Domesticali

Homemade at mostly books

Usually, my world of work at my world at home co-exist nestled in their own snug  side by side compartments. But once in a while, they come together. Like last Tuesday, when we lured Ros Badger to come along  and talk to a shopful of crafters about Homemade.

I know lots of you have this book already and enjoy it for the same reason I do - the simple message that homemade is special. So it was fitting that we should have a very special evening, with Ros (who is utterly charming) bringing along many of the items that feature in the lovely photographs of the book. And having the time to chat to everyone, swap making stories and help us do a couple of projects from the book (that's my button heart).

For me, it was also a chance to realize that there are so many creative people, and even fellow craft bloggers right under my nose. And it's doubly handy when they do a write up of the event, because there has been a little missing camera cable problem at the shop, and hence, no write up on the shop blog!

And I am so so so sorry that I didn't tell you about it here beforehand and let those of you within reach of Oxfordshire have the chance to come along. But the event sold out so fast, there was no time. I promise to do better next time.

So, the spirit of all things homemade seems to have seeped out of my home life compartment and pervaded the bookshop. First, our trophy for our mostly bookbrains literary quiz next month. It had to be an altered book really, didn't it?

I knew all that catalogue folding practice last year would lead to me making something eventually. Though I am rather nervous about taking it in to the shop, as in our publicity materials it has been billed as 'a magnificent trophy' and I'm not sure the Trade Descriptions Act would agree.  Homemade charm and magnificence are not quite the same thing.

And then, I get to run my own event for the bookshop - a pre-Christmas evening of craft, where hopefully we capture the same spirit of camaraderie as Ros' event managed to. And make a whole stack of recycled and upcycled decorations for the  Christmas window.

I imagine there will be some of this

and a blizzard of paper snowflakes. And any other wonderful ideas I can dream up between now and then.

But before I get round to planning that event, I need to make sure everyone at work  is a dab hand at making these:

because we have a little craft activity planned for the children who stop by for books at Hallowe'en.

That's an awful lot of shop stuff, no wonder there is no time left for my own making just now. Sigh.

Bats

Displacement activity can be so alluring. The details of what I should have been doing are dull and disheartening - and besides, Coffee Lady has already used up the entire 'tired' and 'busy' word allocation for the week.

Somehow, testing out an idea for a little bat garland seemed more important. And as I've so often found in the past, scratching the creative itch provided a soothing balm for my sanity.

Sometimes, it is difficult to explain why we use our precious moments in this way, but today the answer seems simple. We make things because it makes us feel better.

Part timer

Not sure quite how my part time job metamorphosed into working 8 days out of 10, but that does at least explain my absence from these parts of late and my current level of shatteredness. The lead up to summer holidays seems almost as frantic as Advent - perhaps it's a cunning plan.  If we are all really stressed and over-extended now, we will appreciate the change of pace of the school holidays and be blissed out at the thought of a quiet day or two at home. Wonder if the same will be true for the offspring?

I had really been looking forward to the Children's Food Festival, both as a punter and because Mostly Books were doing book signings with all the celebrity chefs. This meant a large amount of book ordering, book unpacking, book re-packing, book counting, panicking about books that weren't in the right place and humping of boxes full of books. A lot. But it did also mean that I got to decorate a 'Princess Baking' themed table for some Annabel Karmel stock.

It's a well known fact that I am always up for a bit of 'pink and sparkly', given that my house abounds with testosterone, so I had fun with pink tablecloths, decorated with raggy ribbon flowers (this one loosely based on my beautiful peonies - now long dead)

And a farmyard full of piggy cupcakes

To go with a dozen eggs worth of meringues and a batch of tiara, gown and high heeled iced biscuits.

I have to confess, a third of the meringues didn't see active display (and it wasn't just that the helpers were scoffing them). I thought we'd go for a soft pastel meringue palette - pink (fine), pistachio green (fine, if a little lurid), lilac (hmmm). What was an appealing lavender shade mixture, somehow transformed itself into dingy underwear grey coloured during the course of baking. Not a good food look.

And I am sad to say, I didn't take my camera on Saturday, so there are no pictures. But there are a few celebrity signers in evidence on the shop blog. And I did manage to have it with me on Sunday, when I braved the whole thing again, with my own offspring. They had a ball making ice cream sundaes and doing plenty of sampling in the Chocolate Tent.
 
Getting back to the farm, pricking out seedlings and climbing on tractors, watching sheepdogs and making and tasting butter.

But in a bizarre turn of events, the most popular bit of fun was the Dyson airblade tent. Where you could wash your hands and dry them! In a tent in a field. What will they think of next?

Neckwear

Scarf? Necklace? Not sure which category it falls in, but I think my rotary cutter is due some exercise with as many seamless t-shirts as I can lay my hands on.

Because that's all this is. And even with an ancient white (grey) t-shirt salvaged from the rag bag, I am in love with the idea. I had bookmarked the tutorial, but it was seeing Sooz' version that got me rooting. And 5 minutes later, it was done.

Suddenly, I have an irresistible urge to purge the boys' wardrobes....  they must have out-grown some t-shirts recently.

Nice idea....

Sometimes, I see something and just know straight away that it's 'my kind of thing' and I scrabble around in my bag to capture it in a notebook before the germ of the idea gets lost. Of course, when I saw these beautiful crochet necklaces from Wren handmade, the best thing to have done would have been click on the Etsy button. But I just couldn't - they were a significant amount of money. But I WANTED one, dammit.

There was only one solution. I would have to learn to crochet. Luckily, Monica offered to teach me.  And immediately she had, I went and purchased a crochet hook so small that it looked like a dental instrument and some perle cotton. And then some kind of woolly darning thread turned up at the charity shop and seemed appropriate. So I began turning out teeny tiny crochet circles.

And then putting them on a long chain of more teeny tiny woolly crochet. And I did make a necklace.

But it didn't hang properly. The woolly thread refused to lie flat with no weight on the chain to pull it taut. Just like Monica warned me. Why can't I listen sometimes?

So insead I have a crochet bracelet. Which pleases me, but not nearly as much as the necklaces I originally saw.

Rats. I hate it when my skills set fails to live up to the picture in my head.

Chop chop

In danger of succumbing to a new obsession.
 
And no, it isn't ironing.

Weekend sewing

Perhaps I'd more accurately entitle this post Monday cutting, Tuesday bias tape making, Wednesday bodice, Thursday Sleeves, Friday hemming and Saturday photoshoot. Not as catchy, but more truthful. I am not a speedy garment sewer.

But it was high time for a  first attempt at a pattern made from Heather Ross' book - because although it's eye candy in it's own right, it's good to actually complete a project from a book every now and again. I have to remind myself of this, each time my fingers itch to bring home a new one.

One of my favourite things about our blog community is the ability to learn from others, and there was no shortage of posts on the summer blouse I planned to make. So I knew to lengthen the body (thanks to Erin) and to open up the neckline (thanks to Ashley). The dangers of the pyjama look (thanks to simply h) and that it looks wonderful in a very lightweight cotton (thanks to Amanda). I was all set to go.

My trial run, in inexpensive fabric. Because I was very unsure after the Japanese dress experience, that I would manage to set in a sleeve in a way that allowed me to move my arms.

Mercifully, my arms can move freely in all the directions nature intended. Look, I can smell the lilacs in my pretty shirt. Even if my neighbour thinks I am gardening in my pyjamas (again). I guess you can be told things, but sometimes you need to experience them for yourself to really learn the lesson!

A Very Hungry Caterpillar Party

Success criteria for a retail event are clearly not the same as those for a normal birthday celebration, but if you judge our recent Very Hungry Caterpillar Party on the basis of having fun, eating cake and making things then we had such a blast on Tuesday! Twenty four caterpillar fans and two rather over excited booksellers.

From rather small beginnings, our own hungry caterpillar grew and grew and has now taken pride of place in the shop window. Everyone who came brought a paper plate which they had decorated with a green design to make the body of a great big caterpillar.

We had a story - and there really could only be one, but a very beautiful pop up version of the classic.

And then we made threaded pasta caterpillars and some rather fetching bookmarks.

If you want to make your own, here's how. We used some light cardstock, washable stamp pads and a single hole punch for those all important nibbled holes. Child's play (quite literally).

And the highlight of any party, the cake. Baked by Alison (maker of all the delicious cakes we serve in our courtyard garden), who truly outdid herself with a yummy cupcake caterpillar. Inspired by this one.

And the only element we couldn't organize in advance, the weather, turned out to be the most perfect we could have hoped for. A sunny spring afternoon. Happy days.

Attitude re-boot

Right, that's it. I have had enough. I've been floundering about in a 'hostage to fortune' funk for weeks now. Feeling low, lacking oomph. I thought the keep calm and carry on approach was working, but it's clear that plodding mindlessly onward is not my style. I need a different way, and I think I've found it.

From here. Can't think of a better mantra for the first day of British Summer Time.

And to put it into practice? Well, Janet and I had a little inter-library-loan recently (she made some very inspirational stuff). When she returned my book, she sent me a wonderful machine embroidered patch. I loved it, and I wanted to do something with it straight away. So, a frame and an internal mailing envelope. And new art.

Not very well photographed (it's hard to tale a picture of something behind glass isn't it?), but you'll have to take my word for it. It looks good. Hooray for getting excited and making things.

Haramaki heaven

Not sure what a haramaki is? You need one. Believe me.

Blackbird introduced me to this wondergarment, which is basically a tube of stretchy material you wear over your midriff as a bellywarmer. You can buy them from Japan, and they allegedly bring many health benefits. But basically I just want to hang out with the cool kids and look layered.

Oh, and solve many wardrobe issues like jeans that gape at the waist, or skirts that sit way down low on the hips, or a wonderful cashmere jumper that your dearest one put in the washing machine so it's just a bit too short.

So I made  a haramaki myself. There are fancier tutorials out there, but mine is simple. I chopped the bottom off a jersey top that was destined for the charity shop. And then finding it a touch baggy in the midsection, I zig-zagged the side seams in a bit.

My internal organs are now toasty warm. And as Dr Kawashima says:

A warm body is also important to lift our spirits.
The heart literally turns cold when the body temperature goes down resulting in a negative mood-swing. Simply by keeping oneself cosy and warm at all times results in a better outlook on life.

Amen to that! Now what other clothing can I cannibalise...

Driftwood decor

 

And lo, I have conquered my fear of the pillar drill. In fact, I think I may be addicted. When can we go beachcombing again? And does anything else need a hole?

Christmas gift candles

School finishes next week - we've been preparing. Lines to learn for Christmas performances, cards to write for classmates and treats to bake for staff. My boys go to a small local primary school, but between them there are 12 teachers or teaching assistants to make for. I predict a weekend of baking (in my very clean oven!).

But to go with the sweet treats, there are a couple of candles, designed with love.

Thanks to Lina's tutorial. Talk about maximum impact for minimum effort. That's exactly the kind of Christmas crafting I like best.

Origami wreath tutorial

A little paper ornament - simple to make, perfect for popping inside a Christmas Card. Want to have a go? I promised a tutorial, so here's what to do.

You'll need to begin with a rectangle of paper 4cm wide by 8 cm long.  Choose paper with a bit of body - really lightweight stuff won't hold the folds as well or appear 3 dimensional when finished. I'm using some nice old sheet music.

Fold your rectangle in half lengthwise ( keep the prettier side out if your paper is only patterned on one side) to give you a folded strip 8cm by 2cm.

Fold in half crosswise so your piece is now 4cm by 2cm (like the one on the left). You then need to fold down the corners at each end of the strip.

Hold your folded strip with the open edges to the top. Grab both layers of the top right hand side and fold them at 45 degrees to meet the bottom edge. Then do the same with the top left hand side.

You will be left with shapes like this. Each wreath takes 8 of them to complete.

Hold the first piece by the points. If you look carefully at the top edge, you'll see that there are two little pockets formed between the layers of paper. If you imagine they are numbered 1 2 3 and 4, you need to slide one folded point of the next piece, between layers 1 and 2 and the other between layers 3 and 4.

I wish I could just show you, it'd be a lot easier! But try it, it's simpler than I am making it sound.

Push the second piece down into the first until the tips touch the bottom of the pocket.

Then go on with the third piece in exactly the same way.

Continue round. The eighth and final piece gets the tips of the first piece tucked into its pocket to complete the circle.

Fiddle with them to adjust so the wreath looks an even shape.

I added a hanging loop by threading a bit of embroidery cotton through one of the tips using a needle.

You could go to town with fancy Christmas papers, upcycled glossy magazines, text from an old book - the origami wreath world is your oyster.  And if you have a go, do leave a link in the comments - I'd love to see them.

 

Half term, half gone

Not entirely sure if that title refers to the passage of time, or sanity. Both probably. We've squeezed in a quick trip to my folks for some sea air and a little buttony goodness.

Some  garlands, made from the bounty that lurks in my Mother's Charity Shop button box. When a garment donated to them is not fit for sale, they recycle it for rags, but always snip off the buttons first. Sets get carded up and sold on, but the odds and sods make it into a giant tin. I've been thinking of ways to up-cycle them and am hoping these garlands just might hit the spot with the charity shop punters.

Then a whizz home, a re-boot of the washing and a cross country scurry to meet up with Karen and Monica (and assorted offspring, all male!). You'll have to see Monica's post here for all the details, because Karen doesn't have a blog (though she does have an amazing craft room, so there's still hope) and I forgot to take a camera. Which was ridiculous. Especially given how much fun was packed into one day.

I blame it on a stinking cold - one of those ones that begins just as the pressure of real life eases off, thereby perfectly timed to co-incide with all holidays. I'm having difficulty stringing any coherent thoughts together at all - can you tell?

Retail re purposing

Yesterday  I went to Oxford. Nothing unusual about that in itself, but it was a very odd trip indeed. For starters, the car park had oodles of spaces. On the ground floor where you can almost never find one. Odd. When I stopped for a quick caffeine pit stop, there was no queue. There were plenty of seats - whole sofas, vacant. I've been in one woman credit-crunch denial, but it's hard to argue with the absence of spenders.

Similarly, the usual deluge of Christmas Catalogues seems this year to be lacking something. Perhaps it's soul. But with a little folding of pages (and a dollop of inspiration from Anthropologie), the catalogues do seem to contain some festive sentiment after all - just in a different way to that which was intended.

I'm practicing making catalogue baubles. Giant ones. Fold fold, fan fan, ta-dah! Zero cost Christmas decoration.

Batty

This year, October 31st falls in half term, which means I can justify going totally overboard with spooky fun for my boys (and the neighbourhood children) to indulge in. Beginning with a bat finger puppet.

He'd look cute perched on top of a bottle too. Blood red wine perhaps.

And who knows where the fun will end, because the wonderful Michelle (who is a mind reader) sent me some Halloween crafty inspiration, including Matthew Mead's Halloween Tricks and Treats.  You can see some pictures from it here.

Peeking round the door frame...

Thank you for all your warm and wise words on the last post. Dr Blog prescribed me blogging-lite with a little fasting period to kick start  things.  I think it has done the trick.

And  in my period of abstinence, I got stuff done.  Want to see?

Yes, the Clothkits Trellick Skirt, which has been waiting patiently for me to sew it up all summer. Worth hanging on for though.

Boy craft

I was having a wry chuckle tonight at the girl power crafting exploits of the DottieCookie crew. Just two little chromosomes apart from my own, testosterone driven efforts today.

Because boys will be boys. In many ways:

1. They have appalling table manners
2. They like to wipe their sticky paws on their trousers
3. Their taste in fabric veers towards the lurid
4. Despite not having seen the movie, they've absorbed the marketing

Napkins, (from Bend the Rules Sewing) which I think  fit the bill. And might save the trousers. If they remember to use them...

Plans gone astray

We had a play date planned for today called off at the last moment. Don't you just hate it when that happens? Two small disappointed boys and one whole day to fill. My stomach lurched. But actually, it's turned out to be a great one. Mostly, I think, because I read this post from Molly and decided to enjoy the small things instead of feeling irritable about what should have been.

The shift in perspective that I get from my blog reading is one of the reasons why I feel that time spent keeping up with so many lovely blogs is worth it. Some days, I am feeling glum or grumpy or uninspired and then I read a post which tuns everything on it's head and off I go, grateful for the prod in the right direction.

So, we cracked open the Teifoc kits that have been knocking around. They are small clay bricks which come with cement and blueprints for aspiring bricklayers.

Top fun (if you can get over the slightly stinky cement they come with).  We made a stable and a mid century modern chicken coop. No mean feat considering one of us was holding his nose the whole way through.

And then we went out on our bikes to forage for the late summer goodness from the fields behind us.

And made a blackberry and apple crumble.

And when the boys announced it had been the best day ever, I smiled and thought about the leg up from Molly - someone I have never met, but who made our day so much sweeter.

Fern printing

As soon as I saw the beautiful fern printed tote over at Painted Fish Studio, I knew we would be giving the idea a go. A vest, though slightly unseasonal, seemed the ideal trial item - my boys constantly put theirs on backwards, so a little motif is always helpful.

Like all the greatest ideas, it is so simple, and needs the bare minimum of materials. Jen's tutorial is here. And here's the finished article.

(I made the mistake of asking Mark to pose for me and he took the request very seriously.)

The boys don't wear their vests in the summer generally, unlike my Dad. He favours one of those holey numbers and swears they keep you cool in hot weather by preventing your shirt from sticking to your skin. Luckily, he seems to get his the right way round all by himself, because I don't think fern printing would work so well on a holey vest.

Fuzzy fun

Project ingredients:
One book (on loan from Monica)
Circular needle
Pencils, sharpened at both ends to substitute for DPNs (strangely effective)
Fuzzy wuzzy wool, which makes me think of a favourite childhood poem of mine...

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear

Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair

Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy, was he?

I made a little felted bowl, which just makes me happy.

But it has already been colonized.

So it's a good thing I've made two more. Even if felting them in my machine makes the utility room smell of rank sheep. But that seems a small price to pay. I have visions of a whole rainbow family.

 

Woe betide anyone who fills them with potatoes for chitting though.

Little stamps

Sometimes it feels good to fall back on something familiar.

Particularly when you are nervous about trying something new. I'm casting about for inspiration to prepare for a workshop by Jessie Chorley. The plan is  to make a book based on a personal narrative, but suddenly I seem to be all out of stories. I do have a great deal of old shopping lists though. Do you suppose those might work?

Better keep planning I think.

Some folks seem to have the knack of making something special out of the everyday. Capturing a moment - check out Record the Day and you'll see what I mean. And how about the UK at Home project. Seven days, captured on film and made into a book which somehow captures the essence of home.

The postcard says...

This arrived, a little while ago, with a challenge from five and a half.
It says: Use junk mail, catalogue, old magazines & clean trash. Recreate your face with them (3 - dimensional). Take picture and share with your friends.

So, friends, want to see?

My alter ego is a leftover balloon from Johnny's party. Discarded tissue from a package, magazine cuttings and shredder hair. I loved doing that hair (probably spent more time on it than on my own this morning).

One of my real life friends couldn't understand the project - "But, why?", she asked. But to me, it's obvious - the chance to play is a gift.  If you want to join in, keep an eye on the five and a half blog, because Judy promised a chance for anyone who missed out on getting a postcard to take part too.

And before I head off for an early night, Happy Mothering Sunday  to all you mummies who were celebrating today, but especially to mine, because she's always there for us. And she's really good at playing too.

You say potato, and I say potato

Clothespins? Clothespegs? Whatever you call them, I've had them on my mind of late. Outdoor drying weather is approaching (Alice is obviously a hardier specimen than I am, because she told me her washing was on the line today, but I'm clearly a fair weather pegger).

Up until last spring I was wedded to my tumble drier. I bought it when Mark was born and had fallen deeply for it's rotating charms. But Amy wooed me to the washing line last year and to my surprise, I loved it. The steady rhythm of bend, shake and peg. The smell of the outdoors on your sheets. The few quiet garden moments stolen in the middle of housework. And now, the chance to compose a haiku too.

Because Amy's blog also provided this idea. Some letter stamps, a heat set ink pad and my boring old pegs. Wash day joy. And face it, with boys like mine, every day is wash day round here.

Although some items will still need more gentle handling. The Klaralund  - she's all stitched up, worn in and ready for her first launder.

By the skin of my teeth

The "Simplicity" photo swap deadline really crept up on me and I hate being late, so while the boys took off swimming this afternoon, I got my act together and packaged up my parcel. The photo I chose in the end was this one:

Partly for the way it looks, but partly because I took it when we went 'glamping' and it reminds me of all the advantages of leading a simple life. I hope my partner likes it (can't tell you who she is, because it's a secret!).

I made a book with a sewn binding for her too. Because I am totally smitten with the idea of DIY bookbinding and she was the obvious choice for a guinea-pig.

The title is 'A day of simple pleasures' and the pages are made from envelopes, holding the following series of photos:

A sunrise, sharing breakfast, hand knitted dishcloth, warm socks, a beautiful walk.

If you missed out on this round, Megan is thinking of making the photo swap a regular thing. And you can see some of the great pictures being swapped over at the Flickr group. I love looking at all the different interpretations of simplicity (and wondering which one is destined to be heading my way).

Washing line inspiration

I'm off on an adventure tomorrow. This is all part of the preparation...

1. Washing Line, 2. washing line, 3. washing line, 4. washing on the line-lines in the grass, 5. Washing Line, 6. Stone washing line, 7. washing line, 8. Next doors washing line, 9. the washing line, 10. washing line under a cherry tree

Have a great weekend.

Simplicity

My love affair with Sashiko is an ongoing thing. I think it is something about the simplicity of the most basic of running stitches which appeals to me.

So a little tea towel cafe apron. Nothing fancy. Simple twill ties. Red sashiko style embroidery.

And while we're on the theme of 'Simplicity' - I am taking part in Megan's photo swap. Sign ups are open until Friday. If your resolution for 2008 was something photography related, maybe you'd like to join in?

Ready for the Stork

Given that it takes 9 (10) months to grow a baby, you'd think that getting a little birth gift together wouldn't be that hard. But constantly I find the little darlings emerging from my friends before I have had the chance to produce a suitable welcome present.

However, this time Mr Stork, I have you beaten. A set of rubber stamp-lets for a chum of mine.

Because despite faithfully filling in the baby book with every detail of your precious firstborn's development, subsequent children are lucky if their milestones get recorded at all. At least this way, the 'first steps' scribbled in the corner of the family diary, can be highlighted a little bit. Well, that's the idea anyway. In a pinch, I'm sure elder siblings could use them to amuse themselves doing a spot of DIY tattoo work while Mummy is busy feeding the new arrival.

Preparations 4 - Rubber Stamp

It's been a while since I carved a rubber stamp - I forgot how fun and quick a process it is. The only thing is, I didn't really intend to make Santa look like a wino. Although with HIS to-do list, He'd be forgiven for hitting the bottle at this time of year.



If you want to have a go, here is the tutorial which got me started.
Perhaps I'd better have a cup of tea and re-group. This is my new seasonal favourite - even the box is uplifting.



My photos look pants today - sorry, its just so dark and wet and miserable. Natural light? Chance would be a fine thing.

Preparations 3 - Salt dough

*****Edited to add some important painting info*****

Christmas Fair time rolls round again - next Saturday I'll be up to my eyeballs in some kind of crafty endeavour with a zillion clamouring primary schoolers. Thought we'd have a go at salt dough Christmas ornaments. But a trial run with my resident assistants seemed to be in order.

Recipe: 2 parts flour to 1 part salt. Mix in some warm water to form a dough. Knead for 10 minutes until nice and smooth.

I had anticipated some freehand modelling, but it's harder to do than I had thought. Not sure the under 10 crowd would be too impressed, but my testers perked up when we broke out the Christmassy cutters. My inability to see a cute cutter without wanting buying it evidently has it's up sides!

I have a whole batch drying, so the punters on Saturday can paint one ready formed ornament and model one of their own to dry and decorate at home.

But I'm going to need a vat of hand cream afterwards, because a couple of hours dealing with desiccating effects of the dough has left me with lizard hands. Ick.

*** A couple of folks asked about painting these. I had planned to use Acrylics, but BIG word of warning - they don't work very well. I found out (luckily the night before the fair) that tempera/poster paints work much much better. Apologies for misleading you (and for raiding my boys' paint box)*****