A little bit of everything...

When I started this blog I was heavily into sewing; I still enjoy the craft but crochet seems to have taken over me recently. With this in mind, I have decided on a blog re-vamp - I hope you like it. Blog design is like wallpaper to me; there are only so many days you can look at the same four walls.

As crochet is going to be my main focus here for the forseeable I thought I would show you some of my makes:

This is the first baby blanket I made, using shell stitch (and believe it or not, Poundland wool)

This is called 'Lazy Wave' blanket - I never did finish this as it was so big I got bored with it - and I am all about block colours really, I think it would look better with two alternating colours

This is an infinity scarf I made, using *1DC, 1HTR* and some odds of colour I had laying around in Drops Lima (LOVE that brand)

I made a couple of scarves using Drops Peak in Neon Pink and Green. Used a massive 12mm hook with the bulky yarn and completed them both in one evening.

These are by no means all of my projects, just a taster really. My tastes range from really subtle (although that is not represented here) to the completely bold and beautiful (which is hopefully more tasteful than the show of the same name!)

Here are some free patterns that I really like and (might) attempt soon:

Fika Cushion by Inverleith
Fifties Cowl by Haafner
Doilies by Crejjition
Ordinary Extraordinary Blanket by Dottie Angel
A crochet edge to a teatowel by One Sheepish Girl

This is just a tip of the iceberg, I may well do a post dedicated to other crocheters in the future, but for now - this will do.

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Competition time!

Are you an avid crocheter or knitter? Can you regularly be seen looking at wool porn? If so, this is the competition for you!

I am giving away 21 balls of wool on a competition on my Facebook page, so if you are a UK resident hop over and enter :-)

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The making of a boxy pouch!

When I set up this blog I intended it to be a sewing blog but so far it has mainly been about crochet. Let me rectify this!

For a few months now (on and off) I have been making a boxy pouch from a tutorial by Melanie Ham's Iheartstitching on Youtube, so I thought today I could walk you through the process of making one.

For information purposes, the materials I have used are:

2x outer fabric

2x inner lining fabric

2x fleece interfacing

2x medium interfacing

These are all 9.5 x 14 inches

I also used a zip, which should be 14 inches but in my case I used a 16 inch one so that I was not concerning myself with moving the pull tap during production.

Pieces of equipment I used are:

A cutting board

A rotary blade and scissors

A sewing machine

An iron

Firstly, I had to cut all my pieces to the specified size. The first time I made this pouch I thought it would be massive, but it works out at just a nice size.

Once my fabric is ready to go I press the interfacing (fleece to the outside fabric, paper to the lining) using a hot iron with no steam (best to use your interfacing manufacturers instructions).

Then back to the sewing table, I lay an outer piece face up (so you are looking at the pattern), then lay the zip down so the right side is facing the fabric, with the pull tab on the left, and then I grabbed a lining piece and placed that on top of the outer fabric and zip, so right sides of the fabric are facing one another.

The first tutorial I ever watched on how to sew a zip said to use glue and all sorts of weird ideas but normally I use little clips. You can get clover clips for fabric but I already had some metal clips which work just the same. I find this makes the process of sewing a zip sooooo much easier and hassle free.

If you havent sewn a zip before they do take some practice but my advice is not to avoid it. It was one of the first sewing skills I learned and I am so glad I did.

However, for some reason unknown to me (probably what I had in grabbing distance) I used pretty pins. If you do use pins make sure they are fairly long ones; I find these are much less fiddly than the shorter, less robust ones.

So the next stage is to pin the pieces in place with the zip sandwiched between them and then take them over to the sewing machine (or in my case, shift the sewing machine over to me). Using a zipper foot,sew down the length of the zip making sure to backstitch at the beginning and end to ensure the thread won't go arunning.

In my experience (especially if you are new at sewing zips) it is wise to use tacking first (very light tension and large stitch) and then when happy you can re-sew a tighter stitch.

I sometimes find that my first line of zip stitching isnt completely straight but the beauty is you can re-do the parts that need work without anyone being any the wiser on the outside, sewers secret I call it :-)

Once this is done, you then need to do the same with the other two pieces of material. So, again, lay the outer piece down face up, then grab your sewn piece and push the fabric away from the other side of the zip. Place the zip down (unzipped side) facing the material, with the pull on the right. Then place your lining on top, right sides together, pin and sew.

Pins!

Now it is time to take your work over to the iron and press your sewing. This is very important for a professional finish because it evens out the stitches and secures them into place.

(At this stage I left the iron on the fabric too long and ended up with a stain, so avoid being as careless as me or risk ruining your project).

Now it is time to topstitch your work. This will further secure the stitching you have already done and make the top of the pouch look neat and professional. Topstitching can be another area that is hard to combat (at least with anything resembling a straight line) and my best advice is to use a fairly loose tension (in case you need to unpick) and go really slowly lining up the edge of the fabric with the edge of the zipper foot. Don't forget your backstitching!

Then back to the iron to press again!

Now it is time to make your pull tab. Using your piece of fabric 7 x 2.25 inches you can fold and press long ways on the wrong side, sew then turn inside out. I like to do it another way though.

I had some double sided tape to hand so I placed two pieces adjacent to one another and folded over the edges. Then I folded the fabric in half and made sure it stuck well together. Then I sewed a line down each length et voila!

If you wanted a pull tab on either end, as in Melanie's tutorial, then you would now cut this tab in half. I prefer to just have one tab though (totally your own preferance) so mine was good to go.

Now you will need to grab your pouch main body again. Make sure it is all laying flat, pin it and sew along the bottom length. You would normally do this with the lining showing and then trim and zig zag or overlock however I wasnt thinking and sewed it with the outer fabric showing. I was about to rip the stitches when I realised this may be beneficial as I was able to then do a french seam and leave a neater lining. (Check Youtube on how to do a french seam)

When you pull open your pouch, it should be in a cylinder shape, this is right. You need to fold it in the opposite way to how you sewed it, so the zip should line up with the seam you have just finished (at the bottom). Here is where you insert your pull tabs at each end (if you have two) or one end (if you have one). Fold your pull tab in half and sandwich between each end between zip and lining, ensuring the tab is between the fabric (not outside of it), pin into place.

When you are sewing a tab in place it is important to make sure you have it exactly in the middle of the zip/seam and to ensure it stays there as sometimes when sewing material can shift and your tab will sew left or right of centre.

Sew down one width of the pouch with pull tab in place.

Sewn edges before trimming

Now trim the excess and zig zag down the length of the seam.

Now sans loose threads and excess fabric

IMPORTANT: For the next step make sure that your zip is undone half to three quarters of the way, otherwise you won't be able to get inside of it!

Now put the other tab (if you have one) and pin into place, then sew and zig zag as you did with the other side.

The main body of your pouch is done. At this stage you may like to put some bias tape on the seam lines to make it look neater, but the zig zag is fine.

Bias binding attached gives a neater finish

The neat seam running down the middle is a french seam, so much nicer

Turn it into the right way and check that it is all sewn okay. Once you are happy with it, turn it back into the wrong way.

You would have seen while it was in the right way that it looks like a pencil case, if you want that you can finish here. However, if you want a boxy pouch then you need to box off each corner.

To do this, you will need an temporary fabric pen and a ruler. Measure down the side of each corner 2 inches and mark with a line.

Adding a line down the edge of the corner

Then you will need to pull the fabric apart in each corner and fold it in the opposite direction, lining up the line with the seam on the other part of the fabric. Lay flat and ensure the line is 2 inches down the centre of the corner, and four inches across, mark accordingly.

I have drawn lines with a air soluable pen to cut off the corners

Sewing the corner  along the 4" line

Once you are happy with your markings, pin and take to the machine. Sew a line along the 4" line, being sure to secure with backstitching at each end. You can now cut off the corner and zig zag the seam to secure in place. Do this for all four corners.

Zig Zaged boxy corner

Now turn your pouch in the right way and poke out all of the corners. I hope you are happy with you pouch.

Here is mine!

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Crochet Wool Review

Today I want to give a review of some wool I have been using to crochet and places where I buy that.

I want to say straight up that I am not being asked to write this review or to mention any product, and I am not getting any money or stock for doing so, this is purely because I want to write about something that is close to my heart at the moment.

Poundland wool

For anyone who likes to crochet (or knit) they are going to need to buy quite a lot of wool (yarn) and hopefully build up a stash so that they have go to colours, thickness etc. I suspect it is for this reason that Poundland wool is a big hit.

Poundland, for those not in the UK, is a store in the high street that sells everything for £1 or less. You might be forgiven for thinking that wool from Poundland won't be up to much. After all, it is cheap as chips and with wool you do generally get what you pay for.

However, the Poundland wool is not too bad at all. I have been making a lazy wave blanket with it and its been working up quite nicely. It does sometimes squeak when using, which I really don't like, but you can get that with any wool. It is made 100% acrylic and the wool snob in me turns her nose up at this, but if you want a cheap piece of whatever you are making, then this is a really good option. At 3 balls for £2 (roughly 66p a ball) you really cannot go wrong (though stay away from the sparkly option as this is very rough!).

Wool Warehouse wool

Being a member of the 'Crochet UK' group on Facebook it was quickly bought to my attention that shopping at Wool Warehouse online is the way forward. It is a very popular option for crocheters everywhere (in the UK) and having purchased from them myself I can see why.

They sell brand that you can buy elsewhere but at very competitive prices. A week or two ago they announced a 25% off sale on some of their more popular brands, so I jumped at the chance to order some.

The delivery is speedy (sent out the same day before a certain time), and they are packaged well. Not only are they inside the plastic bag that the package arrives, but the wool itself also comes in a lovely see-through netting bag, which is actually very useful for keeping your WIPS in. I love this about Wool Warehouse and is one of the main reasons I will shop with them over other online wool shops.

I have a little stash from Wool Warehouse now so havent used every brand I have bought as of yet. The two brands I have used though have been extremely high quality.

Drops Nepal

This was a brand that was reduced (I believe it is still reduced at the point of posting this) so I picked some of this up in white, blue (forget-me-not) and pink (cerise). I am currently making a blanket with this in a zig zaggy pattern. The wool is made with 65% wool and 35% alpaca which I much much much prefer to acrylic. The wool is so thick without being chunky that its probably my favourite of all brands I have ever used. I will definitely be working with this again in the future.

Drops Lima

This brand was also reduced so I picked up some of this not really knowing what to expect. It isnt quite as thick as the Nepal so felt a little weird when I started working with it but it works up lovely. Both Drops brands are super soft and this one is also 65% wool, 35% alpaca. I have started a baby blanket with this but its still early in its development as I am trying to get the Nepal blanket finished. I ordered this wool in off-white, pink, blue, purple. I just love with both of these brands there are so many colours to chose from and you can create your own colour scheme.

It is also worth noting that on the DROPS website they have lots of free patterns for you to use.

So that is my review today. What wool do you use? What do you like/don't like? Please leave a comment and let me know.

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Crochet That

Here is a picture of me sporting my slouchy beanie!

At the moment I cannot seem (seam?!) to get enough of learning new crafts. I've no idea whether it is my age, or my creativity spilling over into life, but whenever I see a new thing to try, I think - I'll have some of that!

My latest attempt at making is crochet. I must admit I bought a set of crochet hooks some time ago  but whenever I would do tutorials I just could not get the hang of the stitches, then when I did straight pieces would come out wonky.

One day a colleague came in to work with a blanket she was crocheting and it looked amazing, I was so jealous I decided to give it another shot. I looked up tutorials and found some really straight forward, simple ones by Melanie Ham on Youtube.

Following Melanie's tutorial made me wonder why I'd found crochet so difficult in the past. In hindsight I think it was learning a granny square first that caused problems, I think it was much better to learn straight stitching like this scarf.

This is one of my earlier pieces following a tutorial from Yolanda on Youtube, was impressed with my ribbing action!

After I'd done a few scarves, I went onto making beanie hats and then granny squares. And now I wonder why I ever found it difficult!

There are so many tutorials around, and the patterns themselves can be a learning curve. I live in the UK and we have different terms for the stitches to American's, which can make it confusing, but there are plenty of conversion charts around, so once you know, you know.

Crochet is traditionally seen as something older people do but that just isnt the case these days. While there are lots of patterns that would attract an older audience, there are so many funky, creative, contemporary patterns out there too, and this is what attracts me. I generally like bold, statement pieces (whether clothes, jewellery etc) and so I lean towards this.

I am currently learning to crochet some trelis socks! I have just completed a slouchy beanie and am about to embark on a wavy baby blanket.

Went shopping for wool and found a book with a directory of 200 crochet stitches, can't wait to learn them all!

What crochet are you working on? What's your favourite craft?

Thrifty jewellery making...

As a jewellery maker discovering the delights of eBay can be and often is an amazing experience. To go from suddenly shopping at expensive local craft shops to finding supplies on the auction site at a quarter of the price if you ship in from the far east its easy to get carried away with the eye catching gemstones new from the factory but sometimes there are other cheap options closer to home.

Upcycling is all the rage at the moment. It never appealed to me because who would buy recycled jewellery? But the other day I found a polymer necklace I bought (new) at a charity shop (thrift store) and decided to upcycle it into bracelets. Mixing old beads with new I managed to get the 4 bracelets and 2 pairs of earrings out of the necklace.

Another example of thriftiness and creativity coming together is when I found two bags of shells ready for beading in a charity shop. For next to nothing I developed a series of bracelets I would never have thought to make other wise.

What have you made with supplies from thrift stores?

Beginner Tips from a Beginner

Starting to sew from scratch can be a complete mindfield (I know it was for me... ) so I thought I would share with you some top tips that I have found to be really useful as I get to know my machine and learn how to make stuff... so here goes (in no particular order... )

• Invest in Tailors Chalk. When I started I bought the recommended air-soluble and water soluble pens and while these do the job they intended, I prefer chalk because it comes off so much easier. It makes me feel more confident in marking the right side of material if I need to. Personal choice but I am so glad I made the step towards chalk.
• Learn to sew zips early on. Everything I have read about zippers made them sound difficult to use and I have spoken to people who have been sewing for years who have always avoided making anything with a zipper (?!). My advice is to learn this very early on when you know nothing about anything, that way when you get good at sewing you'll have this skill ready to go. My first zipper was scarily wonky but just a couple of weeks in I am really proud of what I can produce. It is easier than you might think!
• Watch some tutorials. When I started to read about how to sew I got very confused very quickly so I started to watch some tutorials. This made each stage much easier to understand because I could see someone doing them. There are a lot of bad tutorials on Youtube so be careful but a couple of good ones to look out for are Whitney Sews and Craftygemini. They both offer lots of tutorials that are simple clear and easy to do. I also really recommend Craftsy. This is an american site that offers tutorials for all crafty things (not just sewing) and sells patterns etc. For beginning to sew I really recommend Sewing Studio by Diana Rupp (I wish she'd do more tutorials), although this is a paid tutorial it is really worth the fee. They also have some free tutorials, definitely check out Kirsten Link's Bag making basics.
• Don't buy the cheapest machine you can find. I did this as you can see in my previous post and I very quickly ended up buying an upgrade. I am afraid with sewing machines you really do get what you pay for. Buying a machine is a mindfield but some things to bear in mind are - get a well known make so when you need it repaired or bits replaced it can happen, get an automatic button hole, and as many stitches as you can afford. Also worth testing the machine out so always go to a dealer, not a big chain store.
• Start with something relatively easy, like curtains, or a pillow case.
  
  I find it best to develop skills as I go, on the job so to speak, rather than learn everything then try and remember it all. A-line skirts are also fairly straight-forward (I have just completed my first one).
• Attach yourself to some sewing groups on Facebook (or where-ever). When you run into problems, the people on there have been sewing for years so will be a wealth of information and help. They can also give constructive feedback on what you produce.
• When buying fabric online buy a fat quarter. You never quite know what you are getting for your money when you buy fabric on the internet so I have found it a good idea to just buy a fat quarter (a quarter of a metre in a square). This is much cheaper, you get to see and feel the material and there are plenty of things you can make with a FQ. I have decided to sometimes buy more, and sometimes not, but at least you get a tester first.
• Tell people you are learning to sew. Others love to give advice and lets face it when starting out we want to absorb all the knowledge we can. Its great to find out lessons learned by others and also it can be re-assuring to know that we are sewed darts on the wrong side...
• Search out other sewing blogs (like this one, well done :-)). There are so many out there, it is great to connect with other sewing enthusiasts and build your community.
• Trial and error is the best way to learn. It's all good and well watching tutorials, reading books and listening to others (all great things that will definitely help you) but sometimes you have to dive in head first. Great sewing can only come from practice. Don't be afraid to try something new; it doesnt matter if you balls it up (just don't use your beloved material on the first go!) because the more you try something the better you'll get and the more confident you'll grow.

Upgrade Fun!

I have been sewing less than six months (actually I only really got into it in the last month or so) but already I have upgraded my machine.

When I decided to get into sewing I bought an Ikea sewing machine. I thought for £45 I couldn't go wrong. It looked pretty (my boyfriend said it is like a "fisher-price toy") and I am afraid that is as good as it gets. It is a nice machine to learn on when you literally know nothing about sewing and you want to learn to sew in a straight line, but pretty much as soon as you find your way around the major components of it, it is time to upgrade.

I was browsing online for a few weeks before I decided which machine to buy. I have a little knowledge on the subject but, really, I don't know much at all - so it has been a learning curve. 

I knew I had a certain amount to spend, which wasnt a great deal but enough to get a better machine. I didn't know which brand to go for though. I have heard pretty bad things about the contemporary Singer machines so that was out of the question. Doing my research I found other options to be Bernina, Brother and Janome. There was another brand recommended to me called Babylock and I did like the look of the machine (you got a lot of bang for your buck) but they were only selling through registered dealers (not online), and even then the dealers were few and far between.

Babylock Sewing Machine

I did however find a dealer a short train ride from me so I was in luck. Armed with my delivery man (aka the boyfriend) we went to the shop. They didn't seem to have any Babylocks on display so I was considering other options. It is a family run business and I got chatting to the mum who was a wealth of information. I explained I am fairly new to sewing and need a machine that will help me to develop my skill. We went through the machines in my price range and whittled it down to the Brother XR37NT.

It is a modest machine but compared to the Ikea machine it is a godsend. The lady in the shop let me have a go in the shop and showed me the different functions and explained how everything works. I liked how it had special stitches for sewing on elasticated material and it also came with a hard cover.

The first thing I noticed when using it is how much easier material glides through the feed dogs and it is so much easier to keep the lines straight. The machine threads easily and has an automatic feeder for the needle which I LOVE. It took a little while to work out how the automatic feeder works (despite being shown in the shop) but I wouldn't be without that little feature now.

The woman in the shop said if I want a lesson any time then I should ring up and come in and she will do that, and if I get any problems I can also contact them. I have heard a lot about after sales care when you buy from a dealer, and this company are very good. (The website is not up to much but the shop is lovely)

So now I have my lovely machine, I am going to have to make lots of lovely things, so please keep your eyes peeled on this blog for more posts very soon.

Why don't you comment and tell me about your experience of buying a machine. I am really interested to know what you bought and where you bought it from and whether you are happy with it. 

There is also a poll on the right-hand column in my blog so please take part.