Longitude Pencil Cases

A friend wanted me to make some longitude/latitude pencil cases, so I battled with my embroidery machine yesterday to get them done. I don't like to have numbers or letters embroidered with large stitch lengths. They catch in things and the embroidery gets wrecked. So I had to persist with the cheaper thread that kept on breaking .. grr... this afternoon while the family swanned around The Glen, I bought some expensive thread in the colours I was working with.

My "map material" stash is starting to run low, so I might have to go on the hunt for some more. There seems to be real interest in the pencil cases/pouches that I have created. But they really do hinge on the lining material to create the interest. I might have to create some interesting designs at Spoonflower. I hear through the grapevine that their material prints are of a high quality.
I have always had a facination with longitude and latitude and when I was teaching Year 7 Humanities mapping was always my favourite bit of the course. Unfortunately next year I am not teaching Year 7 Humanities, but rather Year 7 Religious Education. I might have to think about how I can bring maps into the course!

Another project that I finally finished was a knitting bag based on the tutorial at Dragoknit. The knitting bag was based around the Shannon Lamden fabric called Knit One that I bought at the Patchwork on Central sale in October (or was it November ..).

The lining fabric sat in my workroom for weeks until I decided what to do with it. Then I decided to use red velveteen as the outside fabric.

I am pleased with the result, but I am also aware that this is the "first prototype" of this type of bag that I have made. So there are undocumented enhancements (flaws) in it. I have a scrap left over, so I might make something small and cute from it.