I might just happen to plant a little creative seed of thought every now and then!