Patchworked Hangers / Cintres en patchwork

Last time I came here, I was working on some tiny patchworked pieces.  Here is what they became:  patchworked hangers.   They are a variation of those I made last year.  These were a great way to use up my smallest scraps, and I do like the colorful result.

Lors de ma dernière visite ici, je travaillais sur des tout petits patchworks.  Voici ce qu'ils sont devenus:  des housses de cintres.  Ces dernières sont semblables à celles que j'avais faites l'an dernier.  C'est un petit projet parfait pour utiliser mes plus petits retailles de tissu, et j'aime bien le résultat tout en couleurs.

I only did the patchwork on one side, and used my new Dumb Dots for the back.  Coordinated rick-rack all around and some satin ribbon completes the look.

Je n'ai fait qu'un seul côté en patchwork, et j'ai utilisé mon nouveau tissu "Dumb Dots" pour l'endos.  Un ric-rac coordonné tout autour et un bout de ruban de satin complètent la décoration.

Next up, I will be working on a special project for my turtles.  I don't show them much on my blog because I know that most people don't like turtles as much as cats and dogs, but you'll see that they can be pretty adorable.  Just wait to see what I have in store for their makeover!

Mon prochain projet en est un spécial qui met mes tortues en vedettes.  Je ne les montre pas souvent sur mon blog parce que je sais que la plupart des gens préfèrent les chats et les chiens aux tortues, mais vous verrez qu'elles peuvent être tout aussi adorables.  Attendez de voir ce que j'ai en tête pour leur transformation beauté!

Craft Book Challenge... without the book

Well, there is a book, I just don't get along with it very well.  My two last projects, meant to be my CBC for February and March, were supposed to come from this book, but the patterns were all wrong for me and so I had to toss the book aside and improvise, which turned out to feel even better.  It made me realize that I can do stuff my own way and it can look as good as the ready-made patterns.  Huge boost for my self-esteem.

So, the book in question is Sew!, by Cath Kidston.  

It is a very good-looking book with great ideas, and I don't regret buying it.  In fact, I am trying a third project from this book, knowing that if I get lost again with the pattern, I can change a few things and work it out.  My first attempt was a needle book, shown here in the book:

And here as it turned out:

I thought that using fabric covered cardboard was a bright idea, that is until I tried it and realized it did not really work out well.  My main problem was that my Heat'n'Bond stuff did not really stick to either the cardboard or the felt, so that the whole thing was coming apart.  It might be that I was using the wrong stuff, or that I did not know how to use it.  Anyway, I had to add a few stitches here and there to secure it a bit, but it ended up looking a little too cheap for my taste.  

You can see below what it looks like from the back, where I had to sew the strap.

I was not about to call it quit, though, so I made my own version, inspired by the pattern, but without the cardboard and the fabric adhesive.  Everything is sewn and nothing will come apart with this one.  It is not as sturdy as the one from the book, but I wasn't really into it to begin with, so I made mine a soft cover with a sheet of felt as batting.

I like this one much better and as you can see, I have already found some use for it.

My second attempt was a fabric-covered coat hanger.

I have to report that I did not go very far with this pattern.  I read the instructions twice and could not make any sense of them.  The measurements were all wrong for the hangers that I had, and the gathering technique did not seem to me like it would work.  I was still on my guard from my recent experience with the needle book, so I used the book as inspiration for the choice of fabrics and I just drew my own pattern to fit my hangers.

I am still surprised they came out so good, and I can see a few more of these hangers in a near future, because these were given to my mom for her birthday, but I want some for myself as well.

 So far, the CBC has been very revealing to me.  I have learned not to be afraid to try something new, and I have learned to trust my instinct and to improvise.  The three patterns that I had chosen lacked some instructions, and I have had to stop and think to find out how to get to the result in my own way.

My next project again comes from Sew!, and hopefully I can work around that one too.  I will show you soon what I am up to.