Because life’s celebrations shouldn’t cost the Earth

Friday 27 May 2016

'Grandad's Shed' Appliqued Journal Cover

Sewing World Magazine June 2016



The new June edition of Sewing World Magazine is in the shops now and is packed full of lovely summer projects, including my fabric journal cover featuring a very cute applique garden shed!


As it's nearly Father's Day, it's themed as the perfect present for a much loved Grandad (or Dad!) but could be easily customised by embroidering any name above the door making it suitable for your favourite gardener or horticulturalist!  


The back of the cover features a cute little watering can and personalised gift label.  Some jaunty summer bunting is the finishing touch, let's hope it encourages the sun to come out soon!

Happy Father's Day!

Thursday 19 May 2016

Upcycled Shabby Chic Tin Cans

Vintage Book Page Pen Pots



I took a little break from sewing this week and instead indulged myself with lots of lovely cutting and sticking, making these vintage style pen pots from old tin cans.  I used the same basic technique as my decoupage book page eggs, which remains one of my most popular posts of all time.


Would you believe they started out as cheap and tacky plastic eggs?!  


As the tin cans are intended to be used as desk tidies for stationery supplies, I decided to theme them around novelists and works of literature.  Not surprisingly I was unable to source any suitable printed paper napkins, so instead I stamped plain white serviettes using the stamp sets below;




I used an old book of quotations, which had seen far better days, for the script background and then gave the cans a quick colour wash of watered down brown paint to enhance their 'foxed' antique finish. After this I carefully trimmed the stamped tissue images before sticking them to the cans with thinned white PVA glue (USA - Elmers).  This is sooo much cheaper than Modge Podge, just add water until the glue is the consistency of thin single cream.  The final step was to give each can a couple of coats of polyurethane varnish.


Unique upcycled craft storage tin cans!



Monday 16 May 2016

A Gift For A Geography Teacher

Appliqued Globe Zipper Pouch


Our eldest child left school last week and that old cliché 'it only seems like yesterday he was a babe in arms' has never felt so true!  We have been incredibly lucky with all his teachers and we wanted to show our appreciation to the wonderful educators who have given him so much over the last five years.


This little applique zipper pouch is for his Geography teacher, who also teaches our daughter History and they both love him!  In fact Geography is one of the subjects George is hoping to continue for 'A' level in September.


A few years ago I made this pencil case for a friend, who had been promoted to Head of Geography, and the children suggested that Mr Mitchell would like a similar design.  


I took the children's idea (but made it a bit less fussy as it's for a man!) and whipped up a personalised pencil case.  I find it quite challenging stitching for men but hopefully he'll like it - And as a Geography teacher he will at least appreciate the fact that the fabric for both the main case and the lining came from upcycled work shirts which had seen better days!



Good luck to everyone sitting exams!