Dads birthday sewing and remote control holder mini tute.

Well i have finally been sewing, for my dad birthday today (Happy birthday dad!) I made him a remote control holder that goes over the arm of his recliner, i also made him a trifle as he loves trifles and that went down very well!

Now i know how annoying it is when my monkey visits and thinks hiding the remote is the best game to play lol. I couldn't find a tute that was exactly what i was looking for so read a no sew tute and went from there, i got the measurements i needed from my brother as dads recliner has a wide armrest.

It was easy to do, i used stiff denim and cord, cut two main body pieces, two pocket piece and two more pocket pieces, i had a big pocket for the tv guide to go in and a shorter pocket divided into two for the remotes to go into. the dimensions were 32inches by 15.5inches for the main pieces, first pocket was 11inches by 15.5inches, and the remote pocket was 8inches by 15.5inches.

basically cut your pieces out and sew the two pockets pieces together at the top seam, press then top stitch, you don't need to sew the side or bottom seams as this is doen when you join it all together.

Now with both pockets topstitched place the remote pocket on the other pocket piece lining the bottoms and the sides up and sew a line from the top of the remote piece to the bottom, this will make it have two remote pockets.

Then place your top main piece facing up and place your pocket piece (one piece as they are now joined by the bit you just did).

Then place the back main piece on top of this facing down, pin and sew together leaving an opening for turning.

Once that is done trim the seams, and corners and turn and press.

Then to close the opening i simply topstitched all the way around it, and your finished!

Pretty simple to make but it went down really well. As i said earlier i used denim and cord and had the cord as the back to help prevent slipping, and had the main front piece denim, the big pocket picec was cord as the front piece denim as the reverse and the little pocket was denim as the front piece and cord as the reverse, you could make it easier and just do the same material for the front and back so there is no need to cut two pieces just cut one on the fold, and then all you would need to do is press and topstitch instead of joining the two pieces.

You can also do this the size you want, i was working on the width of the armrest being 11inches across and the depth from the armrest to the cushion being 16inches and i wanted it to hold the tv guide that comes with the sunday paper, that is why it has a width of around 15inches once made.

I don't have any photos of the process of making this but if you would like some let me know and i will make another, and the picture of the final product will happen next time i visit mum and dad as i forgot today lol.

Some people make me sick......

Yes may seem a over reaction but seriously some people make me feel ill from their actions.

Warning rant coming on....... lol


Now i love snakes and have done so much reading up on then and gee's their a big part of my life, i own placid pythons as you can probably tell lol and love them like i love my two monkeys Bailey and Hartley, so where is all this leading to?

Well it just makes me sick when blog surfing or even checking out the various forums i am on and i come accross people saying they have killed a Brown snake, or Red Belly Black.

I mean seriously don't people realise it is not only illegal to kill native australian snake but also very stupid? Don't people realise that most snake bites occur when someone is trying to kill the snake as it feels threatened and is in defense mood?

It is seriously stupid and moronic behaviour oh i had a snake in x or in my garden so i went screaming and got someone to kill it, what a bloody hero killing an animal who was just looking for warmth and somewhere to hide. I really wish this behaviour would stop and they would just leave the snake alone close the door and wait for it to make its way back outside not find some hero to kill it.

I wish the authorities in charge of looking after our native reptiles would actually do something about the people that kill these animals as until that happens people will just willy nilly kill these beautiful australian reptiles.

I mean the RSPCA fines or jails people that mistreat or kill dogs, cats, sealife, birds you name it, but who is going to really look after our reptiles and punish those who kill or mistreat them?

Ok off my soap box now but it is just so disgusting coming across people who kill these animals when its not even being threatening just trying to find somewhere to hide. Read up on snake a bit do some research, keep at hand the local snake catchers number, seriously it is not that hard to even just spend ten minutes reading up on what to actually do if you find a snake in your house or garden (and no grabbing a broom and shovel is not what you do)

(disclaimer when i say hero i mean it very sarcastically as i really don't think someone who kills any type of animal is a hero what so ever)