Wednesday 7 December 2016

PJ Masks Toys ❤️ Halloween Baby Costume ❤️ Quick Make



A new project I have been working on, so much fun and with Christmas approaching I thought I would remind you of my quick tutorial to make a baby PJ Masks costume, perfect for the little one in your life! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Its time to be a hero!

Monday 24 October 2016

Sew Now - First Issue Available in Stores Now!

Sew Now, the new magazine from Practical Publishing is out in stores now.


I received an issue to review and I must say was pleasantly surprised. A good mix of projects of differing interest and skill levels, some great reviews of dressmaking patterns and content that is actually relevant and on trend. 


I particularly love this backpack and think I may be giving this one a whirl soon. 







There are also the usual handy technical sections, this month focuses on a mens shirt, but of course many of these techniques are transferable to ladies shirts, blouses and tunics. There are also some great reader offers.

I am going to make sure I pick up next months copy, the bomber jacket has me intrigued!

You can get your first three issues for £6 here!


Friday 21 October 2016

Its Time To Be a Hero! My PJ Masks YouTube Debut

Time for something a little different!  

I am dipping my toe into the waters of Youtube and you can go and see my collaboration with Family Gamer TV and PJ Masks here. And if you don't know about them yet, ask your kids, they're going to be the next big thing!


Wednesday 3 August 2016

Tilda Autumn 2016 Ranges Blog Hop



Hello and welcome to my stop on the Tilda Autumn 2016 ranges blog hop!

I must admit that in my early days of sewing I dismissed Tilda ranges as 'not my cup of tea' with regards to the prints available, I felt they were rather washed out for my palette which disappointed me hugely because the fabric base used by Tilda is absolutely wonderful. No fear on that account now however, with every range released Tilda keeps getting better and better in my estimation. I love the richer saturated colours that are coming through, I also love how the different ranges work so well together. This allows me to keep that busy, crazy, wide mix of prints that I love in my work but with the reassurance that they will all work together! Both new lines Cabbage Rose and Memory Lane are perfect examples of this.


Cabbage lane has yummy zesty oranges, something that really excited me when I first saw this range. Paired with the classic Tilda teals and florals it makes for a really exciting twist on a classic quilt.



Whilst Cabbage Rose is certainly zesting up the usual Tilda colour palette, Memory Lane is perhaps staying more true to the traditional Tilda look, but with the richness turned up! I love the strength of colour in these prints and I know I have to start work on a Tilda quilt as soon at the wip's are more under control!

The new Memory Lane and Cabbage Rose ranges are out to buy now at Stitch Craft Create, being limited edition they won't hang around! But it is not just fabric that is available, Tilda unique style has extended to quilt labels, fabric covered buttons, ribbons, adhesive tape, fabric sheets and even co-ordinating thread. There are beautiful quilt kits using the new ranges, this Cabbage Rose one with its mix of traditional piecing and appliqué is my absolute favourite.



You can also see the samples that I made for the people over at Stitch Craft Create which are available as kits in the new ranges too!

Tilda Reversible Oversize Tote Bag Kit
Tilda Easy Peasy Quilt Kit
Getting to work with the new ranges was an absolute dream, the fabric handles so well that it is so easy to work with, perfect for needle turn appliqué and intricate patchwork. After making the samples I had some scraps left and couldn't bear not to put them to use, so I whizzed up a small bag.



Using up all the trimmings it is surprising what you can create! Just the offcuts from trimming selvedges off my FQ's before cutting a quilt gave me the two panels on the bag, big enough to make lovely roomy pockets.


And of course I had to use one the gorgeous bold florals as the main fabric, this one is Flower Cloud in Dark Slate from Memory Lane.



 A lovely slubby linen proved to be the perfect match for the lining and a couple of readymade bag handles finished it off!

If you want to get your hands on a FQ bundle and a sweet little Tilda friend then pop over to the Stitch Craft Create Facebook page to enter.



Follow the rest of the blog hop here:

1st August – Stitch Craft Create
2nd August – Stitch Craft Create
3rd August – Vicky Myers Creations
4th August – Strawberry Patch Ramblings
5th August – Charm About You
8th August – Crafting Not Cleaning
9th August – Popular Patchwork
10th August – Dinki Dots
11th August – Little Black Duck
12th August – Tea and a Sewing Machine
15th August – A Saucy Stitch
16th August – Very Berry Handmade

Thursday 26 May 2016

Beth Studley Blog Hop - Radiance Fabric and new ebook!





When the lovely people at Stitch Craft Create asked if I would like to take part in the Blog Hop for British designer Beth Studley's new fabric range Radiance and ebook, Mini Patchwork Projects, I jumped in with both feet!

Beth Studley is a fabric, quilting and sewing pattern designer from the UK, her first fabric collection was released just 2 years ago. She has already made a name for herself as an extremely talented fabric designer. Radiance is inspired by antique crochet and lace, yet the colours she has used give it a modern feel.



And there is something for everyone in the little ebook, Mini Patchwork Projects, with projects from beginner level to those for the more adventurous sewist! If you are feeling unsure of where to start Beth has even teamed up with the folks at Stitch Craft Create to make a super tutorial video to accompany the book and you can buy these together as a bundle. Watch a preview here.



I had a beautiful bundle of Beths new fabric line Radiance to play with and the prints do not disappoint. The colours are rich and saturated and the balance of prints is just right, with some great small scale prints that are just perfect for piecing along with lovely large focal prints.



One pattern from the ebook caught my eye immediately. The Curvy Coaster set uses foundation paper piecing and curved piecing together to a really dazzling effect! 


The piecing looked fun, if perhaps a bit challenging and I thought it would be a nice way to use several of the prints from the range. To mix it up a little I chose to make the four quadrants into one unit rather than 4 separate coasters. I used the Noodlehead Open Wide pouch as a loose basis and made the foundation pieced panel into a useful little zip pouch. 



My curved foundation piecing needs some work but I am delighted with the overall effect. The Radiance fabrics work really well in the project and a little bit of gold faux leather adds a touch of luxe. 


If you want to get your hands on some Radiance fabric of your very own you can shop the entire collection here, and you can enter the competition to win a fat quarter bundle along with a copy of the ebook by entering over here.




Monday 23 May 2016

Beth Studley Blog Hop

I am back, and with a bang!

What better way to get back on the proverbial blogging horse than with a great blog hop?!

I am taking part to promote British designer Beth Studley and her new fabric range Radiance which has just been released along with her new project ebook, Mini Patchwork Projects.



There's a great competition running during the blog hop and you can find out who else is taking part here, I've long been a fan of Beth's fabric designs and she has some fun sewing patterns too, I love the hanging baskets pattern which I am desperate to make time to sew up. In the meantime I will be back later in the week for my stop on the hop to show you what I have been up to with her new Radiance range. I have a fun take on one of the projects from the ebook that I hope you are going to love!