Great British Sewing Bee - new TV show

I'm quite excited......I'm sitting on my hands bouncing excited....I've just heard that the BBC are due to broadcast a new craft programme in April - The Great British Sewing Bee. I understand it will be based on The Great British Bake Off format and will be presented by the fabulous Claudia Winkleman so I'm sure we are in for some great dry humour.

 

Roll on April, looking forward to a nice cuppa in front of the TV, willing on the contestants as well as hopefully learning some new tips....

 

Fingers crossed this grows into the enormous success of The Great British Bake Off and we can look forward to some great episodes and competitions year after year.

 

How exciting.....AND IT STARTS NEXT MONTH ..... Bring on The Great British Sewing Bee

 

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Craft domination at a newsstand near you

We all want to believe we are individual

We all want to believe we had the idea first

We all want to believe we are acting solely as a result of our wishes

 

Unfortunately we also know that there are super duper clever people and organisations out there with the skills to manipulate our every move. I'm concerned that I've been tricked....

 

Now I have to admit that I am a bit of a magazine addict. I love seeing them lined up on the newsstand, brimming with possibility, bursting with ideas and calling to me to take them home to dream of that aspirational life style. I've been through many phases of magazines

- cosmopolitan etc in my late teens / early twenties

- vogue, in style etc in my affluent mid / late twenties

- red, ideal home and various other lifestyle magazines in my thirties although my purchasing is now only once of twice a year

I've dabbled in crafty magazines across this entire time, but had always stuggled in having to choose a specific craft - I may not want just cross stitch or just crochet. Until recently i had to choose, but the relatively recent launch of Mollie Makes which offers lifestyle, crafts as well as a cute project each month is exactly what I wanted and made me think someone was listening to my cries. I loved it for a few issues but was quickly put off by the £5 price tag. I've watched as the Mollie Makes empire has exploded, there are baking and home editions now, so there is clearly a market and people willing to pay, they have even expanded into a weekly iPad craft edition called Gathered

 

Just before christmas there was another like minded magazine launch - Homemaker magazine, a beautiful magazing packed with practical ideas and step by step instructions to making household items which are really useful, but again it has a hefty price tag of £5 a month

 

It was at the Spring Knitting and Stitching show last week that it really hit me, the launch of another craft magazine - Crafty. Really? Is there room in this already super crowded market for another monthly publication? I was frankly amazed. And yes it matched the others in price!

 

Of course I will be avidly reading all of these editions, purchased at show prices, for research purposes :)

 

But these launches have got me thinking. I'd like to believe that I've been enjoying my crafts recently as I've got my life settled and I'm picking up something I have loved for many years but I'm starting to worry that somehow I've been caught up in the media frenzy and am merely another sucker who is tempted by the magazine at the newsstand.

 

Who is buying the magazines every month? I wonder if you pay for these magazines (£5 x 12months x 3magazines) at £180 a year do you have time to be creative? and can you afford to be creative?

 

Do you read any craft magazines? What are your thoughts?

 

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#imapiece for Save the Children

Take a moment to look at the #imapiece campaign being run by Craftivist Collective in association with Save The Children. There is still a little time to join in, pieces are to be received by end Feb

 

Right I'm off to the post office...

 

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Crafting: A World Domination

As I continue my search into how crafting is striving for World Domination I have looked into the use of crochet into today's fashion. Conclusion: It's everywhere

Crochet shorts (or really crochet hot pants)

There were crochet shorts on asos.com. I'm absolutely certain that I could not wear a pair of granny square crochet shorts, well lets be honest these are more crochet hot pants, but good luck to anyone with fabulous enough legs and bottom to wear these.

Having looked at the photos of these shorts they look quite simple to complete, 4 Granny Square corners sown together with a draw string around the top....maybe one day.....hmmm


Crochet Hairbands

There are crochet headbands in beautiful ivory in a delicate design. There are a large number of similar items on etsy.com too

So pretty, wouldnt this make a wonderful wedding garland fpr a casual garden wedding?


Crochet Decorated Handbags
I'm always a little nervous about crochet handbags, or in fact knitted handbags for that matter either. I think this nervousness is about the potential for the yarn to become mis-shaped with use and I like to keep my bags immaculate. When it comes to bags I'm a leather girl.


However, I think that this basket bag from Julien MacDonald might be the perfect solution. It has a base of straw with crochet detail






I love how the light textured straw of the basket base shows through between the crochet loops. Would be a perfect bag for the summer.



So whether you like the idea of strutting your stuff by the beach in crochet hot pants, adorning your glossy locks with a crochet head band or going to the local farmer's market with your crochet shopping bag it looks like there is something for everyone as crochet continues to strive for world domination.

Crafting: A World Domination

I didn’t realise when I wrote the recent post on the patchwork Glastonbury sign under the title “Crafting: A World Domination” that this would turn into a little feature on my blog, but I have found more and more areas of everyday life where Crafting is making an appearance. I really do think that it is slowly taking over the world.

I don’t know if this is just a current trend linked to the recession and a need to make rather than buy (however, anyone who enters crafting for a “cheap” hobby would be bitterly disappointed, so far I’ve found it anything but cheap but then I do enjoy buying kit so I am my own worse enemy!) or, if there is a natural cycle of common activities, for example handmade and crafting were very popular in the Seventies (I have some fabulous crochet and knitting pattern books I really must share with you soon) so it could be a natural cycle that it has come back into popularity only to die again in a year or so to be resurected in another 30-40 years.

Well, whatever the reason it would appear that Crafting is bidding for world domination.


Today, I want to share with you an unusual embroidery community I recently discovered -

Fine Cell Work

Fine Cell Work is a social enterprise which has brought tapestry and needlework into the UK prison system allowing prisoners to learn new skills and earn money during their rehabilitation. 29 prisons are now running the scheme, and in 2010 there were over 400 stitchers who collectively earned over £70,000*.

Their work is stunning. It ranges from greetings cards to rugs and cushions to quilts. Tapestry kits of their original designs are even available so you can make these yourself.

Its great to see that an activity so traditional as embroidery is able to give some of societies most challenged individuals the focus to work through their demons.

If you are really interested in helping out it would appear that Fine Cell Work are looking for more volunteers across the UK.

* Source: http://www.finecellwork.co.uk/aboutus/