Craft roundup

Have been a busy bunny over the long winter. Hibernation indoors and a fidgety demeanour means that I have created lots of projects and finished only a handful!
First up is a cross stich that I bought for 50p in a charity shop and turned under the edges, mounting it in blanket stitch onto some vintage cotton/linen twill. I will make a cushion when I've got my life sorted (ie can justify the £8.00 on a cushion inner)! I've got some lovely blue ground/pink rose floral cotton from Italy that may just work!

Next is my finally completed Kaffee Fassett tapesty cushion which I need to take home and get stretched by one of my mum's friends. I'm probably going to back it in a heavy cream brocade and pipe with cream piping. I don't really want to tie this to any of the colours on front to make sure it goes in any interior later.

It makes me happy, but it's only since I took this picture that I realised that my guestimating of some of the colours didn't actually ruin the design. I've cross stitched since I was a kid, but the working on top of the printed pattern is so much more difficult than a printed design. You end up sewing over what you're supposed to be working. Also, making the stitches lie flat and in the same general direction is much harder than expected. You can see (bottom right) where I changed my rows of pink background from horizontal to vertical and the whole nap of the pink changes. Still, for a first attempt, I'm happy!

Finally is my return to the wonders of Bondaweb which I don't think I've used since I was about 8. I really enjoyed making these drawstring bags, which my Mum and I are going to sell at our Summer Fete in June to add to the Great Ormond Street Fund. I had intended them to be for kid's gym kits, but frankly, they're so lovely that I'd happily store carrier bags in them, or use them folded up in my handbag for spontaneous trips to the supermarket. The bag fabric is a lovely heavy linen/cotton (same as above) (only 39" wide so must pre-date 1960s at least) which is probably too nice for these, but I just can't wear beige, vintage or not, so better it get used and loved.