Skulls and Ponies

Joules Foxy Giveaway

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

***NOW CLOSED***

So as a follow on from my last post the lovely folk at Joules have kindly helped me put together this awesome little giveaway for my readers. Oh and for no reason whatsoever (other than they rule) - it has a fox theme! Up for grabs is a very excellent quilted iPad case and a gorgeous foxy mug - perfect for your morning cuppa. If like me you don't own an iPad - then don't let that stop you entering. This could equally be used as a washbag, folder, storage for sewing bits and bobs - whatever you like really!

Look at its little waggy tail! So cute!

Dimensions of the iPad cover are 24.5cm x 20.5cm

Entry is open to UK residents only (sorry but postage on this would be pretty pricey internationally!) and the giveaway closes at midnight on 7th June 2013.

To be in with a chance of winning follow the instructions using Rafflecopter below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I love stationery

2013-05-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

I've blogged before about how much I love stationery. I think it stems from the fact I really like writing and receiving letters. A few months back I retrieved a box of letters from my Mum's attic and honestly - I feel pretty sentimental about that box! Emails just aren't the same - for one you never look back through old emails and they are so fast paced they just don't have the same flow as letters. Letters just seem so special and to let people get into a monologue rather than emails which definitely focus more on dialogue.

My lovely friend Alice recently wrote me a letter and it completely made my day. Not only that, knowing my love of stationery, she also sent me this awesome pencil set - and one of the 'pencils' is actually a pen. Isn't it awesome?

As I spend so much time on the computer for work I try and break away and write by hand whenever I can - so notebooks are a real must for me. When Joules got in touch to ask if I wanted to try out some of their stationery products I was interested to see what was in their range - and was very pleasantly surprised at all the bold, bright prints they had on offer.

These two hard backed notebooks are fantastic!

I love the cover designs, but I also love the inside cover with the floral and block prints.

What's more how cute are the lines?? That makes me think I better write some damn good ideas down on those lines. It also reminds me of one of my favourite quotes from The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath “I wanted to crawl in between those black lines of print, the way you crawl through a fence, and go to sleep under that beautiful big green fig-tree.”

I'm also a bit of a stationery hoarder so end up having loads of highlighters, pens, post its etc and even though I have a lot of drawers on my amazing bureau that my wonderful Dad made me - you can NEVER have enough storage. This pony storage box has the best print - and makes a nice change to be sharing something with ponies on rather than just skulls!

I'm not sure what it is about stationery I love so much - but I know I'm not the only one (shown from my last post on stationery). Why do we love it so much? Any ideas? Is it that crisp newness? That back to school feeling of a new pencil case?

You can see the rest of the Joules stationery range over on their website.

My life in crosses

2013-05-22T17:12:00.000+01:00

It's always difficult to get across to people just how disruptive living with chronic migraine is - so I thought I'd share the last few years of my migraine diary. Basically crosses represent migraines and slashes represent headaches and all of the highlighted colours represent different medications.

I guess the best way of thinking about it is imaging on each of those days with a cross you had a raging hangover and the slashes - feeling like you are on the verge of getting the flu.

2011

2012

2013

Maybe to a non migraine sufferer the frequency might be shocking, but for me transferring everything onto my annual diary made me gasp at just how much medication I take.

Anyway - things have been particularly bad this year (as you can see from the image above!) and as I'd mentioned before I've had to cut my hours back to the equivalent of part time. It has bummed me out as my business is doing so, so well that it's frustrating that I can't be out there being the best me I can be. For now, I'm currently waiting to find out whether I can get botox on the NHS. There's no guarantees it'll work for me, but it's a really appealing treatment as the side effects are so minimal. To qualify to have botox you have to have at least 15 headache days a month and have had tried at least 3 different preventative medications. So I qualify, it's just whether my PCT approve it. Fingers crossed!

I haven't given up hope, but I won't lie - it's hard work living like this. I feel like I'm wasting so much potential and there are so many things I want to be out there doing. One thing migraine has taught me is to really appreciate the good days and to make the most of them rather than just squander them. I really hope to reduce my migraines and make sure I can start making the most of even more good days in the not so distant future.

A new craft magazine on the block

2013-05-20T16:59:00.000+01:00

I’d heard there was a new craft magazine knocking around so when the people at Crafty got in touch and asked if I’d like to review issues 1 and 2 I was definitely interested in checking it out.

Even though there are quite a few craft magazines available – many are still quite outdated and twee in my opinion (this is slowly changing) and others – well they are just a bit too “I’ve been spending a lot of time on Pinterest” for my tastes. So I was pleasantly surprised that Crafty magazine is neither of these things – and actually manages to achieve the impossible – a good balance. The tone and style of the magazine reminds me of Australian magazine Frankie – which I adore!

What I like most about Crafty is the variety. It doesn’t just stick to a bit of knitting and a tutorial on how to make a bag – it really does explore all of the different crafts and makes it possible for Joe Public to do them at home. I really liked the upholstery feature in issue 1 using vintage tea towels – very cool. I know what I’ll be on the hunt for next time I’m at a car boot!

I feel like there has been a lot of planning that has gone into Crafty too – rather than just throwing together a load of pretty things. In Issue 2 for example there are projects that would take quite a long time but look great but also projects that would take no time at all such as the bottle garden. The mix of quick simple makes and more complex projects is a real winner.

Scout thoroughly approved of upcycling vintage stamps into jewellery!

More than anything I love that this magazine pushes the boundaries of craft. In issue 2 the feature on embroidered postcards is just perfection. Not only does it provide tips on how to achieve best results for doing this it also talks about why you should bother in the first place and this insight for me is exactly what craft is about. Exploring the lost art of letter writing, how technology has taken over our lives and how we need to slow down and just enjoy the moment. In fact I would have liked to have seen a lengthier piece on this with the craft complementing it. After all, craft isn’t just about making pretty things – it’s about the experience.

Crafty also has some very awesome regular columnists including Mr X Stitch and my buddy Sarah Corbett – founder of the Craftivist Collective. I was very happy to see a piece in issues 2 all about the #imapiececampaign that I’ve been involved with – and so will definitely look forward to reading more from Sarah and how she thinks craft can be used in politics and CAN make a real difference. (Also - I love the illustrations they use for all of the columnists!)

I’m really impressed with Crafty Magazine – I feel it’s really understood where crafting is at the moment and as a result produced a magazine that meets a need for keen crafters like myself. Issue 3 is out on Thursday and here’s a sneak peek of what to expect!

Never mind kids, I'm building this tepee for the kitties!!!

What to do when you’ve lost your motivational mojo

2013-05-13T12:30:00.000+01:00

We all get them – those days where no matter how hard you try you can’t get motivated. That lack of motivation might be stopping you doing a piece of work, writing an essay, or even cooking the dinner! It’s very frustrating when it happens and as someone who loves feeling motivated – I hate hate hate days where I literally just want to lie down in one place and do nothing. This is nothing to do with mental health – it’s just some days – you just can’t be bothered.

So – having said that here are some of my tried and tested ways to help you get motivated.

Change your location

Sometimes a change of scenery can help. When I work from home this can be as simple as moving from my desk to the kitchen table downstairs. Changing your surroundings can sometimes help you change your mindset.

Offer yourself rewards

On the days where plugging away at a particular task is tough going – offer yourself rewards. Whether that be having a kit kat if you write 1000 words or even checking Twitter if you finish 5 items on your to do list.

Procrastinate efficiently

When you are working on a specific piece of work, you can sometimes find yourself staring into space unable to concentrate on the task in hand. It’s not the most efficient piece of advice, but if you’ve tried everything else to no avail then do something else – just make sure it’s useful! Wash the dishes, clean the kitchen, write a blog post, organise your knicker drawer. If something motivates you it can sometimes trip that motivational switch in your brain and allow you to get back to your original task.

Feel Inspired

Surround yourself with things that will inspire you. Whether that’s pretty postcards near your desk or nice art on your walls. In order to feel motivated you often need to feel good – and nice imagery can really help set the scene for you.

Give yourself some pressure

As a freelancer, I don’t have anyone other than myself telling me to get on with my work. On days where I really don’t feel motivated I find having someone else to put a bit of pressure on me can help massively. One of the things I do is a “check in” with one of my freelancer friends. We tell each other what we need to get done and what our target is within an hour/two hours. So for example I might say I’m working on an ebook and I plan to write 750 words. Then when the time is up we check in and see what we’ve achieved.

For me, just knowing that someone is monitoring me can be enough to give me that kick up the bum and get the work done. You could equally apply this method to lots of aspects in your life though!

What do you do when you can’t get motivated? I’d love to hear your tips and advice!

For the pick of 1984

2013-05-10T08:30:00.000+01:00

I recently found these two beautifully illustrated mushroom books in a charity shop and just had to take them home. Tom and I do most of our mushrooming in Autumn although now is the perfect time to find morels and st georges.

I especially loved the smaller of the two books because of the inscription. I'm a firm believer that if you give a book as a gift it's the LAW that you write a message on the first page - it just makes it so much more special.

It reads "For the pick of 1984. Peace, Love Jim (see p.149)

So what was on page 149? (You can probably guess...)

Psilocybe - also known as magic mushrooms. Sounds like Jim had a good old time in 1984!

Picking up this book made me realise that I completely forgot to share on the blog some of the amazing mushrooms we found last Autumn. The most amazing was this earth star. My Dad was especially jealous as he'd never found one before!

One of the illustrations of an earth star:

Flicking through the book got me excited already for Autumn (after we've had a good Spring and Summer though!) because it reminded me how many amazing (and hilarious) mushrooms there are. Like this very phallic looking mushroom called (I kid you not) the stinkhorn. My Dad and brother found one of these last Autumn and sent me a photo - I could not stop laughing!

So until Autumn here are just a few more pictures of some of the mushrooms we found last year:

Best of Friends

2013-05-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

These two are seriously becoming the best of friends - it's so cute and so I just had to share a couple of pictures....

I don't know why but these pictures of Rocky and Scout back to back just made me laugh! I think it just reminded me of the blues brothers - they definitely need sunglasses and trilbies!

My little garden

2013-05-08T16:06:00.000+01:00

I am in love with our little garden. We were really lucky because our landlady used to live in our house and as a result had spent a long time doing up the garden and having it professionally landscaped. Having outside space is practically a necessity for me and so we've made lots of effort to keep the garden looking at its best.

In the middle of our garden we have this huge palm tree and because the bottom half of the garden is layered with stones it does feel like being on holiday when the sun is shining.

Tom also turned this old metal bath tub into a solar-powered water feature - and it is so relaxing to just sit in the garden and listen to the water trickling.

Now Spring has finally arrived our little garden has started springing to life. Our passion flowers are just starting to sprout and I can't wait until they show their beautiful, exotic faces.

We have lots of colour in our garden including purples, reds, yellows and oranges. I love bright bold colours and recently bought some dahlias in bright colours.

I'm also a massive fan of roses. We already have two rose bushes - both of which are yellow so I recently decided to get another one - ideally pink or red. I spotted a beautiful deep red bush called "Ruby Ruby" which was the name of my Gran so knew it was coming home with me. I'm looking forward to those coming into bloom and thinking about all the fond memories I have of her - this tiny little scottish woman known for walking her huge german shepherd dogs!

For a while I've been looking for something to fill this giant teacup planter with and thought these oversized daisies were perfect (okay they probably aren't called oversized daisies...but I confess I don't know what they are called!) It might be quite twee (and um pink - which isn't really very me) but there's something about it that I really like.

I'm so excited at all the veggies we are growing this year. We've got tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, runner beans, raspberries and lettuces! The lettuces are really coming up nicely!

I've been enjoying spending more time outside - getting back to nature and away from my computer screen. I find that being outside in the countryside makes me feel really good and I'd really like to know more about it rather than just simply going for some nice walks every now and then. Perhaps I'd like to do a wild flower identification course or something similar. There are so many amazing courses in Sussex trying to get people to connect more with nature - I definitely want to get more involved in this - and not just wait until Autumn when the mushrooms come out! My Dad is very big on nature and a few years ago went on a grasses identification course - I remember laughing at the time but now I think this would be an awesome thing to do! If only I'd spent my childhood listening to him telling me all the names of plants rather than simply saying "yeah yeah Dad!". I think the only things I can remember are herb robert (a little pink flower) and cows parsley!

The best medicine

2013-05-07T08:30:00.000+01:00

Sometimes when life is proving a little troublesome I find the best thing to soothe the soul is to head out into the countryside. On Sunday that's exactly what I did and we headed up to Ardingly Reservoir.

I'd never been before but it was absolutely beautiful and so so peaceful.

They also have a kingfisher trail so you know where to keep your eyes peeled.

We simply sat by the water listening to the birds chirping and then wiled away the time on the Guardian crossword (which is one of my favourite things to do - I try and print it off every day but admit I rarely complete it by myself!)

I wasn't expecting to see bluebells so when we stumbled across this little woodland my heart skipped a beat.

I love bluebells. I think Emily Bronte puts it better than I ever could:

The Bluebell is the sweetest flower

That waves in summer air:

Its blossoms have the mightiest power

To soothe my spirit's care.

You certainly did little bluebells.

#imapiece project - the installation!

2013-05-02T12:30:00.000+01:00

I wanted to share with you this great video showing the progress of the #imapiece campaign I've been involved in. Even if you don't watch the whole video - it's worth watching 10 seconds or so just to have a look at how amazing the 600+ jigsaw pieces look all linked together. Seriously though - how amazing is that? So many pieces, all hand stitched to create this beautiful, thought-provoking installation. It's pretty mind blowing really.

Some of the footage I shot from the Brighton event is also included in this video which is awesome! The installation will be touring around the UK to continue to raise awareness. For more information visit Craftivist Collective.

Not Waving but Drowning

2013-05-01T11:04:00.000+01:00

Life has been a little bit of a struggle lately. Well, if truth be told, it's been more of a battle. Chronic migraine is tough - and at the moment my life seems to consist of four phases: having a migraine, recovering from a migraine, feeling like I'm getting/holding off a migraine or (the icing on the cake) depression. Needless to say there have been very few days of feeling well lately - my migraine calendar is bursting at the seams and it's really been taking its toll on me.

What most people don't realise (and why should they) is that the worst part of chronic migraine for me isn't the migraine - it's the chronic. Granted, 12 hours of excruciating pain where you feel like you are going to vomit and someone is drilling into your head is awful but it is what it is. I know what to expect. The 'chronic' part however is much trickier. It's the daily grind of constantly feeling awful, feeling fatigued, feeling grumpy, irritated, agitated, on edge, unable to concentrate and miserable that make it all so unbearable. This is the part that most people don't know about. I've become pretty good at hiding it - after all no one wants to hear that you feel poorly all the time. It's boring. But lately - it's become unbearable.

In a bid to get a hold on these wretched migraines, I made the tough call to reduce my workload and officially go part time. That's been a hard decision for me to make, especially after working so hard to set up my business - but even working part time hours still feels like an insane amount of work.

I haven't given up hope. I'm seeing my specialist tomorrow and we'll be trying a new strategy or some new medication - but it's tough. It's not a case of getting some new meds and things instantly get better - for each new thing I try I have to give it a good three months to know whether it's worked. On top of that side effects means most medication requires going up a dose very gradually so that I don't suddenly implode or my head fly off (I jest). But seriously - it's a time consuming process and it can be so incredibly frustrating.

More than anything I just want my life back. It's incredibly unlikely I'll ever be migraine free but for now aiming to get down to just one a week without feeling awful the rest of the time would be amazing.

Ending on a positive note, I am very lucky to have such supportive family and friends. Tom has been absolutely incredible. He never moans or complains when yet again he comes home from work to find me ill in bed and that he has to cook the dinner and do the chores. And of course my amazing migraine buddies online have been insane in making life feel less isolated. Being able to read their blogs or tweets about their experiences and knowing they understand and are going through similar things helps masses.

Fingers crossed tomorrow brings a little bit of hope.

A Brave New World

2013-04-29T15:57:00.000+01:00

Rocky has always been quite a nervous cat but since getting Scout he seems to have happened upon some courage.

Granted, he still hides under the duvet when the postman rings the doorbell but rather than staying there for hours on end (unless coaxed out from his safe haven) he'll now resurface almost immediately.

He has also taken to adventuring in the garden. Until recently his jaunts outside were saved for after dark only but lately he's been having a good old explore in the day time too.

It always baffled me that he hated going in the garden because, like most cats, he loves bathing in the sunlight. Obviously the recent good weather we've had has tempted him outside, and made all those big scary noisy seem not quite as daunting.

He's even been sticking up for himself and having confrontations with one of the cats next door!

It's so lovely to see him frolicking about outside and if I'm sat outside he'll frequently come over for a fuss and a chat (he's quite the vocal kitty). I like this new brave Rocky.

Guest Post: Amy from Almond Rock

2013-04-25T07:30:00.000+01:00

Yay! I'm so happy to introduce you to one of my favourite sewing bloggers - Amy from Almond Rock. I asked Amy to guest post for me because I love, love, love her blog and all her sewing creations and whenever I see her latest makes it really inspires me to get on and challenge myself! Over to you Amy!

Hello! I’m Amy from Almond Rock! I’m so grateful Fran asked me to write to you all today about my love for sewing.

I haven’t actually been sewing that long. I enrolled in evening classes in 2010 through Leeds City College; I took the Intro to Dressmaking course, bought myself a machine with good reviews from Argos and gave it a go.

I’ve always wanted to take up sewing but pessimistically for years I convinced myself I wouldn’t be able to do it! And that’s how I ended up in my mid-twenties desperate to make sewing my new hobby and kicking myself for all the years I’d wasted.

I was a little silly though. The first two things I tried to make were utter disasters as I got carried away with my enthusiasm. The first didn’t even get finished! I tried to sew a dress that didn’t have a lining but I was using a sheer fabric; I didn’t cut the pattern pieces correctly; I lost pieces and ended up throwing the whole mess away in shame. The second dress had such woeful bust fitting I can’t believe I wore it in public. But I did because that’s the power in the joy that comes from making things with your own hands. SO WHAT if you make some mistakes in the beginning. I eventually remade first dress and absolutely love it now.

I do like to set myself challenges and I have a bit of a reputation for picking difficult fabrics. I like drapey, silky, slippy fabrics like chiffon, satin, crepe, polyester and so on. I figure if like wearing them then it’s best to learn how to sew with them! Give me cotton and I usually end up messing things up.

One of the dresses I’ve had the most compliments on is my fake-cambie crepe dress. It’s modified from a nightie pattern! I added elastic to the waist to give more definition, used a gorgeous fabric I loved and cut a second skirt out of lining which wasn’t catered for in the pattern. And I think my love for the dress comes across when I’m wearing it. It’s so fun to swish about in!

The item I’m most proud of is my New Look 6808 top. I had to do four muslin/toile versions to practice and get the fit just right. I’m rather pear shaped so I had to use the size 10 lines at the neck, 12 at the bust, 14 at the waist and 16 at the hips! I took care to finish everything neatly inside and drafted a contrast collar to add a pop of colour.

Every time I look in my wardrobe and choose what to wear for the day I see so many lovely self-made garments that I totally want to choose one of them to wear. One day I’d like to have a closet that’s 90% comprised of self-made clothes! (I don’t think I’m going to be knitting all my cardigans.)

Thanks so much Amy! It's kind of a relief to know someone who is such an awesome sewer still messes up - it gives me hope! Do go check out Amy's blog Almond Rock to see all of her awesome makes.

The life of a freelancer – an update

2013-04-23T08:00:00.000+01:00

I haven’t talked about the day job for a while on the blog so I thought I’d give you all a little update. It’s going really well, better than I could have ever imagined actually. You know when you do something and it gives you that “aha!” moment, that feeling of “I’ve cracked it!” I definitely feel like that about working for myself. I never seemed to be able to get the job satisfaction I so badly craved from a permanent job – but freelancing has definitely brought me closer to my goal. I wake up and I’m excited to get to work.

Working with great clients…

I think what I really love is to have the freedom to work on projects or with clients I genuinely feel passionate about. At the moment this includes working for Artists Open Houses which is such a fantastic project to be involved in. For those that aren’t familiar – Artists Open Houses is a festival that takes place twice a year, throughout May and December. It allows artists to open their houses to the public and exhibit their art work. There are 214 houses involved in the current festival so as you can imagine there is a lot of great content to work with! I’ve been a fan of AOH for years, always going along to the open houses – so being able to work with a client like this is truly inspiring.

I specialise in working with smaller businesses and NFPs – but still have a real mix of clients – from digital agencies who specialise in charities to training community organisers how best to use digital tools. It certainly keeps me on my toes!

Opening doors…

Freelancing has also already opened several doors for me including being asked to talk at a recent Wired Sussex event on being a successful freelancer. I was asked along as I’d managed to achieve so much in just under a year. It was a real privilege to be asked, plus it was a great event full of lots of information from a wide range of people that freelance.

Image Source: Wired Sussex

I was also gobsmackingly honoured to be asked to speak at the renowned BrightonSEO event. BrightonSEO is one of the biggest digital marketing conferences going now and is incredibly popular – this year there were 2000 tickets all of which sold out in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, I had to pull out of speaking due to my migraines going into overdrive and needing to ensure I could provide my clients with the awesome service they pay for. Even though I didn’t get to speak it was a really big deal for me that I was asked to talk!

Working environment…

I work from home three days a week which works really well for me and allows me to manage my health so much better. I’m not going to lie, it’s still a real struggle but it’s SO much more manageable than when I had to go into an office all day every day. This way if I’m feeling rough, I can take time out to recoup rather than having to battle my way through the day and end up climbing into bed at 5.30pm every day!

The other two days, which I’ve mentioned before, I work at Super+Super and oh man, I freaking love it there! All my coworkers are fantastic and means I don’t miss out on some of the great things about working in an office – such as friends, laughing, stupid jokes , and just the importance of company.

Sometimes I mix it up too and go and work in a café. I find this works really well if I’m having a tough time getting motivated. No idea why, but when I’m in a café it just manages to make me do work! I don’t question it – I just eat the cake.

Getting a new website…

Last month I launched my new website which was designed by my lovely graphic designer friend Jez. I absolutely love the new site and it definitely makes me feel much more professional! Working on a new website was also a really good exercise in ‘checking in’ with myself as to the direction of my business.

Are you a freelancer or self-employed? I’d love to hear about your experience!

Adventures in Patchwork Quilts

2013-04-21T10:00:00.000+01:00

A while back now I decided to make use of my massive fabric stash and make a patchwork quilt. I figured how hard could it be right? Wrong! I don't think I truly understood how much work goes into even a very simple quilt! (and oh my goodness the ironing!!!)

I'd decided I just wanted to make a small quilt of basic squares - so I could use it to cuddle up on the sofa in the winter. I didn't bother with any tutorials or patterns - I just set about cutting out a zillion squares! I then sewed all of the squares together in rows and then sewed the rows together.

The observant amongst you will notice I've done a brick style pattern. That's just because I'm really clever and adventurous. Nothing to do with the fact my lazy cutting out resulted in uneven lines.....(although actually I think it looks really cool like that which just goes to show perfection isn't everything!)

So far I'm really happy with how it turned out. I got the idea of making it completely bonkers from the patchwork elephant I made a while back.

I love how brightly coloured the quilt is - and that it's made up of some of my favourite fabrics and old clothes that were way past their best.

So now I just need to decide what colour to make the back - and how to do a border. I will probably look up a tutorial on how to do that! I think I might just do the back plain - what do you think?

Awesome fabrics and dressmaking

2013-04-19T07:30:00.000+01:00

I am incredibly excited about my "to make" list. I've got some truly amazing fabrics and I can't wait to use them!

I've had the bear fabric for a while and was planning on making a skirt from it but rather than just hacking one together like I've done in the past (like this tutorial I put together for The High Tea Cast) I thought I'd actually use a pattern.

The lovely Caffy Bundy recommended I try out a Colette pattern so I bought this one which looks pretty straight forward. I'm a big fan of big bold prints on skirts so can't wait to make this:

So after my first ever dress - I wanted to crack on and make another one! I got a bit buying happy and bought a whole bunch of patterns. Oops.

I adore this mushroom fabric and think it will look really cute in this design:

Before I cut up this lovely fabric I'll definitely be trying out the pattern on something cheap to check I can make it!!!

I also got this amazing dinosaur fabric:

But I think I'm going to make the dress I made before (below) in the dino fabric instead.

I've been eyeing up the Colette Laurel pattern for AGES - so I just decided I had to buy it. I probably won't make this one just yet - especially as it requires a lightweight fabric which I'm slightly terrified about. I'll see how I get on with the other patterns first. I can't wait to get stuck in - wish me luck!

Supplies:

Patterns: M is for Make
Birch Bear Fabric: M is for Make (unfortunately it's sold out now so I can't link you to it!)
Dinosaur Fabric: ModeS4U
Mushroom Fabric: ModeS4U

The best online fabric shops

2013-04-17T07:30:00.000+01:00

I'm forever buying fabric. I've got a cupboard full of fat quarters and metres of all sorts of prints and patterns. I'm always on the hunt for new places to find great prints so thought I'd share some of my favourite places to buy fabric from online.

M is for Make

This is my go-to place for fabric. Not only do they always have an amazing selection of fabrics, but they are really speedy sending it out and Kate the owner is based in Brighton and I like that I'm supporting a local business!

Website: www.misformake.co.uk

Frumble

Frumble has some amazing patterns to choose from. I really like big bold prints and this online shop has plenty of them. It's also really easy to see everything and quickly browse through all of the fabrics - which I think is an important factor when searching for fabrics!

Website: www.frumble.co.uk/shop/

ModeS4U

I admit ModeS4U looks a little spammy - but it's a great place to buy fabric. All items ship from Hong Kong so do take a little longer but I found it was actually very quick, the fabric was beautifully packaged and I got some free washi tape too! What I love most about this site (besides the fact they have an INCREDIBLE range of printed cottons) is how easy it is to navigate. It shows you a close up of the fabric, then a zoomed out version and then what it looks like on the roll. When you choose a patterned fabric it can be hard to tell sometimes if it'll suit what you are making and you need to see more of it to make that decision.

Website: www.modes4u.com

What are your favourite online shops to buy fabric from?

Life changing moments

2013-04-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

One of my favourite bloggers Bangs and a Bun recently wrote a blog post on moments in her life that changed her. She asked people what theirs were and rather than writing a ridiculously long comment I thought I’d respond in a blog post.

Moving to Brighton

Moving to Brighton was like a dream come true for me. It didn’t seem like it could be real and that I could actually live in one of the coolest places I could imagine. I’d come to Brighton as a child and fallen in love with it – it was so different to my hometown back in Gloucestershire and I wanted in badly.

I ended up moving to Brighton for Uni. Interestingly I never wanted to go to University and was in fact adamant I was never going to go but something in me changed (fear of the unknown I think) and I decided to do it. It was a choice between Cardiff and Sussex and with the same grade boundaries I chickened out and chose Cardiff because it was closer to home. Due to having far too much fun when I was 17 and an assumption I’d sail through my exams (I mean I got 3Bs – it wasn’t bad!) I didn’t get in to Cardiff and my second choice was never an option. At the time it was horrible – I didn’t know what to do. I was terrified I’d be stuck in my home town. I realised what I actually wanted was to move to Brighton and going to University was a pretty good way of getting there. So I applied through clearing and got a place.

My experience of uni wasn’t really comparable to most peoples. I didn’t really enjoy it and I never lived in halls as I couldn’t get a place. Instead I moved in with a couple of other first years. We had an amazing flat right in the centre of town and became friends with the guys that lived in the flat above us. The experience was just like the TV show Friends where we were in and out of each other’s flats – drinking tea (or vodka) and hanging out playing guitar. It was awesome. I wasn’t interested in going onto campus and so instead spent my time exploring all of the indie clubs in Brighton and falling in love with my city. 10 years later and that love has continued to blossom and I’m still as much in love with Brighton as I was when I first moved here.

A break up

I was in a 5 and a half year relationship with a guy I’d been with since I was 18. We’d lived together and obviously in that time I changed a lot and grew into the adult I am now. When the relationship broke down it shifted my world. Choosing to end that relationship was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make – because I just didn’t know whether it was for the best. Even after we broke up I still didn’t know whether it was the right decision and shortly after my two closest friends in Brighton moved away – one up north and one out of the country! Needless to say it was a really tough time, but it was also a turning point in my life.

After the break up I was able to explore who I was as a single – rather than as a part of a pair. That freedom wasn’t always easy but I think was incredibly important for me to experience. What’s more is that after that break up I made some of the best friends I could ever ask for. I had some amazing times, met some amazing people and had some truly wonderful experiences.

Going freelance

I’ve spoken before on the blog about why and how I made the decision to go freelance last year. I was pushed into it by two factors 1) being made redundant and 2) my health. Funnily enough those two things were pretty awful but contributed to one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I’ve never experienced as much job satisfaction as I do now I work for myself – it’s incredible. A lot of people who make the decision to go freelance often say they’d wished they’d done it sooner, but actually I don’t. I’m glad I got the experience of working for different companies, plus it makes me really appreciate the freedom I have now. Whether that’s being able to go for a run at 11am, a walk on the beach in the afternoon or to just jack in an afternoon and go to the cinema!

Depression and Sewing

A few years back I had a particularly bad episode of anxiety and depression and was signed off work. You can read more about it here but it was a really difficult time in my life. My mum suggested I buy a sewing machine to try and give me some focus and it was one of the best things I ever did. Not only did sewing help me survive that bad episode of depression but it also gave me an amazing creative outlet that is now a massive part of my life.

Anyone that has struggled with mental health issues knows that often it’s something you’ll continue to battle with – and as a result sewing (and crafting in general) are always my go-to survival method when things get tough. Whether it’s making a soft toy, crocheting a blanket or cross stitching a design – I know it will get me out of my head and give me the perspective I need to fight through it.

So what about you? What have been the life changing moments in your life? Maybe they were small feelings: a look by a stranger, a realisation, or a major life change. I’d love to hear.

The best TV show in the world. Ever.

2013-04-13T12:52:00.000+01:00

I am completely obsessed with the new TV show Nashville. If you haven't seen it I urge you to go check it out right now. It all started when my amazing friend Victoria (aka Migraine Monologues) sent me a video of the two girls on the show performing an acoustic song with empty margarine pots.

If you haven't heard of the Stella sisters then where have you been hiding? (probably the same place I was hiding...) Lennon and Maisy play Maddie and Daphne in the show and are just the cutest thing to happen to the world ever. Victoria sent me this video after having a particularly bad run of migraines and I was feeling pretty down about it. Needless to say it put a huge smile on my face!

I confess I went and watched the trailer for Nashville and thought it looked horrendous - but after one episode I was hooked. Honestly, it's the best tv show ever made. Ok that's a lie - Battlestar Galactica is the best tv show ever made - but Nashville now seriously has a big place in my heart!

I adore this cover Lennon and Maisy did on the show of Ho Hey by The Lumineers!

Ok just one more video - Telescope - I can't stop listening to this song on the Nashville soundtrack!

Biba and Beyond

2013-04-11T15:06:00.000+01:00

Last weekend my Mum came to visit. She’s a huge Biba fan and was pretty over the moon when I told her I was taking her to the Biba and Beyond exhibition at the Brighton & Hove museum! Mum has always been a huge fan of Biba from the day one of her Mum’s friends gave her an old Biba coat.

I’ve always loved the branding of Biba – that classic black and gold which is just such a stunning design! Yet I’ve never really known much about the woman behind the brand, Barbara Hulanicki.

Image source: Wikipedia

Barbara was raised in Brighton and studied Fashion Illustration at what was Brighton Art College. Her career started out offering mail order clothing and Biba opened up shop in Abingdon Road in London in 1964. The shop became the place to be seen by artists, musicians and filmstars from the likes of David Bowie to Marianne Faithfull.

Image source: Cutler and Gross

I didn’t realise but there was a Biba shop in Brighton based on Queen’s Road (which for interested Brightonians is now Fair).

Her clothes went on to be incredibly popular and were even worn by celebs such as Twiggy and Brigitte Bardot.

What I found most striking about all of the clothes was how teeny tiny they were! Mum had to keep reminding me that the fashion in the 60s was incredibly skinny – but blimey – I couldn’t quite believe how petite some of the dresses were!

Image source: Culture 24

(How gorgeous is that navy blue and white polka dot dress? I would wear that now!)

It goes without saying really that the clothes were stunning – but what I found most interesting was the story of the woman behind Biba. From the story of her move to Brighton from Warsaw after her father was assassinated right through to her walking out of the company in the mid 70s after a corporate takeover.

What’s more is it turned out that I even owned some Biba! When the brand was relaunched in 2010 they designed a skull print wallpaper design which I have on a lampshade hanging in my living room!

The Great British Sewing Bee

2013-04-04T11:15:00.002+01:00

I have to say when I heard there was going to be a new sewing show on TV I wasn’t very excited. I found Kirstie Allsopp’s attempt really twee and cringeworthy. However, when I saw this glowing review from the ever-excellent Perri Lewis I was intrigued (yep it was a total case of “well if Perri likes it – it must be good!” I’m so fickle.) I was however also excited to discover that one of the sewing bloggers I follow was on it – Tilly and the Buttons so really I had to check it out.

Image source: BBC

The premise is the same as the Great British Bake Off – 8 contestants are set various tasks and then they slowly get kicked out until there is a winner. To be honest? It didn’t sound like amazing TV to me and seemed like a twee disaster waiting to happen but I found it surprisingly enjoyable! The contestants are a real mix of interesting characters- my favourites being Mark who makes steampunk costumes and had only ever sewn 2 zips in his life; Ann a 78 year old sewer who not only seems lovely but is AMAZING at sewing; and Sandra from Wolverhampton, who is the ultimate mum.

What’s more – the host is Claudia Winkleman. I’m completely obsessed with that woman – I love her. I’m a massive fan of Film 2013 (don’t even get me started on my love for Danny Leigh, but let’s just say when he tweeted me back about Life of Pi I was experiencing rollercoaster levels of excitement). I don’t know if Claudia is a big sewing fan or not – but she is fantastic on the show – her usual witty banter makes for excellent viewing and she’s so supportive of the contestants, whispering words of inspiration as she checks out their progress. Love it.

Image source: Radio Times

Like most people who watched the show it just made me want to get making even more (I’ve got a whole bunch of fabric on order for moredressmaking!) and I think that’s a really good quality for a TV show to have – to inspire.

So if you haven’t watch the Great British Sewing Bee I would highly recommend it and you can catch up on the show over on BBC iPlayer.

Making a Dress: My First Attempt!

2013-03-31T11:17:00.000+01:00

So I finally did it! I made my first ever dress!

Ok well technically it's my second one - but the first one never got finished because it was such a disaster not even my Mum could fix it.

This time I took myself off to a dressmaking class at Sew In Brighton. The class was great - basically you pick your own pattern and the teachers simply help you work your way through it, showing you techniques as you go and helping you out when you get stuck! The best part of the course for me was learning how to measure myself correctly and adjust a commercial pattern to actually fit! The course was 5 weeks long but they do stitch classes too where you can just drop in which is perfect for me and I'll definitely be going along to those in the future. 5 weeks wasn't quite long enough to finish this dress (although that was my fault as I picked something complicated!) and so I finished off attaching the skirt to the bodice, putting the zip in and putting the piping around the hem on my own!

The pattern I used was New Look 6457 and it wasn't too bad. There were some bits I couldn't understand - like the hem which just didn't seem to make sense so I did it my own way. I'd never done piping before and I really enjoyed the experience actually. It's surprisingly easy and looks really effective!

The fabric was just from Fabricland. I just chose a cheap cotton - as the mistake I made last time was picking some really expensive designer material and then messing it up. This was about £3.50 a metre - and I had enough left over that I decided to make the bodice lining in it too!

I'm definitely going to make this dress again. It's really comfortable and fits really nicely - it'll be perfect for summer! So now I'm just trying to decide what fabric to make it in next!

Kitten Pictures! Say Hello to Scout

2013-03-29T14:51:00.000Z

So if you follow me on Instagram then you’ll already be familiar with the fact we got a new kitty! Scout is quite the character – completely different in nature to when Rocky was this small – Scout is very confident and had already jumped up on the kitchen side in the first few days we had him (it took Rocky just under a year to figure that one out).

Scout is still having a few teething problems with the litter tray but we are getting there! He absolutely loves cuddles though and gets very cross when I’m working and busy moving when he wants to lie on my lap.

When we first got him he had a habit of curling up and falling asleep on your shoulder which was so sweet! He’s started playing quite a bit now and it’s so funny seeing little kittens learning how to play – or knocking themselves sideways with excitement!

Scout and Rocky aren’t best buds quite yet. Rocky is still in the pouncing and pinning phase – so they are never left alone together yet as Scout is so small and I really don’t think Rocky knows his own strength!

However, Rocky has started licking Scout now too and can now be in the room with him without constantly having to attack him!

Blogging and me

2013-03-26T09:51:00.000Z

I haven’t had much time for blogging lately and any time I have had I just haven’t wanted to blog. It makes me a little bit sad because I used to love this little blog so much. I was always so excited to share things I’d made, things I’d done and the lovely community that I’ve become a part of because of blogging.

Life gets in the way

Yet lately I just haven’t felt that way. In part I think this is because of my health. My migraines have been really chronic lately – which means that after fighting through my workload the last thing I want to do is spend even more time on the computer and of course I’ve been spending so much time ill in bed – there really hasn’t been much time for much else.

To share or not to share?

I know I’ve spoken about suffering with chronic migraine on the blog before, and in some ways there is no avoiding it. It’s such a big part of my life that it’s just too difficult to pretend it doesn’t exist – but at the same time I don’t want to talk about it all the time. I don’t want my blog to be full of sadness and stories of my illness – I want it to be a nice little space where I share all the nice things in my life. Having said that – I do like a bit of balance and don’t want to give off the perception that my life is all rainbows and unicorns when it’s far from that in reality. It’s a tricky one isn’t it? I think this is an issue many bloggers who write about their lives face.

Writer’s block

So as a result I haven’t written in a while as there really hasn’t been much to say and the problem (as any writer will tell you) that when you get out of the habit it becomes increasingly harder to write. I have an idea and it just seems stupid or trivial. “Why would my readers want to read about that?” I ask myself “God that’s ridiculous – how boring” I tell myself and I’m stuck.

To start me off I thought I’d just be honest and then share a list of nice things that have happened lately and we’ll go from there.

Getting our new kitten Scout (and I’ll share some pictures soon)
Having a lovely migraine free weekend which was one of the best weekends I’ve had in I don’t know how long.
Attending the Super +Super 1 year anniversary party which was rammed! It was so much fun with lots of lovely people and I got a little goodie bag too!
Celebrating a friend’s birthday and engagement
Seeing old friends and realising that even if time has passed we are still just as close
Baking my best key lime pie yet (it’s become my dessert of choice to make)
Having an excellent roast dinner with two of my very best friends. A lovely pub in Brighton does half and half roasts and you can choose extra sides!
Enjoying my dressmaking class and nearly completing my dress (aha another thing I can blog about soon)
Getting to work with lots of lovely clients – I’m working on some really interesting projects at the moment and this makes me happy
Planting our veggie seeds – we’ve got peppers, lettuces, tomatoes, strawberries and runner beans!

So I’m going to try and start blogging again and hopefully I’ll get back into the swing of it. It’d be really interesting to hear your thoughts about what you like reading from me – whether you prefer it when I write a whole mixture of posts or don’t really like it when I write about dresses but love it when I share DIY tutorials. Feedback would be very much appreciated and hopefully I’ll be back to blogging regularly soon enough.

Book Review: Material World by Perri Lewis

2013-02-28T09:30:00.000Z

If you love craft then you'll undoubtedly have heard of Perri Lewis who writes about craft for a whole bunch of nationals including the Guardian and the Telegraph. In fact go check out this piece Perri wrote at the end of last year on crafting and feminism - it's awesome.

Perri has recently launched a book, scrap that, craft bible called 'Material World' which features projects, advice and tips from all of the big names in craft.

In Perri's forward she questions how the trend of crafting has been around (this time) for over 10 years now - and how this can't just be down to austerity measures but down to the fact people are able to 'flex their creativity'. I couldn't agree more - and this sentiment is shown throughout the entire book.

Perri describes her book as being the 'Jamie Oliver aproach to craft' and I think that is a spot on definition. The point of this book is to inspire you and introduce you to something new - and to go off and give it a go but in your own way.

Rather than step by step projects, Material World teaches you 15 techniques ranging from Decoupage to Cross Stitch.

The imagery in this book really makes it - the projects are beautiful and inspiring and I think that's really important in any craft book.

A nice little touch is having thoughts and opinions littered throughout the book from craft experts. Some of these names you would have heard of like Emily Peacock and Mr X Stitch and some you'll be introduced to and can check out their amazing work.

The project I am dying to get stuck into is turning an old tshirt into a dress. This whole section called "Tailoring" is about reworking your wardrobe ranging from turning baggy jeans into skinny jeans to adding embellishments to an old cardigan to breathe fresh life into it.

Material World is a refreshing craft book that doesn't include how to make bunting or a pin cushion (seriously we've got that down already!) It moves craft away from twee and into utterly cool - which us crafters of course already knew but it's nice to have it shown off in print. Material World is definitely worth checking out - and I'm sure I'll be showing off my new projects from the book here in no time.

This blog post is part of a blog tour organised by Crafty Magazine following bloggers thoughts on Perri's new book. Head on over to Very Berry Handmade tomorrow to continue following the tour!

[FYI - This book was sent to me by Perri Lewis and her to team to review - however I only ever review products I genuinely love and think my readers will too. I'd been eyeing this book up for a while and it really is awesome!]