Make It Yourself (#MIY): Quick fabric corsage tutorial

Perfect for a super speedy gift idea, we managed to put this tutorial together during an evening at the pub. You could still make one in time for Mothers Day, or make for friends’ birthdays the night before… I can’t be the only one with a horrendous memory for dates!

As you’ll see from the atmospheric lighting in the photos, the roaring fire and the slowly emptying glass of wine, we really did make this in one evening, whilst chatting at the pub. So with this Make it Yourself (#MIY) tutorial you can make/do something new.

You will need:

• A wide narrow strip of light cotton fabric. Ours was about 40” x 3”
• A small piece of slightly heavier wight fabric
• A pair of scissors
• A pen
• Sewing thread (a sturdy thread, or just double it over as you’ll be pulling it tight)
• Sewing needle
• A safety pin

This Week on the Web #1: craft hacks, new Noro & superheroes!

Craft Hacks idea from Buzzfeed

Every week we’re going to inspire you and hopefully make you chuckle as we bring you a round up of what we’ve spotted online in crafting blogs, websites and shops. So here goes week 1!

I love a good Buzzfeed. To be honest, they’re about the only Facebook links I ever bother to click through to these days, and few disappoint. So when I spotted this one I knew I had to share it with you. It’s a little American (no offence intended US buddies!), but has a couple of great thrifty ideas for crafting. My favourites are the ribbons stored on a kitchen roll holder and the bobbins in the pedicure foam – both will be implemented very soon in my messy craft storage!

Tuesday Tips, Tricks and Techniques #1: Always carry your colour card

In this new series I’m going to be sharing some top tips, tricks, tutorials and techniques for crafting – I’ll be concentrating on knitting, sewing and crocheting, but will also dig out some other crafty things for you from time to time from around the web. Drop us a line and let us know what you’d like to see!

The first tip I’m going to share with you caused much hilarity on my snowboarding holiday last week. I opened my wallet to pay for a round of drinks, and some eagle-eyed boy at the table spotted my colour card. Many jokes followed about my middle-aged knitting obsession, how I had to carry yarn with me wherever I went (they’re used to me getting my needles out in the cinema or on the plane, this is not news to them). But in truth I haven’t got yarn in my wallet because I can’t be away from it for too long or I start to get twitchy – or at least that’s not the only reason.