It’s my birthday today. Last year I decided that I wanted to improve my fitness level a little – in the build-up to my fiftieth birthday. I’ve got a couple of years to do it so I’m taking it slowly. This year I’ve decided to take time out occasionally and enjoy life a bit more. Wish me luck!

I’ve always struggled to write and consider myself, very much a visual person. Hence the lack of blogs posted on my website. In my head they’re easy to produce and I should be churning them out. In reality, I can spend hours staring at the screen, thinking of something to write.

So, to the blog…
I’ve had a very productive week… In fact, the most productive week I’ve had in a long time. With my Gutermann threads, fabric clips and needles all in hand, I’m now invincible! Well, that’s how I feel.  

I’ve managed to make three small zippy bags and embroidered onto and finished, a bee, poppy, and hare fabric square. Trust me when I say – for me, that is a hec of a lot of successful sewing! NOTE: My next blog post will be about the perfect piece of sewing. 

Creating some successful sewing pieces has really inspired me to keep going, it’s amazing what a successful make can do for one’s patience and confidence. I’ve got a fourth bag in the making along with a fourth piece of embroidery – this time onto one of my new guinea pig fabric squares. 

This is one of the reasons I’m fired up and raring to go… 

The other reason is that I’m excited about the start-up of some of the shows we are booked into. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous, but it’s essential that I get things up and running in order to move my business forward.  

The first event planned was the Malvern Quilt Show in July but unfortunately this has recently been cancelled, making our home show, Craft4Crafters at Exeter Westpoint our first of 2021. 

Understandably, lots of you, my lovely customers aren’t yet ready to attend live events, but I’m hoping to do some short, Facebook lives – showing what it’s like – hopefully you’ll watch… 

I’d better get back to my zippy bags…

2021 is the perfect year to give that personalised, handmade gift. When I use the term personalised – it doesn’t necessarily mean it has to have someone’s name splattered all over it. Why not try using fabric with their favourite flower or animal on. This combined with something they’ll find useful can mean more than a box of chocolates or bunch of flowers.

I’ve put together some ideas for that perfect little make.

• Face pads. These are great for replacing cotton wool and can be used time and time again.

• Pants. When I was about six years old, I remember a friend of my Mums giving me a pack of underpants for Christmas. What? Then I realised they had dogs all over them. I was chuffed to bits!

• Cushions. Everyone loves a cushion, don’t they? Whether it’s for an occasional chair or something to place on their bed.

• Bookmarks. Treat that keen reader in your life to a new bookmark! Really easy to make, they’ll last a lot longer than a paper one and they’re more sustainable than plastic.

• Framed picture. This doesn’t have to be fabric. It could be a greetings card or something you’ve seen in the newspaper. Make a collage and find something unusually to frame it with. Remember π the framed doesn’t have to be square and have four sides!

• Lap rug. Simple, small and manageable. It’s also a great way of using some of that stash!

• Cloth coaster. I once received a Meerkat coaster in the Secret Santa. Fifteen years later, I still have it on my desk.

• Key ring. Something that most people have. I have a big yellow one and can always find it!

• Dribble bib. For that new parent.

• Buttons! Some people love to collect buttons. Why not make a lovely little fabric button collection…collection

As some of you will know – to say that my sewing skills level is a beginner, may well be an overstatement. I learnt to hand sew when I was at school and I’ve never owned a sewing machine until three years ago (I now share one with Mum). I’ve never made anything for pleasure – only ever reaching for the needle and thread in a time of crisis.

If I see something I’d like to make, one glance at the instructions and I glaze over, as I used to, quite frequently during Math lessons at school. If only there was a cheat sheet or easy way of tackling sewing projects, it would be perfect. I’ve looked and there isn’t!

So, the next best thing is just to read other’s experiences and advice. I’ve put together a top ten list of great little pieces of advice. As a beginner, hey might shed some light and as someone experienced in the art of needle driving – some might be a handy aid memoir.

Here goes…

1. Give yourself space
If you are anything like me – there are constant piles of ‘stuff’ lying everywhere in my workshop and they get moved from one point to another regularly. Make sure the area around your workshop is clear and that you have plenty of space to swing that fabric around!

2. Success is finishing
Find a project that is simple and that won’t take long to complete. Look for something with straight lines (to sew) and that the fit isn’t essential on. For example. A simple bag with a draw string, a scarf or a bookmark.

3. Stitch and stitch again…
Practising your sewing/stitching on a spare piece of your chosen fabric. This way you’ll get a feel for how it reacts once placed under the needle of your machine. You might also want to try a couple of different stitches.

4. Choose the perfect partner
If your fabric is cotton, make sure your thread is cotton. If, it’s polyester, then so should your thread be. It’s hard to believe but this can be the difference between a nice, smooth line of stitches and a line that’s not a line but a collection of broken, messy threads.

5. Pin it, stick it, clip it and tack
Don’t try and save time by sewing pieces together without holding them in place. You’ll fail! There are lots of ways to hold your fabric together from traditional pins to clips and clasps along with wash out glues. Once I’ve attached the pieces together, I might also tack them – particularly handy when taking a pair of trousers up. That way you don’t have to worry about sewing over the pins as this can result in breaking the needle in your sewing machine.

6. Make it easy for yourself
Choose a fabric that is going to be simple to sew. Cotton is a really good starting point. It’s stable – meaning that it won’t curl or roll up at the edges. Don’t try anything stretchy as your first project!

7. All the gear and no idea
Make sure you’ve got the correct tools needed for the project. Otherwise you’ll lose your momentum – after half an hour of looking for your scissors!

8. Be prepared
Learn how to thread your sewing machine properly. Once you know the right and wrong way – this will make life a lot easier – especially if something goes wrong. It’s silly, but it’s worth practicing over and over again…

9. Take your time
With my foot down heavily and sewing machine set to ‘fast’, it’s no wonder things fail for me. I recently finished sewing two patches onto two t-shirts (something I thought I wouldn’t be able to do). I took it slowly and although it’s not perfect, I can honestly say I’m pleased with the results.
Keep calm & take your time…

10. Do some research
Before you start a project it’s always worth looking to see if there are any online tutorials available. I like to look at two or three as there are always more than one way of making something.

11. Having a sharp eye
It’s so true… sewing machine needles do become blunt! I now have a stash of needles. I’ve learnt to change them and it’s easy.

12. Bobbin in and out
Before you start to sew – make sure you have a nice, full bobbin. There’s nothing worse than running out of thread, just as you build your momentum!

13. Don’t overlook your over locker
If you’ve got spare over locking thread on large cones that you want to use up, don’t despair. Place the cone in a cup behind your sewing machine, then thread it. Your machine won’t know the difference.

14. Keep it sharp
If you use chalk to markup fabric, it can be kept sharp using a vegetable peeler. Run down the side gently and you’ll get that nice, sharp edge back.

It would be great to hear your top tips!

Anyone like me think the world has gone mad? This week in particular has been a weird one, what with lockdown coming in, the most mind blowing US election and not to mention Brexit bubbling in the background. My TV has been on all day every day in the background, just in case some breaking news came in, although I don't really know why I was so transfixed. Maybe its because we are all so very insular within our homes and bubbles at the moment, that to watch things going on across the world reminds us that there is a world out there? Anyway whatever the reason, by the end of last night I decided enough was enough… it is doing me no good at all and so this weekend it is absolutely all about Remembrance Day crafting and memories. 

If you have been following my social media channels you will know that my village of Denbury has been flooded with pebbles painted with poppies, hidden around the area (and some covered with my poppy fabrics!) so that they can be found and taken to the Remembrance memorial in the centre of the village. Over the last few days the pile of pebbles at the memorial has grown and it is incredible to see them lying there. Every single decorated pebble is a reminder that there is a person behind it, every single one is different and goes a little way in telling the story of the person behind it. Some even have the names of fallen soldiers on them, a poignant reminder of why we are doing this and an amazing way to start the conversation, especially with the younger generations as to why we don't forget this every year. 

The pile of pebbles confirms to me that there is a community behind these closed doors, each
experiencing these weird times in a different way and yet all of us still coming together in our corner of Devon, through these pebbles. It is also a reminder that being creative is so important for your mental health; your wellbeing and keeping your mind active. I remember the Christmas card making days at the kitchen table, glitter everywhere, sticky glue and the outcome - a card that Grandma or Auntie or whoever it was for would pour over with glee on receiving it, even though they ended up covered in glitter and bits of decor that fell off occasionally! 

Now we are settling into this new kind of lockdown, let's get creative. Get out for a walk and find a pebble, take it home and decorate it then hide it again outside for someone else to find. Start making those Christmas cards with whatever you can find in the house to make them with. Think outside the box. And don't forget to make a poppy, draw a poppy and put it up somewhere to Remember over these coming days.

“Donec id justo non metus auctor commodo ut quis enim. Mauris fringilla dolor vel condimentum imperdiet.”

— Pablo

My village is amazing at Halloween. We are well known for our efforts in creating the spookiest houses and having a lot of doors happy to have you know for trick or treat and every year as dark falls on Halloween, the streets come alive with the sound of families out and about, spooky sounds and lots of laughter ringing through the streets. Residents really go to town with decoration. I remember one year, a garage door partially open with ghoulish noises coming from it as we approached and then suddenly someone flew out of a door dressed as a zombie....nearly lost my treat bucket as well as every other dignity I still have! Our community really goes to town on creating an incredible atmosphere for everyone and even this year with the restrictions on trick or treating, there are still pumpkins being carved and houses being decorated. Now we just neednthe wind and rain to hold off for an evening!

Putting effort into whatever you do really does make a difference doesn't it? We could all do Halloween halfheartedly but it wouldn't be the same. Applying yourself to something to make sure it's as great as it can be can be the difference between achieving and not. This is where my dogs come in..yes I know dogs aren't Halloween but bear with me on this one! I don't mean Bruno and Peppa my real life waggy ones, but the new dog designs I have coming out! I seem to have been working on the watercolours for a while now but I want to get them so perfectly right for me and for you all. Applying yourself to ensuring you are 110% happy with what you create is so important. On that note I am off to spook up my house and maybe make Richard dress up as a zombie ......he has a job to do tonight!

The two pumpkins below were carved by Andy Belka.

Happy Halloween everyone!