This week I have mostly been making bags.

Firstly I made three bags for Small's teachers (and teaching assistants) at school, turns out he has actually been taught by four but he didn't tell me that till the last minute so sorry to the one who missed out.

The bags are based on one I received at an NEA conference and which I find the BEST bag ever particularly for carrying books.

Here are all three with added cat.

Each is embroidered with a different design though all three come from the same place, Embroidery libary who luckily had a sale on school related designs recently. Each design had about a 80 min stitch time and lots of thread changes so they were not quick to stitch but they look good. The top one says Teachers have class and is for his teacher. The other two are for his teaching assistants. The one on the left is a bookworm and blackboard, the other says the Dog eat my lesson plan because one of them is off to train as a full teacher and a very good one she will be too. They have all been wonderful and made his first year at school something to remember for all the right reasons and I'm not just saying that because they gave him the yearly award for his class !

They all have an inner pocket and as well as the long strap there is a handle type strap on the top of the bag but they aren't visible on the picture.


I also make some money bags for himself to use at Maelstrom. But being as they were for the Compt I felt they needed to be a bit more interesting than just calico so I broke out some corseted ladies I picked up from BFC Creations a while back with himself in mind when I got them. The first one I made was a bit big so I made three more smaller ones.

Claire named them boudoir bags which I think is a good name and the larger one is big enough for a small pair of shoes. will probably be making some more perhaps in other fabrics and a little bigger for just that purpose.

As always click on the pictures to get a bigger version.

Wrong, wrong arg sorry just so wrong !

Sorry Knitting Daily some of your newsletters make me almost want to start knitting again, there have been some lovely jumpers, shrugs etc and useful suggestions on how to adjust patterns etc. enough to keep me interested in a newsletter on a craft I don't currently do but today you have gone to far.

Bustiers are not a good subject for knitting, and if you insist on knitting them at least bone it too... and make it fit the model.... and put them in a better pose or was that the only one where it stayed on? Even the colour is bad !

If anyone actually wants to knit this the pattern is here.

Though looking on Ravelry it is possible to make a good looking knitted bustier but the two are like chalk and cheese . This one has potential, unfortunately you will only be able to see the link if you are a member of Ravelry but if you like Knitting, crochet or yarn you should have joined already! If for some reason you haven't go here now .

Just realised I can link you to the picture on Flickr here.

Brunel does Steampunk

I have done another set of ATCs which are my first ones that are proper collage. I am really pleased with them as I think they work really well to give the feel I was going for.

All four use pictures of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, though wearing steampunk goggles and a background of the roof of paddington station which is a wonderful architectural sight. and I think very suitable. Mr Brunel is someone I think would fit well into any Steampunk world he had those mad flights of fancy and in many cases saw them through to completion.

Other elements on the cards include the Great Eastern and Great Western two streamships and a stream train.