Handmade Monday 89

Welcome to Handmade Monday (click the link for more info).

There has been much excitement this week with my articles being published in Sewing World...

a clock made entirely from fabric (with the addition of a clock mechanism)

and Craftseller magazine...

linen and paper diary cover (PVC protects the paper)

and the 2013 calendar, a free gift with this month's Craftseller, features a couple of my projects too!

my simple stitched hearts for Valentine's Day

little gift boxes to make in November

Ooh, look! On the calendar cover too!

I love this calendar - absolutely perfect to pop in a workroom, with snippets and ideas for inspiring you as well as the featured projects every month...

ideas galore

I've been busy making too... but because these projects are destined for magazines, I'll have to keep you guessing a little bit!  The biggest clue to this one for Craftseller is that I've been mooching round phone shops this weekend to double-check the size of a certain phone.

Scrummy fabric! 
Scrummy bias tape too!

I had made a cardboard phone, which might have been a bit unscientific as a method, but it helped a lot with measurements!

not quite what you see in the shops...

OK, you can stop laughing now...

Despite my careful measuring and slightly sloppy-looking mock-up, I wanted to double-check that the real thing fitted properly.  We trailed round phone shops (me on a mission, man getting sidetracked by fancy new phones): the display one couldn't be dismounted, the new ones were in a sealed box ...but Carphone Warehouse saved the day as they'd had a faulty one returned that morning!  It's amazing how helpful people can be, even when you tell them you're not planning on parting with any money!

I was pleased that it fitted beautifully - my trusty tape measure and cardboard iPhone had done the trick!  Whoops, did I say iPhone?  I'm not sure if that's too much information...

Still, at least I didn't tag the number 5 on the end, did I?

What?  Oh, I see!  Well, if you need a sewing pattern for an iPhone 5 cover, you'll find it in Craftseller magazine soon!

Are you liking the buttons?

They'll be a freebie in an upcoming Craftseller mag

And the clue to the other project?  It's something that will help organise the sewing room.  My proto-type has been in use a few months now: he's cute, useful and I don't know how I managed without him.

cute but useful

My new version is slightly improved - you know how it is, you use something and think "what this really needs is a..."

This is a pincushion with some serious benefits.   More information another day!

gorgeous fabrics, buttons and fixings from Guthrie and Ghani

Oh! I nearly forgot... Craftseller featured me in a interview too!!  Because it was mostly about my small business, I've blogged about it over at 1st Unique Gifts.

I've waffled for long enough.  Now it's over to you!