Weekend make-a-long: Birdie phone charm

I was making some little phone charms and bookmarks to have as little pocket money items at the market.  But I found I was putting so much work into them with hand sewing, beading and other embellishments that they weren't going to be cost effective at all.  I tried to source a "cheater" fabric that had small things ready printed to cut and sew.  I have found a few but still dear enough and not quite what I wanted...or always out of stock. I was in Penny's (Primark) on Wednesday buying new wellies (the old wellies will be the subject of next weeks make-a-long hopefully) and I saw these tea towels at the counter.

Well some people may just see a cute tea towel, but not me... my first thought was what wonderful bookmarks they would make...and even better the tea towels were only €1.50 each.  I got up this morning and still in my pyjamas started to see what I could make.  I always start the lazy and quick way and then see how to improve it.  So I cut out the little birdie and pinned it onto a scrap of felt.

Then using a blanket stitch on the machine I sewed the bird onto the felt.  Using a pinking shears I cut the felt around the birdie.

I added some ric rac for legs and a phone charm lanyard and there it is a little birdie phone or bag charm. 

As I said I take the lazy way with the first one and then see how to improve it. So for the next one I stiffened the fabric first with interfacing and decided to embellish it with some beads.  The stiffening worked but I don't think the embellishment showed up enough to make it worth my while.

I put one of these onto my phone to see if it works as a charm, it's a bit big but that's ideal for me as I can never find my phone in my bag.  The I decided to see how it worked as a bookmark and I have to say I am very happy with these.

 

Anyway, give it a go yourself but not until after next Monday when I plan on going to Penny's to buy more tea towels....and when I'm done you can start.