Another small project...

Pa made me a tea tray for Christmas.  I have one, but it was actually too small for my mug, the teapot, the condiments container and the spoon to stir everything.  Pa likes to create unique gifts, so he took a piece of oak wood leftover from my fireplace mantel, and made this:

Isn't it gorgeous?  The only thing is, sometimes I spill and I was so afraid of damaging the wood...so I thought I'd make a small quilted mat for the tea tray. 

Here's the mat.  I  took a piece of paper, pressed it into the tray, creased it around the edges with my fingers, and then cut on the crease.  I then drew on the fabric and added 1/4 inch to the "pattern," and cut out 2 pieces of fabric and 1 piece of batting.  I sewed it up right sides together, leaving a 2 inch opening on one end, and turned it right side out.  Then I cut some binding, and bound it on the outside as trim.  Then I found two little crocheted doilies that weren't doing anything important, and hand-stitched them to the front. 

And here's my tea tray, doing the job it was created to do.  The mug is a Villeroy and Boch, a gift from my friend, Gerrie.  The teapot is from Numi Tea, a gift from my friend, Jane.  Yes, I know...I need to make a tea cozy.  That's probably next.  LOL

Sewing in the New Year...

Well, I'm starting off well - I'm hoping to get a lot more projects done this year!  Today, I made three small items - two for me, and one for my Mom, whose birthday is tomorrow. 

I've needed a sewing machine caddy for a while, but put off making it because I plan to rearrange my sewing area and will not need one if I get everything set up the way I want in the far, distant future - LOL.  However, that sewing area dream *IS* in the far, distant future, so I broke down and made one for now.

Directions: 

Fabric, batting, thread, pins

Cut two 20" X 30" rectangles of contrasting fabric. 
Cut one 20" X 30" rectangle of batting.
With right sides together and batting on top, pin.
Sew around the edges, leaving a gap open omn one end to turn the fabric. Turn it right side out.
Single fold up one end about 7 inches. Pin.
Sew up each side of the pocket.  Mark where you want pockets, and sew up the pocket in a straight line.  I choose to have a small pocket for scissors and my glasses, and a large pocket for other stuff.  You can make more pockets, as you wish.

 

Then, since I was at it, I made a little sewing caddy for over-the-arm of the chair, when I am doing hand sewing. 

Directions:

Fabric scraps, batting, binding, thread

Cut out 2 contrasting fabric rectangles and 1 batting rectangle 8" X 20" long. 

I cut the rectangles into a dog-bone shape, which is optional. 

Cut out 4 pockets of 2 contrasting fabrics 4" X 8" that match each end.

Cut out 2 pieces of 4" X 8" batting to match the pockets. 

Make the pockets a fabric sandwich with the first piece right side down, batting on top of that, and second piece right side up. Pin.  Sew binding to the TOP of the pockets, only.  

Make a fabric sandwich with the large rectangles, with one contrasting fabric right side down, then the batting, then the other contrasting fabric right side up. 

Pin the  pockets to the rectangle sandwich, with contrasting fabric up.  

Sew the binding around the entire edge, starting at thebottom of one of the pockets, making sure to catch all fabrics, especially around the pockets. Fold and overlap binding when it meets at the end.  Sew down.  

   

Every day, I have morning and afternoon tea, carrying it all on a little ceramic tray into whatever room I'm in.  My tea things include a special tea mug from a dear friend, the glass teapot from another dear friend, condiments and a teaspoon.  

Mom has long admired my little glass teapot.  So for her birthday, I bought her one.  But it needed a tea cozy!  So I made one.  She likes the soft Victorian look and I had this scrap of green toile in my stash.  The other fabric is a delicate Christmas print.  The tie is red yarn, 6 strands twisted into a rope, and then tasselled. 

Because both of these things were experiments, I didn't take pictures.  I wanted to play with the ideas and the fabric until I got it right.  Now that I figured it out, I will make a tea cozy for myself later, with photos and a tutorial.

For Christmas, Pa made me a special tea tray, using leftover oak wood from our fireplace mantel.  I will be making a small mat for it, too.