• sashiko bunny stitching
    Crafts for adults - sewing

    Trying something new: sashiko stitching

    January 17, 2018 - By 

    This year is all about me making things. Finishing projects. This doesn’t come naturally to me. So far this year I’ve stitched the felt bus pincushion and now I can add the sashiko panel to my list. I picked up all the supplies at the Spring Knitting & Stitching Show last year. I bought the panel, special needles and thread. Then it sat in my cupboard for 10 months. I couldn’t read the Japanese instructions so I just searched online for instructions. Sashiko is a Japanese running stitch. The pre-printed panel featured a rabbit inside a circle which seemed pretty…

  • tealight Halloween decorations
    crafts - Halloween crafts

    Tealight Halloween decorations {A-Z Play at Home}

    September 15, 2017 - By 

    Am I allowed to admit we’re getting excited for Halloween in our house? Yesterday I couldn’t resist buying the kids new Halloween t-shirts and picking up some fun craft supplies. We’ve made a start on our homemade Halloween decorations too to supplement the stash we’ve made in previous years. Today I wanted to share the tealight Halloween decorations we’ve been making. They are so simple to make and use everyday objects you should already have around the home. How to make tealight Halloween decorations You will need: LED tealights Black permanent pen Plastic disposable cups or yoghurt pots We raided…

  • crafts - handmade - sewing - swap

    A crafty swap {Very Berry Hoop Swap}

    April 4, 2017 - By 

    It’s been a very long time since I participated in a craft swap. My free time is very short at the moment and I’m hardly spending any time papercutting or sewing. However, the latest Very Berry Hoop Swap really appealed to me so I signed up. The idea was quite simple. To purchase a miniature embroidery hoop (measuring just 4.5cm across) and fill it with some handmade textile art. I purchased a dandelyne miniature embroidery hoop from Cloud Craft and turned to Pinterest for some inspiration. There was almost too long to think about this swap – 8 weeks from signing…

  • Craftiosity {Modern Craft Kits review}
    crafts - handmade - subscription box

    Craftiosity {Modern Craft Kits review}

    March 1, 2017 - By 

    You all know that I love my monthly subscription boxes. I find that a monthly magazine and subscription box landing on my door mat really encourages me to be creative. I find it hard to see projects through (hello Shipping Forecast Quilt project!) but a monthly sub box is the perfect size for me. I was kindly sent a Craftiosity Sub Box to review. It’s a subscription box of modern craft kits (with single kits also available), with a completely new craft and make every other month. A lovely box was handed to me by my postie (it’s too large to…

  • Sewing Star Wars felt toys
    crafts - handmade - sewing - Star Wars crafts

    Sewing Star Wars felt toys

    February 23, 2017 - By 

    It feels like an age since I stitched something. Clothes alterations just don’t count although it does feel like I’m constantly stitching badges on my son’s Beaver uniform! Our whole family love Star Wars so when I spotted a Star Wars felt kit in the shops I knew it would make a great Christmas present for myself my husband. He cannot sew to save his life so I had the happy job of making them up for him. My children were equally delighted to see the set and immediately started dictating which ones I should make first.   Of course…

  • book review - crafts - handmade - Patchwork & Quilting - quilt

    Wise Craft Quilts by Blair Stocker

    February 19, 2017 - By 

    I’ve been reading craft blogs for a long time and one of the first I discovered was Wise Craft. The author, Blair Stocker, has followed her very successful book with a second, called Wise Craft Quilts: A Guide to Turning Beloved Fabrics into Meaningful Patchwork. Quilts are stories we compose with fabric and thread, providing physical and metaphorical warmth, and Wise Craft Quilts is about creating these stories. Whether making a quilt from baby’s first clothes or from a collection of Tyvek race numbers stored away in a box, sewing pieces like these into quilt form creates a new level of appreciation…

  • Making Concrete Pots, Bowls, and Platters by Hester van Overbeek
    book review - crafts - handmade - What I'm reading

    Making Concrete Pots, Bowls, and Platters by Hester van Overbeek

    February 7, 2017 - By 

    Making Concrete Pots, Bowls, and Platters is the third book by Hester van Overbeek, you can read my review of Furniture Hacks here. In this book, you will find everything you need to make a range of unique concrete projects. The comprehensive techniques section explains what type of concrete to buy, how to use it and how to decorate it. You will also learn how to mix, cast and mould concrete. From there you can put this knowledge into action to make chic home accessories such as upside-down plant pots, a concrete bowl with a wooden base, serving platters, a letter-shaped…

  • 6 handmade gift ideas for Valentine's Day
    crafts - handmade - Handmade gifts - Valentines Day crafts

    6 handmade gift ideas for Valentine’s Day

    February 6, 2017 - By 

    With Valentine’s Day now just over a week away I thought I would pull together some of my favourite handmade card, decorations and gifts in case you are looking for ideas. I love Valentine’s Day. Not for the overblown gestures, but the simple message that lies at the heart of it all – sharing and showing how much we love. There is so much bad stuff going on in the world that I think it’s important to send a homemade card or gift and remind our loved ones that we appreciate them. 6 handmade gift ideas for Valentine’s Day With…

  • Mollie Makes Creativity bookazine
    Craft book review - crafts - handmade - Mollie Makes crafts - Paper craft

    Mollie Makes Creativity bookazine

    February 4, 2017 - By 

    A few weeks ago I saw an advert for Mollie Makes Creativity bookazine. I have a few of the MM bookazines and overall they are pretty good value, although I do find they recycle some of their features from the monthly issues. The last few months have been all about exploring paper craft and paper cutting. I am so happy to have discovered papercutting and the best thing is – it hardly takes up any room! Over the years I have explored sewing, embroidery, patchwork and quilting and I have a *lot* of supplies. Papercutting requires a cutting mat and scalpel and…