Tablecloth with bird applique - stage 1

A small success - I have completed the edging on the tablecloth I am working on.

The tablecloth is a length of cotton sheeting, which I cut to size for my dining table.

To add the edging, I followed these steps:

I hemmed the raw edges of the cut sheeting to prevent fraying.  This was probably not strictly necessary and if I ever carry out this project again I would think about missing this step.  The picture shows the "wrong" side of the tablecloth.

I wanted to use a mix of fabrics for the edging, so I cut small lengths of fabric which I then joined together to create one long strip.  I pressed the seams and also folded and pressed the edges.

This is a picture of the "wrong" side of the tablecloth taken after I had sewn the strip of edging to the "right" side of the tablecloth.  I did this by placing the strip of edging, right side down, on the right side of the tablecloth.  I then used my machine to sew these together (the top line of sewing in the picture), folded down the edging to reveal its "right" side and ironed along the sewn line.

On the back, I hand stitched the edging, sewing along the fold to create a neat edge and making small, hidden stitches.

I am pleased with my neat corners.

The next stage will be to add the birds (a few of which are pictured below). You may recognise the shape - I used the same Cath Kidston template on this cushion and as a basis for my Christmas robin.  I used Bondaweb to help attach the wings; it's easy to use and I am pleased with the results.  I'll be using Bondaweb to help fix the birds onto the tablecloth.  And of course I will share the results with you as soon as I am done!

Creating a better mood

Lemon drizzle loaf cake: easy to make, and the combination of lemon zest, juice and sugar provides a sweet, zingy lift to any day; it's a joy to prepare as well as to eat.

"They say baking soothes the soul" 

Interesting article in the Guardian last week about whether baking can improve mental health.  Journalistic hyperbole?  Quite probably.  However, the benefits of creative activity helping your mood is not new. Alys Fowler has written recently about how gardening can have a positive effect on mood.  Monty Don is another gardener who talks about the pleasure of gardening, and has written that "Gardening should, first and foremost, be a pleasure.  If you are not enjoying it then you can be pretty sure that you are doing something wrong".

I try to take the same attitude to the things I do; that when sewing, baking or whatever activity it may be, I am doing it for my own enjoyment.  Once it stops being something that I take pleasure from and instead becomes a source of frustration and failure, it is time to take a break.

Maybe the benefit comes from focusing the mind (similar to the technique of mindfulness).  There is also a meditative quality that comes from the repetitive action of sewing or stirring ingredients together.  It is an opportunity to slow down and focus on what you are doing in that particular moment.

Knitting can be a way to find calm after a busy day - counting stitches instead of sheep!

The words "slow down" are important.  I enjoy baking when I can do it at my own speed, pottering about the kitchen with the radio on in the background.  I think this is why I like baking but find cooking horribly stressful - a meal has to be ready at a particular time, and all the elements have to be ready.  You can take as long as you want to make a cake, it's not going to spoil, and is not normally being done to a particular deadline (I make most of my cakes the night before they are going to be eaten).

And let's face it, creative activity can also be about positive reinforcement, an opportunity to think "wow, look what I can do".  I'll be the first to admit I haven't always been good at recognising my own achievements, but I am trying to get better at this.

There is one big proviso though - it doesn't matter if what you try doesn't work. Baking, sewing or any other activity will never be an aid to improving your mood if you start your task expecting perfection. But pausing to enjoy the process can be its own reward, regardless of the results.  The best thing we can create is a calm mind and a sense of contentment.

Ok, so this is a little bit decadent, but sometimes its nice to spoil yourself - chocolate cupcakes topped with my favourite chocolate?  Oh go on then...

Knit one, purr one

Oh dear, more than a week on since my last post and still no new finished project to bring you I'm afraid.  Not that I haven't been busy; here's a sneak peak of a tablecloth I'm working on...

My most exciting news from the past week is that I have a new house-mate - a black cat called Leonard.  He was abandoned by his owners and lived as a stray for a while before ending up at Battersea Cat Rescue, which is where I met him.  He's a really soppy boy, who loves his food and being fussed.  Having him in the house really makes it feel like a home.

He's getting quite comfortable, and loves sitting next to me on the sofa, curling up on a dining chair next to me as I work, or getting comfy on the armchair.  I don't have the heart to discourage him, but of course the downside is the hair he leaves behind!  So I'm covering everything in old towels and blankets.  Which reminded me...


At the end of last year I started knitting small squares to practice different knitting patterns.  The arrival of Leonard has prompted me to get out my knitting needles again - my plan is to make lots of patterned squares which I can then join together to make a blanket for Leonard to curl up on and which will hopefully protect my furniture!  However, there is a flaw in my plan - well, have you ever tried knitting with an inquisitive cat nearby?

I'll keep you updated on progress...

A pair of hares

Lately, the mists of guilt have started to descend whenever my thoughts turn to this blog; but then I remind myself that "not perfect, but good enough" goes for the writing of this blog just as much as it does for any of the "makes" I post about.  I make no claim to be a prolific or conscientious blogger; my aim is to share ideas, to strengthen my belief in the joy of creativity over the search for perfection, and to hopefully inspire you to put a little time aside to get creating.  

Having made my excuses, I was about to say my problem is that I have too many projects on the go, but a more positive way of looking at this is that there are several things I am working on, all of which I'm enjoying, and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you eventually.  This isn't a race and I'm not setting myself monthly quotas of projects to complete.  So you'll have to bear with me I'm afraid.

Which means that for the second time running I'm bringing you a project from the archives.  This cushion was another Christmas present, this time for my mother, who has a liking for pictures of hares.  So during a stay with the P's I made a sketch of a hare from a card M had received.  When I got home I then scaled this up (drawing grid lines to help me) to make my template, based on which I sketched the opposing hare.  For someone who is not an artist I'm pleased with the templates I produced - they actually look like hares!

I think the red fabric for the hares works really well.  I took care when placing the templates to position the circles in the pattern to be eyes.  Like the teapot, the appliqué was fiddly - I had given myself some difficult angles.  I think this project would have been easier if I had used Bondaweb (an adhesive which you can buy in sheets and use to bond fabrics together by ironing), and I will certainly consider using it if I attempt a similar project in the future (in fact I've been using it in one of my current projects and have been impressed with it - hopefully I'll be able to share the results with you soon!).

I have to say I'm really rather proud of this cushion.  I think the combination of fabrics is striking, and would fancy making a series of cushions using these - a squirrel and a stag's head are two images that I think would work well.  But maybe I should try to finish at least one or two of my current projects before making a start down this road...

M loved her present, which really was the most important outcome.  It is a special thing to be able to give something you have made to someone you love - not only are you giving them the "thing", tailor-made to them and a product of the relationship between you, but you are also giving them the time you spent.  I got a lot of joy from making this cushion, knowing how surprised and pleased M would be.  The cushion is now proudly displayed in her living room.

Not following the pattern...

Where has the time gone?  I've got lots of half-finished projects on the go at the moment (story of my life!), so I'm dipping into my "here's one I made earlier" pile...

A few years ago my friend Maud gave me the Cath Kidston book sew!.  We drooled over the pages, and of course I wanted to have a go at making just about every project described on its glossy pages.  Skip forward several years and I don't think I have actually faithfully followed any of the projects (I'm still working up the courage to try to make one of the bags!).  However, for me the real joy of this book has come from the inspiration it provides - and the very handy templates. 

One of the patterns in the book is for a cushion decorated with appliquéd birds.  I already had two cushion pads, which were covered in some curtain fabric found in an offcut bin; it was time for a change.  Their size didn't match the pattern, but I wasn't about to let that stop me.

I had some fabric that I had bought in The Viking Loom in York, not with a particular project in mind but (as I do more often than I should) with the intention that I would find a project to suit it.

I used the bird templates from sew!.  You may recognise the template - I tweaked it slightly to create my own template for my robin christmas tree decorations, which you can see here.

I made the covers using a combination of machine and hand stitching: machine for the basic pieces and hand sewing to appliqué the bird embellishments.  I improved with practice - the appliqué technique on the second cushion is definitely better. The trick is to run the thread inside the folded edge of the fabric and use small stitches, so your sewing is as hidden as possible.

I am sure there are some who would turn their noses up at the use of a manufactured template, but I say why not.  You can still inject your own personality into the final creation.  Just because you may not have the exact materials a pattern calls for doesn't mean you cannot still create something lovely - and what's more, it will be something no-one else has.

Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts show

Yesterday my friend Purple Angela and I spent a couple of hours browsing the stands of the Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts show at the ExCeL centre in London.  Angela's done a write-up of the show here: Angela Mary Designs: Creative Stitches and Hobby Crafts Show.  I understand that this is the first year the show has been held in London.  It is clearly popular and did get very busy when we were there on Saturday; one stall holder we spoke to explained that he was hoping that next year the organisers would make it four days rather than three, which would hopefully have the benefit of making it a little less crowded.  The show wasn't just stalls selling their wares, there were also free talks and exhibitions of work; in particular there were various displays of imaginative quilts and embroidered pictures which caught my eye, including an exhibition of work created as part of a project called Afghanistan Inspiration.  Really inspiring stuff to see what others have created. 

I couldn't resist making a few purchases: some gorgeous vintage patterned fabric, which I am planning to turn into a tablecloth; some fabric paint, so that I can try out my stencil decorated bunting on fabric; and some lovely coloured beads I am hoping to turn into bracelets, which is a small step in a new creative direction for me - I'm quite excited about it.  So watch this space...

The never-ending scarf

I realise I have been rather remiss of late when it comes to adding new posts.  My excuse is that I have moved house.  Lots of potential for future projects, but with all that moving entails it doesn't leave much time to indulge in the craftier pleasures of life.

On cold wintry nights I tend to find myself falling in love again with knitting.  Or perhaps I should say the idea of knitting.  I have idyllic images of being curled up in a warm house with the curtains drawn, a big mug of tea and some cake, and an ever-growing knitted creation spread out over my legs to keep me warm.

The truth is much as I love the idea of knitting, in practice it is not something I have had much success with, mainly because I find I lose patience.  In hindsight, this is probably because I have been overambitious with the projects I choose.  The prime example being my first knitting project: a scarf which took me about a year to complete.

Having not knitted since being a Brownie, a few years ago I was inspired by a friend to try my hand at it again.  My friend Maud had started making a scarf and I was so impressed by this that she kindly (and with much patience) taught me the basics of ribbing and how to knit with more than one colour.

Having started, I found it difficult to finish.  The technique is easy enough once you get the hang of it (and remember to count - there are a couple of stitches towards one end which are purled when they should be knitted!).  But I have to admit that the slow rate of growth (a few rows a night) meant I became disappointed with the progress I was making and that in turn meant that this became an increasingly neglected project.

Having left this scarf languishing unfinished for a couple of months, I came back to it and picked up the knitting needles with renewed determination.  Once I had managed to repeat the pattern a couple of times, and the scarf was just long enough to wrap around my neck, I found that progress seemed to be quicker - it suddenly felt more realistic that I could in fact have a decent scarf at the end of my efforts. 

I love my scarf, and the joy of wearing it more than makes up for the time it took to make; if anything, I get more enjoyment from it because of the time I spent on it.

There are lots of free resources on the internet giving basic instructions on how to learn to knit. learn2knit covers all the basics you'll need to know, including how to hold the needles, picking up dropped stitches and casting off. Fig 42 in the instructions on basic stitches shows the 2x2 ribbing technique, which was the basis of my scarf.

The about.com website also has some good instructions to help you start knitting, including instructions on knitting stripes.  I made my scarf using the weaving technique; rather than cutting the wool at the end of each stripe, the strand in the colour you are not using is carried along the edge of the scarf until you next want to start knitting in that colour.  Twist the two strands of wool (the colour you are knitting in and the colour you are not knitting in) at the end of the row (this will be at the end of every second row as the wool will be carried up one side) to secure the colour you are not using.