The Sewing Room

angus1

Hi, I wondered if anyone would be able to help with advice on where I can find a cross stitch kit for twins' birth announcement / sampler. I've done quite a bit of trawling of the internet and ebay and can't find much.

It's for my nephew's newborn twin boys. Thank you very much for any help you can give.

Kandipandi

karmacookie wrote: »

It's my birthday next month. i'm thinking about asking OH to get me this

http://shop.stitchclub.co.uk/make-a-set-of-zip-cases-200-p.asp

I thought it would be good to learn how to do zips, although including postage it makes it quite expensive for what it is. i suppose I'd be able to use the instructions again! What do you more experienced people think?

I also thought this was nice and you get material to make the bag on the front cover. It does have mixed reviews though

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sew-Cath-Kidston/dp/1844007561/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265887454&sr=1-1

Any other suggestions? :A

I am a bit tight and I think that these are a bit of a rip off.
Besides that you dont end up with someting unique, loads of other people will have one too - in varying degrees of quality.

Personally I would get a good pattern and make one yourself, there is really no big secret to zips, its just practice, and a zipper foot on your machine! I recently made some makeup bags with zips from the Tilda Sew Pretty Homestyle book and found these really easy to follow (I have PM'd you).




If you want to get these kits to get you on your way then great, but I paid 37p for the zip and approx 6p for the material for mine and instructions from a book that cost about £6 - which had loads of other ideas and patterns in. Maybe I'm just too much of a skinflint

Sunshine12

angus1 wrote: »

Hi, I wondered if anyone would be able to help with advice on where I can find a cross stitch kit for twins' birth announcement / sampler. I've done quite a bit of trawling of the internet and ebay and can't find much.

It's for my nephew's newborn twin boys. Thank you very much for any help you can give.

Have you tried here or twins one here

Not sure if they are what you are looking for though. Hope you find something.

Kandipandi

angus1 wrote: »

Hi, I wondered if anyone would be able to help with advice on where I can find a cross stitch kit for twins' birth announcement / sampler. I've done quite a bit of trawling of the internet and ebay and can't find much.

It's for my nephew's newborn twin boys. Thank you very much for any help you can give.

If you have not already done so I would also post this question on the Cross Stitch Thread

Crafty_JuJu

23rdspiral - He is absolutly gorgeous :T ...I want one plz

Kandipandi - your bags are great I too have just bought the book & can't wait to find the time to make things out of it :rotfl:

gemsmember

karmacookie wrote: »

It's my birthday next month. i'm thinking about asking OH to get me this

http://shop.stitchclub.co.uk/make-a-set-of-zip-cases-200-p.asp

I thought it would be good to learn how to do zips, although including postage it makes it quite expensive for what it is. i suppose I'd be able to use the instructions again! What do you more experienced people think?

I don't know about these bags, and not sure how clear the instructions are going to be, and it is quite and expensive way to learn how to do a zip.

I have attempted to write some instructions below, hopefully they will make sense. I can do a picture tutorial, but can't upload attachments at the moment as I am a newbie.

To make a simple bag, unlined with a zip in the top.

Take two pieces of fabric the size you want to use, and press under 1/2 on the edge you want to put the zip in. It is a good idea if you can use the selvedge edge for this part as it won't fray.

Now take your zip. I usually use nylon zips that are longer than the project I am making, because you can move the slider completely out of the way of your stitching. So take your zip,. Lay one piece of your ironed edge fabric on the zipper tape with the folded edge touching the zip teeth (have the fabric and the zip facing up the right way) pin into place. You can tack it also if you wish to. If you are using a long zip, then put the fabric into the centre part of the zip with a piece of zip hanging off each side. Now stitch the first piece of fabric in place. Do a little bit of stitching back on itself at the beginning and the end of your stitched line. It does help if you have got a zipper foot for your machine. This is a foot with a little notch cut out on the side so the stitching can get close up to the zip teeth. You will be stitching on the right side of the fabric along the folded edge. Now take the 2nd piece of fabric and place the folded edge on the other piece of zip tape, lining it up against the teeth and opposite the other piece of fabric (again have the right side of the fabric facing up). Once it is pinned into position, stitch this piece of fabric into position.

Now fold the two pieces of fabric over onto themselves with the zipper along one edge and pin into place. Now move the zip slider into the centre of the zip. Stitch down the sides of the fabric, across the bottom and up the other side. Stitch across the end of the zipper too (this is why you need to move the slider into the centre otherwise it will be cut off and your bag won't open) Once you have stitched all around the edges you can cut off the extra bit of zip. Turn your bag through to the right side and you have one little zipped bag - good for pencil cases etc.

They can be lined quite easily too, but it is difficult to write how to do it without pictures,

karmacookie

Hi Kandipandi

Your bags look great. I've answered your pm, thanks again!

I pressume you would recommend the Tilda Homestyle book? any thoughts on the Cath Kidson one. Mind you, if I don't get the kit I could get both books and some yummy fabric! Mmmm, sounds like a good plan :T

Hi Gemsmember

thank you so much for taking the time to post the instructions. I've copied and pasted them into word and will have a good study when I've more time. I think I may just salvage an old zip out of the scrap bag and practise :T

in-the-beach-hut

I'm loving all your projects, you busy bunnies! :T:T:T

Just had to share this with my fellow seamstresses (is that a word ??). It's a passport cover and I've made three over the last couple of evenings. They're only small so it's a good way of using up little pieces of material (or FQs).



I'm off to make more! :dance:
PS The tutorial is on my blog if you fancy having a go x

PepPop

23rdspiral Your bear is soooo cute.

in-the-beach hut love it. left a comment on your blog

PepPop

I've just been over on the Christmas thread and Jamtart posted this link and I thought some of you sewists would like to try your hand at these. I think they're fantastic.