All posts filed under: Gifts I’ve made

Secret Valentines Exchange

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Things have been a bit hectic in the Thimberlina household.  I really need to update you with the final details of #SEWDOWNDEWSBURY but my Valentine’s post has just jumped the queue! The meet up post will be here before the week is out I promise, but last Sunday’s Sunday Sevens won’t be – I’m afraid it’ll have to be a double bill next week instead! If you’re on Instagram you may have noticed lots of posts popping up with the hashtag 2017SVE.  This the Secret Valentine Exchange organised by Sanae and Ute.  Over 400 people in 30 countries took part in it!!  And I was one of them! I received my recipients details in plenty of time and began stalking her on Instagram.  Well, not really stalking, just having a good nosey.   I really wanted to put some thought into what I could make.  As well as receiving their name, address etc, participants were asked to state their favourite colours.  Pink was one of the colours mentioned by Niemandszeit.  My thoughts immediately went to the heart themed shawl I’d …

Goodie Bag Guidance!

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For the next Yorkshire Spoolette’s Meet Up on the 25th February there’s going to be a goodie bag swap.  It’s not compulsory to join in but it is compulsory for it to be fun! A few of you have been wondering what sort of thing you could put in so I thought I’d give you a few ideas. I’ve not even got any photos together yet, I’m going to find them as I write.  And guess where I’m going to look first? SEWCHET’s Stitching Santa posts! She is the Queen of all craftiness and has the most amazing ideas.  I think they’ve started to rub off onto her followers because everyone who took part in her Stitching  Santa have made some great gifts.  So that’s where I’m going to start!! Before you start looking, don’t get worried.  They’re just ideas and you don’t have to make a huge bag of goodies! A key ring – made by Lyn at Tialys   A Zipper pouch – we can never have enough zipper pouches! Also made by …

Stitching Santa 2016 – The Reveal

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3 years ago Sheila from Sewchet thought up the fantastic idea for us crafty folk to have a Secret Santa, and called it Stitching Santa!  I didn’t join in the first year, I was a little shy as I’d not been blogging very long, but jumped in feet first when it was announced the year after. Up until I joined in for the first time in 2015 (read about my reveal here) I never dreamt that I’d have anything under my tree that would make me proper excited just like when I was a child.  But Stitching Santa did just that!  It was like believing in Father Christmas all over again! My parcel arrived and took pride of place under the tree.  It came from Kim who blogs at The Material Lady. On Christmas morning H had set his alarm for 6am, and I leapt out of bed too at this time to open my special pressies when I heard him getting up! The first gift I found as I opened my parcel was a pattern magazine. …

My First Quilt

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At the start of the year we heard some amazing news – the hubby’s God-Daughter was expecting a baby!  And now I had a real and proper reason now to make my first quilt. I sweated over this for hours, and had sleepless nights and there weren’t even any fitting issues involved.  I did discover when I went shopping that I needed a pattern and couldn’t just buy fabric willy nilly! I came home with these lovely little lot after my Spoolette’s Meet Up at the Fabbadashery:   And 3 months later I had this!   I had quite severe brain ache whilst making this. Not the actual sewing, more of what colours to use:   I finally chose these, and after much googling the pattern of the disappearing 9 square. Then I needed to choose the layout of my squares ones I’d chopped the into quarters: The quilting design: I made myself a piece to practice on And practice I did!   And the binding:   And lastly, the easy bit – embroider her name …

The Octopus Scarf

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You’ll just have to humour me.  I know they have 8 tentacles and my scarf has a lot more but it still does remind me of one!   A few of you were interested in how I made Mo’s scarf in last week’s Sunday Sevens so I thought I’d buy some wool and make another, taking a few pics along the way. I’ve only been crocheting a couple of years and I think I’m somewhere between a novice and an intermediate sort of crocheter. I’m hoping this makes sense! I much prefer to crochet and knit with variegated yarn (stripy!) as I find it exciting to see what’s coming next! And with this scarf it also makes the tentacles different colours or shades depending on the subtlety of the colour change. This yarn was also different thicknesses.  I wasn’t sure how it would turn on so it was kind of an experiment.  Click HERE to see it on the Sirdar website – there’s some gorgeous colours.  2 50g balls cost me less than £6. The label recommended a …

#StitchingSanta – The Reveal!

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I can certainly say that the #StitchingSanta has been one of the highlights of my Christmas this year!  A HUGE thankyou to Sheila from SEWCHET for arranging this, and an even bigger thankyou for saying you’re going to do it all again next year!  I’m counting down the sleeps already!   I was lucky to have met my Secret Santa recipient back in April when I organised the Spoolettes Meet Up, and have been following her blog for quite a while.  It was Corinne from ApplebyMakes –  a lovely lady who’s lucky to have a crafty husband and 2 crafty children.  Her husband even writes blog posts too!! (mine doesn’t even read mine, though he does sometimes look at the pictures!). Corinne and her husband are both teachers.  Whilst racking my brain as to what to make (and having a few nights when I struggled to get off to sleep thinking about it!!!) I remembered I had some fabric in my stash which would be perfect for some handmade gifts. So I made what I make …

#StitchingSanta Update! 

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Whilst many  people are out and about shopping for pressies, I’ve been busy stitching up some hand made gifts for my Stitching Santa recipitant.  Here’s a little sneak preview of some of the gifts which are being sent off to Father Christmas in the morning. 3 of these gifts I’ve made, 2 have been bought. I also have a piece of fabric that I’ve bought, but that’s going to be a surprise! Thanks so much Sheila for organising this, you truly are Wonder Women fitting everything that you do!

Hand Made Photo Gifts 2

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You might be thinking I’ve a strange fettish for making peg bags.  You might be right!  As you know nearly everyone I know has a one of Thimbers Special peg bags hanging somewhere.  Not usually on their washing line – no one wants to use them as they’re “just for fancy!” This next one is for a lovely friends 50th birthday pressie.  I met her through cricket – her son played with H in 2013 + 2014 in the Yorkshire B team.  This year her son has moved up into the A team.  We’ve missed her and she’s missed being with us so I thought I’d make her a gift that she’d see every day and wouldn’t forget us. I’ll include a few pictures of the construction in case you’re thinking of making one. Select a smallish coat hanger and draw round it to determine the shape of the top of the peg bag. You need 4 pieces – 2 outer fabric and 2 for the lining. There’s no rule how big it has to be length wise – it’ll depend …

Hand Made Photo Gifts 1 – Toiletries Bag

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Yay!  At last!! I finally get round to showing you a special gift I’ve made.  I’ve been hanging on as I was hoping to get a pic of this toiletries bag in the middle of the sea in some unknown place on a submarine! I’ve not got it yet but hopefully I’ll be able to show you soon and will add it to my Sunday Sevens. One of my work buddies partner is in the Royal Navy and will be away for his birthday in a submarine.  When was racking her brains as what she could buy him and I came up with a personalised toiletries bag.  She looked a bit grief stricken as if she should make it, and was quite relieved when i told her all she had to do was email me some photos and I’d do the rest. Here’s the photos printed off onto special photo transfer paper.  I bought mine from WHSmiths – 5 sheets for £10 but I’m sure you could find them cheaper on Amazon.  I used 2 sheets …

Peg Bag Envy And Upcycling a Sports Shirt

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It’s almost 2 years since I made my first peg bag, and since then I’ve made quite a few.  Each one I’ve wanted to keep, but instead each was lovingly wrapped and gifted to some lucky friend or family member. For this next one I wanted to use one of H’s Yorkshire cricket shirts as it was for the husband and wife team who’ve looked after the under 13Bs this season. Here’s how you can upcycle a favourite sports or polo shirt that is no longer worn, but has too much sentimental value to give to the charity shops. Firstly you need to find some suitable hangers.  The ones I used are from Wilkinsons and come in a pack of 6 I think (it’s been a whilst since I bought them). The angle of the hanger won’t be the same angle as the shoulders of the top you’ll be using, so you need to do a C.H.A.   Bet you’ve not come across that one before!!??  It’s a coat hanger adjustment, lol!  Tickled me anyway! Turn …