Book Review: Little Sew & Sew

I have just been reading a beautifully inspiring craft book which I thought that I would share with you.

Little Sew and Sew by Christine Leech (Quadrille 2013) is a sewing and embroidery book with more than 30 projects in most of which are simple enough for beginners, and in any case, are described well with lovely illustrations and diagrams. I love the styling and fresh yet classic approach, it's just a lovely lovely book.

Christine is a busy busy woman, being an art director in the magazine industry as well as craft book author, and blogging her many makes over at Sew Yeah!

As I found this book at the library (love my library - it's all craft books and murder mystery here in the sticks) it will definately be on my Santa List. There are too many cute projects in the book, I can't do them all before they will want me to return it! I can't even decide which to start first, the Kissing Children Tote, the Alphabet Wall Hanging (sneak peak below right) or the Birdcage Tea Cosy. If you want to make someone something gorgeous for Christmas, take a look!

Here's the Amazon link. 

Note: I wasn't asked to do this review, I just did it because I LOVE the book. Thanks for reading and Happy Sewing X 

Why you might think about buying Handmade this Christmas

Shockingly, as it does not seem like more than a week since the summer, it is mid-November and there is little more than a month until my favourite holiday. I have already plugged CraftFEST which is happening over on Creative Connections at the moment, and obviously, that is because I have a stall over there, but please do consider popping over to buy some handmade goodies as Christmas presents. I have made a Top 3 reasons why I feel you should:

1. Handmade products have travelled less far to be with you - even if the raw materials have come from overseas, the final product comes direct from the maker in your own country, it has not been shipped and frieghted hither and thither across the country from warehouse to depot. 

2. Handmade products have been made using traditional and sustainable skills 

3. Handmade product purchasing supports local/regional economies rather than putting money in the hands of large global enterprise, who often filter money and resources away from where they are needed. 

There are so many other reasons - not least that you can get a really cute unique gift for a reasonable price that doesn't "cost the earth".

Happy browsing x 

CraftFEST is here!

Today is the beginning of veritable feast of craft, the wonderful on-line craft fair that is CraftFEST!

Between 16th and 23rd November many great UK makers and designers are gathered under the one virtual roof, making your independant handmade shop a LOT more simple. Please grab a cup of tea and browse, browse, browse. Maybe you might even be tempted to purchase something special ......

My Made By Dolly Stall can be found there too.

Children's Craft Ideas: Fantasy House

Now Autumn is truly here lots of rainy days present themselves asking to be filled up with simple, easy to initiate things-to-do.

I thought that I would share with you a recent activity that has been entertaining my children for hours, which is basically your average cutting and glueing exercise, but maybe also fuels the young/old imagination a bit! 

You need:

Large piece of paper with a house outline drawn on - either by you or your child depending on the age. Add some floors, wall divides or encourage them to do this.

People - you can print out favourite characters from CBeebies, cut them from magazines, draw them yourselves. In our pictures you will see the family from a Milly Molly Mandy Book which we enlarged on the photocopier.

Furnishings - here you need old magazines, catalogues or furniture pamphlets. We also like random bits of fabric, scraps of coloured paper, glitter glue etc.

Glue
Safety Scissors
Coloured Pencils/Crayons
Talk!! This is a great activity to give for them to get on with alone, but if you talk with them about what they are doing and ask their opinions on the house layout etc you will have some delightfully screwy chats I guarantee. 

I hardly need add instructions, apart from to say to any perfectionist adults out there - don't let the kids rampant disregard for scale and domestic order upset you too much! A bath in a tree outside, doors on the roof, birds in the lounge, it's all good - take a deep breath, and admire the finished fantasy dwellings......

Did you start your christmas shopping yet?