Mondays make, do, or mend

Last week I mentioned that I am going to post regular blogs on my various projects.  You may possibly like to see what I am doing and it may help to keep me on track so I have something to show you.  The blogs will be entitled “Mondays make, do, or mend”. They will include anything crafty that I have been working on, possibly things I have cooked, possibly even other stuff.....who knows! 

Feel free to join in especially if you do lots of different craft stuff because I love to see other people’s ideas.  My friend Cindy did a blog on the cute beaded watch straps that she makes.  When she comes over I’ll get her to show me first hand.

So what have I done this week?  Well first of all I got all the pieces cut out for my lap top bag and my Kindle pouch.  I cut the wadding and all of the bits are tacked together ready to be sown.  Unfortunately because I wasn’t well last week we didn’t meet up with Denise so the sewing didn’t get done. Hopefully later this week.

Here are the bits and pieces.  Can you see how cute the material is?  Lots of different dogs!

I have also done the practice rows that Denise said to do to get more used to controlling the machine.  She said she could see that I pull my material through which is true, so I have stopped that now!

I have been working on a cross stitch embroidery. You won’t be able to tell yet what it is. I shan’t tell you.  You will see as it progresses.

As well as trying to make more things for Christmas (328 days to go Wendy!)  And birthday presents this year I am also going to make all my own cards.  I have all the stuff to do it, decorative papers, glue sticks, stickers, cut outs, ribbon, card etc.  They are the same supplies as for scrap booking. I made 2 this week for a couple of men in our family who have February birthdays.

I have been making sock monkeys.  I have 2 on the go that I am making for a special little girl.  They are not quite finished so you will have to wait until next week for the finished result. Sock monkeys are cute and so easy to do.  One pair of socks makes one monkey!  I like the stripy monkeys best but these ones in contrasting bright colours are good too.  I have taken a few photos so you can get an idea of how to do it.  There is also an excellent sock monkey tutorial if you want to have a go and are not sure.

Remember I am making 2 monkeys.....you turn 1 sock inside out and flatten it as shown. Draw a line down the middle from the heel to the cuff then sew either side of the line and across the cuff.  Now cut between your line of stitches up to the heel.You will have a little hole between monkeys legs where you can turn him right side out. See below for 2 monkey torso's. The green one has been turned the right way out already.

Turn the other sock inside out and draw a line as shown from toe to cuff about an inch wide. Cut off the toe and throw away. (That is the only bit that is not used) You then cut along the line and that bit will be the monkeys tail.  The photo below shows 2 monkeys tails which have been sewn and the pink one has been turned the right way out. The green sock shows what you have left after you have made the tail.

See that V shaped green sock up there?  We cut it into 3 sections to make ears, arms and the nose. Cut across either side of the heel.  The long bit will be cut in 2 to make arms (this is the bit with the cuff. The heel will be the nose.  The shorter bit is cut in half and then half again to give you ears! See the pink bits below.

Make the arms and ears the same way you made the tail.  You will then have 1 monkey torso, 2 arms, 2 ears, a nose and a tail. I am alternating the colours on these 2.

Time to get stuffing!  Stuff the body and sew up the gap. Stuff the tail, arms and ears. 

Sew the arms and ears to the body.  Sew the tail to his bum. Use the heel part to form a nose.  Sew to body leaving a tiny gap to stuff.  Once stuffed, sew gap closed.  Attach buttons for eyes and embroider him a nice smiley mouth!  You will have to wait until next week to see my finished monkeys as they are not quite done.

I haven’t done much in the way of cooking or baking this week apart from the normal dinners of course.  I did make Simon a jar of lemon curd which he quite likes on toast.  I am not much of a lemon curd person really although I do use it to sandwich a vanilla sponge together sometimes with cream too! Anyway, in case there are any lemon curd fans out there I will put the recipe in my recipe section.  It takes 3 minutes to make!  Yes, really, 3 minutes. Told you it was easy! Plus you can make it as sweet or as tart as you like it.

The latest thing that I have on the go is this.......  It looks like a box you are all saying....well yes it does.  A box with another smaller box glued inside it!  I am going to turn it into a box for my Pandora bracelet and all my beads.  I am getting quite a collection and they are not stored properly.  The Murano glass beads are expensive and I don’t want them to get chipped. They need individual little compartments.  I’m not sure how to do it yet, my first attempt went wrong! Not sure what colour it will be yet either!

So those are the things that I worked on last week.  Hopefully you will see different things next week and progress on some of the others.