Spring flowers

What a lovely morning - bright sunshine and lots of primroses in bloom - I think Spring is definitely here - even though it's still a bit cold outside.

Last week I met a whole lot of you at the Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC in Birmingham, where we made coasters using the lovely flower die - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/659961/sizzix-bigz-die-flower-5

 

 these made an easy and relaxing workshop project - we cut the flower using the flower die and the coaster circles using -http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660117/sizzix-bigz-l-die-circle-5
and we used the lovely new Big Shot Plus machine -http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray
We stitched the flower centre to the flower first, and then stitched the flower to one of the circles.
To complete the coaster we stitched the 2 circles together.
Now some of you will have noticed that this is the same flower die that I used last week to make cushion covers because I want to show that you can use one die for lots of different things.
During one of the workshops one lady suggested that the coaster could become a needle case - so here's one I made earlier -

I used a thicker felt for the front and back of the needle case, and a thin felt for the centre



leaves, and the front flower. Instead of stitching all round the circles I just stitched a straight line on one side.
Later the same day another lady suggested that a child's bag could be made by leaving an opening at the top, and attaching a ribbon -

Again I used a thicker felt for the circles to give some strength to the bag - this would make a cute little Easter gift - filled with little chocolate eggs, or some beads to make some jewellery.
So now I'm back home, and haven't got any shows booked for the next few weeks so I can concentrate on those little baby quilts!!