Christmas stockings

I returned to one of last year's favourites and made some more Christmas stockings this week.  Last year these were a great seller.  Not so much this year, but my stocks were low from 2011.  These are fiddly to cut (finding pockets the right size and cutting over seams) but fast to sew, and, I think, very effective.

I'm sharing this post at these link parties:

Sew Darn Crafty	Sunday Funday	Submarine Sunday
Bouquet of talent	Sundae Scoop	Sew-licious

Puppy bags

Yet another adaptation of the baby owl bag shape.  These were also inspired by the puppy coin purses I made.  It is hard to get the ears to lay flat - I haven't quite solved that one yet, but am hoping that packing them into very gull boxes will help!

This post will be shared at these link parties:

Happy Hour Fridays	Find a Friend Friday	Anything Goes
5Days5Ways	30 Handmade Days	Flaunt it Friday

Pocket phone cases

These are another way of using up those tricky front pockets.  I haven't made any of them for quite some time; I seem to have been using most of the front pockets for purses (though several have also featured in other forms).  It was fun to return to these phone cases, and to remember how easy they are to create.

I had some interesting pockets for these ones - though those metal studs do cause problems on the seams!

I'll be adding this project to these link parties:

Create and Share	Made by Me	We Made it Wednesday
Show off your stuff	Whip it Up Wednesday	A Creative Princess
;
Pretty Shabby	Whatever goes Wednesday

More monster purses

This is a different design.  It was a variation on the wallet purse featured earlier - straightforward to make as it is unlined.  These purses made use of some of the reclaimed zips I was given by a good friend.  I love the effect of a mouth that the zips give.

I'll be adding this post to these link parties:

TA Da Tuesday	Too Cute Tuesday	Tutorial Tuesday
Sew Cute Tuesday	Nifty Thrifty Tuesday	Ladybug Blessings

Phone cases

I have been given some lovely fabric by friends who visited Africa recently.  The fabric they brought would have cost at least four times the price here, and it is lovely to have fabrics reflecting the charity I am supporting with my creations.  So I wanted to use the fabric as a feature rather than "just" as a lining.  They are not huge pieces - fat quarter size or less.  Here are my first set of creations using some of the fabrics.

These simple phone cases have a pocket at the front with a false binding - made by cutting the lining longer than the main fabric and pressing in place.  I was low on these and several people at recent sales have been interested, so it was time to replace them.  From the top and working in rows, cases 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8 all use African fabrics.

I'm sharing this post at these link parties:

A Round Tuit	Sew Can Do	The Girl Creative
Manic Monday	Sew Chatty	Calling all Crafters
Inspire me Monday	Craftomaniac Monday	I MAde it Monday
Etcetorise

Embroidered bags

More bags using the panels made before my embroidery machine went to be repaired.  This shape has been popular.  I have had fun choosing sayings as well.

"The simplest things in life are often the things most precious." This was a pattern I bought online.

"Follow your own star".  I was particularly pleased with how this turned out, as it was my own design combining a quote I love and an image I had on a CD of embroidery designs.

"Yesterday has gone. Tomorrow may never come.  All we have is today.  Live one peaceful day at a time." A friend has this quote (or one very similar) outside her house, and it helps me to keep things in perspective.

"Cinderella. Proof that one pair of shoes really can change your life."  One to make shoe-lovers, in particular, smile.

I'm sharing this post at these link parties:

Sew Darn Crafty	Sunday Funday	Submarine Sunday
Bouquet of talent	Sundae Scoop	Sew-licious

November makes

Actually, this isn't everything I made in November, but it shows all the items posted here this month!  I'm trying to get into good habits in terms of posting, with scheduled posts lined up so that I can keep things current here.
Anyway, these are the posted items.  Quite a collection!

There is quite an animal theme going on here, which I suspect will continue next month.