LucyKate Crafts...

Crafty eye candy...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:43:00 +0000

Al has been away in Singapore for a week, there wasn't much I asked him to bring back, just this Japanese Craft Book, 'Animal Mascot', which I've had my eye on for weeks.

Very cute penguin and seal pattern,

and Crocodiles to name but a few.

But he also picked up the May issue of 'Cotton Time',

love this issue, there are a few softie patterns, in amongst,

a whole heap of quilting ideas.

All the eye candy got the creative ideas going at the weekend, and I started playing around with fabric...!

I'd better get on with the sewing!

Embroidery threads,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:38:00 +0000

I've never really been one to pay much attention to brand names, but have to admit to having always favoured Anchor embroidery threads, mainly because I worked for Coats as a Designer for nearly twelve years, and as a result, have quite a supply to hand.

But, a while ago, I was sent some threads by DMC. Now, from my experience of the UK needlecraft industry, there has always (and probably still is!) a bit of rivalry between Coats and DMC. In my fledgling days as a designer, myself and a colleague were sent to spy on the DMC stand at a trade fair in Germany, only to be recognised and asked to leave. I am certain the DMC design team will have been simultaneously spying on the Coats stand too!

So, I guess, now I work for myself, I am free to choose. I've not used the DMC pearl cotton before, but today my needle is threaded and I'm giving them a go.

Which do you use?

News 'n' other stuff...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:01:00 +0000

There have been a few unexpected surprises over the last week, cheques turning up through the post for magazine projects I'd all but forgotten about, a mention in a new sewing magazine (thank you Claire!), and this...,

2010 Sewing Calendar, from Andrews McMeel Publishing, now available for pre-order on Amazon. There are instructions to make 100 projects, including a few from me, look, thats my toadstool on the front!

I've also just had word of some new projects being selected for a collaborative pattern book too, more on that soon though!

ps, I think my computer chair may be broken, while I've been typing this it's gradually gone down, I'm now almost sat on the floor!

Fox softie dilemma...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:18:00 +0000

I'd been meaning to re-visit the Fox softie pattern I started a while ago, and after a trip to the local charity shop resulted in an ideal coloured woollen jumper to felt, there was no excuse! The original pattern got tweaked slightly, but while I was sewing, another idea kind of popped up. When I begin a new pattern, the first decision I make is whether it's going to be a side on profile or front on profile. Usually, it's an obvious choice as to which will work best, but in this case, I'm not quite so sure...!

So, here we have them both,

FOX 1,

and FOX 2,

(Fox 2 from a different angle)

So, I need your help on this one, which do you prefer?

FOX 1 or FOX 2?

To mix, or not to mix, that is the question...!

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Sorry I disappeared for a while there, didn't I?!, We've been away for a few days visiting family in the Lake District. I don't like to blog about going away until afterwards, otherwise, it feels like shouting 'Hey, our house is empty, come..., break in and steal stuff!'.

The school holidays are plodding along, and today I have been left asking the question, 'Why oh why have I never made home made play dough before?!' It's so easy. There are lots of recipes out there to choose from, I can't remember exactly where this version came but this is what we did...,

You will need :: 2 cups of plain flour, 1 cup of salt, 2 cups of cold water, 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and 4 teaspoons of cream of tarter, food colouring (I used red, yellow, blue and green), a large saucepan, wooden spoon, whisk, airtight containers or zip lock bags to store it in and a stove.

Plonk all the ingredients (apart from the food colouring!) in a saucepan on the stove top, and stir. Now, mine went lumpy at this point so I gave it a quick go with a whisk. Then turn on the heat, a low heat is all that's needed, and keep stirring with a wooden spoon. The mixture will gradually thicken, don't worry if more lumps appear at this stage, it will even out when it comes out the pan. After a couple of minutes, the spoon will become harder and harder to move as it turns into a dough. At this point, turn off the heat, and turn the dough out onto a work surface and allow to cool. Then give it a quick kneed, and there you go, that's the cooking part done, now for the messy bit!

This recipe gives a fairly large quantity of playdough, so we split ours into 6, placed each on a glass chopping board, made a well in the centre then added a teaspoon of food colouring (the liquid kind), and kneeded and kneeded until the colour was evenly dispersed, adding more food colouring along the way if the colour was too pale. We also mixed our colours to get orange and purple.

Luke's favorite is green!

Now the big question amongst us Mums. Do you let your children mix up their playdough colours??, we have a difference of opinion in our house, I don't mind if they get mixed up to make a yukky brown, which is why all our colours are just chucked into a zip lock bag together. My theory being by the time all the colours are mashed up, it's drying out and needs replacing anyway. My husband disagrees, he hates seeing it all mixed up, it really grates on him!

So, to mix or not to mix, that is the question?!

PS, Thank you for all the foxy feedback, fox number 2 is the out and out winner by far! I shall be asking opinions on softie patterns more often, that was huge success!

It's the summer holidays...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:13:00 +0000

...and I know I should be enjoying it, but I do feel like I'm fighting a loosing battle here. A battle against these words.

"I'm bored!"

I am enjoying the freedom, the time with the kids (when they're not bickering), not having to be up and out of the house at a certain time. But I browse other blogs, and as well as feeling inspired, I also do feel an air of inadequacy. Why aren't my children happy skipping through fields, chasing butterflies and picking the odd wild flower? Part of the reason why, isn't down to them though, it's because, here in the UK, a) the weather is rubbish, we've had rain most days for the last few weeks and there's only so many times that getting wet is fun, and b) for health and safety issues, you're not allowed in the field for fear of someone tripping, hurting themselves and suing either the local farmer or the council!

We've done stuff, cinema, swimming, visited friends, playdates, made playdoh, and other crafty activities, and yet, they still say they're bored. I've come to the conclusion, that although I'm exhausted attempting to keep them entertained, the thing they are happiest doing, is whining! My only hope is that, rather than being inadequate, we're actually, dare I even say it...,

normal!

In a weekend bid for some happy children, we did set to a crafty playdate. I was contacted by a UK craft supplier a week or so ago and asked if I would like some craft items to have a go with and review. While I don't normally go in for advertising on my blog, summer holidays, children and the offer of free supplies was too good to turn down! So, armed with a pack of plain tote bags, fabric paint and pens, and also some spinning tops, I went into battle with the boredom.

The girls eagerly decorated t-shirts and bags, Lucy's very happy with hers and the paint dried pretty quickly too.

(Design wise, we've gone through the High School Musical phase and have now entered Hannah Montana zone)

While the boys tinkered around with the spinning tops. These were great fun actually, very effective. Cheap too, and there's 12 in each pack.

(Alternative uses for spinning tops!)

I think I may have won. Slightly. OK, just a little!

The war rages on, next round is paper mache, what fun!

(All supplies from Baker Ross)

Well, you could have knocked me down with a feather...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:52:00 +0000

or in this case, a bottle of wine!, but after all my moaning last week, just look at this...,

my children, (and husband!), frolicking in a field,

chasing butterflies and picking the odd wild flower.

We spent Saturday night under canvas, in a local field with a group of friends. And, it has to be said, the person guilty of the most moaning was me. I am not a natural camper, I went under duress, but I went nonetheless.

Things I like about camping :: How excited Lucy and Luke were. Overexcited. I worried they were going to burst a blood vessel or something. Watching them building dens out of branches and bundles of freshly cut grass. And the fresh air. I love the smell of fresh air.

Things I don't like about camping :: Earwigs. I don't mind insects in general but really don't like earwigs. Being the filling in a snoring sandwich between my husband and my son. And lastly, waking up in the middle of the night and realising that the inflatable mattress which started out to be oh so comfy, has sprung a leak and is gradually going down, and down, and down!

Playing with food,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Now, I'm always having to tell Luke in particular off for playing about with his food rather than eating it. But there are occasions when playing is the right thing to do, and this was one of them. I decided it would be fun to make pizzas from scratch, even the dough. (ok, I confess. We did use the bread maker for the dough)

Each pizza was a different shape,

for Lucy, our resident rock chick and Hannah Montana fan, a guitar.

For Luke, the car enthusiast, a VW Beetle.

And for me, Lucy informed me this was in the shape of my favorite thing. Given the frequent mess in this house I clear up on a daily basis, I assumed she was referring to the hoover! But no, my favorite thing, as she reminded me is, of course, chocolate. Its in the shape of a bar of chocolate!

Now, they're all in the shape of a few crumbs!

ps, next post is going to involve a giveaway, and 3 prizes!!

The Great Giveaway!

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:35:00 +0000

My copies of the sewing calendar have arrived, and it's looking pretty good, Megan has done a fantastic job in pulling it all together. There are 2 projects per week from a huge variety of designers including : The Long Thread, Elsie Marley, Sew Christine, Rachael Rabbit, Bella Dia,

Pink Chalk Studio and there are 3 projects in there by me.

(The calendar is available to purchase here or here)

So, now for the good part! The great giveaway part!!

There are 3 prizes in total, top prize being a calendar, and for the other 2 winners, they will receive a little pack of materials (fabric, felt, buttons etc), and a copy of either the kitten or the hedgehog pattern as was featured in Sew Hip magazine (you can see them in the blog sidebar), so there are 3 chances to win.

Just leave a comment on this post before midnight (GMT) on Sunday 30th August, and I will get the random number generator to do it's magic.

Winners...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:06:00 +0000

I should have done this on Monday, but here in the UK, it was a bank holiday so we've been making the most of the final few days of the school holidays.

Anyway, better late than never, here are the winners of the giveaway,

1st, and winner of the calendar, is comment 61, which is ::

Hannah

2nd is comment 59, which is :: Julia and 3rd is comment 118 :: Lyndyloo!

So, Julia and Lyndyloo, I will email you and find out whether you would like the pattern and fabrics for the kitten or the hedgehog (although, Lyndyloo, I can't access your blogger profile so have no way of contacting you, so if you could email me instead please)

(Kitten)

(Hedgehog)

Well, Lucy was back in school today, and tomorrow, my youngest is starting, his first day at big school. Will I be a sobbing mum or a running round the playground cheering mum, I wonder!

I strongly suspect...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:14:00 +0000

(first day at school)

... that I may be the Mother of the class clown. What do you reckon??

Make do & mend...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:09:00 +0000

I bought a copy of this book last weekend, and I love it. It's a collection of official Second World War advice leaflets with instructions on darning, patching, letting out clothes so they last just that bit longer and even how to cook and use the gas more economically. Little did I know that these skills were going to be called upon so soon. Lucy had a bit of a mishap in her bedroom which resulted in her duvet cover sporting a hole. So rather than a trip to Ikea for a replacement (as much as I would love a trip to Ikea), out came the fabrics and thread...,

and voila, a patch. I think she's a bit disappointed that there's only one, and is threatening to make more holes.

I've hidden the scissors!

Sticky situation...!

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:02:00 +0000

I signed up for a small, local craft exhibition which starts in October and is being held in the foyer of the museum. There is space for about 15 items, and as, everything is going to be for sale, I was aiming to put in a few Softies but also some smaller, less complicated (and therefore cheaper, there is a credit crunch going on, after all!), items. So, late yesterday evening, I whipped up some very simple decorated hair slides.

Lucy & her friend are test driving them at school today, so I can see how they stand up to a bit of wear and tear before making any more.

The button is stitched on, and the stitching also anchors the fabric to the slide, although I did add a blob of superglue to hold it in place more securely. Anyone who follows me on Twitter will already know what happened next.

I went to bed last night with my finger and thumb glued together!

This weekend...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:22:00 +0000

I have been gardening, while the others have been lego-ing!

It can't be tidied away. So I've been told. It's all catalogued. Apparently.

Now a small plea for help!

I have been asked to make a christening present for a girl. They like Beatrix Potter, I have some Peter Rabbit prints, but am so far stumped as to what to make. Any ideas, links etc would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Applique, applique...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:49:00 +0000

I have completely forgotten to blog about this. It is a magazine editorial for the appliqued cushion, that was featured in Issue Number 91 of 'Classic Stitches'.

'Classic Stitches' is a rather lovely UK based embroidery biased crafts magazine. When I worked for Coats Crafts UK, I had designs featured frequently, but it was always credited to 'CCUK'. It's nice to finally have a project under my own name...,

"Amy Adams for Lucykate Crafts"

This issue came out in April, but you can purchase back issues online here. They have done a lovely job on the page layout for this project, and as always, their photography is beautiful. Mine just doesn't do it justice!

ps, thank you for all the christening gift suggestions. I think I have almost decided what to make now!

pps, I am trial running a different blog banner this week, not sure yet if it will stay, what do you reckon?

Production line,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Sorry, I disappeared! Each day seems to have passed with a 'must do a blog post today' plan, but other things kept getting in the way. Then I've been ill too, . There has been a little light sewing, a few cotton reels rolling off the production line,

a satisfying bit of machine embroidery,

and all put together ready to go off to the local museum for a small craft exhibition I'm involved in.

The private view is on Saturday, but I can nip down tomorrow and see everything set up, and hopefully photograph it too.

So, I'm off to put my pj's on and watch another episode of The Wire on dvd with Al, we're up to series 3. It's taken a while, bit am quite into it now!

Softies on show...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:56:00 +0000

I know I'll probably get some rather odd hits via google with that blog post title, but it is true, there are indeed 'Softies on Show'!

This is my work on display in our local museum,

which I mentioned in my last post.

We all nipped down last Saturday for the opening, and I met a blog reader there, who had seen my post and made the trip and came along, (waves - hello!)

There was lots more to write, but if truth be known, I am feeling a bit sick. I accompanied Lucy to her best friends birthday party today and ate far to much of the chocolate fountain (what's a girl to do when you are stood right next to it and a tray of strawberries!), so am going to fire the sewing machine up and do a bit of sewing instead. Will be back in a few days with some more softies, now I have cleared a bit of space due to the exhibition, there is finally room for some new creations!

The bag and the bunny...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:54:00 +0000

A while ago I asked for help with ideas for a christening gift I had been asked to make, well, in the end, I kind of adapted the book bag idea, into a toy bag inspired by Stephanie's one, using the Beatrix Potter prints from my fabric stash.

It all begins with a rabbit softie,

the back of the bag has 'Beatrix' embroidered on it as the little girl it is for is called Beatrix,

the rabbit lives in a pocket on the front,

and the bag is lined with the Beatrix Potter prints.

It's gone off to the christening today, so bye bye bunny!

It's far too early for the 'C' word...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:05:00 +0000

...isn't it! But having been handed a (rather long) Christmas list by Lucy, an idea began floating around in my head. We've just started watching season 4 of The Wire on DVD, so I was after a bit of light hand sewing to do in front of the TV. There are quite a few patterns available on the internet for stuffed trees, but I decided in the end to adapt my own by altering the vase I make for the flower stems.

And, here they are,

also, inspired by the tree print fabric picked up at the Festival of Quilts this year.

I do need to come up with a christmasy tutorial for this year, are the tree's too obvious?

I can tell others are thinking of Christmas already too from my blog stats, the Elf hat tutorial is getting quite a few hits, as it does every year. That was the first tutorial I ever did and quite basic compared to how I would do one now.

Still, I bet there are a fair few kids wearing Elf hats made out of leggings on their heads for the school christmas play!

Leftovers...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:58:00 +0000

As primarily a softie maker, I quite often have leftover bits, pieces, and softie limbs. Some I just throw out, while others give the impression that they could actually have a second lease of life as something else.

This was a trial run, so didn't get used for the final piece. It's been sat on my desk all week,

...while I ponder what I could do with it. It's fringed felted wool, with a piece of wire running down the centre (which can come out if need be).

Any ideas?

Pom poms,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:12:00 +0000

I don't enjoy making pom-poms, it hurts my fingers. But sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Twice.

So on that note, I'm off to clean the toilets, both of them!

Cross stitch,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:26:00 +0000

I've noticed recently quite a few craft bloggers, mainly Hillary, getting into cross stitch. When I think back to the years (12 in total, I think) spent designing cross stitch day in, day out, I wonder exactly how many cross stitch designs I must have completed. I have no idea.

For those who are newer to this blog, my first job after leaving University was as a Needlecraft Designer for Coats Crafts UK, chances are any cross stitch, tapestry or embroidery kit with an 'Anchor' brand label made between 1994 and 2006, I will, to a varying degree, have been involved with the design.

There are some of my designs still around,

the Owl was probably the best selling kit I ever did, and once designs retire from the range, they quite often pop up again in magazines.

I left Coats when we relocated from one part of the UK to another, my parting gift was this little gem.

One of my first designs for Coats was a set of 3 miniature victorian style stitchettes, one was of a bath, one was a jug and bowl, and the third was of a toilet. Two were discontinued after a couple of seasons, but the toilet remained for a good few years. Once it was also discontinued, it became my ambition to get a loo back in there,

and 'flush flush' is still in the range today!

Edited to add - No, I didn't stitch any of these designs, Coats have a team of outworkers who do all the sewing. The design team churn out designs at such a fast rate, there was no time for any cross stitch!

Get your stuffing at the ready...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:58:00 +0000

...it's almost December, and this year's christmas tutorial is on it's way!

The Christmas Tree Softie tutorial,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:01:00 +0000

There are many, many Softie Tree patterns out there to choose from, and here is my version. This is going to be a long post as there are lots of step by step photo's, so let's get started!.

To make one Softie Tree, you will need -

2 fabric rectangles 22 x 15 cm, these can either be in one fabric, or made up with a variety as I have done (see photo below)

a felt circle, 7.5 cm diameter (this will become the base)

a card circle, 7 cm diameter (card from a cereal box is fine)

2 squares of felt 5 x 5 cm (for the star)

selection of buttons, various sizes and colours

embroidery thread (I have used red Pearl Cotton 8)

sewing needle, scissors, pins, pencil, sewing machine is optional

stuffing & a smallish pebble (to weight the tree)

paper, a square 5 x 5 cm, and a rectangle 12.5 x 19 cm

chop stick (also optional)

First, fold the large paper rectangle in half lengthways, draw a diagonal line from one corner to another, and cut down the line. Open it out, and you will have your paper tree template. Place the fabric rectangles face together, and pin on the template. Cut out the tree shape, adding an additional 1 cm of fabric to the bottom (see photo below).

Remove the paper template (and keep so you can make more tree's later), pin the fabric together and sew down each side, 0.5 cm in from edge (you can do this on a sewing machine or by hand using backstitch), then turn your tree the right way round. You can use a chop stick to push out the point of the tree if it is a bit fiddly. Turn the additional 1 cm hem inwards to hide the fraying edge. I have added a 'Lucykate Crafts...' label, you won't need to do this, as you know the rules, tutorials are for personal use only, and not to be used commercially!

Stuff the tree, lastly, adding a pebble wrapped in the stuffing inside the base to give it weight so it doesn't topple over. Pop the card circle in the base and,

position the felt circle over the top, sew in place using straight stitches.

Now it's time to add some buttons as decoration,

you can add as many as you like.

Now, take the paper square, and draw on a star shape, cut out to make your star template. Use this to cut the first star from the felt, then use the felt star as the template to cut out the second, this way they both match.

Pin the 2 stars together, and begin to sew round the edge to join the two using blanket stitch. When you get to the last part of the star, place it over the tip of the tree.

Continue to sew the blanket stitch, one side of the star at a time, taking care to make sure you attaching the star to the tree with each stitch. Complete one side of the star, then turn the tree over, and stitch the same on the other.

Then you are done!, it would be very easy to alter the dimensions of the tutorial and make your tree larger or smaller if you wanted to.

Please feel free to join the Lucykate Crafts... pattern pieces Flickr group to show off your trees, and there is also a Flickr group totally dedicated to tree softies. If you are on the look out for more christmas tutorials, there is always my robin from last year, or the love letter could be adapted to make a christmas card, and should you feel inclined to wear a pair of leggings on your head, then make an Elf hat, it will look a little less silly!

There is also a whole month of christmassy projects appearing at UK Handmade, the first is here.

Happy Stitching!

Easy peasy (no sewing involved!), cotton reel & holly ornament...,

lucykatecrafts@talktalk.net (lucykate crafts...) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +0000

The other day, I had some bits & bobs on my desk, and 20 minutes to spare while I was waiting till it was time to head off to my son's first school nativity play (he was a sheep!). After fiddling around with the felt, came up with this idea. These are just so quick and easy to make, how can you not give them a go! All you need are-

cotton reels

selection of green felt

scissors

some small red felted balls (you can get these ready made, or even use a bit of cotton wool, painted or dyed with food colouring, or just wrap a bit of red wool yarn into a ball)

1. Cut some holly leaf shapes from the green felt, each about 1 1/2 inches (or 3cm) long,

2. Poke the ends of 2 or 3 of the leaves, into the middle of a cotton reel, and using the tip of the scissors, squeeze in a small, red felt ball to hold everything in place.

And that's it!, all done. No sewing, no glue, so after christmas they can easily be taken apart and you can have the cotton reels back.

Make as many as you want, if your cotton reels are bigger, just make the leaf size larger to match. Think I might make some all in white next!