Friday, June 21, 2013

Making the headlines…

Delighted to be able to share our latest coverage in July’s edition of Making Magazine which is in the shops now. Do go buy your own copy as it is full of beautiful makes and scrummy recipes, but in the meantime, have a gander at what you might come across if you were to flick to page 86…

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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Quilty weddings…

Scrappy blocked pinwheel as the wedding present for a gorgeous couple who got hitched this weekend… one of my oldest friends and the lucky man who got her hook line and sinker…

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I think the pieced back may be my favourite bit but it’s all just so pretty and I’m more than a little gutted to be without it in my house… Will have to get stitching to make one for our sofa…

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The hen party took place in a cottage in Shropshire and included beautiful food, pretty flowers and wine-fuelled stitchery…

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The stitching was far better received than I thought it may be, with many of the hens working into the sunset on their squares, with two further additions received in the post later that week…

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The hens each embroidered one or more calico squares which I then stitched into a quilt, interspersing the squares with Kaffe Fasset cotton prints.

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Workshop pictures courtesy of a lovely friend.

If you fancy holding your own embroidery/quilt-making party with Homespun Living, bespoke workshops and a follow-up fee for the quilt construction start at £50 per head for 90 minutes and a minimum of 5 friends, including materials. See the website for more details and to enquire further…

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Beginner Sewing Tutorial Roundups

There are so many beautiful and inspiring ideas for what to make once you’ve mastered the basics of sewing… A number of the students of my Learn to Love Your Sewing Machine class ask what to do next… here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing…

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How about a simple drawstring bag? I spent a while thinking these were utterly useless beyond that annoying ‘first Home Ec project’ until I had Tils…. and her toys… So many little pieces… And so few come with their own long term storage solution… These are great for puzzles, games, goody bags, craft project bags or for wrapping awkward items… Made in a pretty lightweight cotton they also work as laundry bags for holidays or children’s rooms… As Cath Kidston can testify

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In the Learn to Love Your Sewing Machine class we make a simple pillow… There are a few ‘frills’ you can add to the basics that we taught to send it into the realm of utterly fabulous… Tooth fairy pillow? Buttons? Letters? Pretty trims… The options are endless and easily findable… Ultimately, there are lots of lovely ideas out there to explore. Pinterest, blogs, company websites like Good Housekeeping, Channel4 and Hobbycraft all offer a range of ideas and lessons.

Happy stitching and crafting!