The Joy of Sew

I joined Pinterest recently and it has already been responsible for a HUGE amount of skiving.  I apparently need to know, urgently, despite the late hour, how to roll plastic bags so they dispense one by one from a wipes container .  I also need to know, immediately, despite being at work,  a million ways to customise t shirts... Amazing and yet I am now in danger of either being fired or falling asleep in my dinner. Having said that, it's also been the source of a quick and very satisfying project recently, as a gift for one good friend, using some fab Osbourne & Little fabric given to me a million years ago by another good friend AND being the first time that I have set a zip that I am 100% happy with. The inspiration came, via Pinterest, from the stylish 'Say Yes to Hoboken' blog and was for a Mini Boxy Make-Up Bag . Here's their version in lovely stripes with a contrast zip:   On my version, I tinkered with the size, m...

not my journal - wish it was! Hi loves Sorry for the lateness of this post.  Been another busy weekend and no time to pre-write this one.  So here I am with only 30 mins of Tuesday left to go, typing like one of those infinite monkeys on one of their infinite number of typewriters...  Might be Shakespeare, might be sh*te, that's the joy of blog! But, I'm not going to whinge about my busy life again.  Blah blah, we're all busy, darling! Instead, what is causing me to lie awake at night recently is ideas for designs.  Now this hasn't happened for YEARS - not since I was learning how to work silver and design jewellery over a decade ago.  Back then, I had a notebook by the bed to get these things down so I could get to sleep.  And the notebook (well, A notebook) has just reappeared and is being filled up slowly with scribbled drawings and text. These ideas are all around reverse applique designs to embellish existing gar...

Wotcha! This week I finished an item of clothing for myself!  It's a simple but lovely Amy Butler pattern called Barcelona, which has two a-line skirt options plus something called an 'apron overlay' (which is a bit silly IMHO).  I bought mine from Backstitch but I understand that other online retailers are available...

I succumbed last week.  Not only to the evil lurgy, which is even now still with me a bit, hanging about like a bad fridge smell.  But also to the purchase on Amazon of two books which have been in my basket for weeks and weeks.  And weeks. The first is Veggiestan by Sally Butcher, a wonderful cook book which I know will get used over and over. The second is Print Workshop by Christine Schmidt, strapline 'hand-printing techniques + truly outstanding projects'.  It does what it says on the tin! Want to know how to make a repeating graphic pattern using only a string-wrapped block and some fabric paint?  How to cut and wield potato stamps so that the resulting patterns look more Lucienne Day and less 'let loose in a day nursery'? How to make your own silk-screen press from household/high street objects?  How to use ink-jet transfer paper to make quirky and funny cushions? That's a quadruple yes from me! For someone who enjoys fa...

Hi folks I'm poorly, bleurgh.  I've been bed-bound and browsing for crafty items to nurture me.  If you need some taking care of, you may enjoy: a hot water bottle cover from a felted charity shop sweater over at Rachael Rabbit  or at Made of Cloth a lovely rice or buckwheat heat pillow with essential oils, that can be frozen or microwaved for therapeutic use, over at Sew Mama Sew a cozy for my cuppa, at Hazelnut Girl Sorry for brevity today, am coughing so hard that the laptop keeps slipping... More soon. S x

Boo, the Pyjama Party Sew-Along at Karen's house is over.  But, yay, I have an absolutely gorgeous pair of me-made PJ bottoms to show for it! The weather was minging this weekend and I've come down with some kind of evil chest lurgy, so I wore these A LOT.  As a high point, to celebrate finishing the PJs, I painted my toes in a toning pale turquoise, which was immensely pleasing. Nicely matching centre seams but I really should have french-seamed them - I think I will go back and overlock. The finishing touch is a homemade Dark Choc and Black Sesame Seed cookie from a recipe over on Joy the Baker - salt, sweet and droolsomely good.  Along with my current book (The Return by Hakkan Messer - a cracking bit of Nordic noir) and my current fave tipple (Night Nurse, mmmm), me and my jammies are off to bed. Did you take part in the Sewalong? Have you remembered to post on Karen's blog to be eligible for her giveaway?  You've got til 7...

Welcome to the second of my quarterly 'Best of the Craftyweb' posts for 2012. The very first blog I ever followed was Dotty Red written by the talented Suzie Vallis. Suzie is a busy woman! She's a mother and also runs a small business making the most lovely homewares, bags, decorative items and so on. I figured that you guys, if not already following her blog, would love to know a bit more about her, so here goes: