Tag Archives: crafting

THE CRAFTY WRITER REVIEWS…

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Author Morton S Gray has a passion for crafting, and here she reviews three books guaranteed to inspire.

Wreath Making For All Occasions by Becci Coombes

This book is full of lovely ideas and makes wreath making accessible to people of all abilities.

I love the willow star wreath and it looks much easier to achieve for a beginner than the circular willow wreath. When I got to the page about the book lover’s Valentine I exclaimed aloud at the beauty of the wreath and want to make one of these very much. The lavender wrapped in ribbon project took me right back to childhood and making a similar thing with my nan.

Gorgeous photography throughout. Lots of ideas and inspiration – just a super book.

 

Natural Kitchen Dyes by Alicia Hall

I am forever trying to replace dubious chemical products in my life and use more natural alternatives where I can so that I am clear of the origin and source – this book fulfils this brief for dyeing fabric, raffia and wool. Fascinating insights and processes, and I guess a throwback to the world of our ancestors who knew how to dye cloth using just the things around them.

The illustrations are gorgeous throughout the book, making it clear what to use and making me lust after the beautifully subtle array of colours. I love the idea that I can cook a meal and use peelings, stones and leftovers to create lovely dyes later and especially the fact that as these are foodstuffs that both these raw materials and the dyes can be frozen for use at a future date.

The section about which fibres dye well is useful and I had lightbulbs going off in my head all over the place at the thought of dyeing my own wool for my crochet and weaving projects, material for my patchwork too. I also remembered that I have some unused, undyed silk scarves in my craft cupboard that I can experiment with. My eyes also lit up at the mention of dyeing antique lace.

I will heed the precautionary tales about splashes, as I suspect we are benefiting from the author’s possible previous disasters. Nice clear instructions and loved the tip for putting the remnants of the process on the compost heap.

The fact that the dye outcome is random also appeals as I often despair that all of our clothing these days is too often a carbon copy of everyone else’s. Dying to try dyeing my old t-shirts. My carrot tops and avocado stones and skins have suddenly taken on a new significance!

 

Crafting Authentic Paper Flowers by Sophie Longhurst

Adored the introduction tip in this book – ‘My number one tip when you start paper flower making is not to rush’. Slow enjoyment of the creative process sounds amazing. I also like the fact that this book is intended as more of an inspiration rather than as an exact ‘how to” as everyone will have an individual result. However, the templates at the end of the book make this craft feel more accessible to a beginner.

Beautiful illustrations throughout and a very clear list of materials. I can’t actually believe that some of these flowers are not real! My favourites are the poppies and floribunda roses. And who knew you could make replica Rowan berries from clay?

I have ordered my materials and look forward to some slow crafting in my future…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Create An Embroidered Lavender Bag With Maggie Robb of Made by Maggie

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Create a prettily embroidered lavender bag to pack away with your summer wardrobe with Maggie Robb of Made by Maggie

The seasons have certainly changed and it’s time put away summer clothes until next spring.  What better way to keep your favourite frocks fresh and protected than with his cute little birdy lavender bag?  The herbs inside not only give off a lovely scent, but will also guard against moths. And when you come to unpack everything next year, you’ll be greeted by a lovely upbeat message.  Or, why not create your own designs or even personalize the message to make the bag for a friend.

 

To find out about downloading a template of this little bird, please visit https://www.facebook.com/MadebyMaggie07

 

You will need:

 

  • Plain fabric to embroider your design onto. I used calico because I like its rustic feel
  • Pretty backing fabric to match your embroidery
  • Household baking parchment to trace your design
  • Sharp pencil
  • Embroidery threads in 2/3 different colours, black and a metallic thread, if you want a bit of sparkle
  • Fairly sharp embroidery needle
  • Scissors
  • Embroidery hoop

 

Sharp needle, and cotton thread. A sewing machine will speed up the process but isn’t essential

  • A mix of dried lavender and dried rice for the filling
  • A little bit of toy stuffing

 

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Step 1

 

Choose your design or create your own. When you’re happy with it, place the parchment paper over the top and with a steady hand trace around the design using a sharp pencil.

 

Step 2

 

If your design includes text you will now have to turn your tracing over and using some scrap paper to rest on, trace your drawing from the opposite side. If you’re not using text, and don’t mind your image facing the opposite way, skip to Step 3!

 

 

 

 

Step 3

 

Turn over your tracing so that the pencil outline is face to face with your calico fabric. Making sure that you have a hard surface underneath your work as you will need to press quite hard, carefully trace over the design again. When you remove the parchment paper you should be left with a pencil outline of the design on the fabric.

 

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Step 4

 

Now for the fun bit!  Place your fabric into an embroidery hoop to keep it nice and taut. Select your first embroidery thread and separate the 6 strands so that you are working with just two together.  Thread these through your sharp embroidery needle and get stitching!  Use a variety of different stitches to add interest to your design. I’ve used satin stitch for the bird’s eye, beak, the spots on his chest and the metallic tips of his tail. Running stitch, backstitch and vine stitch (used on the legs) are great for outlining. And for the turquoise around the birds face I used just one strand of thread in long stitch. The feathers along his wing were done in my latest stitching discovery, Roman stitch. Find tutorials for all these and more on the internet.

 

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Step 5

 

Remove your finished embroidery from the hoop and press with a hot iron. Sketch a rough pencil outline, about 1cm from the stitching ONTO THE BACK of the fabric, to act as a guide for sewing up. Now place the whole thing onto the top of your backing fabric, right sides together. Pin the two together and stitch around your outline leaving a 2 cm gap unstitched for turning.

 

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Step 6

 

Trim your work to about 0.5cm from your stitching and with a sharp pair of scissors make some little nicks in the seam allowance so that when you turn it through the seam excess doesn’t bunch up or pull your birdy out of shape.

 

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Step 7

 

Turn your work through and press with a hot iron. Now you can fill your little cushion with a mixture of lavender, dried rice and a little bit of toy stuffing too.  The rice adds a satisfying sense of weight, but will also help the lavender to give off more scent by rubbing up against it when you give the bag a squeeze! The toy stuffing helps create a nice smooth finish.

 

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Step 8

 

Using a needle and thread, hand-sew the gap closed. Your little scented friend is now ready to get to work. Nighty night little bird, see you in the spring!

 

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For more lovely pretty things stitched by hand visit https://www.facebook.com/MadebyMaggie07

 

 

How to Make a Fancy Felt Tape Measure Holder

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In part two of our series of easy summer makes, Made by Maggie’s Maggie Robb shows you how to turn scraps of felt into the cutest little tape-measure holders – the perfect summery gift, they look good enough to eat!

“It’s a real pleasure to make these adorable little treats – from choosing the lovely shades of felt to sourcing a special centerpiece button. Once you get into your stride, you’ll be able to finish one in about an hour, and the bits and pieces you’ll need can fit snugly into a small purse for easy portability – the perfect way to while away a summer’s afternoon in the park or back garden.”

You Will Need –

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Pieces of felt of different colours – a main colour plus two different complimentary shades for the flower petals and a green for the leaves.

Tip –If you can, use thick felt with a high wool content which is stiffer and softer than 100% acrylic felt and often comes in prettier, more subtle colours.

Sewing cotton in a matching shade to your main piece of felt
Embroidery thread in a contrasting colour to your main piece of fabric
Scissors
Needles and a pin
A novelty button to go at the centre of your flower
Bakers’ twine or thin cord for the loop
A small button to fasten the loop
A fabric tape-measure

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Step 1 – With your tape-measure rolled up tightly use it as a guide for size and cut out three identical circles of felt – two for the lid and one for the base. Then wrap a piece of felt around the side of your rolled tape-measure to discover the length and height of your straight piece.

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Step 2 –Cut out a flower shape with five petals from each of your contrasting shades of felt. It’s best if your top petal shape is slightly smaller than the one underneath. Arrange with your green piece at the bottom and the two petal pieces on top. Fasten with a couple of stitches using the cotton thread. Then stitch in place your novelty button, centering it in your flower to cover up your stitches.

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Step 3 – Cut a short piece of bakers’ twine and tie it into a loop. Secure it to the underside of your top lid piece with a couple of stitches so that the loop hangs beyond the edge of the circle.

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Step 4 – Pin your bottom lid circle to the top one allowing the loop of twine to hang out between the two pieces. Then using a needle threaded with two strands of the embroidery thread, and beginning opposite the twine loop, sew the two pieces together using a neat blanket stitch.

Tip – Blanket stitch looks great against the colour and texture of felt – for easy to follow tutorials on how to master this decorative and versatile stitch, check out the internet and have a practice on some scrap fabric first. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be hooked!

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Step 5 – Now take your straight piece of felt and roll into a pipe shape. Use your rolled up tape measure to check that it will fit snugly but not too tightly inside the pipe. Then with two strands of embroidery thread in you needle secure the pipe with a neat row of running stitches. For added security and neatness close the edge of the join with another row of blanket stitch.

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Step 6 – Thread your needle with the sewing cotton. You’re going to attach the edge of your 3rd felt circle to the bottom edge of the felt tube. If you need to, trim away any excess from the circle as you sew. For extra neatness make your starting point just beneath the seam of the tube.

Step 7 – To strengthen the open top lip of you holder and to help the lid sit neatly in place, seal it with a line of blanket stitch using the cotton thread. As before, start and finish at the seam of the tube.

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Step 8 – Attach your lid to the felt tube with a couple of stitches. Make sure that you line up the lid so that the join is directly opposite the bakers’ twine loop.

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Step 9 – Choose a small button for the loop to fit over and sew it into place.

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Step 10 – insert your tape-measure and feel pretty pleased with yourself!

Bet you’ll want to make another one! They’re very moreish.

For more lovely things and good ideas, visit https://www.facebook.com/MadebyMaggie07

Make a Pretty Rosette Brooch To Go With Any Outfit

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To celebrate summer, Maggie Robb from Made by Maggie will be sharing some of her favourite seasonal makes. They’re simple enough for everyone to try and you’ll love the results. Visit her on Facebook MadebyMaggie07 for more making tips and lovely stuff.

This month – Up-cycle pretty fabric scraps into an eye-catching rosette brooch.

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“I totally love making these brooches – they’re a great way to use up the scraps from my other projects and it’s very satisfying piecing the rosettes together and choosing their centres from my stash of vintage buttons. You can make the rosettes as big or as little as you like, and also use them to embellish t-shirts, bags, children’s clothes- your whole world!”

 

What you’ll need –

Scraps of Fabric in contrasting colours, patterns and textures.

Ribbons and buttons

Wool felt for the backing

Needle and thread

Scissors and Pinking sheers

Brooch clasp (can be found in craft shops like Hobbycraft)

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First, cut out three different sized circles from your fabrics. I use cardboard templates with diameters of 16, 13 and 9 cm but you can also draw round anything handy you have at home – a cereal bowl makes a great large rosette and a mug or glass is good for a smaller size. The general rule is that your finished rosette will be approximately half the size of your ‘raw’ circle.

Next, fold over the edge of your first fabric circle and sew a narrow hem with a running stitch.

Gently pull your thread tight to gather up your rosette – smoothing the fabric with your fingers to create neat and even pleats. Thick fabrics like tweed or velvet work better with a larger circle but silks and Liberty Lawn and other thin fabrics can be smaller. Secure your rosette with a couple of stitches.

Now for the fun bit! Once you’ve got two or three different sized rosettes you can start assembling your brooch. Choose a centre piece for it from your stash of buttons or pop down to your local fabric or craft shop and choose something – buttons with ‘shank’ fastenings at the back rather than holes can be especially effective. You need to place your rosettes pleated side up to achieve the ruched rosette effect. Secure your layers and button in place with a couple of stitches.

To sew a set of ‘tails’ onto the back of your rosette select a couple of lengths of matching ribbon of different widths. Cut them to the desire length and trim the ends to an arrow to avoid fraying. Attach to the back of your base rosette so that they cross over with a few stiches.

To give your brooch a professional finish cut a circle of felt in a matching shade using pinking shears (zig zag scissors!) to achieve an attractive and non-fraying edge, and sew in place on the back of your brooch using a simple running or back stitch. It’s a good idea to pin your felt circle in place before you start to sew.

Then attach your pin fastener two thirds up and in the middle of your felt circle. And you’re done!

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You can experiment using stripy fabrics, porcelain buttons or even cover your own with fabric or snippets of embroidery using self-covering buttons (try any haberdashers or craft store or online) for a really personalized effect. The brooches look great on coats, dresses or even pinned to canvas bags. Or sew a selection onto a t-shirt for you or a little friend! When making rosettes for young children to wear, leave out buttons as these could be a choking hazard.

 

Next month…… Join Maggie as she shows you how to make a cute little tape-measure holder out of scraps of felt.

 

 

Mini Eco: A Craft Book By Kate Lilley Review

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Crafting has become huge in recent years, accumulating in a billion pound industry. The recession has only added to the craft industry, people want to be creative and want nice things without paying over the odds. Which is one of the reasons, other than her tremendous talent, that Kate Lilley’s craft blog www.minieco.co.uk has over 250,000 followers and is now a cult phenomenon in the craft industry.

Mini Eco craft book

MiniEco: A Craft Book has a selection of 31 craft projects. Kate’s crafting style is Japanese-influenced – lots of paper crafts and a clean, minimal aesthetic. The book has amazing photography and production effects. I love the cleanness of her designs; minimalism at it’s most beautiful.

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The 31 how-to projects are very clearly laid-out. This book makes crafting easy, even when the project looks hard. Craft projects include Hama bead candle holder, furoshiki cloths, and macrame samplers, as well as Kate’s infamous paper crafts – paper gems, crackers, banners and an incredible origami lampshade.

I love this craft book for a number of reasons; the craft projects are beautiful and original, the step-by-step guide makes it all very easy, and there is hours of fun to be had. Mini Eco would make a great Christmas present for the crafter in your life.

MiniEco: A Craft Book can be bought here

You Are Awesome | Book Review

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Craft has had a huge resurgence in recent years. The craft industry is big business. In fact the U.S. craft and hobby industry was worth $29 billion in 2011. But to talk about money takes away the beauty of it. As pay packets dwindle and the cost of living keeps spiraling, people are finding out how joyful it is to make your own things. Whether that be jewellery, clothes or furniture. Which brings me to the book in question: You Are Awesome.

I love everything about the book. From the design, the craft projects, the weight, the author, the concept.

You Are Awesome is a collection of 21 simple craft projects for adults and children with a fresh, contemporary edge. It was written by Abbey Hendrickson who writes the excellent blog, Aesthetic Outburst. This book is hours of entertainment. The concept is that you are awesome (yes, you are) and that you should make the things in the book and give them to someone else who is just as awesome. The step-by-step craft projects are easy and range from a cross-stitched screendoor to a laptop toy made from a cardboard box.

This beautiful book makes a great present, for yourself or anyone else.

Following on from the well received State of Craft, published by Cicada in 2011, You Are Awesome is a beautifully packaged little book that will appeal to advanced hobbyists and curious craftnovices alike.

Buy You Are Awesome: 21 Crafts to Make You Happy

Abbey Hendrickson writes a blog called Aesthetic Outburst documenting her life in an old farmhouse in rural New York. In between DIY disasters, childcare catastrophes and cultural consumption, Abbey makes some fantastic and funky craft projects, which she sells through her Etsy shop. You Are Awesome is a collection of 21 clearly explained step-by-step craft ideas by Abbey Hendrickson. The projects are deceptively simple to make, but have a contemporary freshness that will appeal to seasoned crafters and novices alike. Each one captures the warmth and humour that Abbey herself radiates and which makes her blog so popular. There is nothing more rewarding than making things yourself. Things to live with and things to give to people you love. Let’s revel in the joy of handmade. Crafting is awesome!