BLOG 166

 

ASIDE: This Blog was written last weekend with the intention of posting it early as Roger and I were flying off to the Yellowstone National Park for 10 days. We had visited my mother who was in hospital again and, after a happy chatty hour together, we were satisfied that we should go ahead with our holiday. But as she began to deteriorate, we knew that we couldn’t go away and enjoy ourselves under the circumstances so we cancelled the holiday. Now we are in a strange limbo, knowing that she has rallied from situations like this many this before. Personally, the only way I can work through this unsettling time is by keeping myself occupied and immersing myself in fabric and colour. It's turning out to be a lengthy and therefore productive period!

 TISSUE BOX LID

 Cut lining strips that are ¾” larger all round than the cardboard. Follow the same procedure of adding glue to the card and the corners of the fabric to stick the lining fabric to the lid sides, remembering to stick the short side first.

                 Cover the lid sides

Cut a square of batting to the size of the lid and stick it in place. Cut out the centre hole and make sure the batting is cut right to the edge of the card. Prepare a lining square that is ¾” larger all round than the top of the box (7” x 6 ½”).

                           Batting onto lid

Stick the lining fabric onto the batting side of the box.

 

 

Lining onto batting

 Cut out a small hole from the centre to leave a good 1” seam allowance. Use small sharp scissors to clip up to 1/8” of the cardboard edge. Clip every ¼”.

                       Clip the seam allowance

 

Apply glue to the card around the edge of the circle. Stick each of the shapes down securely to complete the lining of the lid.

                            Lining complete

Cut a piece of batting to the exact size of the lid, and outer fabric that is ¾” larger all round (7” x 6 ½”).

                         Batting and fabric

Use a marker to draw round the hole for the box top on the RS of the fabric. Cut out a small circle to leave a good 1” seam allowance and clip every ¼”, up to1/8” of the marked line.

                                  Clip the seam

Place the batting centrally onto the WS of the fabric. Add glue around the circle and stick the clipped seam down.

                            Stick the seam

Stick the fabric onto the lid as described above for the base of the box.

                    Glue the sides

 

                        Pinch the corners

                             Tape the folds

Sew around the centre hole with a ladder stitch and add the edge strip as described for the base of the box.

                         Add the edge strip

If you have difficulty concealing stitches on the top of the box, you can always add a bit of trimming to cover them! This completes the box. 

                        Completed box

ASIDE: Stumbled on a free drop-in workshop with Mandy Coates at the Ruthin Craft Centre on Saturday and came out with this half an hour later!

                           Willow dragonfly