Cath Kidston, Mini Sew! Review

Good evening! I have a little crafty preview for you tonight - the new project book Mini Sew by Cath Kidston, published by Quadrille (£9, paperback).



It comes in a pretty little folder complete with templates and patterns for all the projects in the book, and a sweet vintage-style pin case that my mum especially enjoyed!



I tried out one of the projects so I could practise following the instructions and do it justice when reviewing, and I attempted this pretty iPod case for my friend Amy's going away present...it didn't turn out exactly like the pattern, but I was definitely proud of the finished article!



Pros
- it's beautifully presented, with pretty photos and lots of inspiring projects to try - even if you don't fancy a shower cap, everyone needs an oven mitt!
- it's a good, handy size for keeping around whilst you're working - I have project books that are so big and cumbersome that I practically need a spare table to keep them on, but this is neither
- it starts off with the basics and runs through them in a nice, simple but not patronising way
- the little folder is handy for carrying around extra traced patterns and a pencil (and the notes I made for this review!)
- it's great value for money, coming with all the patterns, templates and the little needle case
- it encourages the use of leftover and vintage fabrics
- the extras are both pretty and handy
- there are 41 projects to try! That's a lot for a little book! They include cushions, blankets, a hot water bottle cover, homewares, bags, pinnies, decorations...and plenty plenty more.
- each pattern has a little tip for altering it to just how you fancy it




Cons
- some of the projects are much more complicated than they need to be - I scrapped the extra bias-binding around the top and drawstring ends of the iPod case because they were so fiddly (this may simply be a case of Cath Kidston having a lot more patience than me...probably!)
- the instructions would benefit from a few more sketches / ongoing photos in case of confusion
- the seam allowances were too small for the batting, outer fabric and inner fabric to be stitched neatly (this was from my mum!)

Verdict
I was delighted to be sent it, and I'd definitely buy it to give as a gift! I might dedicate a full day, rather than a couple of hours for future projects, though, so that I can spend time working them through. All-in-all, it's a great value book, which is a joy to look at and slightly more of a challenge to work from!

Sounds of Sunday - Boards of Canada

This Sunday is very grey and dull...a good day for chilly walks, looking at puppies, putting up new curtains and making Valentine's cards - with a very chilled-out soundtrack, courtesy of Boards of Canada!

















What's your Sound this Sunday? What have you been up to this weekend?

This Week, I Have Been Mostly Making...

...crocheted hearts, ready for Valentine's cards! These are practise ones, made from leftover wool, to be turned into a pretty garland - I'm off to buy locally-produced wool for the cards tomorrow!



...and an iPod case for my friend Amy at work, who is leaving me (sad face) to go off travelling (happy face)! Seen here with my terribly old-school phone that everyone laughs at...! The case is made using a pattern from the new Cath Kidston 'Sew' book, which I'll review for you over the weekend! Aptly, Amy got me a Cath Kidston mug for my giant cups of tea at work...aww :)

What have you been up to this week?

Oh, Comely

Good evening! Tonight I'm declaring my love for, and spreading the word about, the beautiful and charming magazine Oh, Comely, discovered for me by my partner in gin-and-crazy-dancing crime, fullofmarketingcupcakes, and much sought after by us both ever since!


It's published every two months and available in WHSmith, although sometimes it takes a good old search to find. This bi-monthly search, and the subsequent delight when I find it is one reason I love it, but there are plenty more, and I thought I'd share them with you in case you haven't seen it yet, because it's really worth sharing!

As well as crafty tutorials...


...there are quizzes (my results have included a fish knife as well as milk, cookies and a siesta),


...beautiful photoshoots,




...delicious recipes,


...lots of new music to sample,


...pretty letters pages,


...and fantastic giveaways (we won this set of mirrors! woo!) from a wide variety of sources,


...it's also got excellent writing, interesting interviews, well-placed, unobtrusive and relevant adverts, toaster reviews and lots of lovely articles about things you didn't know you didn't know. It seems to last perfectly until the next one arrives, and there's an article for whatever kind of reading I feel like. I just love it! You can also start from the beginning (I hate starting in the middle!) by getting past issues online right here! How incredibly convenient!

Have you been Oh, Comely'd yet? What are your reckonings?

PS. I have stolen Miss essbeevee's super advice for photo editing this evening - thank you!

Sounds of Saturday - Emma's Imagination

I think I'm a little late to the party on this one, but Claire of French for Cupcake posted one of Emma's Imagination's songs on her blog the other day, so I investigated further, and I really like her! She's a Scottish singer who won Must Be The Music, and definitely worth a listen or two :)























What's your Sound this Saturday?

This Week, I Have Been Mostly Making...

...thank you cards! For the people I didn't get chance to say thank you for my Christmas presents to in person (yes, I realise it's almost a month since Christmas - shh)!

I love the designs on these papers, plus they're recycled and eco-friendly ones I got in the sale! I did what I always do - save lovely papers for a particular project (always as-yet undecided), so I used them instead of hoarding them, and I really like how the cards came out - what do you think?




I also made a birthday card, but that's not yet been received (actually, neither have these cards...shh again!), so I won't show you just yet :) what have you been up to this week? Do you have anything fun planned for your weekend?

A Treasure In The Attic!

So I wrote before Christmas about a treasure that we'd discovered in the attic of our new house, and the lovely Ellie of Pretty Much Penniless requested to know a little more - so this is for you!

We found this beautiful old Hohner Student accordion in fantastic condition, in its original box and perfectly tuneful - our friend Garnet gave us a very festive rendition of Good King Wenceslas (I can imagine our neighbours were delighted)!


It also has 'T. Turnbull, Mulberry Rd, Northfleet, Kent' in pencil on the strap...


...and a practise book dated MCMXLVII, which Google kindly informs my uneducated self is 1947, with Lynn Turnbull and Miss Ardley's names written on the front!


I love it! We didn't want to just shove it back up in the attic forgotten, because it's lovely just to look at, if not to play (I didn't want to aggravate the new neighbours TOO much!), so it's remained in pride of place in its open box in our living room, and I feel happy every time I see it!

We also discovered an enormous old school desk, which I've cleaned and polished and adopted as my work-desk (no more rickety picnic-table!), some old Oscar Wilde books, a telephone table, two prams and a high-chair, a mini figurine of Lara Croft who ended up on the Christmas tree (!) and a scribbled note on the floor where the ladders live saying 'Keep Clear, By Order of the Ladders!' heehee

We'll have to put it all back up there when we leave, but for now, our cosy little home filled with other people's lost treasures is staying that way :)

Folksy Friday - Happy Birthday, Dad!

It was my dad's birthday on Monday! This Folksy Friday is dedicated to all sorts of lovely things he'd like (although one of his actual presents was The Girl Who Played With Fire on DVD...tip - don't watch with parents - I know this from experience...lolz)!

He likes...

...sailing...



...coffee (and he had specs just like these bad boys when I was little)...


...travelling (especially in Greece!)...


...music (and Prague - handily, this encapsulates both!)...


...coconut...


...useful things!


He's a hippy at heart...


...and he has a beard!


He's irritatingly good at Scrabble (irritating because I am rubbish!)...


And he's called Trevor!


Happy Birthday, Poptastic!