Easy kimono DIY*

Simple sewing at its best - you need just the most basic of sewing skills for this super easy DIY. It's also the quickest garment I've ever sewn, taking less than an hour to make. There's no paper pattern to follow, minimal cutting and pinning, and as the idea is that it's over-sized, you can't really go wrong! I used a cotton for my kimono as I wanted something with a bit of structure, but it would also look great in something light like chiffon or jersey. 

You will need

Fabric 1.5m of Coraline Mondorla Lavender Blue*   Matching thread Sewing machine Tape measure/ruler Pencil Scissors  Pins

How to

1. Fold your fabric in half with the inside together and the fold at the top, it should be a landscape shape.

2. Measure 28cm down from the top fold and then in 25cm to create a rectangle each side and cut out.
3. Pin together the cut sides and sew a 1.5cm seam. Press flat.

4. Find the centre of the front of your kimono and draw a line from top to bottom, then cut through the top layer of fabric only. Before you seam the front opening it's a good idea to try it on at this point, to make sure you have cut high enough. I cut another 2cm open after trying it on to get it to hang better.

5. Fold over your front opening and pin then sew a 1.5cm seam.

6. Pin and sew a 1.5cm seam along the bottom of your kimono. Turn the right way out and you're done!

Happy sewing!
*some of the materials for this project were supplied by Sew Crafty, but all tutorials and opinions are my own.

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How to make a fabric pom-pom

Easy DIY fabric pom-poms to decorate your home or party

Let's face it, pom-poms are back and here to stay - which is no bad thing in my book! So in the spirit of #worldpomination I figured it was only right to make a couple of pom-pom decorations for my next Sew Crafty Design Team project, to adorn our garden, wedding, home, they could even become the new yarn bomb. And they are so quick to make that you'll have a pile of pom-poms in no time! 
Of course the gorgeous fabrics can't help but add to how happy these pom-poms make me - colourful confetti spots and hello, gingham! I think all my garden party dreams are coming true. I've used both a large pom-pom maker and even larger cardboard circles to make these so they're lovely and big. Read on for both methods...

You will need

Gingham fabric*
Confetti dots fabric*
Scissors
Pom-pom maker* or cardboard (or both)
String

To make a fabric pom-pom using a pom pom maker 

1. Cut your fabric into thin strips about 3cm wide. The more fabric strips you have the fuller your pom-pom will look, I used less than half a meter for this pom-pom.

2. Once you have a pile of fabric strips, open one side of your pom-pom maker and wrap the fabric around the arm. Repeat with the other side.

3. Cut through the middle of each side of your pom-pom maker.

4.Wrap string around the pom-pom maker and pull so that it pulls the fabric together into the centre of the pom-pom maker. Tie a few knots, then pull the pom-pom maker apart to release your pom-pom! Fluff up and trim as needed to get a lovely circular shape.

So easy.

To make a fabric pom-pom using cardboard

 1. Draw a large circle with a smaller circle inside onto cardboard and cut out to make a donut shape (dinner plates and candles make good templates), then draw around this to make a second donut.

2. Cut your fabric into roughly 5cm wide strips, I actually made a small cut and then ripped mine, which created a nice frayed effect and created a fuller pom-pom. I wouldn't do this for the smaller pom-pom though as really thin strips just curl up and hide the lovely pattern.

3. Place your two cardboard donuts (damn, I really want a donut now) on top of each other and wrap with the fabric.

4. Cut though the edge of the donut using the gap between the two pieces of card as a guide.

5. Slide some string between the two pieces of card, pull tight and then tie around your pom-pom. Leave a long tail for hanging.

I love how they look hung outdoors in particular, so colourful and fun! They'll definitely be making an appearance at our wedding and after that I think they'll take up residence in this tree on sunny summer days.

*some of the materials for this project were supplied by Sew Crafty, but all tutorials and opinions are my own.

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How to make a bunting cake topper*

Easy DIY wedding cake bunting

You just can't have a village hall wedding without bunting, eh? At least that's true in my book. So it's only fair that the wedding cake gets a bit of the bunting treatment too! This super easy Mr and Mrs bunting is quick and inexpensive to make, plus you can personalise it with your name or chosen message - 'Just Married' or any cake related quote would also work perfectly.
Now you may be wondering why I've photographed it sitting in a teacup rather than on a cake (!), as I'll be using this at my own wedding later this year I wanted to keep the full reveal for guests on the day. But I'll be sure to share a picture of how it looked after the wedding! 

You will need

Hessian ribbon* Bondaweb* White thread* Hemp cord* Needle Scissors Pencil and ruler Bamboo kebab skewers  Iron

How to make your bunting cake decoration

Cut a long length of your ribbon and iron in half. Then using a pencil and ruler mark out your bunting triangles on one side of the ribbon. My triangles are 2.5cm wide.

Using 3 strands of white thread embroider a letter or heart onto each triangle.

Measure and cut a length of bondaweb to go inside your ribbon, make it about 0.5cm thinner than your ribbon.

Iron the rough side of the bondaweb inside of your ribbon leaving the 0.5cm gap near the centre fold.

Peel of the bondaweb backing and iron the other half of the ribbon to the bondaweb.

Cut your triangles out. Thread your hemp cord onto a large eyed needle and thread through your bunting triangles.

Tie either end of each bunting skewer, arrange so that you're happy with the bunting drape and cut excess thread. I've kept mine long in the pictures in case I need to make any adjustments when we put it in the cake.

Ta-dah! A cake decoration fit for a new Mr and Mrs. Obviously you could also make cake bunting for birthdays, anniversaries, Fridays, generally any occasion involving cake! 

*some of the materials for this project were supplied by Sew Crafty, but all tutorials and opinions are my own.

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All the colours granny square blanket | inspired by Attic 24

Plus pattern + how to stop your giant granny square twisting 

If you've been reading this blog for a while you may have noticed that I tend to favour quick crochet projects, being the impatient sort of person I am. But a girl can only look at so many beautiful crochet blanket patterns on pinterest and instagram without feeling the need to make her own...
I chose the classic giant granny square as my first blanket and used the luscious Attic 24 colour pack in original by Wool Warehouse - you can read more about how I chose the design in this post.
I surprised myself by really loving having a big project on the go. I had to pick it up and put it down a couple of times while I made other things, but always enjoyed having it as a back up. In fact, I'm starting to get itchy fingers again now, thinking about how I could start another one.
The thing that really kept me going (especially as the rounds got bigger and bigger) was the desire to get to the next colour and watch how each one transformed the look of the blanket. I wanted something happy and bright to cheer up my craft room sofa and it's definitely that! Plus as you can see from some of the pictures, I love it so much that it keeps sneaking down to the rocking chair in our living room too.
Read on for the super easy pattern and some top tips to stop the square tilting...

Granny square blanket pattern

Yes, you probably know how to make a granny square so a giant granny square blanket might seem like a no-brainer. However, as someone who'd only done two or three round granny squares before, as I added more rounds the square started to twist and turn out of shape. You'll see I asked for tips on this in my post in June last year and once I'd started using them it made a huge difference. So here's the tips I received written into pattern form.
Ch - Chain Tr - Treble crochet Sl st - slip stitch
Ch 4, sl st to form a magic loop Ch 3, then tr 2 into the centre of the magic loop ch 2, *tr 3, ch 2 three more times. Until you have four sets of trebles. Sl st into top of the chain 3. Sl st along to the corner, then ch 3, tr 2, ch 2, tr 3 into same space. *tr 3 into next space, ch 2, tr 3 into same space. Repeat three more times until you have eight sets of treble 3. Sl st into top of ch 3 to join, then break yarn.
Flip the work over and join new colour in the middle of one of your sides, not at a corner. 
Then continue to work tr 3 into each gap with a tr 3, ch 2, tr 3 on the corners and change colour every two rounds.

How to avoid your granny square twisting

So the parts of the above pattern that help avoid twisting as your granny square grows are:  Only make 2 chain stitches at each corner (some traditional patterns chain 3) Don't chain 1 in between your clusters of trebles Flip your work over after each colour change so you work into both the front and the back (thanks to Paula from Pollyandherwildings for this tip!) Join each new round at the middle of one of your sides, not at a corner.
Easy, but effective. I'm off to go stare at my new blanket some more.
Happy crocheting!

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Easy DIY embroidery hoop wedding table numbers

Make these simple embroidery hoop table decorations in no time - a stylish addition to your wedding or party

If you read my thoughts for 2017 post back in January you'll have seen that I'm getting married this year; so when it came to picking my first Sew Crafty Design Team project of 2017, it had to be a wedding make! Right at the beginning of planning I fell in love with this image of an embroidery hoop table centerpiece on pinterest (the photo simply links to a photographers website), but luckily I knew I could make my own to add a fun, handmade vibe to our village hall reception.
These are so simple to make and only took about an evening per number, plus the relaxing nature of hand sewing helps calm the pre-wedding nerves. They're inexpensive and won't break the bank either. Plus you could totally hang one on your wall after as a keep sake and then reuse the other hoops - win, win! 

You will need

Wooden embroidery hoops* x 15cm - one for each table Embroidery thread* in blue 130, black - 403 and mustard - 307 Linen fabric*  Needle  Scissors Stripe cotton ribbon* Cotton lace* Pencil/water erasable pen

How to

1. Cut your fabric into a square a few centimeters larger than your embroidery hoop.
2. Draw or trace your number onto your fabric and insert into the hoop.
3. Using simple backstitch embroider your number with the embroidery floss. I used the floss at full thickness to speed up the process. Keep the back as neat as possible by weaving in your ends as this will also be on display. 
4. Remove any trace of pencil of the erasable pen and iron if needed.
5. Wrap a section of the outer hoop with your lace or ribbon then re-inset the fabric with the number in the centre.
6. Make sure you're completely happy with the placement of the number and lace (as you won't be able to move it after the next bit..) then cut the excess fabric from the back of the hoop, keeping as close to the wooden edge as possible. 
Voila! Stand them against flower filled jam-jars for a pretty table decoration. You could use any left over ribbon and lace to tie around flower vases and candle holders to tie the whole thing together. If you wanted to go even further you could spray paint the hoops first, use patterned fabric, sparkly threads or even beads, the opportunities to make them your own are endless.

Happy crafting!
*some of the materials for this project were supplied by Sew Crafty, but all opinions are my own

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Crochet fox hat | finished project

The cutest fox ears baby hat and link to free pattern

Ta-dah, my first finished crochet project of 2017 and is it not the cutest crochet baby hat ever? I've wanted to make one of these for a while, so a friend (who happens to love foxes) having a baby just before Christmas was all the excuse I needed!
It was fairly quick to make and I even had the perfect colours already in my yarn stash (love when that happens). The crochet pattern is by Jenny from Sweeping up glitter; it uses US terms but as it’s such a simple pattern I was able to translate it into UK as I went - replacing the dc with tc and then the sc with dc. The only time I got into difficulty was my own fault for not reading ahead on the pattern and crocheting the whole of the ears together in the orange. Oops. I had to unpick a bit to get the brown to sit properly on the tips of the ears, they really make the hat though so it was worth it to get it right. 
My friend loved it! I was a little worried it looked too big for a newborn, but it fitted perfectly and was stretchy enough to also fit her two year old. I'm slightly tempted to make some adult sized ones as gifts too, perhaps in a slightly more rust shade of orange to make them a bit more adult appropriate… 

Orange yarn - Stylecraft Special DK in Spice
What animal ears would you wear?


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