I have to admit a touch of crafter’s block of late. Dunno if it’s the weather (dull, damp and very, very grey in my part of the UK today) or the time of year (at the tricky mid-point of Semester 1). It’s not as though I have been sitting on my bottom getting ‘iPlayer eye’,… Continue reading Carry On Crafting?
Thanks be to Karen, the marvellous maestro of the apronalong. Such a courteous companion to coach us through our apronly adventures. Enthused as I currently am with a certain early evening dancing-themed programme, I would hope that my apron might garner from the lovely Len a “Seven!”. “Look,” he might say “this apron, it’s like an… Continue reading meant to be an apron all along
Goodness me, easily one of the longest makes in my personal history. I don’t know about you guys but much of my sewing is solitary, squished as it is into school hours. To stop myself from going completely doolally Radio 4 is my non-judgmental and constant companion. Often for months after a make I can… Continue reading doolally denim
First up a dress that was trying too hard became a skirt that has seen a lot of library action. It even engendered one of my all time favourite unsolicited compliments: “Boden?” I’d re-visit the dress – Simplicity 2404 – as it’s a great pattern and I’ve done the hard work of choosing which boob and… Continue reading Dashing through some re-fashions
Ah, hello there! Yes, yes it has been a long time. Where have you been and what have you been crafting? We’ve had the most fantastic dual hemisphere Summer/Winter: And this is about as close as I got to any crafting for the best part a month: So, to ever so gently ease myself back… Continue reading Let’s all join the Apronalong-ga!
Bradley with a bell Branagh as Brunel The Bard, Rowling and Barrie A giant bed and sleeping baby Mr Bean, Mr Bond and a Beatle Brilliant birds riding bicycles The Torch in a boat with Beckham The Olympics have come to LONDON! Just feels brilliant to be a Brit today.
1. Anticipation and Planning Maybe my most favourite stage. Matching the material to the pattern. Having a neat pile of pattern pieces waiting patiently with the pattern instructions, the envelope for inspiration, some bright thread and perhaps a button or two. 2. The Reality Gap The point where the image in my head collides with… Continue reading Jersey Journey
There is no Grand Plan you see. I think that I have been deceiving myself and you with the whole ‘crafty queue’ thing. “Look how good I am at planning”, it says, “I don’t start anything new unless I’ve checked something off that list.” You and I both know that some of those things are… Continue reading in the pink
Did anyone else read ‘choose your own adventure’ books when they were growing up? Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson? Did anyone else spend months and months going back and forth through their book trying in vain to legitimately complete the Quest only to eventually capitulate, painstakingly leaf through each and every page to find ‘The End’… Continue reading Collar Quest
What-ing? Shwopping! And no my finger hasn’t slipped on the keyboard. My ears pricked up when I heard an article about Shwopping on Radio 4 today. (Here’s a link to an article in the Telegraph if it hasn’t appeared on your radar yet.) I was intrigued. Why? Well, I do sometimes ponder the life-cycle of the… Continue reading Shwopping
pennylibrarian 