Zips, zips everywhere!

Hello Everyone how are you all doing today?  I hope that your Sunday as been a really enjoyable one and that you are all managing a smile on your face.  It started off lovely and sunny here and went quite warm in fact.  I have been busy marking psychology papers which never seem to end but they have to done.  Last night I did manage to rummage through my cupboards to look for some more lining fabrics and washed them this morning - however we have just had a torrential downpour and I just managed to get them all inside in time before they were completely drenched.

Now I have a deal with myself when I am working at home - I decide on what needs to be done and if, only if, I complete all that, then I can do something enjoyable for me - sewing, knitting, crochet or anything which takes my fancy like eating chocolate!  I worked hard last night and got to a stage where the words on the psychology essays were all starting to run into one so I decided to have a break.  I wanted to make a start on the second giveaway. 

Now my lovely hubby who is bemused by all this blogging and making asked me why did I spend all that time working on the lining when no one will see it - why not put the lining on the outside for a change?  Well I had a think about it and decided to give it a go and then ask you lovely Folks what you thought - remember you are the experts.

I found these two little cuties in the very back of the drawer so have rescued them out of there - do you like them?  I love them, just wish I knew where they had come from and who had worked on them.  If only fabric could talk.

 

 

So last night I set to and started to prettify the tray cloth which I had decided to use in the lining of the next giveaway bag.  I just added a couple of flowers and hearts, plus pretty buttons.  The applique fabric is of course the main Marks and Spencer tea towels which I am using (it is their newest range and only just out in the shops).  It was difficult to cut the tray cloth as it wasn't straight and I wanted to preserve the embroidered part as much as I could.  I particularly love the little red flowers.

 

 

This is the other side which I varied a little slightly. 

 

 

Now lovely Folks I decided to push on and make up the bag with the lining on the outside and the main fabric on the inside.  Everything was going well, or so I thought until I pulled it all through.  Disaster!  The zip was just not right and I was so cross with myself.  I cannot understand where I am going wrong.  I watch Youtube clips all the time to try out new ways of doing this and each time I get myself into a bit of a mess.  I have hidden the awful mess from you on the photograph below - I don't want all of you ending up in Accident and Emergency (Trauma Unit) from looking at it. I said to one of my bloggers that things which I make always look better on the screen than on it and this is the case here. 

 

 

In the photograph below I have started to unpick but then lost the will to carry on with it so have stitched it back up again.  It does close and I can use it myself but it is so frustrating after all that hard work.  I really have to try and get to grips with this puzzle, I am obviously doing something wrong somewhere and I will not be happy until I have solved the mystery so it is back to the Youtube clips Folks.

 

 

Last week after reading the Lovely Lucy Attic 24's blog I was really taken with a gorgeous bag she had made in chunky yarn.  I have always wanted to make a crochet bag so decided to have a go.  Lucy calls it the Jolly Chunky Bag which uses eight shades of Stylecraft Special Chunky from the Wool Warehouse.  I am so pleased with the colours and started it late last night whilst catching up with a series I have been watching on BBC 2 called the Allotment Challenge on my iPlayer.  I am not a gardener but am hooked.  Last week they had to make the most beautiful flower wreath to go on a door and I was reminded of the lovely ones Lucy makes.   Sorry, I digress.  Well the base of the bag fairly fell together and I couldn't believe it when I realised that I had finished it.  Do pop over to Lucy and see the post on the bag, it is lovely, especially the way she finishes it at the end with flowers - gorgeous!

 

 

I do love all the colours - they are quite summery.

 

 

You can see the lovely texture of the yarn in the photograph below, I adore the colour.

 

 

Now my lovely Friends I need your help here - for the giveaways should I put the vintage linings on the outside of the bags or the inside or, shall I do just one of each which I think would be a better idea.  Any ideas, hints, tips would be welcome.  I do love to hear from you all so please pop in when you have time.  Have a wonderful evening/day depending where you are in our world and we shall speak soon.  Be brave, safe and happy, but more especially be you.  Sending you all huge hugs and loves.  Dorothy :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx