• handmade - Kids crafts

    DIY daisy headband

    The other day Little Sis was watching me sew something and she said she would like to try. I would be so happy if my children wanted to learn to sew. It’s a useful skill but also a great hobby. Luckily for Little Sis I had a sweet little kit all ready for her, the daisy headband kit from Hobbycraft. The kit contained everything needed to make a daisy headband – pre-cut felt shapes, plastic needle, thread and a white headband. I’ve never made anything like this before but my daughter has an obsession with headbands, which she’s always worn…

  • blogging - book review - handmade - sewing

    Monthly makes – June

    June was a great month for me and it feels like I’ve barely put my sewing needles down. My daughter gained a Cath Kidston-inspired ric rac skirt which looks great with the iron on Cath Kidston letter I added to her tshirt. A brand new updated outfit for pennies! I tried something new with an EPP feather, a bang on trend craft kit which came with the latest issue of love patchwork and quilting. The issue also has a pattern for an adorable liquorice allsort quilt which I have put aside for a rainy day. I completed the patchwork part…

  • book review - Craft book review - handmade - Patchwork & Quilting - sewing - What I'm reading

    All Points Patchwork book review

    I love to make quilts but always stick to the same, safe designs. Recently I’ve begun to experiment and tried my hand at jewel, octagon, triangle and diamonds EPP – baby steps! I was interested to hear about All Points Patchwork: English Paper Piecing beyond the Hexagon, for Quilts & Small Projects by Diane Gilleland, published by Storey Publishing. image credit I received a copy to review and read it in one evening. It’s a lovely book and I learned so much from it. I’ve taught myself which is why I’m always happiest following other people’s tutorials and patterns. All…

  • crafts - handmade - Mollie Makes crafts - sewing

    Jenny Makes Mollie Makes star hoop stitch kit

    Jenny Makes Mollie Makes star hoop stitch kit from issue 53. There were 3 sweet designs to choose from, a piece of navy blue fabric and a gorgeous turquoise plastic embroidery hoop. Mollie Makes star hoop stitch kit The instructions recommended using coloured transfer paper on to the dark fabric. Unfortunately the kit didn’t include any so I bought a pack of coloured transfer paper from eBay and waited for it to arrive. I used blue transfer paper but it didn’t work at all so I used white transfer paper which worked perfectly. I stitched the pattern in an hour…

  • Dolls quilts - handmade - interiors - sewing - swap

    Monthly Makes – April

    I think April may hold the record for speeding by the quickest. It seems like only yesterday I was turning over a new page of our monthly calender, a Minion one in case you were wondering. This month I’ve managed a little bit of sewing, mainly for the two swaps I participated in. First there was the UK Mini Swap for a sweet little quilt which I wrote about here. There was also Round 6 of the Fabric ATC swap organised by Very Berry Handmade. The ATC measured only 2.5 x3.5 inches and I made a tiny row of terraced…

  • handmade - Handmade gifts - Local Review - London

    Hand stamped silver

    Earlier this year I attended a Hand Stamped Jewellery workshop at the London Jewellery School. The workshop was a gift from my husband who knew I wanted to try something new. The London Jewellery School is over in Whitechapel so I basically hopped on the tube and read my Kindle until I reached the other end of the line. The Hand Stamped Jewellery workshop was a beginners class and a great introduction to working with silver. Class numbers were kept really small and everyone was really friendly. We all had the chance to make a piece completely from scratch using…

  • Dolls quilts - handmade - Handmade gifts - Patchwork & Quilting - quilt - sewing - swap

    Mini quilt swap reveal

    Yesterday I received the most amazing mini quilt in the post. Late last year I signed up for a mini quilt swap and today I can write a mini quilt swap reveal post. I love sewing and patchwork and thought it would be a fun challenge to make something for someone else. The only requirement was that the quilt had to be a minimum of 15 inches on both sides, and maximum of 24 inches. We were paired up and sent links to inspiration boards to gather ideas. I chose a gorgeous patchwork heart which I loved making. There were…

  • crafts - handmade - Mollie Makes crafts - sewing - tutorial

    Jenny Makes Mollie Makes cross stitch jewellery kit

    I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Mollie Makes cross stitch jewellery kit from issue 51. I enjoy cross stitch and have made a couple of things with these wooden pendants before. Jenny Makes Mollie Makes cross stitch jewellery kit The kit contained two pendants which could be made into a brooch and necklace as well as a page of patterns. I made up one of the patterns from Mollie Makes. It was a really quick little make and I enjoyed using the colourful threads provided. The second pendant I made my own design of a simple heart.…

  • book review - handmade - What I'm reading

    What I’m reading: Jane Foster Creative Craft with Kids

    A few weeks ago I treated myself to a copy of Jane Foster’s latest book – Creative Craft with Kids. I’m a big fan of Jane Foster’s style (she loves Miffy as much as I do!) and I really enjoyed her first book. Creative Craft With Kids is the second book from Jane Foster and includes fun projects for parents to make with and for children to encourage creativity and experimentation. There are 15 creative projects to make with children which include felt-faced toys, customized T-shirts and a patchwork quilt. Some of the projects require some simple sewing skills, but…