A very talented friend of mine had the genius idea of downsizing my A5 notebook cover pattern into a Notelet Folio, the perfect little case for housing notelets and stamps! Here are 3 she made as gifts earlier this year (I'm happy to report I was one of the lucky recipients!!): I love having a […]
Another handmade birthday gift handed over this week was my take on Art Gallery Fabrics free Dahlia Bag pattern. I made a few changes to the original pattern, firstly by English Paper Piecing the hexagons together by hand, rather than machine piecing them using the Y seam method. These turquoise prints are my friend's favourite […]
To enter my 10 year blogiversary giveaway click here. At the end of this month (30th January, 4pm - 7pm) I will be teaching another live zoom workshop for Crafty Monkies. Their theme for January is all about using what you have available (following the post Christmas slump!) and so repurposing some old jeans into practical […]
A good friend of mine recently moved into a long awaited new home. This friend is my equal with regards to her love of repurosing textiles, especially vintage sheets and denim! So I slipped into my happy place and made her a few items for her new home! Denim Coasters: These are […]
Firstly, apologies for forgetting to announce here the winner of my last giveaway (my bad)! The lucky winner was Michelle Green @elsie_and_alice and was announced on Instagram & Facebook. Thank you to everyone here who entered. Fingers crossed you will be luckier with my next giveaway. ************************************************************** Today is the end of week […]
I'm so excited to annouce a new designer collaboration during the month of July, which will be running on Instagram! I'm teaming up with 4 talented quilting designers to make 1 pattern from each designers shop or book. Each week we will showcase a designers pattern and let you see 4 different takes […]
The last of my recent run on gift making is this plush velvet tote bag for my youngest daughter. She requested an everyday sizeable, soft tote bag, especially when she's too-ing and fro-ing to lectures at Uni. Now this girl of mine is super tactile! I gave her a choice between […]
Hi everyone, I hope you are keeping safe and well and keeping the creativity flowing! Yesterday I hosted my first socially distanced afternoon tea party in my garden, to celebrate my cousin's birthday! I'm happy to report that the sun shone all afternoon and a wonderful time was had by all! It […]
I've been working on a few gifts lately, and now that one has been received I can show you it here. This bag was made as a special thank you to a lovely lady who enjoys repurposing textiles as much as I do! I had a few relaxing evenings making up […]
Our studio in August looked a little bit like a jeans factory, as many pairs of jeans were massacred in the honourable pursuit of making my Boro Denim Bag pattern. Repurposing projects are among my favourites, and it was exciting to see the ladies' bags grow in a very organic, non-prescriptive way. […]
I'm excited to share with you my latest bag pattern! This is my Denim Boro Bag, created from some 'denim playtime' in my sewing room, and crafted into a 5 week class starting today. I always love playing with denim on my sewing machine, but I was surprised at how much […]
Following the immense fun I had making the patchwork denim pouch for my daughter's friend, I just had to make a bag in the same boro style! Oh I had a ball mixing one of my favourite textiles (denim) with one of my favourite pastimes (patchwork & quilting) while fulfilling one of my […]
My youngest daughter requested a handmade gift for her friend's 18th birthday. So last bank holiday Monday, I had a happy afternoon 'playing' in my sewing room with my first love, denim! Using only my smallest denim pieces, I used the 'quilt as you go' method to quilt the pieces directly […]
Yesterday was my Chenille Workshop, and I've been beavering away this past week getting samples ready. My ladies learned how to make a fluffy, tactile texture in their fabrics, and turn it into a snuggly cushion or a soft and useful bathmat. We learned about how cutting across the bias […]
So I'm back from my adventures abroad (eventually!), and what a fabulous few days it was! Of course the surroundings were completely spectacular, and my photos simply don't do justice to the beautiful part of the world that is Morzine, France. But despite gloriously warm temperatures and the clear blue Alpine […]
Hello there! As promised, I'm back to tell you about the rest of the projects on my Autumn Table! (you can read all about projects 1-5 here) 6. Denim Washbag: My love of repurposing denim gets everywhere! Unfortunately I don't have a pattern written up yet for this […]
Hello everyone, It's hard to believe that the summer is almost through, and attention is quickly turning to the new term of classes starting in September. This term our (optional) class project will be Twin Needling with Fusible Bias (incorporating Stained Glass Windows). As you can see above, there are a range […]
Yesterday was a big day here in the UK! There was the small detail of a Royal Wedding (and an even smaller football final!!), but the main event was happening in my classroom at Conway Mill! 6 ladies rocked up for a day of sewing, making my Denim Sailboat Cushion. And […]
I promised to post this week about the projects on my 'Spring into Summer' Table. Never one to break a promise, I'm starting with my Denim Applique Sailboat Cushion. I originally designed this cushion for a summer edition of Pretty Patches Magazine. I loved re-purposing some denim and scraps for […]
For the past 6 weeks some very talented ladies in my classes have been beavering away on my Denim Hexie Bag Pattern. This pattern combines techniques such as English Paper Piecing (EPP Hexies), eyelet holes, zippered pocket, handbag construction as well as some serious denim upcycling! At times it looked like a […]
