In theory, the season has changed to spring, time to start thinking about the garden; starting seedlings, filling the compost bin, cups of tea in the spring sunshine. Despite the cold weather I have been prepping for the season ahead with a quick and easy DIY pallet compost bin. Easter usually involves visiting my parents …
A couple of week ago I was fortunate to go and see the book Kite Runner as a play at the theatre. My father -in -law loves going to the theatre and happily came with me – somewhat different to his usual choice of a musical. Despite the many bags I have made over the …
Create a Micro-Wardrobe We are all victims to the changing whims of fashion. Research by Greenpeace has identified some worrying consumer trends, environmentally speaking. They found that global clothing production has doubled between 2000 and 2014, and in that time that people were buying on average 60% more items each year and keeping them for …
Personally, I find winter quite tricky, it seems to go on forever. I know that getting outdoors, fresh air, the sound of the sea all help. So does sewing. There is lots of evidence about how good sewing is for your mental health. This is my excuse for treating myself to a new pattern, the …
40% of UK emissions come from households, according to the latest Committee On Carbon Change report. Although the percentage has been decreasing for the last decade, there is still a lot of work to be done to make the drastic changes we need to make as a country, to contribute to a necessary worldwide reduction …
Learn how easy it is to make your own wax sandwich wraps. These reusable cloth sandwich wraps are perfect for picnics and packed lunches, ditch the plastic! As a child, I remember hating the fact we couldn’t go anywhere without a picnic being made first – as an adult I now see my parents …
There is something beautiful about rust dyed fabric, the results are unique, different each time. You can create semi-regular patterns using rusty nails in a circular formation, or how about washers laid out? Personally, I like a random pattern. Some months back I had fun experimenting with creating rust dyed fabric, you read more about …
As my confidence in sewing garments grows my interest in buying fabric increases. I try and reuse fabrics and former garments for most of my sewing, creating bags from curtains, dresses from jeans, refashioning charity shop items. However, there are times when new fabric feels a must – especially as I am a size 14/16, if …
Over Christmas, I decided to make myself the rucksack for work. I carry an A4 hardback notebook, floor samples, a tablet with a keyboard, plus lunch, as you can imagine the weight quickly adds up. Swapping from a shoulder bag to a rucksack is an easy change I can make to protect my pelvis and back. …
Create your own stylish campervan embroidery hoop art, with a slogan to encourage you to follow your dreams. There is something about this time of year where we reflect, make plans, contemplate where we would like to go this year. Every year my husband says “I would like more holidays”! When I spotted the large …
Today I am sharing with you how you how easy it is to create a DIY heart wreath, using up some fabric scraps plus odds and ends of wool to create the pompom heart. I struggle a little with the commercialisation of holidays/celebrations, shops full of gifts and cards to buy, to encourage us to …
I seem to have fallen in love with the speed of crochet. It’s so versatile and so much quicker than knitting. Having purchased a J (6.5) crochet hook I have had fun hunting out various hat patterns. They are great as quick and easy projects with pleasing results. Not to mention great gifts. Christmas may be …