What beautiful weather we have had this week. The sun has been shining and the birds have been singing. It’s been absolutely glorious.

I have just moved home and so I have been kept very busy unpacking boxes and trying to get organised in my new house. I used to have a shed at my old house and that is where I stored all my sewing bits and bobs and craft fabric etc. The only problem is my new place doesn’t have a shed …yet! This means I currently have all the things from the shed in the spare room. I must say, It’s certainly made me realise quite how much sewing stuff and fabric I actually have!  I’ve been good though as I’ve started to have a thorough sort-out of everything but as there is so much, it might take me a while. :o)

As I mentioned last week, I love to upcycle things so a lot of the fabric in my stash is old clothes which I hope to re-invent into something new. It seems from the response to last week’s blog post about how to upcycle old jeans that you are all fans of upcycling too.  Earlier this week, I asked for some inspiration for future blog posts and one Facebook friend said she needed to make a new peg bag so today I am bringing you a list of tutorials to do just that.

The main things that you will need are a plastic / wooden / wire coat hanger, fabric, sewing threads, scissors, sewing machine or hand sewing needle and some pegs to put in your new peg bag.   From looking at the online tutorials it seems that peg bags are quite simple to make but to be honest, I’ve never made one. I was bought some polka dot ones a few years back and as they are still in working order I haven’t needed to make one yet. 

Peg bags make an ideal gift and they are also an ideal little project to make to sell at craft fairs. (Make sure you only use your own pattern or one that allows you to sell products made from it as you don’t want to infringe anyone’s copyright by using the pattern they designed themselves for personal use only)

If you do make yourself a peg bag using one of these tutorials or even one made to your own design…please come and post a photo to our Facebook wall. Here’s the link to our Sewing-Online facebook page. I love looking at the photos of things you have made.

I’ve scoured the web for peg bag tutorials and there are lots to choose from.

Here are some of my favourites :-

• Maya Donenfield shows you how to make a Burlap Peg Bag over on the Apartment therapy blog. This is a great way to upcycle old hessian coffee sacks.
• There is a tutorial over on the Fiddlesticks blog that shows you how to make a simple peg bag using a rectangle of material and a child’s plastic coat hanger with metal hook. 
• I love this example of a peg bag made from an old shirt. I can just see a polka dot blouse being made into a peg bag like this. It’s a great idea! I also love the magazine racks she made using radiator airers. In my new home I have radiators so I think this tutorial will be something I go back and follow when time permits. (I can’t seem to link directly to the ‘shirt peg bag’ and the ‘radiator magazine rack ’ so I have had to link to the main page of the blog. The shirt peg bag was published on the 23rd April 2010 and the magazine rack on the 26th April 2010).
• This tutorial by Catherine over on the Small Birdie blog shows you how to make a cute little peg bag that is perfect for storing your pegs in or you could take a tip from the author and hang it in your wardrobe to store socks in. It’s a great little storage solution and I can imagine you could also use these bags to store your sewing notions in like cotton threads or ribbons, etc.
• There is a very clear tutorial by Josie over at My Homemade Happy that shows you how to make a peg bag. The one she has made uses floral and polka dot materials and it’s really pretty.
• If none of the ideas above take your fancy then maybe this list of 26 more peg bag patterns will interest you. The list was compiled by Tipnut.com and there are some lovely examples of stylish peg bags.

If you would prefer to purchase a pattern to make a peg bag then we stock McCalls MC6051 in our online sewing shop. This pattern envelope contains patterns for making all sorts of useful things such as an apron, a peg bag, an ironing board cover and more.

I hope you all a fun time sewing and fingers crossed that our Facebook friend and all of you will find the ideal pattern to sew a new peg bag. 

I love to upcycle old clothes into new things and so I thought this week I would provide you with some tutorials from around the web to give you ideas of what you could turn you old jeans into. I once turned some of my sister’s white jeans into a handbag and I lined it with some green gingham cotton. It made a really sweet handbag and it was fairly simple to make.  All you will need in most instances is the old garments, sewing thread, hand sewing needles or a sewing machine. You might like to consider purchasing some special Sewing Machine Needles for Denim as it’ll hopefully make sewing through that notoriously thick fabric a little bit easier.

If you find you have problems cutting through denim with your ordinary scissors then you’ll love these dressmaking scissors by Fiskars as they are great for cutting through denim.

It is great to upcycle as it it means that clothes that might have ended up in landfill as they are beyond their current ‘useful life’ can instead be re-invented into something new. Plus you have the added bonus that your new item will have a past story to tell.

Over the Summer I hope to upcycle my daughter’s old baby clothes into a patchwork blanket and I really look forward to being able to look at each square and know that each one was upcycled from my daughter’s clothes.

Here are just 5 of the thousands of tutorials on the Internet that all use a pair of jeans as the main material.

1. Kristy over at the Textiles4You blog shows you how to Turn Your Jeans Into A Long Skirt
2. Sonya at Kanelstrand has a fab idea for turning your old jeans into a bowl.
3. Here’s a video that tells you how to turn your old jeans into a floor mat.
4. I love the idea of turning dad’s old jeans into toddler trousers. Narelle from Cook Clean Craft gives very clear step by step instructions.
5. Simplicity shows you how to turn jeans into a handbag. This is the same kind of bag that I made my sister.

If you pop over to WiseBread.com you will see there is a blog post that gives you an additional 25 things you can turn your old jeans into. Now all of these projects should certainly keep you busy sewing. :o)

Have any of you upcycled your old jeans into something new? If you have I’d love you to post a photo to our Facebook wall.

Now, I know you all love a bargain so I thought I’d just mention that we are currently selling the ‘Button It’ Cupcake Design Button Box at the sale price of £9.14 instead of £18.29. It’s a really beautiful little storage pot in the shape of a yummy cupcake. It would be perfect to use as storage for all your buttons and pins. Even better is the fact that the lid is actually a pin cushion. I think this would make a wonderful little treat for yourself or a great gift for a fellow sewing friend.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Best wishes,

Kim

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Are you serious about sewing?

Is your home full of your own creations?

Or do people admire your handmade clothes?

They are looking for men and women who enjoy sewing to take part in a brand new TV series.

From shirts to skirts, blinds to bags; if you’re at home behind a sewing machine and a dab hand with a needle and thread, we’d love to hear from you.

(They’d especially like to hear from sewing men!)

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If you are interested in applying all you have to do is click here to download the application form that you need to send in. All application rules can be found on the form and they urge you to send in the completed form as soon as possible so that you can be considered for the show.


If you do decide to apply to the show we’d love you to come and tell us on our Sewing-Online Twitter page or on our Sewing-Online Facebook wall.  It’s so fantastic that there will a new sewing programme on the TV. I can’t wait to watch it! :o)

In other news….we are always adding new stock to the our online sewing shop so I’ve decided that each week I will spend a moment highlighting some of our newest products for you. This week the two products that have really caught my eye are the Coloured Cotton Tape (20m spool) and the Bright Cotton Herringbone Tape (50m spool) that we have just this week started to stock. The colours available in both products are so vibrant and cheerful. My favourites are the lime green cotton herringbone tape and the fuchsia cotton tape. Both of these products are really worth looking at as they have so many uses. They would be ideal used as a bunting tape or you could easily turn them into quick and easy apron ties or bag handles. This is the first time I’ve ever seen these tapes available in such a wide array of rainbow colours. There is sure to be a colour to co-ordinate with whatever sewing project you are working on.

I hope you all enjoyed the bank holiday last week. The weather was rainy, as is typical for a Bank Holiday, but I’ve seen from Twitter and Facebook that it was a perfect chance for you all to get on with your crafting.  It seems a lot of you are working on your Queen’s Diamond Jubilee projects so if you are doing the same, please do come along and post photos of your handiwork on our Facebook wall for us all to see.

Have a fun weekend everyone.

Best wishes,
Kim

Here at Sewing-Online we have been busy adding lots of new stock to the website so I thought today would be a good time to let you know about all the new scissors we’ve just added. After all, every crafter or seamstress needs a good pair of scissors. I know I certainly couldn’t live without my pinking shears and dressmaking scissors.

Not only have we been adding new stock though….we’ve also been busy re-organising the whole scissors category of the site. Before today we had scissors categorised by brand but to make life a bit easier for you all we have now updated the site so that you can choose to search for your new scissors by their functionality. This means that it will be quicker for you to find the perfect scissors for the job. We’ve also been doing other updates on the site…but I’ll tell you all about those another week.

The scissor categories that we now have on the site are as follows:-

Spring Assisted Scissors
Dressmaking Scissors
Tailors Shears
Pinking Shears
Children’s Scissors
Embroidery Scissors
All Purpose Scissors
Thread Snips
Speciality Scissors
Left Handed Scissors
Craft And Hobby Scissors
Scissor Sets
Bulk Scissors

In the last few days we have added some gorgeous floral handle scissors to our site. You can choose from either the Floral Handle Embroidery Scissors or the Floral Handle Stork Embroidery Scissors. I am a huge fan of anything and everything floral print so I love these new introductions to the site. The scissors are not only pretty but affordable too. The Stork ones are just £4.31 a pair while the other ones are even less at only £2.96 a pair. They would make fantastic little gifts for any sewing enthusiast but so would the 4 inch Embroidery Angels scissors. You can see a photo at the top of this post and I’m sure you’ll agree…they are just fabulous. They are fun and functional but again super affordable at just £2.96 a pair. There are 4 different characters/designs available and I can foresee these flying off the shelves! You’d best get your order in straight away so you don’t miss out on owning the full set of these gorgeous scissors. My favourite is the pink version. Which is your favourite? Come and tell me on Twitter or Facebook.

If you need to buy yourself some new dressmaking scissors then take a look at our colourful Quality Dressmaking Scissors at only £4.78 per pair they are a great way to brighten up your sewing box. They are available with either Blue, Purple or Orange handles and they have stainless steel blades.

If you have a budding young crafter in your family then you will love the Children’s Carabiner Scissors that we have now started to stock at £1.89 a pair. I really love the look of them and will definitely be getting a pair for my daughter. I think the price point is fantastic as I have been paying £1 a pair for plastic bladed scissors for my daughter that don’t really cut anything so for just 89p extra these ones will be great for her to use under my supervision. They have an integrated safety lock, there are ruler measurements on the rounded tip metal blades plus the soft grip handle is really unique as it also doubles up as a carabiner clip so that your child can attach the scissors to their bag, keyring etc and then hopefully they won’t lose them.  They are available in pink or blue and because of the bright, vibrant packaging they’d be great as part of a ‘crafty’ birthday gift. The other kid’s scissors we now have available are the 59p Kidz Kutz Scissors which have rounded metal blades and colourful handles.

I hope you all have a fun filled Bank Holiday weekend. I’m going on a family outing to the local swimming pool and to say my daughter can’t wait would be an understatement. She loves to swim so I look forward to us having a lovely day out. One day, when I get through my never ending ‘Projects To Sew’ list I would love to have a go at making a swimming costume for my daughter. If you would like to do the same then you’ll find a free tutorial over on the ‘No Big Dill’ blog.

Until recently I had no idea that you could buy Cross Stitch Clock Kits. I knew you could buy kits to make cross stitch cushions, cross stitch pot pourri bags and even cross stitch height charts….but cross stitch clocks was a new one to me.

I think they are a great idea as they mean you can turn that piece of cross stitched art into a useful item that you will look at each and every day. The kits would make an ideal gift for a cross stitch fan as they are unusual and everything you need comes included in the pack. The contents of the pack are as follows:- stranded cotton, Aida fabric, needle, frame, clock mechanism, clock hands, cross stitch chart and full instructions.

The price of the clock kit varies depending on the design. At the moment we stock 4 different cross stitch clock kits and they are all made by well known cross stitch brand Vervaco. Each finished clock is framed in a 20cm / 8 inch needlework frame and all designs are stitched on an 18 count white Aida fabric.

The Blue Tits Cross Stitch Clock features a design of 3 Blue Tits sitting on some branches of a tree. This Blue Tit cross stitch kit costs £33.87 and it co-ordinates beautifully with the other cross stitch bird designs from Vervaco. You can see them all here.

The Cockerel Cross Stitch Clock is part of a range of cross stitch kitchen accessories by Vervaco. The clock costs £41.40 and it comes with a pretty red plastic frame instead of the usual wood coloured cross stitch frames that you normally see. The Cockerel range by Vervaco would look wonderful in any farmhouse kitchen. It would also make a superb and very thoughtful gift for anyone who is a fan of chickens or cockerels and I know there are lots of you. My Mum has a friend who loves anything with a chicken design on it and at Christmas I made her a little decorative cushion using Vanessa Arbuthnott Cockerel and Spot fabric. I will post a photo of the cushion on the Sewing-Online Facebook page later on today…so you can all see how it turned out. The other Vervaco Cockerel cross stitch items that we sell are as follows:-  Cockerel Pot Holder , Cockerel Tea Towel , Cockerel Kitchen Roll Holder and Cockerel Cushion

The Expresso Coffee clock costs £33.87 and would look lovely on the wall in a kitchen or conservatory. Other items in the Coffee range by Vervaco are the Cappuccino cross stitch kit and the Coffee cross stitch kit. Any of these kits would make fantastic gifts for coffee lovers and if you have a friend or relative who owns a little coffee shop these would look lovely stitched up and on display in their shop.

Now boys can be notoriously hard to cross stitch for but not any more. If you are looking for a cross stitch kit to make for a boy, be it your son, nephew or grandson etc then this Lightening McQueen Clock really would be perfect. Lightening McQueen is from the Disney Pixar ‘Cars’ movie and he is a very popular with not only boys but girls too. My daughter loves him! We’ve never actually sat down and watched the movie but somehow she still knows exactly who he is. The kit is £44.78 and the final design will be displayed in the red plastic frame which is supplied.

Vervaco make loads of other Disney cross stitch kits and you will find them all here. There are Disney Princess cross stitch kits, Winnie the Pooh cross stitch kits, Toy Story cross stitch kits and much more. I will dedicate a whole blog post to them in the future as there are too many Disney cross stitch kits to try and mention today.

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog post everyone. If there any topics you would like me to cover in future posts please let me know by email (sales@sewing-online.com with the subject F.A.O- Kim) or by contacting me on Twitter or Facebook.

Have a lovely weekend. 

Best wishes, Kim

If, like me, you are a fan of Shabby Chic Vintage style then you will love all these sewing kits I am going to talk about in today’s blog post. I thought I would bring your attention to all of these beautiful sewing kits as they would make wonderful gifts for people but better than that, if you fancy treating yourself then these are the things to buy as they are not only pretty but practical too!

The contents of each sewing kit varies as does the outer design of the case or box. My absolute favourite is the Floral Starter Kit by Button It which comes in a stunning little floral box. I love it because it uses my two favourite designs…polka dots and floral print. The sewing kit measures 11.5 x 11.5 x 6 cm and contains all the things that you can see in the photo at the top of this page. There are metal stork scissors, little bobbins of threads in various colours, a selection of needles, a thimble, a tape measure, a seam ripper, a needle threader, a pin cushion, 1 safety pin, 1 mender button and 1 sew-on metal popper. All of these essential sewing notions come nestled in this pretty fabric covered box.  The set is available from our online sewing shop for £17.49 and the best thing is that we also sell lots of other things to match it. I could easily be distracted and start talking about those matching accessories but today I had promised to talk about sewing kits. So what I will do is list the matching accessories at the bottom of this post and talk about them another week. :o) We also sell the Pink Stripes Starter Kit which contains exactly the same contents as the Floral starter Kit but the outer design of the box is different.

The Contemporary Rose Blue Stripe Premium Sewing Kit comes in a lovely cardboard suitcase shaped box with carry handle. It measures 22.5 x15.5 x 7.5cm. It is £10.35 and includes the following items - Sewing scissors, classic tomato shaped pincushion in a retro shade of blue, a 150cm tape measure, a metal thimble, dressmaker’s pencil, pearl headed pins, seam ripper, 10 assorted small bobbins of thread, 30 hand sewing needles,a wool needle and a selection of safety pins, snap fasteners, hooks + eyes and buttons.  This sewing kit would be a perfect gift for anyone who loves to sew. It is very affordable at just over £10 but even though it is not really expensive it still contains all the sewing essentials that you will need. 

Another couple of shabby chic sewing kits we sell that cost under £10 are the Sewing Case Red With White Spots and the Polka Dot Tin Sewing Kit. The red and white polka dot sewing case costs £9.77 and contains all the sewing necessities you’ll need such as Scissors, Tape Measure, Seam Ripper etc while the Polka Dot Tin Sewing Kit is only an amazing £2.65! You did indeed read that correctly… we are selling it for under £3 and at 8.5cm x 3.7cm it is the perfect size to pop in your handbag or take on your holidays for when you have those sewing emergencies such as button has fell off your shirt or the seam on your trousers has come unstitched. The compact polka dot tin contains some threads, needles, small scissors, seam ripper and some safety pins, pins and a couple of fasteners. I think these polka dot tins would make fun stocking fillers at Christmas…now I know Christmas is still 8 months away but I’m sure some of you start buying your presents early. I can’t say I’m normally that organised though - I tend to run around like mad at the last minute. Maybe I’ll be more organised this year?

Finally I’ll finish today’s post by mentioning the other 3 shabby chic style sewing kits we sell that are from the Contemporary Rose range. They contain the basic sewing essentials that you will need to do some hand sewing.  The Contemporary Rose Premium Sewing Kit costs £20.76 and measures 25 x 14.5 x 4cm, the Contemporary Rose Victorian Sewing Kit costs £16.44 and measures 11 x 12 x 12 cm and the Contemporary Rose Traditional Sewing Kit costs £13.56 and measures 10 x 9 x 8.5cm. The Rose Premium and the Rose Victorian kits contain the same items but the boxes they come in are both very different. The contents of these kits are as follows :- Pincushion, Pin rosette, Dressmaking pencil, 8 coloured threads, Scissors, Seam ripper, Assorted needles, Tape measure, Yarn needle, Thimble, Needle threader, Safety pins, Buttons and Snap fasteners.  The Rose Traditional kit contains 6 coloured threads, Seam ripper, Assorted needles, Tape measure, Thimble, Needle threader, Safety pins, Buttons, Snap fasteners and Pins.

Now that I’ve told you about all of the shabby chic sewing kits we sell …which one would you say is your favourite? I’d love you to stop by and tell me on our Twitter or Facebook page.

If you are not looking for a shabby chic style sewing kit then don’t despair. We also have lots of other different sewing kits to choose from. You will find them all here.

Here at Sewing-Online we also sell a huge range of empty decorative sewing boxes ready to be filled at home with your own sewing notions or with bits and bobs that you have bought from our site. If you are looking at buying an empty sewing box to fill with your sewing essentials then you’ll like my blog post ‘Sewing Kit Essentials’.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. My plan is to finish sewing a floral dress for my daughter. I made one a few days ago but it ended up a little too big for her so  I intend to modify the sewing pattern a little so this one will be the perfect fit.

Best wishes,
Kim

* Here are the matching accessories to the Button It Floral Starter Sewing Kit.

Floral Lidded Stacking Tray
Floral Scissor Pouch
Floral Knitting Bag
Floral Needle Wallet
Floral Tape Measure
Floral Adjustable Dressmakers Dummy
Floral Knitting Needle Roll
Floral Box
Floral Dummy Pin Cushion

It’s SALE time everyone! Here at Sewing-Online we are having our annual Spring sale and there are lots of savings to be made on selected items across the site.

If you are a keen dressmaker then you will love to hear that we currently have up to 30% off McCalls sewing patterns and up to 40% off Simplicity ones. This offer will not last forever so it’s best to stock up on all those must-have sewing patterns while they are available at bargain prices.  I’ve looked through the sale patterns and it is very hard to pick just one favourite from each brand but if I had to … I think I’d pick Simplicity 2369 which is for a woman’s flattering wrap top and dress with wide leg stretch trousers and McCalls MC6270 which is a child’s pattern for an adorable tiered ruffle dress and trousers.  I could spend forever looking at sewing patterns as there is just so many different ones available. You don’t have to be an expert to try making your own clothes. There are some really simple patterns available and you will find them in the following categories - Simplicity It’s So Easy and McCalls Easy Stitch-N-Save category. All of the sewing patterns in those two ‘Easy’ categories are available at spring sale prices which means that you can buy each pattern envelope for less than £3 each! We have lots of dressmaking dummies on sale as well and you can see them all here. Now there would be no hesitation if you asked me which was my favourite one of those….I adore the floral adjustable dressmaking dummy as it is just so shabby chic.

If you like to knit or crochet then you might like to treat yourself to pretty new folding frame floorstand to put your wool and patterns in. I just love the strawberry print on this one but if you’d like something a little different take a look at this farm animal print design. They are both on sale at £17.19 instead of the usual £22.88. Other things that might interest you are the sale price crochet hooks and knitting needles.

If you are into your cross stitch, needlecraft or tapestry then you too will find something to buy in our sale. There is up to 35% off in the following sections:-  Needlecraft and Embroidery Books, hand embroidery threads,needlecraft accessories, Needlecraft kits and Tapestry Kits, I think the Popcorn Alphabet Cross stitch Kits are fantastic value at just £5.00 each in the sale. They would make great little gifts for any cross stitch fans.

If you like paper crafting or sewing craft projects then you will be happy to see that we have up to 25% off all the ribbons on our site. This includes the popular ribbon bundles that you can buy at the sale price of just £23.63. In that pack you will get 100 bundles of assorted ribbon in 3 metre lengths. That really is such a great price for all that ribbon.

There are plenty of other things for sale on the site that I haven’t had a chance to mention in this blog post. So the best thing to do is go make yourself a drink, grab yourself some left-over Easter chocolate (if you have any that is…I don’t as I ate it all on the day! :-D) and settle down to browse the Sewing-Online site to see what savings you can make in our Spring sale. I know I will definitely be stocking up on some children’s summer sewing patterns to stitch for my daughter and I might just treat myself to a pretty sewing box as well!

If you are reading this and have either a Facebook or Twitter account I’d be delighted if you could please spare a moment to pop by and follow us. You can find us on Twitter by searching for @sewing_online and our Facebook page is Sewing-Online. I’d love to chat about all things crafty with you all.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.
Best wishes, Kim

You might remember that back on the 24th February I wrote the blog post ‘Inspirational List Of Things To Make’ and it seems that you all loved that post as it was jam-packed full of exciting projects for you all to make. Well, here’s some good news for you….Today’s post is just like that but with even more projects to choose from! If any of you reading this made any of the projects from the other blog post I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at sales@sewing-online.com and write F.A.O- Kim in the subject line.

This is a great post to bookmark as there are so many tutorials for you to follow by lots of different crafters from all around the crafty blogosphere. I have compiled this list from looking at all the projects I have mentioned on the Sewing-Online Facebook page and Twitter feed between the 25th Feb and the 5th April. I know you don’t all have Twitter and Facebook so rather than miss out on all this creativity I thought I’d write them up in a blog post for you all to see.

I have divided the list into rough categories depending on the craft they involve as I though it might make it easier for you. Here at sewing-online.com we sell all sorts of craft notions…we are not just ‘Sewing’ as the name might suggest. We actually sell lots of wonderful things such as jewellery making accessories, crochet hooks, knitting patterns, felt that is perfect for applique, colourful pom-poms, soft toy kits, cross-stitch books and so much more. We’d love it if you’d stop by our site and have a browse.

So here goes …. this list of projects should certainly keep you being busy and creative during April! You’ll also find some handy sewing tips have found their way onto the list as I thought you’d all love to read them.

As today is Good Friday you might like to take a quick look at any of these Easter and Spring Themed Craft ideas:-

• Anje from Pompomemporium shows you how to knit an Easter chick which conceals a creme egg
• This felt bunny rabbit bunting from Danamadeit is so cute and would be great to decorate your home this Spring.
• Now I have to say I am a huge fan of Cadbury’s creme eggs but I had no idea you could make something a little bit like them at home. Did you? Well here’s the tutorial for fondant filled chocloate eggs from member Scoochmaroo over on Instructables.
• If you have kids that you need to entertain over the Easter holidays then you’ll like these Easter Craft Ideas from the Playpennies website.
• There are 25 Easter crafts projects on the Allaboutyou website and you can see them by clicking here. Projects include a crochet chick egg cosy and sew an Easter bunny.
• If you fancy making a pretty Easter treat then you will like these sugar paste fondant chicks to go on top of some bought or homemade cupcakes. The instructions are by Marda from the Belle Cake Topper and Mould blog.
• Betz White has four lovely tutorials here in her Spring Revival blog post My favourite is the Girls’s mini tote bag tutorial.
• Claire Garland from Dot Pebbles shows you how to make some sweet little knitted rabbits over on the Mollie Makes website.

I don’t know how to knit or crochet, which is a real shame because if I did I could follow these fantastic tutorials :-

• Here Anje from Pompomemporium shows you how to make crocheted roses, a knitted bead necklace, knitted Cupcakes, a knitted mug and a knitted vase
• Kathy from Just Crafty Enough gives you the pattern to knit yourself some sweetheart mittens
• If you sign up to Crochet Me they will send you an ebook that shows you how to felt crochet. Plus in that ebook are 4 felted crochet patterns.
• Over on Lulu Loves the lovely Emma shares her first crochet pattern with you all. It is for making a crochet egg cosy
• A fun gift to knit for Father’s Day this year (17/6/12) would be this Zig Zag Necktie. The pattern was published on the Instructables website by member ATTILAtheHUNgry.
• This link to a tutorial on how to make handspun recycled newspaper yarn proved very popular on our Facebook page. There are lots of other fab things to make on the Greenupgrader site.
• Jessyz from the blog ‘The C Side’ gives you the pattern to knit your own sploshy washcloth
• If like me you don’t yet know how to knit then this YouTube video by Cyberseams is a great one to watch as it teaches you the basics of how to knit.

If you like to sew then you’ll enjoy these online tutorials that show you how to make some lovely things:-

• If you are a fan of vintage style dresses then you will love these two free patterns. The first one is from the Horrockses website and it is designed for you to make the sundress from a duvet cover. The second pattern is from the Victoria and Albert Museum website and it is for a 1950’s style couture inspired teadress.I love these patterns and so did lots of you on Twitter and Facebook. I can just imagine the V&A dress being made from this beautiful lime green with large pink roses fabric that I recently discovered for sale. The fabric is designed by Dawn from Ragged Rose and I love it!  If any of you make dresses from these two patterns please send me a photo at the email address at the top of this post or put one on Twitter or Facebook for me to see.
• Here Narelle from CookCleanCraft shows you how to make a washable bolster pillow
• Anje from Pompomemporium tells you a great way to make organza fabric flowers in this tutorial. As you can see of I have featured quite a few of her tutorials in this week’s blog post but she still has many more on her blog.
• This photo on Facebook from Mary Baldwin College shows you how to turn a lonely glove into a little squirrel. It’s a bit like an alternative to a sock monkey.
• If you know a child who likes to play with Lego then this project for a Lego storage bag / playmat by Lee from the Freshly Pieced blog will be perfect for you to make as a gift.
• Here is a tutorial on the Craft Elf site that shows you how to make fabric headbands from scraps of material.
• The Mother Huddle site has a fab idea on how to make some hanging fabric baskets or pockets to use as storage.
• If you like to sew little dresses then you’ll like the following two tutorials. The first one is from the Small Dream factory blog and it is for an A-Line Baby Dress and the second one is from MeSewCrazy for a child’s drop waist sailor dress
  
• If you are keen to make yourself a summer top then take a look at this pattern for a top made from four squares of material by Jamie from Jamie Christina Designs.
• This huge list of 32 free bag patterns compiled by Sew Easy is sure to keep you stitching for not just April but all year long!
• Here are a couple of must-see videos :- The video by Emma Tao shows you how to fit an elasticated waistband and casing while the video by Niler Taylor shows you a way to gather fabric fast.
• In the future I am keen to have a go at making a patchwork quilt so I found this tutorial by Heather Jones on straightline quilting to be very interesting. It is on the Sew4home website.
• On the Sewing Directory website you can see some useful sewing tips from Lynne at Lily’s Quilts.

If baking is your thing then you’ll like these links :-

• Recipe for Chocolate Muffins from The Pink Whisk website.
• Handy online baking tin size conversion calculator from the Cakebaker website.

Finally here’s a couple of other links that I think are great. One shows you how to style your hair in an upside down braided bun and the other one is just ingenious….it shows you how to make a upcycled mobile phone charging station. Or in other words, a neat little hanging pocket to pop your mobile phone in when you are charging it from the wall socket. It keeps the floor free from trip-hazard wires plus it is a great way of upcycling an old body lotion / shampoo bottle.

I’d like to say a big thanks to Craft Gossip for pointing me in the direction of a some of the projects on this list. I am subscribed to their Twitter Feed and their email newsletter and I’m sent lots of inspiration on creative things to make. I highly recommend you follow them on Twitter and sign up to their emails as well. If you don’t already follow Sewing-Online on Twitter, I’d love it you could do that too. :o)

Don’t forget that Sewing-Online sell almost all the things you might need for the craft projects in today’s blog post. We stock buttons, sewing threads, hot glue guns, scissors, elastic, zips and lots of other things.

On behalf of myself and all of the Sewing Online team I’d like to wish you all a very Happy Easter! :o)

Best wishes,

Kim

P.S - The photo is of our dotty ribbon. I included it as you know how much I love all things polka dot! :o) You can buy it here - http://sewing-online.com/ribbon/Berisfords_Ribbon/Dots_and_Stripes_Ribbon/dotty_ribbon/

Today’s blog post is all about sewing patterns for bibs. As a Mum I know just how important it is to have a large stockpile of bibs! Babies and toddlers get so messy at mealtimes and the last thing you want is them getting their food all down their lovely outfits. When you have a young baby or child you will probably find you hardly have much time at all to work on big sewing projects but a quick project you can manage to fit in during the short time that they have a nap is sewing a bib.

They are fairly simple to make and the best thing about them is that not only are they useful but you can save yourself quite a bit of money by making them yourself.  Bibs are not all that expensive to buy new but you will soon find that they get very grubby and you will wish for a cleaner one, when you can sew your own bibs it will only take a little while at the sewing machine and you’ll have a nice new bib for your child to use. No need to spend out more money on buying a new set of bibs, just sew your own using a bib sewing pattern.

The fact that you can choose your own fabrics when you sew your own bibs means that you can make sure that your little one’s bibs aren’t plain and boring instead they can be bright and eye-catching. Who says bibs have to be white?! I love polka dot and floral print bibs but to buy them on the high street you are looking at paying upwards of £6.00 each for these kind of shabby chic designs. If I make the bibs myself not only can I pick the exact floral design I like but the final bib will be unique and more cost effective. You can get a lot of pretty cotton bibs out of a £6.00 metre length of fabric!

You don’t have to buy new fabric to make the bibs though, you could instead upcycle some old clothes or duvet covers. There are lots of ways of making the bibs even cheaper to make. Maybe you would like to make a patchwork baby bib from scraps of fabric. Not only would it be a stash busting project but it would make the bibs really colourful and very unique. :-) Here’s a tutorial by Jaime over at Sew She Sews showing just how to make a patchwork baby bib.

Sewing-Online stock loads of commercial sewing patterns for baby bibs by all the well know pattern brands such as Butterick, McCalls and Simplicity. I have a couple of favourite patterns and the first one is Simplicity 2273 - Novelty Baby Bibs. I adore the polka dot apple version of the bib. The other bib designs in this pattern pack are a strawberry, pear, watermelon, carrot, peas in a pod and a couple of other fruits. My other favourite pattern is Simplicity 2468 - Novelty Baby Bibs as I love the Ladybird design bib with the polka dot body. The other bib designs in this pack are for a crocodile, a  turtle, a teddy, an owl and a few other animal shaped designs. Both of these patterns are part of the Precious Patterns collection and we are currently selling them at the sale price of £3.39 each instead of the usual £5.65.

I hope you enjoy browsing through this list of bib sewing patterns. There are plenty of designs to choose from and some of the pattern packs on this list also contain patterns for other baby related items such as nappy covers, blankets, baby toys and booties, etc. Those patterns would certainly keep you busy sewing!

• Butterick B4533 Baby Bibs  - Package includes patterns and instructions for six baby bibs
• Butterick B5669 Bibs  - Package includes patterns and instructions for two baby bibs
• 1983 Sew Simple Babies’ Bib  - Pattern for a teddy bear bib with ribbon tie at neck
• Mccalls Pattern M6478 - Bib and Burp Cloth Patterns with applique designs. Part of the Sew Sweet Chic Collection by Susan Cousineau.
• McCalls MC6108 - Bib and Nappy Cover Patterns with applique designs. Part of the Sew Sweet Chic Collection by Susan Cousineau.
• McCalls MC6223 - Lots of useful patterns to sew for baby. Patterns include bib, blanket, nappy cover, hat, booties, trousers, bodysuit, top and babygro.
• McCalls MC5870 - Patterns for a lamb quilt, lamb blanket, lamb pillow, framed lamb picture, lamb toy and lamb bib. Part of the Sew Sweet Chic Collection by Susan Cousineau.
• McCalls MC5900 Wall Hanging, Pillow, Toy, Bib, Blanket and Quilt - Patterns for a framed bee picture, teddy and bee pillow, bear toy, bee bib, teddy bear blanket and bee and teddy quilt. Part of the Sew Sweet Chic Collection by Susan Cousineau.
• McCalls MC6339 - Patterns for a crocodile blanket, quilt with crocodile, giraffe and lion appliques, giraffe framed picture, taggie style toy and a bib both with lion appliques. Part of the Sew Sweet Chic Collection by Susan Cousineau.
• McCalls MC6368 - Patterns for a burp cloth, cupcake shaped taggie style toy and a cupcake shaped bib. Designed by Cotton Ginnys.
• Butterick B5583 - Lots of essential baby sewing patterns. Includes patterns for a baby sleeping bag / bunting, footed sleepsuit  nappy cover, blanket, booties, hat, bib, mittens and a little top
• Simplicity 3561 Baby Accessories - This pattern pack shows you how to make a shopping trolley seat cover, a nappy / tote bag, a dummy bag, a support cushion cover and a bib. Part of the Sewing Patterns For Dummies Collection.

If you are looking for the perfect new baby gift to sew then a bib has to be one of the simplest and most needed projects you could choose.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

See you all next week. Best wishes, Kim

Spring arrived a few days ago and you can’t fail to miss it. The daffodils are in bloom, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. It’s lovely! It has inspired me to write today’s blog post all about Spring themed Cross-Stitch Kits that you can buy at Sewing-Online.com. If you fancy making the most of the Spring days then you can’t beat relaxing in the garden with the sun shining overhead and a beautiful cross stitch project in your hand. That has to be one of the things I like most about Cross-Stitch. You can take it with you wherever you go… to the beach, in the garden, on a bus, to the hospital and even on a plane (if the airline allows and you buy one of these special thread cutters for travel).

I haven’t cross stitched in at least 4 or 5 years but I do miss it. It doesn’t require much equipment, only the cross stitch kit, a pen, some thread snips and a cross stitch hoop (if you wish). I didn’t always use a hoop as sometimes I just wanted to fold up my work in progress and pop it in my handbag but I think it does make life a lot easier if you do use one. It stretches out the Aida, canvas or linen which means that you can easily work on your project without straining your hands trying to hold the fabric out taught.

I keep talking to you all about cross stitch kits and it’s making me think I really must buy another kit so I can take it with me when I go on my summer holidays this year. Not sure if I’ll get much stitching done as even a holiday isn’t a time to relax when you have a child to look after, but wishful thinking hey! :-) I think my favourite cross stitch kit from today’s Spring themed cross stitch selection has to be this kit called ‘Tulip Trio’ from the Dimensions Gold Collection. It is stitched on 14 count ivory Aida and the final piece measures 16” x 12” (41cm x 30cm). The project uses a mixture of full cross stitch and half cross stitch. I love the floral design cross stitch and I think it would make a beautiful cushion. You can buy the kit here and it is currently on sale at £44.56 instead of the usual £59.41.

If you would like to see some of the cross stitch projects I have made before please click here. You can then come and tell me what you think about my past projects on the Sewing-Online Facebook page or on Twitter. I’d love if you’d stop by and tell me which cross stitch kit you are working on at the moment. 

Here’s all those Spring themed Cross Stitch Kits for you all….

• This stunning Daffodils Cross Stitch Cushion  by Vervaco measures 16” x 16” (40cm x 40cm). The other Spring design cross stitch cushions available are Anemones, Pansies and Crocuses
• These kits by Stitch Garden should be quite quick and easy to complete - Yellow Posy And Violet Posy - Yellow Rosebud And Pink Rosebud - Yellow Rose And Red Rose
• This delightful Pot-Pourri bag by Vervaco is ready to have a Daffodil design cross stitched onto it. It is also available in an Iris design and a Crocus design.
• This lovely ‘Spring Flowers Bunny’ cross stitch kit lets you stitch a pretty picture of a rabbit amongst the flowers with a butterfly and bird in the background. Perfect to stitch as an Easter gift for someone.
• Birdhouse Spring is part of The Birdhouse Range by Vervaco and it is stitched on 18 count Aida.
• The River In Springtime  cross stitch kit by Vervaco shows a river running past a cottage and beneath a bridge. There are lots of pretty flowers to stitch which will certainly brighten your day.
• The Spring Time View Stamped Cross Stitch Kit by Dimensions is printed on white sailcloth.
• If you are looking for a fantastic spring gift to stitch for either yourself or someone special then you’ll love this Magnolia And Butterflies Stamped Cross Stitch Quilt Kit by Dimensions.
• The Brilliant Butterfly Collection Cross Stitch Kit is part of the Gold Collection by Dimensions and it features full cross stitch, half cross stitch and even a bit of glitzy metallic thread.
• If you are new to Cross Stitching you might like this easy Bumble Bee Beginners Cross Stitch Kit. It would be a great little project to start you on your way into your new hobby.
• The Let It Bee Counted Cross Stitch Kit by Dimensions is just up my street as it features a polka dot design on of the three plant pots in the picture. This trio of colourful Gerberas with the text ‘Let it Bee…’ and a little cross stitched Bee is sure to make you all smile.
• If you have always wanted to try stitching with blending filament then you’ll like the Butterfly Profusion Counted Cross Stitch Kit by Dimensions.
• The cross stitch kit Chickadees In Spring from the Gold Petites Collection by Dimensions has a lot of depth in colour to it because of the mixture of full and half cross stitches used in the piece.
• If you like to cross stitch birds then you’ll enjoy these two kits by Dimensions - Birch Tree Birds Counted Cross Stitch Kit and Birds And Swirls Counted Cross Stitch Kit
• The Floral Retreat Cross Stitch Kit is by Dimensions and it is part of the Gold Collection. It is very detailed and would look stunning framed and hung on the wall once you have completed the project.
• If you like to read books then you are sure to find this Cross Stitched Anemones Bookmark not only useful but pretty too.
• My Mum has never done Cross Stitch before but if she could I’m sure she’d stitch something like this Iris And Swan design cross stitch kit by Dimensions  as she loves Irises.
• Now the last kit in my Spring Cross Stitch selection is this inspiring Wish Counted Cross Stitch Kit by Dimensions. It is currently on sale at only £9.91 and it features a delightful silhouette of a child blowing on a dandelion clock and making a wish. In the background are the stitched words ‘Hope’, ‘Dream’, ‘Wish’ and ‘Believe’.

Hope you have a lovely weekend and if any of you have a suggestion for a future blog post please contact me on Twitter or Facebook and let me know. You could also email sales@sewing-online.com and mark the email as F.A.O- Kim and it will be forwarded onto me.

Best wishes,

Kim