NANNY and POPPY PROJECTS Archives

Make a Frame Tray

November 24, 2015 by Nanny Leave a Comment

Today I am going to show you another easy project using a photo frame – Make a frame tray!

When we had a disaster in our kitchen last year,which resulted in a ‘new’ kitchen, I felt I needed some colour accents in the white kitchen.

I had the tea cup herb garden

So I decided to take the red of the cup to make this tray!

What you need:

A photo frame – I used an A4 – choose a frame with a profile that suits your need. I chose this one because the high gloss finish fitted perfectly with the kitchen finish.

A roll of contact or some of your favourite fabric

Silastic sealer

What you do:

Remove the backing board from the frame and carefully remove the stand from the board.

2. Cover the board with the contact or if you use fabric, staple or glue it to the board. Replace it in the frame and secure.

3. Now I wanted to be able to clean the tray without worrying about water getting under the glass, so I asked PJ to seal it for me with Silastic Sealer. So you simply squirt it around the edge

4. Wipe it clean with a dry cloth

5. You could add handles if you wanted to – I chose not to.

6. Enjoy your new tray! This is mine in the kitchen.

There are so many lovely frames available today and you can often pick them up on sale so why not give it a try. You can make them whatever size you like and they can serve a purpose in any area such as on the dressing table or even in the bathroom and you can make them whatever colour/design you like to suit your decor. They make a great gift too!

Until next time

Nanny xx

Make a Pin Cushion Dish

November 4, 2015 by Nanny 6 Comments

Keeping on with the gift ideas, today I am sharing how to make a Pin Cushion Dish

I purchased these from the ‘cheap’ shop some time ago because they looked like something I could use! 🙂

They are dip bowls and as you can see, two for $5.99.

This is how I used them to make a Pin Cushion Dish!

What you need:

A dish

Scrap of fabric about 9″ square

Needle and thread

Filling

Glue (I used a glue gun)

Ribbon to trim

Let’s craft!

Trace around a bowl about 9′ or 23 cm in diameter

2. Run a row of stitches around 1/4″ in from the edge – I did this by hand using double thread and starting with a knot.

3. Gather it up

4. Stuff it with whatever you like in a pincushion – I used polyfill

5. Check to see if it looks puffy enough and then tie it off.

6. Using a glue gun, run glue over the base and around the upper edge of the dish and push the pin cushion into the glue. I held it till the glue cooled.

7. Trim with a ribbon scrap to cover the dish edge. I joined the ends on the side facing the empty dish.

Make it in a favourite colour, add some pins or threads and there you have it – a lovely, very useful (and very cheap) gift for the sewists in your life!

I hope this inspires you to look at simple objects in a different way – Take a dip bowl and make it into a Pin Cushion Dish – who’d have thought!

Until next time

Nanny xx

Make Book Ends

November 2, 2015 by Nanny 2 Comments

As it is now November (eek), I thought I would share some ideas for Christmas gift giving. Today I am going to share with you how to make Book Ends. These make a great gift and are a quick, easy project!

Recently I came across some mdf book ends on sale so I grabbed them. (You can easily cut some squares to suit and make your own)

This is how I finished them!

I had Poppy paint them white for me – I had a butterfly, a heart and a bird.

I then selected some paper combinations:

For the heart:

and for the bird (I’m still waiting on a bedroom redo to finish the butterfly)

I traced the shapes onto the paper and cut them out.

Nanny tip: when you trace something and then cut it out, remember to cut to the inside of the tracing line to ensure it fits!

I then glued them in place

and found some ribbons to trim. I love the contrast between the spots and stripes on the hearts!

Little green pompoms and some little eyes finished the birds – aren’t they cute!!

I was so happy with the results I wanted to share them with you – a quick, easy project that is sure to bring joy!

Until next time

Nanny xx

Make a Design Board

October 11, 2015 by Nanny 11 Comments

Hi!

This is something I am going to be using constantly while making my Farmer’s Wife 1930’s quilt so I thought I would show you how easy it is to make a Design Board.

What you need:

An art canvas – pick one up for a couple of dollars. Mine is 12″ x 12″

A scrap of cotton wadding

A staple gun

Let’s do it!

Place the wadding on a hard surface and place the canvas upside down on top of it. Fold the wadding up and over the edge and staple it.

2. When you get to the corner, just cut a piece out to reduce the bulk

3. Fold the corner and keep stapling

4. That’s it – all done!

Here is mine with my latest block all set out ready to go to the machine

and look – you can even turn it upside down and the pieces don’t fall off!

They won’t even end up on the floor if someone opens the door and the wind rushes in!

It is really something to think about if you don’t have one as it literally only takes minutes to make and it can it save you a lot of grief. It doesn’t take up much space next to your machine and you can easily see that you are joining the right pieces!

I’d love to know if you think you will make a design board too!

Until next time

Nanny xx

Spin the Pins – Make a Hexie Bag

August 3, 2015 by Nanny 14 Comments

As you would now be aware, I co-ordinate fabric swaps for Australian residents through my Facebook page ‘Nannyswapz’.

When planning a swap with hexies, I try to find a project by spinning the pins so that participants have a purpose in mind before the swap proceeds. On my Hexies board I found a hexie bag that used 16 hexagons and so built our swap around that. We swapped Rainbow Batik hexies and I am going to use them to make my hexie bag. So here is my Spin the Pins – Make a Hexie Bag!

I decided that rather than sewing the bag and then lining it, I would hand stitch each hexie and then join them. I also decided to make my own version re the shape and so made another 4 hexies to give me a total of 20.

What you need:

20 x 2.5″ (side) hexagons ( Hexie Bag Templates)

20 x 2.5″ (side) hexagons of Vilene

20 x hexagons (Hexie Bag Templates

Matching thread

Finished size: Approx 15″ x 13″ at the centre and 9″ at the sides plus handle

Let’s Sew!

1. Iron the vilene to the back of the hexies

2. I then machined around the outer edges

3. Centre that hexie , wrong side to wrong side on one of the larger hexies. I used a large needle through the centre to hold them together.

4. Fold the edge of the large hexie into the edge of the smaller hexie and finger press.

5. Fold over again and pin

6. Take a threaded needle and knot the end. Concealing the knot, start stitching about 1″ from the corner (or from my finger in the photo) and stitch to about where the stitching line will be on the next side.

7. Fold the next side the same way, making sure that the corner forms nicely.

8. Continue in this way until you are all the way around. Finish off and slip the needle through the border to finish.

9. Complete all 20 hexies in the same manner.

10. Play around with the hexies until you are happy with the setting out of 2 flower shapes (the front and back of the bag)

11. Take the centre hexie and one other.

12. With right sides together, stitch along one edge. (I used a whip stitch)

13. Take the next hexie (yellow) and join the edge to the centre hexie (aqua)

14. Continue joining all of the hexies to the centre and then join along the adjoining sides to complete the ‘flower

15. Repeat with the other ‘flower’

16. Now from the other 6 hexies, choose two to go on the end of the flowers:

Here

and here

17. Take the 4 and stitch the pairs together

and then join them to the ‘flowers’

Like this:

and this:

18. Now join the two ‘flowers’

and the complete the ‘circle’ by joining here

19. Now you get to make a choice – how do you want your bag to be finished?

With the handle coming from the centre? (from the yellow) If so, you will add the other two hexagons as shown.

On the other hand, you may prefer your bag handles to come from the sides like this. If so you will add the extra two hexagons as shown.

I am making my bag for a specific reason ie to hang on the arm rest in the motorhome to hold my knitting, (It really is time for that shopping bag to go), and so

I have decided to have my handle come from the centre of the bag. This will ensure that it hangs ‘flat’ and not protrude into the walkway.

One side

and the other

20. To make your handle, you will cut a strip 3″” x twice the length you want it to be plus 0.5″. I measured mine and will make it 16″. This will also be a good length to hang over my arm when taking it outside to crafting sessions.

21. Cut a piece of vilene 2.5″ x the length of your handle and iron it onto the wrong side

22. With right sides together, sew around the edges leaving a space to turn it through. Clip corners.

23. Turn to right side, roll seams between your fingers and thumbs and press. Stitch around the edge 1/4″ from the edge and then some rows of stitching the length of the handle.

24. Join handle to the bag. I’m using whip stitch again. You could, of course, stitch it to the top hexie using your machine if you prefer.

Now to load it up with my knitting needle roll, a pair of snips, a needle size gauge and a darning needle and my current project – all that I need, exactly where I need it!

Perfect!! Start the engines PJ – Nanny is ready to hit the road.

Until next time

Nanny xx

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