Ah that's the one Gormal, Millionaire's Shortbread, I'd forgotten the name! Will check out Carnation (gosh, there's a real old brand). Strange how some big names have disappeared and some like Carnation are still around. I hope we don't lose Eason's now they are having redundancies.

free patterns on line
 

Hi Gormal

You mentioned a while back a website with patterns for free that you print off at home. What is this site? I have some things i want to make on the machine and i have the basic ideas of what i want in my head like a baby bag with 2 sides as my son will be 18 months when my next child is born PG! So rather than havin 2 bags just have 1 to do both children.

Thanks for reading!

Psj

bag patterns
 

Hello psj, I found good instructions on this site http://www.u-handbag.com/ and there are probably links there you can follow up on. I reckon Gormal has a better suss on it though, she's made a few nice ones. M.

@ Psj. For learning bag making I used a blog called creativecutie.com Daphna has some really good tutorials to help with designing/making your own.

@ Mandolin. Thankyou for the compliment!

Branch off cuts
 

Don't burn all your twigs! Re-purpose them in the garden etc.

For the twig trim/mini fence I used the wire from excess tumble dryer hose and drilled holes in the sticks about 1" from the top and threaded them onto the wire, probably best to do the bottom too if you have enough wire. Good for putting around your plastic plant pots too.

Next. Make a shawl pin from a twig. Just trim with the carpet knife and sand down to finish. You can either draw a design on it or add beads held in place with pins or skinny nails. Now I just have to knit the shawl.....lol

I love both of these ideas, the pin is gorgeous. I think I'll dickie up an ugly plastic pot with a band of twigs like that. Really lovely ideas, thanks.

Lovely stuff here. The pin is brilliant - at first glance I thought it was a piece of antler!!

Decorative tissue box to Birthday Card
 

Seemed a shame to burn the box, so I made a tri fold card out of the tissue box.
I tidied up the aperture with a stanley knife and made sure the edges were straight. Stuck a picture in the window, printed out a verse, glued that on and there you have one quirky birthday card.

Love it Gormal! Great recycling there!

Repurposed t-shirt
 

My first ‘before & after’ thanks to all the inspiration on this thread. I couldn’t find the right colour leggings for under my new dress so my (clever)aunt suggested this: I got the colour I wanted in a very large long sleeved t-shirt, nearly new for €3. The sleeves became the calf-length legs and I cut the pants part out of the rest of the shirt. You can see the diagonal seams on the legs where they join the pants part. They won’t win any sewing competitions and they’re a bit baggy in the bum, but all that’ll be hidden under the dress. I’m delighted with them.

Well done Mandolin. What a good idea.
Diagonal seams are bang on trend these days.

Bicycle Tubes
 

After doing a tidy upper in the shed, I had some old tubes to recycle. Most seem to make belts or wallets from them, I'm still trying to decide what to make and if I have enough tubes.
Anyway I made a start with trouser straps for when out cycling. They are just plain as they're for the man in my life, but I might sneak a doodle in later ;o)
I have to polish them up with flash dash or something.

Also saw a key rack made using the valves so might try that eventually.

Great idea Gormal, I've seen a lot of stuff on Instructables for re-using inner tubes, mostly wallets like you say, but other little knacky things too. I like this one though!

Webbing strap & elastic pen/phone holder
 

Here's a thing I made out of a discarded strap from a banjaxed camera bag, and a bit of black elastic (pillaged from a waistband). I was tormented carrying around my work diary, specs, phone and pen and forever dropping one or other and fishing around on the floor of the car. This keeps them all together. I stitched the elastic onto the front of the strap leaving gaps for my things, and another bit of elastic at the back to keep it tight on the diary cover.

That's really cool and practical, I love it!