It was darling daughter's 35th birthday last Wednesday. How on earth has she managed to get that grown up? I'm sure it's only a few years since she was this size!
We had a very enjoyable afternoon tea in a lovely café in Hastings. As one of her presents I had been hoping to finish this little box for her, and just about managed it in time.
The little fox on the lid was begun during a beadwork tutorial that Steph did for Sussex Stitchers back in November 2019. There was finishing to be done for that to start with!
Then at our last meeting she gave us a morning tutorial in making little boxes - Steph is a woman of many talents. As I had the little fox, and had some foxy material from the quilt I made for our new arrival, I though this might be appropriate for my box.
As you can see, I managed to get the little foxes pretty well lined up, from bottom to lid, all around the box, much to my amazement. It was a slightly stretchy fabric in all directions, so a lot of pinning, re-pinning, pricked fingers and expletives deleted were involved. Fortunately no blood was transferred to the fabric.
I found the box construction really interesting from a technical point of view, and am eager to make another one (we have a second workshop in January). The hardest part was using the curved needle to attach inside to outside and lid to top. They work incredibly well for this task, and come highly recommended, in particular by Sarah Homfray, as you ca see in her excellent video tutorial on how to use them, but ohhhhhhh I found it difficult. The needle kept slipping and sliding in my fingers at critical moments and the point sometimes refused to pierce the fabric. At least when dropped on the floor they are easier to find than straight ones! Have you ever tried using them? Did they get your vote?
I'm please to say Jen was very happy with her gift, and the little pot of nice face cream and extra soft socks hidden inside. After all one shouldn't give an empty box as a gift should one?
I have to say, I'm over 50, and sometimes I think I was that age only a couple of weeks ago!
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't find curved needles easy at all. I've tried to use them and usually ended up swapping to a straight needle with invented expletives flying!
Hi Rachel, years are elastic things aren't they? I'm very reassured that even you find curved needles a fiddle. They are invaluable for joining things like box sides to box bottoms, where the structure is rigid so a straight one presents problems of it's own, but not for anything else!
DeleteAs to invented expletives - a favourite from my daughter "oh bummocks", and from Around The Horne, "gruntfuttocks" when a particular emphasis is needed :-) I really must take time to see if I can find that online at some stage for a bit of nostalgia, I'm sure I must have heard snippets of it as a small child.
What s pretty little foxy box, no wonder your daughter liked it, I would too. I really love receiving hand made gifts, they are gifts from the heart.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs,
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