Spotty and multicoloured - another Apple Patch

It was nice to be back at the sewing machine after a couple of weeks where I've been too ill to face it. Last night I finished off another 'Apple Patch' - a case for my own laptop - with multi-coloured squares and a spotty lining.

I got the spots from a warehouse style shop in Brick Lane, as suggested by DIYCouture's wonderful fabric shops guide.

 Here you could buy cheap fabrics for £3 or so a metre (minimum spend £12 - but that wasn't a problem!)

Lots to choose from in Epra Fabrics. Next came cutting out the squares, something else I did a couple of weeks ago.

  

Finally, the normal sewing and sandwiching to make the finished product.

 

Ready to sandwich with the 'walking foot'. After the pieces are sewn together, I use a fabric cutter to trim them all to the same size. It's easier to have a bit of leeway with the wadding and lining when actually sewing them together.

The finished product was a little larger than planned - not quite the snug envelope of the others I had made. I blame slightly mushed 'ill-brain'! Still, it means I can also carry the cable with the laptop inside the case - so it could be an advantage after all.

Cloth & stitch beaches and tents

I've started using my sewing machine to make my cards as well. Poor pastels and paints not getting a look in any more. It's a great opportunity to experiment with the different stitches my sewing machine does.

This one was for Olly, requested by Alison

A tent in a wood for Nat on her birthday.

Apple Patch for iPad - and a walking foot...

This one is blues and greens, but a very similar style to the previous case - although obviously iPad size. This was the first project in which I used my walking foot - a rather scary looking sewing machine appendage. Here is is, finished.

The alignment is rarely perfect with machine patchwork - you need paper templates and hand sewing for that. Still, I'd like it neater.

In process - ironing the hems flat makes it easier to join the strips together.

Leftovers

A walking foot is useful when quilting. Normally, material is moved through by the little grooves which sit on the base of machine. When quilting, you often have thicker material - and a number of layers - in this case, the felt top, the wadding and the lining. If the material is only being moved through by the bottom grooves, the three layers can slide apart.The walking foot moves the top layer at the same time to avoid this. Thanks to Rachel from Brother who taught me this at Fabrications.

A picture supposed to show the difference between a normal foot and a walking foot. Not sure it succeeds.

A walking foot close up - what a monster!