February passed by quickly, like it usually does. I enjoyed watching the days get longer and my Spring flowers blooming. I love to use my blog to hold myself to account and have written a little update about the things I have been creating over the month. What I made in February 2024 I bought myself a second sashiko table runner as I enjoyed the process of embroidering the previous one so much. The table runner features pre-printed bows and I chose a lovely green sashiko thread to embroider it. It was the only project I took away with me…
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Have you ever tried the craft of botanical casting before? We had the children’s hand and feet cast when they were very young but not really thought about it since. So when I saw a botanical casting kit I thought it would be a fun craft to try at home. Botanical casting for beginners I bought myself a casting kit to make two sweet botanical casts. Everything was provided in the kit, although you could substitute the grasses for anything out of your own garden. As it’s February and there is nothing in my garden I was more than happy…
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A few weeks ago I jumped at the chance to try my hand at candle painting. Have you heard of this craft trend? You can decorate or paint your own candles so they will match your decor. I thought this was a great opportunity to try a new craft, and make my own Valentine Day decor to brighten up our home. Candle painting, or creating decorative designs on candles, has gained popularity as a creative and customisable form of expression. People enjoy personalising their living spaces, and candle painting provides a unique way to add artistic flair to everyday items.…
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I enjoyed writing my monthly crafty round ups so much that I’m going to carry on in 2024. I find it helpful to be accountable to myself and look forward to seeing the progress I make each month. It’s also not just stitching things but the delicious recipes we try or the puzzles we sit and do together, we always seem to be doing something! What I made in January 2024 January was a loooong month. I am so happy that we’ve reached the end of it and can start looking forward. The long month meant we made a lot…
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I love to add a couple of handmade decorations each year. This year I stitched some felt initial hoops for our family stockings, and thought I would add some cross stitched Christmas trees too. I used a simple template I designed and 3D printed. I’ll share the file in case you want to print and make one too. Supplies: Wooden embroidery hoop Heat erasable pen Felt Wool Needle Scissors 3D printed cross stitch template How to make a felt cross stitched Christmas tree I designed the plastic template in Autodesk Fusion 360 and 3D printed the cross stitch template on…
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It’s the last month of the year and I’m happy to look back over all my makes from this year. Looking back over what I’ve made helps me realise all the little stitchy projects I’ve completed, as well as the ones I haven’t. It’s definitely something I’m going to carry on writing in 2024. December crafting There was a definite festive feel to my crafting in the month of December. This year I started early on my handmade gifts and it really paid off as I had some time left for Christmassy makes. I stitched 7 small initial cross stitch…
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I love a handmade Christmas. This year I have been working towards a Christmas tree decorated only with handmade ornaments. Obviously this will be for me, because my kids still insist on decorating our main tree with every decoration they can find! Handmade decorations and macramé remain just as popular as ever. If you want to try making some sweet macramé items you see featured in magazines and online then you will love Macramé Christmas by Isabella Strambio – thank you to Search Press for sending me a review copy. Macramé Christmas by Isabella Strambio {book review} This is the…
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November was a great month for crafting, albeit a very busy one with birthdays and Christmas preparation. I stitched a gorgeous bird hoop for my husband for Christmas featuring a robin. This was a quick and easy make, but very satisfying. I’ve been experimenting with large cross stitch on felt and stitched initial hoops for everyone coming for Christmas at ours. I can’t decide if they will be place settings or added to gift bags instead of labels. As well as stitched initials I also tried a Christmas tree. I 3D printed a template so it is easy to mark…
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The traditional craft of embroidery has gained a new excitement as a new generation of stitchers bring contemporary style to subjects like houseplants and modern interiors. I am delighted to tell you more about Embroidery: Learn in a Weekend. This smart little book, written with beginners in mind, perfectly captures that aesthetic and gives you the skills you need to succeed. Embroidery: Learn in a Weekend Embroidery covers the materials you need to get going, simple introductions to the key stitches, and ten contemporary projects that evolve in complexity. Each project has a template to be copied, enabling the reader to…
