glass half full

As ever I've started lots of projects but not finished any of them yet. Pretty good though that all of these have been started since last Tuesday's 'sewing night' where we actually for once did get some sewing done in between dinner and gossip.

So that's a half built hippo - from the pattern I fell in love with from Issue 3 of SewHip magazine (actually I fell in love with it in the sneek peek in issue 2 which is why I travelled to Harrogate to buy issue 3). The Laura Ashley fabric (as featured in my kitchen blind and 5o's apron) is still going strong with scraps remaining. Hippo needs 1) a leg seam resewing, 2) felt eyes and nostrils adding - black and white as per the pattern or pink and white as in my head - or will it make the hippo look poorly if it has pink eyes? 3) stuffing 4) blind stitch the opening.

A half built pincushion caddy from Anna Maria Horner's 'Seams to Me' book. Again the Laura Ashley fabric makes an appearance aswell as scraps left over from making Grace's Clothkit dress, both the clothkit fabric and the lining fabric I bought at the market. Missed out some interfacing which stiffens the inner tube but shouldn't matter. Needs stuffing and its bottom hand stitching on - to be finished at least in time for my London College of Fashion course so I don't keep losing all my bits - although it might possibly be a bit big to cart down there with me.

And a half-built handbag, complete with cute inner pocket using some of the yummy fabric I bought from Anna Maria Horner's website - her own design fabric. I'm waiting impatiently on the release of her dress pattern as featured on her blog, due for release this month. Found the free pattern on on australian sewer's blog and it's easy peasy. She is obsessed with fabric selvedges and has made the most amazing 50's style dress out of them. Still to do: 1) magnetic clasp (optional - if I can find my spare one), 2) strap, 3) close the inside opening, 4) go shopping with it.