This months’ blog post give away is an amazing craft give away. Before we forget we’d like to say a big thank you to Stepney City Farm for donating this
prize.
This is Trixie the sheep and along with her friends, Jake,
Jacob and Tallulah, they are all the stars of this months’ blog post. All four
sheep live at Stepney City Farm and with an ingenious way of recycling or
upcycling and craft, the farm have created an amazing felt slipper craft
workshop, using the wool from the sheep,(let me hear you all say Ahhhhhhh).
During this one day workshop you will learn how to clean
wool, card it and felt it into slippers to perfectly fit your feet. Spending a
day at the farm sounds perfect to me, i’ve already booked my space.
To Win a free place worth £50 on one of the next 2 workshop dates available
just leave a message on this blog post, on our Facebook group stating why you would love to win this prize or simply return our Tweets! Yes it is that simple!
For more information about this workshop or if you can't wait for the competition to be drawn you can book onto one of the 2 dates, on their website Stepney City Farm The two dates available are: 21st April or 12th May.
Finding a new
place in South London to attend a craft workshop is always exciting and I
recently found a little gem. Tucked away in Kew is Handmade By You, a quirky
craft little company, situated on the high street.
In preparation
for Valentines, Handmade By You ran a Valentines themed workshop, unusually we
were making both a valentines card and shampoo and it was only when a few
people had mentioned to me that is was a strange combination of crafts, that I
thought it did sound a little odd, but you should have been there, it was
refreshing to do 2 completely different crafts and total value for money (I absolutely
loved learning how to make natural shampoo)
After a
weekend of snow it was great to get out of the house and enjoy something
creative. Our night started perfectly with heart shaped scones, stuffed with jam and
cream, my body is a temple mantra went out of the window!
Our card
making tutor was Jessica Aldred, Co-author ofAdventures in Needlework. I was slightly in awe,Jessica was great, she gave us a selection of 4 of valentine’s cards to
pick from, I chose the very pretty button heart.
The time flew
by, Jessica was the perfect tutor, chatty and helpful. We managed to finish in
the allocated hour and then onto the chemistry of making shampoo, with
essential oils, presented by Alice.
I was
terrible at chemistry at school and I think left to my own devises I would have
been equally as awful at making shampoo, but thankfully Alice was on hand to
teach us the importance of the PH balance, the combination of different
essential oils and the benefits of making your own natural products versus
buying products from the shops and there are loads and not just to the
environment but also to your hair, but don’t just take my advise, contact Alice
for more info. @handemadebyyou
I loved my
finished products, one valentine card and 2 different shampoos , needless to
say these were too nice for Mr Big and I’ve kept them for myself.
At the end we were handed more lovely goodies, remember the lucky dip
bags from when we were kids?!? A pretty paper bag, filled with surprises, only when we opened ours, there were no sweeties or small toy, far better, ours were filled with, vintage threads, pretty beads, embroidery
threads, a Handmade By You broach making kit.
The very small touches that Handmade By You have added to their workshops make a huge difference to the customers experience. The workshops are a great gift or like me you could just save it for yourself. The next
Handmade By You workshop is Jewellery making – Vintage Charm Bracelet 26th
Feb.
Find Handmade By You on twitter and Return the special tweets to win a
free place. But if you can’t make it to Kew, the lovely Alice who runs the
workshops is also in Hammersmith too, here’s what Alice had to say:
"I run The Make
Something out of Nothing Craft Club every Tuesday Night in Chiswick/Hammersmith. We craft in Pantry at The Hampshire Hog and
Pantry, King Street, Hammersmith from 7-9 every Tuesday. Each week, we have a mini workshop where we
upcycle and refashion vintage, pre loved or seemingly useless objects into
beautiful homewares, accessories and treats. Want to make a tie into a
necklace, a tea cup into a pin cushion, some fabric into some cufflinks? Then this club is for you! Club members can either bring the object we
are refashioning or purchase one from me for a small fee. All club nights are cosy, fun and informal
and a great way of meeting new, crafty people.
Joining the club is free and you just pay £10 for each night you attend."
We
are massive fans of Urban Cross Stitch and after 6 months of stalking Phil
Davison the founder, he has now given in and agreed to give us an interview.
Here’s Phil’s 10 minutes on the Couch.
Tell
us about Urban Cross Stitch?
Firstly, I am flattered by The Couch’s enthusiasm for my
work. It is an honour to be featured on your site; thank you. Urban Cross
Stitch is all about “urbanising” the classic craft of cross-stitching.
It is a revival of the traditional art form from a twee pastime to a more modern
graphic medium. The Urban Cross Stitch kits are inspired by street art and
popular culture, and contain everything required to create contemporary, hand
crafted cross stitch pieces.
What
makes Urban Cross Stitch different from any other cross stitch company?
Urban Cross Stitch appeals to a broader selection of
individuals, from the cross stitch skeptic, who adjusts his views after
appreciating our alternative designs; to the staunch traditional stitcher in
search of a challenge. It is true that we have a strong fan base of younger
stitchers who want to create pieces that they can proudly display, pieces that
make a statement and reflect the progression of modern art and our communities.
But there has also been increased interest from the more experienced stitchers
who are drawn to our more intricate creations/designs.
What
do you love about cross stitch?
I love that something so simple can bring about such rich
results. Cross stitching is very therapeutic. It takes you away from the
stresses of everyday life, and at the end of it you have a piece of art to be
proud of.
Dare
I ask, where do you get your inspiration from?
Libby Purves from Radio 4’s Midweek described me as "the Hitchcock of cross stitch"
because I sometimes draw inspiration from my deepest, darkest thoughts. But
generally, I am inspired by life, but whatever is happening around me. For
example, I am presently working on a few pieces inspired by all things British,
in celebration of the Queens jubilee.
Which
has been your most popular pattern?
This may come as a surprise, but our most popular pattern
is the mini “bollocks” design. It caused more than a few raised eyebrows when
it was released in 2008, but it has since become a regular (vulgar) visitor to
our order books as it seems to have been embraced by the majority of our fans.
I think it is the combination of the juxtaposition of the traditional cross
stitch border with the somewhat offensive text that results in this particular
design being a cross stitch cult classic. It is also a very simple design to
stitch up and even the most inexperienced stitcher can craft it within an hour
or two.
Have
your patterns caused controversy?
It would be an affront if they didn’t! However, the
controversy is never profound and is always short-lived, as people appreciate a
bit of humour; which is precisely what the so-called controversial pieces aim
to achieve.
What’s
the deal with Blue Moon?
Blue Moon is an American beer, which has recently been
introduced to the European market. The Beer is uniquely flavoured, handcrafted,
or as they say, artfully crafted. As it is not your usual run-of-the-mill beer,
they wanted a unique, non-conformist artist to promote it. And who better to do
so than Urban Cross Stitch!
We
heard you are bringing out some new designs, what should we expect?
You can expect even more “controversy”. But in different
forms: there is a new T-shirt kit range with which you can stitch up your own
wearable Urban Cross Stitch projects, these range from graffiti slogans to
bloody stitched stab wounds, as seen in our recently released book, Twisted
Stitches..
The Couch is getting an exclusive preview of our
2012-inspired pieces. This is such a huge year for Great Britain, with the
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics, that I have created a few designs to
commemorate the occasions. These designs will be revealed to the general public
very shortly.
There are also a few more exciting projects in the
pipeline, so watch this space…..
They
sound cool where can we buy?
All
our products can be purchased directly from our website
www.urban-cross-stitch.com
Oh
we’re due for a work day out, do you have any more Urban Cross Stitch events
coming up?
In
the past two years various projects and commitments, such as releasing the
Twisted Stitches book, the Blue Moon campaign and a smattering of festival
appearances have taken up a lot of my time which has led to a backlog of new
design ideas and sketches. This has resulted in me not having much spare time
to release new designs for our loyal fans; so I am currently trying to make a
dent in that backlog and get a few new kits ready for all those itching for a
stitch of something new and interesting... Unfortunately this has had a knock
on effect and has delayed planning the next of our now infamous Cupcakes!
Cocktails! & Cross Stitch! events. But I can assure you that they haven’t
gone away, they are just presently on hold.
Ummmmm….
Are you going to come to South London too? If not, we defo need to collaborate
and bring something to the south Londoners…
Being
based in East London as we are, we have tended to stick to our own turf for
events in the past, but during the Blue Moon events we were invited to various
locations around London to entertain the masses with our cross stitching craft.
On these travels we did a few events south of the river which were awesome and
it really opened our eyes to the variety of great bars and venues all across
London.
We
would definitely be up for collaborating on a few events south of the river,
especially with the benefit of Craft Clubs local venue knowledge, so any
suggestions or ideas are very welcome.
Could
you describe Urban X Stitch in 3 words?
Unorthodox,
revolutionary fun!
Finally
do you have a joke or funny story to share?
I
would think that most of my stories probably are not suitable for public
consumption, but I will say that the last cross stitch joke I heard had me in
stitches.
I’d like to say that this gift idea was mine, but i was actually
inspired by another blog and I’ve now made my version to hopefully inspire you.
Like the part 1 Valentines tutorial this isn’t just for valentines it can be
used for any occasion and you can customise it in any way.
Equipment
Second-hand picture (the bigger the better)
Spray paint – for the frame
Scissors
Paint colour charts
Glue – ideally spray mount and pric stick
Letters
Masking tape
This was a really fun project to do, the best part was picking what
colours and shades I was going to use – Tip: you may need to visit a couple of
shops to steal the colour charts and fill up your boots, I used a lots and often
changed my mind about which shade to use!
Start by selecting your shades and cutting up the colours
After cutting up the colours needed, arrange them on to the image you are replacing or the backboard of the frame, you could mix up the colours, select them to go from light to dark (like mine) or just have lots of shades of the same colour.
When you are happy with the layout start to stick the shades with spray mount: Tip - This stray needs lots of ventilation and is ultra sticky. I've suggest removing the colours as you had placed them, cover the board with spray mount and then quickly stick onto the board.
Whilst the colours are drying on the board, spray your frame. When I brought mine (From a charity shop at the top of Brixton Hill) it had an ugly black and gold frame, so I sprayed it white.
Picking the words to go on there should be easy, keep it short and sweet and will look really effective. I stuck the letters with pric stick (Spray mount is far too sticky).
When the frame, letters and colours have dried, put the frame back together and use the masking tape to hold the back of the frame in place.
Finished - An original piece of art work, hopefully for a happy recipient.
We predict 2012
is the year of oilcloth, forget the plastic tablecloths we remember as children
and acquaint yourself with the new fashionable oilcloth with gorgeous prints.
My love of
oilcloth started last summer at the SW Craft Club pop up summer events. I
brought 20 metres of oilcloth to cover each table for the event and besides
being a protective cover it also needed to look pretty.
Fast forward
to the winter and I have 20 meters of oilcloth gathering dust in my home, I’m
all about recycling and upcycling, so I researched the fabric further and what
it’s capable of and other than being referred to by lots of different names, I
also learn it can be waterproof, it’s wipeable,
it’s durable and I think fun! This Christmas my nearest and dearest
received oilcloth lunch bags and they look amazing! Even one of a male friend
has asked me to make a manly version for him (see below)
Still not
sure? Checked out the latest ranges from Cath Kidson, Boden and Lisa Stickly
and you’ll find very pretty bags, in all shapes and sizes, mobile phone holders
and aprons etc.
Like I said
2012 will be the year of the oilcloth and here’s how you can get involved. I
have to be honest, I’d like to pay homage to Martha Stewart, from where I
originally found this no brainer of an idea, for the lunch bag but her tutorial
isn’t as detailed as I need it, see below:
Cut main piece 29 1/2 by 8
inches and two side panels, each 12 1/4 by 5 inches.
1. Fold long panel, inside out,
into U shape with 5-inch bottom.
2. Make 1/4-inch cut at bottom
corners of side and middle pieces so bag folds smoothly. Sew-in side panels,
leaving 1/4-inch seam allowance.
3. Turn right side out and
top-stitch all around, 1/8 inch from edge.
I’m not sure if you are like me, but I need images or more
detail, either way, Martha you were a bit sparse on this occasion.
Below are my additional tips and images to help you to help
you to make your own oilcloth bag:
Hello and
happy New Year to you all, I hope you have lots of crafting ideas for the year
ahead, stuck for ideas well why not try something new like making jams or
pickles. Have no idea where to start well then I have the perfect item for you.
Perfect Pantry Gifts by Tara Duggan is a beautiful kit that will get you well
on your way to making your jams, preserves and pickles.
This tiny
little book is not only packed with seasonal and all year recipes but also
advice on how to prepare and sterilize jars, food safety and the kind of
equipment that you will need.
The kit also
comes with an assortment of jar labels, tags, gift bags, matching ties and
cloth lid covers for you to create your gifts or maybe stock up of goodies for
yourself and brighten up your larder.
I know I did!
I decided to
make the Lemon Curd from this book and I have to say the recipes in this book
are very easy to follow and I had this jar of delicious Lemon Curd whipped up
in no time.
This kit
would make a great gift for a budding or even experienced cook, the recipes are
easy to follow but a note for British buyers this book is American and so you
will have to convert your measurements as all ingredients are measured in cups
and pints. I was surprised at how much information ws contained in one little
book and the label, tags and jar covers are all quite lovely.
With only 2 weeks to go before Christmas, I thought I would
treat myself to craft course, something relaxing and not to difficult. Lately I’ve been mesmerise by the work of Rob
Ryan. If you don’t know his work, essentially he specialise in paper cutting,
but over the last year it’s taken on a new commercial lease of life, with his
work appearing on mugs, bags, plates, umbrellas and even as the cover of the
Stylist magazine. I think he is a true romantic, look out for him, his images are perfect for
valentines day.. hint hint!
It was quite apparent I was never going to produce a paper
cutting image to the same stand as Rob Ryan in a 2.5hour class, but I’ve never
tried paper cutting before, so I was keen to learn the basics. I couldn't find anywhere in south London which
runs a course or workshop, so I booked onto an after work class at The Make Lounge
in Islington.
The Make Lounge runs multiple classes during the
evening and even though I loved my paper craft workshop I was getting craft
envy for the lampshade making workshop going on in the next room, it may
possibly be the next class on my to do list.
Our tutor was Suzy Taylor and her own work really does speak for itself, not only is she talented with a knife! she's also very, very patient, which for a workshop like this is a necessity, as our
group worked at different levels, each person with a different style and she
made time for each of us.
I found the Make Lounge welcoming and with groups for no more
than 8 people it was just the right size workshop.
We started by learning some very basic techniques and
searching through books for inspiration.
I think most people can pick this craft up easily and be good at it,
you just need to be accurate, patient, have good attention to details and even
if you aren't great a drawing or your imagination is taking a break, you can still
trace images from books or magazines etc. As Suzy said ‘it’s a really inexpensive craft, all
you need is a cutting board, scalpel and paper”
Here’s one I made earlier....
Here are some more made by other people in the group.
