Sanitary Towel Bags - a scratch tutorial

At our Bloody Good Crafternoons, we've been making small bags to hold sanitary towels. Flatteringly, there has been demand for a tutorial! So bear with me - this is my first tutorial. It shows how we make the simplest bags, and if you have some sewing skills you can always jazz them up a bit.

You need:

• A piece of felt
• A piece of fabric
• Needle and thread
• A button
• Scissors
• Paper
• A sanitary towel

Step one:
Using a sanitary towel as a template, draw two squares. They should be about a centimetre larger on each side than the pad. I'd accidentally donated the pads I'd bought for myself, so I used post-it notes...

Step two:
Draw a flap shape on the edge of one of the squares (snigger). Cut out both pattern pieces.

Step three:
Cut a piece of felt using the larger pattern piece, and a square of fabric using the other.

Step four:
Fold over one edge of the fabric square, then fold it over again to make a neat hem. Sew it down (I used my sewing machine, but you can hand stitch it using whatever stitch you like).

Step five:
With the hem and flap pointing up, put your two pieces of fabric together, wrong sides facing. Sew across the bottom and the sides, keeping close to the edge.

Step six:
Turn it the right way around.

Step seven:
Cut a small button hole.

Step eight:
Sew on a button. Voila! Your sannies will never be cold again...

Here are some we made earlier!

Both computers broken. Posting this from work. Will be back when I have fixed one of them...

Sus on the train, having forgotten her iPod.

Meet Sus.
Gradually, over the next few months, I'm going to experiment. I've been wanting to draw more, and have been working on some cards. Sus is a knitter, a commuter and a dreamer. I hope to make some adventures for her and I hope they're enjoyable.

Knitted fish...

First, it's been a long time. Here is a tulip from my window box, which is finally weedfree, to make you feel springlike.


I knitted some fish for Samuel, the penguin who lives with Foggyknitter from BB. For those who want, here is the pattern - I have yet to add it to Rav, but can if people feel the need.

What else would a knitted or crochet penguin eat - a knitted fish!

Use any yarn of your choice and a needle a good few sizes below the recommended size. This is Artesano Alpaca DK on 2.5mm needles.

CO7
1: knit to end
2: ssk k3 k2tog
3: ssk k1 k2tog
4: knit to end
5: knit to end
6: kfb k1 kfb
7: knit to end
8: kfb k3 kfb
9: knit to end
10: kfb k5 kfb
11-12: knit to end
13: ssk k5 k2tog
14: knit to end
15: ssk k3 k2tog
16: knit to end
17: ssk k1 k2tog
18: knit to end
19: sl1 k2tog psso

Pull through thread and sew in ends. Add beads for eyes.

Someone stole Audrey 2. I could cry.

We've had some rain...
And I've made some progress, in no small part due to the efforts of my glamorous assistants, L and D. Here they are, looking proud with our mess of tools after a long day yesterday:
The crappy plastic that encouraged weed growth has been replaced with weedproof gauze in the hope that it will kill and weaken the nasty blighters so that I can weed gently once I've nurtured the two finished beds! Yes, that's right, two large beds are finished and full of onions, garlic, shallots, pumpkins, sweetcorn, beans, and Audrey2 the courgette. It's all very exciting. Look, it looks like a proper plot, if only it wasn't for the weeds:
Meet Audrey2 - I'll try to track her progress, she doesn't look too happy at being outside and left to fend for herself for a while: And here are three beans around a sweetcorn, at an attempt at 3 sisters planting with two pumpkins either side. I don't think I've really got the idea of it all. Close up of a bean:

And the best pumpkin. He's had lots of water and the soil under the surface is far better quality, I promise.