Bugs and Fishes by Lupin

My New Pinboard

2013-06-16T08:47:00.000+01:00

After wanting one for ages I finally got a pinboard for my studio last month. I took some photos of it a few weeks ago to show you guys and when I was editing them I realised there were a whole load of projects in shot that I'm not allowed to share yet! Oops. So, finally, here's a photo:

It's so good to get all that paper off my desk! My lovely red desk is next to the window (you can just see the corner of it on the left in that photo) so no room for a pinboard there, but this is the next best thing as I face this wall as I work.

I've also found new homes for the bits and pieces I was keeping on the top of that small shelf unit, so I can use the space as a sort of extension of my desk, with "in progress" piles of paperwork. It's great to have a dedicated space for this stuff instead of just having it cluttering up my desk or the coffee table or (being honest with you here, folks) in a messy heap on the floor.

It's also nice to have a space to pin up a few pretty postcards - though the board itself is currently mostly taken up with boring work stuff like to do lists and bills I need to pay, I've used some polkadot washi tape to stick up some postcards along the side of the tall shelf unit.

I bought these on days out last summer, choosing a postcard or two from each place I visited as a memento, it's nice to have some of them on display instead of stuck in a drawer somewhere...

... and they're a great reminder that I need to plan some more days out this summer!

June Sponsors

2013-06-15T10:55:00.000+01:00

It's time to meet my current sponsors!

Blooming Felt sells 100% wool felt sheets, colourful fairtrade felt craft supplies like felt beads and felt purses, plus a whole bunch of other crafty goodness like buttons, ribbons, flat pad findings, embroidery floss and fabric:

Little Dorrit & Co. sells literary-themed embroidery patterns, with designs inspired by fairy tales and beloved books like Pride & Prejudice:

The Bellwether (formerly known as Miso Funky) sells cross stitch samplers with a modern twist (and a bit of spicy language!) along with coasters, needlework kits, cards, and stitch-able stuff like iPhone cases:

Asking for Trouble sells illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts featuring cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii:

Love Paper Fish sells colourful buttons in all sorts of different shapes and sizes, felt beads, acrylic and wool blend felt and lots of other crafty stuff

Loulalalou sells handmade crochet jewellery, bags, homewares and other lovely things:

Lucky Cat Handmade sells a selection of handmade key fobs, glasses cases, pencil pouches and purses:

The Dusty Attic sells handmade felt brooches and other accessories:

And Byvala sells a whole mix of crafty creations - from bags to cushions to phone cases to hair accessories:

P.S. Interested in promoting your shop, company or blog? Ad spaces on my blog start from just $5 for 30 days (that's about £3.20!). Your shop will feature in a sponsor post like this one and I also give new sponsors a shout out over on my Facebook page.

Click here for more info re: rates and my blog's traffic, and to buy an ad.

Mollie Makes: Feathered Friends - Giveaway Winner

2013-06-15T09:29:00.000+01:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway to win a copy of Mollie Makes: Feathered Friends!

The winner is.... Debora who said "Looking forward to have my book... I'll be the lucky one!" - the power of positive thinking, huh? :)

Psst - The lovely folks at Mollie Makes are giving away 25 copies of Feathered Friends this week, so if you missed out in my giveaway, don't be sad! (the Mollie Makes giveaway closes on June 20th).

Catching Up

2013-06-14T09:38:00.000+01:00

I'm slowly catching up on some work - gradually replying to emails from the past week, sending out all my shop orders, and writing some blog posts with "help" from this little lady!

I'm also working on a whole bunch of tutorials (for a couple of projects I, alas, can't talk about yet). I find it helpful when I'm working on lots of tutorials at once to make a chart instead of writing lots of to do lists. It works pretty well even if the tutorials are all for very different things as they all involve the same basic steps to get from idea to finished tutorial. Ticking each small task off as I work through them I can see the progress I'm making and can see at a glance what tasks still need doing.

This is my current chart. Lots done, but quite a bit still to do!

I made a gigantic "to do chart" when I was working on my new book and it really helped keep me organised during a very hectic time.

For each design I worked on I needed to sketch it, design the templates, (maybe) sew a prototype, write notes on how to make it, sew it, take step by step photos, edit the photos, resize and label the photos, take final reference photos of the finished piece, type up my notes, draft the tutorial, proofread it, make final changes, draw the templates out neatly, make copies of the templates, pack up the project, and then post the project & templates and email the tutorial & accompanying photos.

Multiply that by all the different projects that make up a book and, well, you can see why the chart was so useful! :)

Taking it Easy

2013-06-13T13:03:00.000+01:00

I have been stuck in bed ill for a few days this week, which is never fun! I'm starting to feel a bit better now but I'm still taking it easy, trying to rest as much as possible in between replying to a few emails / doing some work towards a looming deadline / etc.

As ever, my assistant is keeping me company!

P.S. With Google Reader soon to shut down, I thought I'd mention that you can now follow my blog on Bloglovin' if you want! You can find (and follow) my blog HERE.

You can also use Bloglovin' to discover lots of lovely new DIY & Craft blogs - via their lists of popular posts and popular blogs.

Made in Felt Magazine

2013-06-08T09:32:00.000+01:00

Attention felt fans! Have you seen Made in Felt?

This felt-themed magazine (sister mag to Made in Paper) came out this week...

... and it includes a project designed by me! Yay!

Long-time followers of my blog might remember that I used to sell large felt flower brooches that looked like this:

Well, know you can learn how to sew your own :)

You can make the corsages with a button in the centre...

... or with lots of sparkly seed beads:

When I made these for sale I used eco felt (made from recycled plastic bottles) and used vintage buttons for the centres, but you can use any felt or buttons you fancy. I also made smaller flowers (with fewer petals) and used them to decorate hair combs:

They're a lot of fun to make!

The magazine includes 33 different felt projects - some of these are specially designed for the magazine, and others are selected from craft books (like Stash Happy Felt, Zombie Felties and So Pretty! Felt) and magazines like Mollie Makes, so you might spot some projects you recognise but over 30 projects for £7.99 is great value, I think, even if you've already got a few of the projects. And it's a great way to sample projects from different craft books.

It also includes tips on sewing with felt, interviews with some felt-loving designers and some felt-themed shopping guides - I was delighted to see my teapot rosette brooches got a mention here:

Made in Felt is available now from WHSmiths and other newsagents in the UK. If you live outside the UK or can't find the magazine in a store near you you can buy it online here.

[P.S. the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links]

Giveaway: Mollie Makes: Feathered Friends

2013-06-07T08:37:00.000+01:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I've got a copy of Mollie Makes: Feathered Friends (published by Collins & Brown) to give away!

And you don't have to be in the UK to enter - the publisher is happy to send it internationally :)

Just leave a comment on this blog post for your chance to win! Leave your comment before 10pm on Friday 14th June, and I'll pick the winners at random on Saturday 15th June.

Please make sure you leave a name or pseudonym (no anonymous comments please!) and leave a blog link, Twitter username, Etsy username or email address so I can contact you.

If I'm unable to contact the winner within two weeks, I will pick someone else. If you're leaving a comment with your Blogger profile, please remember that you need to have your profile set to public for me to be able to get in touch with you. If you have problems leaving a comment here on my blog, you can enter via my shop's contact form instead.

Update: this giveaway is now closed.

My Projects from Mollie Makes Feathered Friends

2013-06-06T10:37:00.000+01:00

Mollie Makes: Feathered Friends is published today in the UK, hurrah!

As you've probably guessed from the title, all the projects in the book are bird-themed. There are 20 projects, covering a mix of different crafts - sewing, knitting, crochet, paper-crafting, etc.

I was delighted to be asked to contribute a couple of felt-y projects to the book. Those of you with super memories might remember me working on a colourful secret project last summer... well, I was working on my projects for this book :)

The finished book is lovely, and includes designs by loads of designers & crafters I really admire, including Clare Youngs, Eline Pellinkhof, Mollie Johanson, Kirsty Elson, and Emily Peacock. I'm thrilled to find my work in such great company!

Wanna see my projects in the book?

There's a trio of "3D Felt Flying Parrots" to hang on your wall - I think the parrots would also look great sewn onto things like cushions.

And there's a "Felt Applique Cockerel Cosy", with a trio of matching coasters - inspired by the traditional Polish craft of paper cutting. (Again, if you didn't want to make a coffee cosy and coasters you could use the motifs to decorate lots of other things!).

I'm so pleased with how both these projects turned out (I hope you guys like them too!).

As well as the tutorials in the book (which all have step by step instructions and photos) there are also a couple of sections with ideas and inspiration for other birdie projects and though the templates in the book need enlarging it also includes info on where you can get the full size versions to download and print which I think is a great idea.

Each designer is also introduced with a photo and a bit of info about them, so you can check out their website or blog and discover even more crafty goodness. Look! It's me! :)

Mollie Makes: Feathered Friends is published by Collins & Brown, and is available from Love Crafts, Amazon UK and lots of other bookshops. (The US edition is due to be published later this summer).

And guess what, Collins & Brown have offered me a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader! Woohoo! Check back here tomorrow for the giveaway post...

[P.S. Just to let you know, the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links]

Designing, Sewing, Writing, Photographing, Knitting, Packing, Posting, Tidying, Planning...

2013-06-04T17:23:00.000+01:00

... these are a few of the things I've been doing so far this week! All the while enjoying the sunny weather and the company of this furry fella who has spent about 90% of the time asleep next to me on the sofa or snoozing at my feet.

I've been making something brightly coloured...

... and something autumnal...

... unfortunately I can't show you the finished designs for ages (sorry) but the colours themselves are rather yummy, aren't they?

I've also finished knitting a swatch for a possible new project but I've not yet had the time to actually measure it to see if the yarn is right for what I want to knit.

And I've been sorting out lots of orders of things people have been buying in my summer sale. The sale continues until midnight 7th June, so you've got a few days left to grab a bargain....enter the code MEGASALE during the checkout process to get 40% off any order from my main shop or my Etsy shop.

Remember, the code will even work on things in my clearance sale section so there are some great bargains to be had, including this felt camera brooch (the last one in stock), marked down to £7.50 - so it's just £4.50 if you use the discount code...

... and this set of 4 rosettes for tea lovers, currently just £15 for the set, they're reduced to £9 if you use the discount code, so that's just £2.25 for each brooch! Woohoo! :)

You can find my clearance sale section HERE.

8 Free Butterfly Tutorials / Crafty Ideas

2013-06-03T13:17:00.000+01:00

I'm working on some craft tutorials at the moment but I can't show you any of them yet, so instead here are some fun summer-y projects from my blog archive (all with a butterfly theme) and some suggestions for possible variations.

1. Make a felt butterfly mobile. This would also look great made from card and if you used stiff card you could double the size of the butterflies (or enlarge them even further) to create a really big mobile

2. Use paper butterflies to add some extra prettiness to plants you're giving as a gift. Iinstead of using my butterfly template, you could use pictures of real butterflies or buy a butterfly stamp from a craft store, stamp it onto your chosen paper and then cut round it.

3. Decorate parcels with butterflies and paper doilies. Lots of small butterfly shapes (maybe cut out with a butterfly craft punch?) would also look great scattered over a parcel (glue them on with a glue stick or attach them with a small piece of double-sided sticky tape), and you could cut more small
butterflies to add to tags. For a sparkly look, try decorating one of the butterfly shapes with glitter!

4. Make a butterfly curtain. The butterflies and doilies would also make a lovely summery-y garland if strung horizontally. If you cut your butterflies from white card, you and/or your kids could have lots of fun painting the butterflies in bright colours before using them to make the curtain - and double-sized butterflies would be even more fun to paint.

5. Make felt butterfly brooches decorated with embroidery, sequins or mini buttons. These would also make sweet headbands or ornaments. If you're giving one of the brooches as a gift, pin it to a square of plain felt and use washi tape to attach the square to a blank card... then write a message like "Happy Birthday!" underneath the butterfly.

6. Have a butterfly-themed tea party, with butterfly cake/sandwich toppers and butterfly napkin rings. I used plain card for my butterflies, but you could use pretty patterned paper, or stamped or printed pictures of butterflies.

7. Use doilies and pretty patterned paper to make butterfly cards. These are a great way to use up pieces of pretty gift wrap that are too small to use for actual gift-wrapping. Colourful pages from magazines (like pictures of flowers) would also look great. Or you could shrink the butterfly template to make small butterfly shapes, and stick several butterflies on one card instead of the one large shape pictured.

8. Or make simple felt butterfly brooches decorated with buttons - this tutorial also includes a variation that uses felt circles instead of buttons. You could also use this simpler butterfly shape when making some of the other butterfly projects in this list, as it's a lot quicker and easier to cut out!

You can find lots more free crafty tutorials HERE.

Mega Summer Sale - 40% Off!

2013-06-01T08:31:00.000+01:00

I'm having a special sale to celebrate it being my birthday this month...

You can get a massive 40% off any purchase from my Big Cartel shop or from my Etsy shop with the discount code MEGASALE

The discount excludes shipping, but includes everything else in my shop (even things which are already marked as on sale!). The offer runs until midnight 7th June.

In my main shop you'll find felt flower brooches...

... other felt brooches...

... flower headbands and fun animal masks...

... signed copies of my book, Super-Cute Felt and a whole bunch of craft supplies...

... and digital sewing patterns, too!

Just enter the code MEGASALE during the checkout process to claim your discount :)

Crafty Flashbacks

2013-05-29T10:53:00.003+01:00

I was looking through a few old blog posts and I thought it'd be fun to look back through my archives to see what I was making this time last year, and the year before that... all the way back to 2007!

I had creative block this time last year (not fun), but I was doing a bit of knitting for my sky blanket - and I had a lovely new bag to keep my in progress knitting in.

In 2011 I was making flower crowns, cutting up felt squares for some rainbow bundles, learning how to crochet and choosing the colours for my first crochet blanket (which was SO much fun to make!).

In 2010 I was enjoying some very sunny weather, planning a knitting picnic and making an abstract mobile.

In 2009 we seem to have been enjoying another May heatwave! I was doing some restful sewing on the sofa, making some thank you cards to send out with my orders, making a big old crafty mess, and planning ahead by starting work on some Christmas things.

In 2008 I was making lots of flowers - designing new ones ones and finishing up lots of flowers from my wip box - as well as sewing a cafetiere cosy as a gift and finishing a slightly bonkers felt necklace.

And then back in 2007 I was making a beaded brooch, sewing some abstract brooches, and working at my kitchen table sewing some felt mobiles.

I hope you've enjoyed this little bit of crafty time-travelling :)

OMG! Sunshine!

2013-05-27T14:25:00.000+01:00

After a seriously gloomy spring it has been wonderful to finally get some proper sunshine these past few days. Even though I've been (mostly) busy working, what a difference it makes to look out of the window and see a blue sky!

There's nothing quite like being able to take alfresco tea & knitting breaks - although I have to admit that it does make it much harder to get back to work afterwards. It's just soooo tempting to spend the whole afternoon lying on a blanket reading a book.

I've been knitting some mittens from Learn to Knit, Love to Knit, and also knitting up a tension swatch to see if some yarn I've got in my stash is a good match for one of the other projects in the book (fingers crossed!).

And my furry studio assistant has, as usual, been keeping me company wherever I go...

... he seems to be quite happy about the weather, too!

Lots of Crafty Goodness in my Shop!

2013-05-25T09:10:00.000+01:00

Pssst - I've added a whole bunch of stuff over in the Craft Supplies section of my shop...

There are wheels of rainbow pins in leaf, heart and flower designs:

Bundles of colourful ribbons I'm clearing out from my craft stash, including lots of pretty polkadot ribbon:

Some fun sheets of printed felt - in camouflage & zebra prints:

And remember when I was making all those felt buttons back in March...?

Well, I've finally got them photographed & added to my shop, hurrah!

There's also one last set of "not quite perfect" giant buttons (and lots of "perfect" giant buttons too)...

... and a whole bunch of other "destash" listings, including buttons, hat elastic and grip seal bags (which are super useful for packaging or for storing small supplies or pattern pieces).

And remember, there are still lots of handmade goodies available in my SALE section... sale prices start from just £1. Click here to see the full range of treats in stock.

Goodbye 30, Hello 31

2013-05-22T11:01:00.000+01:00

Crikey, I can't believe it's almost been a whole year since I turned 30! (My birthday is in early June) Where does the time go, huh?

Turning 30 last year inspired me to dig out a whole bunch of photos to make a collage with one photo for each of my 30 years...

It was so much fun, I thought it'd be nice to keep on adding to it as the years go by. So I sorted through my recent photos last week, and picked a fun picture from Christmas...

... me playing board games with my sister. The game being played? Jungle Ludo! This was a much beloved game in our house when we were growing up, we even developed our own version of the rules :)

It's the perfect photo to represent this past year, I think, as this past year has been all about spending time with my family. I moved back in with my parents unexpectedly but have decided to stay for a bit to save up some money, and I've been very much enjoying stuff like kitty cuddles, home cooked meals (yum!), getting to see my sisters more often and helping my youngest sister plan her wedding.

Work-wise there have been some ups (a new book) and some downs (closing my supplies shop) this year. Mostly though I have been working fewer hours - keeping things ticking over and putting bigger plans on hold - so I could spend more time with my mum, who was diagnosed with breast cancer early last spring. If you read my blog regularly you may remember how I was a bit absent from my blog this time last year because of "family stuff" - well, this is what that was about!

We were very lucky that the cancer was caught early, but as anyone who has experienced cancer in their family will know, it's been a scary and stressful time. My mum (who is a very tough cookie) has gone through surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and come out the other side smiling, and with as close to an "all clear" as I think it's possible to get at this point. Best birthday present ever.

Coming Soon - Mollie Makes: Feathered Friends

2013-05-21T12:29:00.000+01:00

I've got some fun news to share with you guys today... there's a lovely new craft book coming out soon, and it's got some projects by me in it :)

Following on from their Christmas craft book, the team at Mollie Makes have put together a book of bird-themed crafts: Mollie Makes: Feathered Friends.

I was delighted to be asked to contribute a couple of felt projects to this book - I'm really looking forward to showing you a sneak peek of them when the book comes out in a few weeks time.

Mollie Makes: Feathered Friends will be published here in the UK by Collins & Brown on 6th June. It'll be available direct from Collins & Brown at Love Crafts, or you can pre-order it from Amazon UK.

For those of you outside the UK... the US edition (published by Interweave) is available for pre-order from Amazon USA (though the publication date in the US is a bit later this summer, I think) and I've spotted a Dutch language edition that's been published too (called Mollie Makes: Birds). Lots of birdie goodness!

[P.S. Just to let you know, the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links]

A Lovely Tea & Biscuit Tin

2013-05-18T18:59:00.000+01:00

Check out the new addition to my growing collection of yummy tins from M&S:

Such a nice design, huh? Perfect for a tea and biscuit fan like me :)

It's by Kate Wilson of Little Doodles, whose work I love - I bought one of her birdie prints years ago, I unfortunately don't currently have the space for it but it used to hang in my old kitchen & made me happy whenever I saw it.

Plus the biscuits inside were pretty tasty too! Om nom nom.

Photos From This Week - Craft Supplies & Cats

2013-05-17T18:51:00.001+01:00

Crikey, this week has been super busy! I have been ticking things off To Do lists like crazy, but I've mostly been working on secret stuff I can't show you guys yet though (boo). I can show you some of the yummy, colourful supplies I've been using though :)

Pretty glass beads (I especially love those turquoise blue ones, so lush) ...

... and lovely spring shades of thread. Pink and orange together? Yum!

Thanks to the bad weather we've been having, our cats have been spending lots of time snoozing indoors and keeping us company this week.

Our big cat likes sleeping on the sofa while I'm working in the lounge (how he manages to sleep upside down like that, I have no idea). He is sitting next to me on the sofa as I type this, actually! He likes having a whole seat of the sofa all to himself and gets very grumpy if he finds a person sitting in what he regards as "his" seat.

And our small cat is always very happy to find me sitting on the sofa with the laptop as it means she can yowl at me until I put the laptop down and let her sit on my lap instead :)

She doesn't always choose the most convenient times (pesky kitty!) but I think being able to rearrange my workday around "kitty cuddle breaks" has to be one of the great perks of being self-employed.

May Sponsors

2013-05-15T09:04:00.000+01:00

Say hello to my current sponsors!

Blooming Felt sells 100% wool felt sheets, colourful fairtrade felt craft supplies like felt beads and felt purses, plus a whole bunch of other crafty goodness like buttons, ribbons, flat pad findings, embroidery floss and fabric:

Asking for Trouble sells illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts using cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii:

Mason Bee sells detailed hand embroidered pieces and embroidery patterns, often featuring bees!

Cherry and Cinnamon is the work of Bridgeen Gillespie, a freelance illustrator who sells kitsch and cute embroidery patterns & and fabric:

Lucky Cat Handmade sells key fobs, glasses cases, pencil pouches and purses:

And The Dusty Attic sells handmade felt brooches and other accessories:

P.S. Interested in promoting your shop, company or blog? I've recently reduced the price of my ads, so ad spaces on my blog start from the bargain price of just $5 for 30 days (that's about £3.25! BARGAIN). Your shop will feature in a sponsor post like this one and I also give new sponsors a shout out over on my Facebook page. Click here for more info re: rates and my blog's traffic, and to buy an ad.

Book Review: Felt Sew Good

2013-05-13T09:08:00.000+01:00

To finish up my Book Week, I've got a lovely felt-y book to review (you guys know how much I love felt, gotta save the best material 'til last, right?).

Felt Sew Good by Christine Leech contains "30 simple & stylish felt projects" divided into chapters of gifts, decorations and items from the home.

The designs are all pretty simple, accessible projects you could make in an afternoon or a couple of evenings - perfect for beginners or people who just want to squeeze a bit of relaxing crafting into their week

There are some cute projects like this elephant mobile (so adorable)...

... and these sweet woodland animal finger puppets:

And some very stylish, more "grown up" projects, like these decorative baubles...

... this geometric mat...

... and these pretty feather napkin rings:

Other projects in the book include winged baby booties, a pear doorstop,circus-inspired egg cosies, and an autumnal garland.

Each project has step-by-step instructions but only the more complicated steps are illustrated with drawings or step-by-step photos. All the templates are included full size though, which is something I love to see in a craft book!

Felt Sew Good would be a great book to add to your collection if you want some fun and pretty projects that are relatively quick and easy to make. I think this would also be a great book to use when sewing things with younger children, or to give as a gift to a teenage crafter - I would have loved to make lots of the designs in this book to decorate my room as a teen, or to give as gifts to my friends.

Felt Sew Good is published by Quadrille. RRP £12.99. It's available from Amazon UK and many other bookshops.

[Disclaimer: Quadrille sent me a free review copy of this book. The Amazon links in this post are affiliate links]

Book Review: Stitch and Sew Home

2013-05-12T09:03:00.000+01:00

Today's book is very very different to the one I reviewed yesterday... for starters, check out the pretty pink cover!

This is a seriously girly, pretty book - with lots of roses, birds, butterflies and oodles of pink.

It reminds me a lot of Cath Kidston's prints and I think if you're a fan of all things CK you're gonna love this book.

The book contains "over 45 cross stitch, embroidery and sewing projects" but there are also several paper crafting projects, some small crochet patterns, a couple of projects involving self-hardening clay, and several mixed media projects that have a stitched or other textile element to them.

This is a book that's heavy on pretty, inspirational pictures and light on instructional content. Many of the projects just have a list of materials and brief instructions - sometimes as little as three lines of text - but some have more detailed instructions (there are no diagrams though, and no techniques section). Mostly this doesn't matter though, as the projects are either quite simple ideas, like adding covered buttons to a charm bracelet...

... or the instructions are intended as more of a starting point than a step-by-step "how to" for creating the exact design pictured - as in the bunting project where you're just told to decorate the bunting "how you like".

Several of the projects are variations - for example, different ideas for using covered buttons; and in one section you're given instructions for making a fabric bird and then there's a series of projects where you can use the bird(s) to make a bird in a box, a bird on a string, a bird mobile, etc.

When I first got sent this book to review (along with some other titles I'd requested) I have to admit to looking at it and thinking it was a bit too girly for me, but actually looking through it again I found a lot of things that I'd quite like to make - if not for myself, then things that would make nice little gifts or pretty decor ideas for parties or a wedding.

My favourite projects are probably the cross stitch roses - this cushion just makes me swoon!

The majority of projects in the book are actually made with (or include some) materials that were specifically designed by Eline to accompany the book - fabric, paper, ribbons and stamps in a range called "Eline's House". So lots of the materials lists will say to use a certain product from the collection, and you'd need to track these down if you wanted to recreate the designs exactly.

You could easily use different pretty paper and fabric to make a lot of the projects (just as you wouldn't be using exactly the same fabric, etc, to recreate the designs in other craft books), but some are very specifically built around the supplies in the range - especially the stamps. Some of these could, again, be substituted (for example for the butterfly projects you could easily find some other butterfly stamps to use instead) but others seem to be very specific designs I think you'd have trouble finding in other ranges, so you'd just have to skip those projects.

What do you guys think about this sort of "craft supplies & book" tie-in? Have you seen any other craft books that are like this? I guess it pretty directly solves the problem of having lovely supplies and not knowing what to make with them, but I do find the projects that depend upon owning a certain specific supply a little frustrating... and I expect that the product range to accompany the book will only become harder and harder to find as time goes on, so if there's something I like the look of in this book, does that mean I have to rush out and buy the matching supply now in case it's no longer available when/if I want to make the project in the future?

I am actually very tempted to buy the butterfly stamp set as they are quite lovely and I can see myself using them in a lot of my own projects as well as possibly recreating some of the ideas in the book. I couldn't find anywhere in the UK to buy them, but this store in the Netherlands carries them along with some of the other projects designed to accompany Eline's books.

UPDATE: Eline has let me know that this shop in the UK also carries some of her products, including new digital versions of the (now sold out) paper packs that were designed to accompany Stitch and Sew Home.

Overall, this is a very pretty book with a lot of lovely project ideas but it's definitely one to buy if you prefer your craft books to be more inspirational than purely instructional.

Stitch and Sew Home is published by David & Charles. RRP £14.99. It's available from Stitch Craft Create, Amazon UK, Amazon USA and many other bookshops.

[Disclaimer: David & Charles sent me a free review copy of this book. The Amazon links in this post are affiliate links]

Book Review: Merchant and Mills Sewing Book

2013-05-11T09:04:00.000+01:00

Today I'm reviewing the Merchant and Mills Sewing Book, by Carolyn Denham.

Like Sew Over It (which I reviewed a few weeks ago) this is another vintage-inspired sewing book but I think it would be quite difficult to find another book more different to Sew Over It's retro prettiness - which is firmly in florals + bunting + gingham + cupcakes + Keep Calm & Carry On -style vintage territory. The styling of the Merchant & Mills book (like the packaging for their haberdashery range) is stripped back, utilitarian, with muted colours and a consciously old-fashioned writing style. Check out that grey board cover!

The cover gives this book a very distinctive look, but the cover of my review copy unfortunately got a bit bashed up in the post and I think it could very quickly start looking a mess as it would damage easier / get greasy marks on it / etc much more than an "ordinary" hardback book. (I think my concern about this may mean I am turning into my mother, but I do like my books to stay looking nice, especially the fancy hardbacks).

The blurb on the back of the book reads "Keep it simple and do it well. No shortcuts. No Cheating. Just good old-fashioned sewing" ... "Use for reference or as a jolly good read." The first part of the book - "the foundations" - is very much for reference, with chapters going into lots of detail about tools, techniques, haberdashery, fabric and "the importance of meticulous pressing".

It's written in what seems like an imitation of the style of an old instructional guide or household manual, and it's illustrated with retro diagrams...

...and pictures with muted colours (often featuring vintage bits of sewing kit).

The second part of the book is the projects, with instructions for making things like bags, a tailor's ham, an ironing board cover and cushions.

Lots of the projects involve quite heavy weight fabrics like oilskin, canvas and denim which gives them a different feel to the ones found in sewing books that mostly use pretty printed cottons.

There are also two paper patterns included at the end of the book (in an envelope attached to the inside cover) - for a Fisherman's Top and a Tailored Shawl.

The paper patterns unfortunately both need enlarging by 175%, which is a bit of a shame as surely the point of including paper patterns in a book like this is so you can get some full size patterns that don't need enlarging? I think I would have preferred to see one full-size pattern included instead of two that need to be enlarged.

Each project is illustrated with black and white drawings to guide you through all the steps, which all look pretty clear and detailed.

Overall, I think the utilitarian vintage style beloved by Merchant & Mills is so strongly and consistently expressed throughout this book that I think it's a bit of a "Marmite" book - one you'll either "love" (and spend many happy hours pouring over the vintage-y details and enjoying how the book is written) or "hate".

Personally I have to admit that, as a lover of all things colourful and bright, I did find the lack of colour in the book a bit off-putting and I don't really have an itch to make any of the projects, possibly because in the chosen fabrics I just can't picture them in my house or in my wardrobe. The book actually addresses the colour issue directly in the chapter about fabric:

"A further caveat for all you colourful souls out there is that our middle name is 'drab', which the dictionary defines primarily as 'dull'. That is to say, we lean towards the darker, more muted end of the spectrum for much of our making and are particularly alarmed by bright primary colours. This is a personal choice and should not be seen as a directive." ... but actually, I think my personal choice would be to choose a reference book like Sewing Made Simple which, for me, was a great balance of prettiness and practical information.

But if the Merchant & Mills style really appeals to you (if you've looked at the photos in this blog post and gone "oooh" or if you can't resist the siren song of their retro packaging when you see their products in shops) or you're just looking for a really practical, really detailed book on some sewing basics and don't care whether it's colourful or "pretty", I would still heartily recommend this book!

The Merchant and Mills Sewing Book is published by Collins & Brown. RRP £20. It's available from Amazon UK, several sellers on Amazon USA and from many other bookshops.

[Disclaimer: Collins & Brown sent me a free review copy of this book, & the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links]

Book Review: Stitched Gifts

2013-05-10T09:01:00.000+01:00

Stitched Gifts by Jessica Marquez (who sells her work on Etsy as Miniature Rhino) is a lovely embroidery book with a modern but retro-loving style - what I would describe as "very Anthropologie / Etsy-chic".

The book contains 25 embroidery projects divided into 5 chapters.

Home & Hearth, which includes a horseshoe (for good luck), a embroidered floor plan of a special home and a welcome banner:

Engagement, Wedding & Anniversary projects, including table numbers and a "bouquet" for a wedding, and embroideries involving a couples names and initials:

Projects for Babies & Little Ones, including a mobile, a embroidered frame for a transferred-on-to-fabric baby photo and a nursery alphabet:

Designs for Holidays, Birthdays and Special Occasions, including embroidered cards and tags, zodiac designs, and a monogram:

And Keepsakes & Forget-Me-Nots, including more projects based around family and loved ones, plus these sweet messages in bottles:

The introductory text for each piece is sweet and personal, each project helpfully includes an estimate of the time it takes to stitch and they are all beautifully and stylishly photographed.

The patterns at the back of the book are printed on very thin paper with perforations down one side, so you can tear out the pages... and with lots of pages squeezed into a small bit of space, it means that most of the patterns have been included at full size, which is great. You're also given a choice of seven different alphabets to use in personalising your projects. Sadly, the lovely twining leafy design from the front cover isn't included.

And as well as the instructions for the individual projects, there's a detailed chapter at the start of the book which explains how to transfer patterns and personalise the designs and how to construct all the stitches used in the book (with detailed step by step photos for each stitch)... and a chapter at the back with instructions for framing your finished pieces (in embroidery hoops, in frames or stretched over canvas). I know I will be using these chapters as a reference when working on embroidery projects in the future!

Overall, I think this is a charming book and one that would be especially useful to have on your bookshelves if you enjoy making sweet, personal gifts for your friends and family, or special pieces celebrating your family's milestones and history.

Stitched Gifts is published by Chronicle Books. RRP £12.99. It's available from Amazon UK, Amazon USA and many other bookshops.

[Disclaimer: Chronicle Books sent me a free review copy of this book. I've had a couple of projects included in a book published by Chronicle Books, but you guys know I am always honest in my reviews! The Amazon links in this post are affiliate links]

Book Review: Quilt Love

2013-05-09T09:06:00.000+01:00

Today I'm reviewing Quilt Love by Cassandra Ellis. Isn't the dust jacket lovely? (the book itself is a bright pink hardback).

The 20 projects in the book (lots of quilts and a few smaller projects like a cushion and some quilted artworks) are divided into four chapters: Big Events, Love, Friendship and Memories.

Cassandra begins each project by talking about the kind of event, memory or relationship that inspired it, writing thoughfully about each topic, how she's used it as a jumping-off point to create the design and about the meaning the finished piece will have.

For example, the New Beginnings quilt is inspired by an early commission from a woman whose husband was divorcing her and the finished quilt is described as being "not a reward per se, but a marker and a reminder of your fresh start once you are living your new life."

She writes about her fabric choices, how and why she chose them (for their personal meanings, their textures and patterns, the moods conveyed by their colours) and explains how the details of each design connect to her inspiration.

For example, the new beginnings quilt design is slightly wonky and off-centre to match how you feel when things change, and involves panels of luxurious fabrics so you can treat yourself to something really special. And the quilt for a student off to university includes large stripes of fabric representing their new adventure and narrower stripes to remind them of home (maybe taken from old clothing or linens).

She then goes into detail about how to put each project together, with all the important info you'll need to make the designs but also lots of tips about how to choose your fabric and things to think about when constructing your design ... like the best way to arrange the pieces when working on the quilt, which sections will dominate the design, how your fabric and colour choices can be changed to alter the feel of the finished piece, how to build a design around a cherished piece of fabric, and so on.

Then at the end of the book there's a chapter called "Practicalities" which includes stuff like how to prep fabric, what threads and tools to use, how to cut and piece, how to construct a quilt, etc...

... but there's also an emphasis on doing things your way, finding materials that suit you, etc, and there's a whole section on how to create your own designs, things to bear in mind when using fabrics with special meaning (e.g. using old clothes or vintage textiles) and lots of useful notes on tone, pattern and scale.

I would love to spend a relaxing evening reading this book, whether I was planning on making a quilt or not, but especially if I was planning on making a something for a special occasion or person in my life and wanted some ideas and inspiration for making something really personal and meaningful. Plus the quilt designs in the book are pretty nice, too!

Quilt Love is published by Jacqui Small. RRP £20.00. It's available from Amazon UK and a paperback edition is available from Amazon USA.

[Disclaimer: Jacqui Small sent me a free review copy of this book, & the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links]

Book Review: The Gentle Art of Stitching

2013-05-08T09:05:00.000+01:00

Today's book is The Gentle Art of Stitching: 40 Projects Inspired by Everyday Beauty by Jane Brocket.

It's a large hardback, with a canvas-wrapped cover that has a lovely texture.

Judged purely on the cover I would have guessed the projects in this book were colourful with a slightly vintage-y feel... and, guess what, they are!

There are a few introductory pages, explaining Jane's sewing philosophy and the chatting about the supplies you'll need for the projects in the book. I think "chatting" is definitely the right word, as Jane's style is lovely and personal, talking about what she likes to use, how she stores her supplies, etc.

Then the rest of the book is divided into short chapters that each include a few projects that use the same (or similar) techniques: Sashiko, Needlepoint, Seasonal Kantha (quilt projects), Fabric Flower Arrangements (stitched pictures), Stitching on Felt, Half-crazy Patchwork, Suffolk Puffs, Lessons in Stitching (samplers), On the Edge (decorative edgings), Busy Daisies (projects using lazy daisy stitch), Vintage Embroidery, Literary Cross Stitch, and Button Cards.

Each chapter has some introductory text, discussing the history of the technique used, how Jane has used it as inspiration for the projects, etc. Lots of the chapters also include recommendations for books and websites for you to check out if you're interested in learning more about a certain technique.

Most of the projects are quite beginner-friendly, with small projects like this felt pincushion...

... and these button cards:

And larger projects like this patchwork cushion...

... and this embroidered edging:

This quilt made from vintage embroidered linens is especially awesome - a simple idea, but very inspiring!

It's a bit of a shame that several of the project chapters are "variations on a theme" design-wise, for example the needlework chapter includes these two cushions...

... and these pincushions:

I do like the design of these, but a bit more variation would have been nice.

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing that the book contains some simple projects and ideas (sometimes a simple project is exactly what you want!) but if you're a seasoned stitcher you might not find this book challenging enough to suit you. However, if you're new to sewing or looking to explore some new techniques this would be a great book to add to your collection.

The Gentle Art of Stitching is published by Collins & Brown. RRP £20.00. It's available from Amazon UK, Amazon USA and many other bookshops.

[Disclaimer: Collins & Brown sent me a free review copy of this book. The Amazon links in this post are affiliate links]