Owl Awesomness

Oh my goodness! I got home this evening after a yummy meal out for my boyfriend's birthday, to find the latest issue of Mollie Makes on my doorstep. I tore it open....and just LOOK what is on the front cover!

OWLS!

And look what there is inside....

MORE OWLS!

It's as if Mollie Makes knew I was toying with the idea of cancelling my subscription and made an issue especially for me. I cannot wait to make these wrist warmers. I think I have enough wool in my stash, although sadly I lack the relevant dpns so I am going to have to be just a little bit patient.

Sorry for the poor quality iPhone photos in this post...I was just so excited to share my excitement.

If you have not yet sent me your details for the Sewist's Secret Santa but want to take part (and you are most welcome, it's not too late!), please could you do this ASAP (for a second I almost forgot I wasn't at work and wrote "at the earliest opportunity", which is what I mean, but in a slightly less formal way!). Especially if you are from outside the UK. I am off to Wales for a long weekend but I am conscious that the last date for posting internationally is creeping up on us, so if I have a chance I will try and draw some of the Santees (my new favourite non-word) which require international posting before I go, to give you two shopping weekends, because I'm nice like that :)

K xx

Sunday Crafty Musings

Hello Everyone!

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend. I can't believe it's Sunday afternoon already. On the plus side, this week is a 4 day working week for me. It is my boyfriend's birthday this week and we are off to Wales for a long weekend. I'm thinking winter walks, pubs with roaring log fires and mulled wine. Perfect!

Today I was all ready to have an afternoon of making something and was geared up to start on a dress when I realised I still had to pre-wash my fabric. D'oh. Sadly I'm not one of those people who washes new fabric straight away - I wish I was this organised. However, I have now put a whole load of fabric in the wash so that should keep me going for...well, probably about a year the rate I'm going at the moment!

Instead I did a really quick project. I have spoken about my love of owls here before, and some time ago I picked up this awesome fabric, which I have been saving for the right project.

Some time ago a friend told me about someone who had made an iPhone case using a clear shell and a piece of fabric cut to the right shape. I think this is brilliant idea and look what I made today...

So cute. It literally took about 20 minutes to make (in fact it took me more time to decide which of the many different owls on the fabric to feature!) and I love the fact that there is the potential to change the fabric around any time I like. The clear case I ordered from ebay for a few pounds. In order to give it a bit of structure, and hopefully to minimise fraying, I glued it to a piece of paper cut to size. Simples :)

It other news, if you want to take part in the Sewist's Secret Santa, don't forget to send me your details this week (see here for the plan!). I have managed to find a Santa hat to draw the names from and it's already starting to fill up...exciting!!

Right, off for a Sunday evening of knitting, X Factor and Homeland. Happy days!

K xx

Sewist's Secret Santa - The Plan!

Wow! I can't believe how many people are keen to join in with the Sewist's Secret Santa. There are almost 30 of us so far - how exciting! If you haven't yet signed up but would like to join in...you still have time. Just about. Soooooo, here's how it's going to work and what you need to do next:

1) Send me an email to kraftykatblog(at)gmail(dot)com by Friday 23rd November at the very latest with the following information - your name, a link to your blog (if you have one), your postal address and also whether you are happy to post internationally. Also, if you would like to provide a short snippet of information for me to send on to your Santa please do - for example, "I'm a sewist and a knitter, I love spots and lace and big prints". 

2) I will play Santa and pick everyone's Secret Santa out of a (probably metaphorical) hat. I decided it was easiest to do it this way, and it allows me to split between people happy to post internationally and those who would prefer not to. This will not be a straightforward pairwise swap, otherwise everyone will know who their Santa is, and that just defeats the object!

3) I will send everyone an email telling them who they will be buying for, along with their address/blog link/information.

4) Present buying! This bit is completely up to you, however please try and keep within the £5 limit (or equivalent internationally).

5) Pop your gift in the post. Don't forget this is supposed to be a Secret Santa, so it's most fun if you don't let on who the present is from. Please keep an eye on the last dates for posting before Christmas...check here for last Royal Mail posting dates.

6) Receive your present and pop it under the tree, or open immediately if you must, however please wait until after Christmas to share on your blog. And feel free to speculate about who your Santa might be....!!

I can't wait, this is going to be so much fun! I am aware that last postage dates are creeping up on us so I will try and get the emails sent out as soon as possible. Any problems/questions please let me know....happy present buying everyone :)

K xx

Sewist's (and other crafters!) Secret Santa

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. Mine has been a rare weekend at home, and I have relished the chance to lie in, catch up with friends and potter about the house. I actually feel like I have been quite productive, which is a great feeling.

It's that time of year when the C-word is all around. I saw this years John Lewis Christmas advert for the first time yesterday, and yet again it made me well up a bit! See it here if you haven't already. Not sure it tops last years, but it's definitely a good'un. Generally I try and resist getting sucked in until December, but this year I already have the uneasy feeling of being unprepared. There's nothing wrong with making plans, right? I am aware that this year I am likely to be busier than usual in the run up to the day itself, so anything to prevent last minute stress has to be a good thing.

So I got thinking! I love giving presents, and I love surprises. And of course I love sewing. And what better way to combine all these that a Secret Santa?! I will call this the "Sewist's Secret Santa" because I love alliteration, but it really is open to anyone...sewists, knitters, bakers, quilters...!I was thinking that anyone who wants to take part will be assigned another person to buy a sewing-related gift for, up to a maximum value of £5 (or the current equivalent for those outside the UK). This should be enough to buy a bit of fabric, or some cute notions or trimmings, or whatever you can find! Thanks to Sabs for the suggestion that everyone writes a little snippet about themselves to be passed on to their secret Santa to give them a few helpful hints - great idea! I will pop everyone's names in a hat to pick who they buy for, and in the tradition of a secret Santa we will keep it secret so that only I know who everyone's Santa is...although if you wish to take a guess afterwards that's up to you!

The plan is still in the early stages so any thoughts on the logistics please do let me know.

So who's in?! This is open to absolutely everyone who would like to take part, whether or not you have a blog and wherever you are based in the UK or internationally (we can sort out later who is happy to post internationally). Postage dates will vary depending on who joins in, but the earliest last posting date the Royal Mail gives me by airmail is 5th December, so we still have plenty of time. Pop me a comment below by Friday (16th November) if you would like to take part, and then we can start working out the logistics! Ooooh it's all so exciting, I can't wait to get shopping!

K xxx

Birmingham Blogger Bonanza

Guess what I did this weekend?! I went to Birmingham with a whole host of sewing bloggers and it was FABULOUS!

Marie and I were a little apprehensive about organising our first meet up, but this wonderful group of ladies made our job not only easy, but a pleasure. I am not going to go into too many details of the day, as there are already many many versions of the story around the blogosphere, for example at Marie's blog, or at any of the others who attended - a full list below - who were much quicker to post about the day in all it's glory!

Here are all the lovely ladies who attended, minus Marie, who too the picture, and Charlotte, who had already left by this point. Starting from the back left to right - (I had a few technical difficulties with the links, I think they are working now, apologies if not, I will keep checking!)

Roisin - Dolly Clackett

Alice - Moonbeam

Helen - Sew Stylish

Katie - The Little Red Squirrel

Helen - Helen Made

Rachel - House of Pinheiro

Catherine - Catherine's Daze Blog

Amy - Almond Rock

Suzy - Suzy Sewing

Steph - Little Miss Twitchy

Mellie - Mellie's Workroom

Karen - Did You Make That?

Winnie - Scruffy Badger Time

Claire - Sew, Incidentally...

Me!

Marie (who took the photo) - A Stitching Odyssey 

Charlotte (sadly not pictured as she'd left by this point) - Keeping track of things 

Here, in picture form, is the story of the day (starting from lunchtime as I was too busy purchasing before then to take any pictures!)...

 



So many bags the waiters had trouble getting around the table!
 

Smile Winnie!

 

Marie and Amy

 

 

Getting stuck in to the lovely food at Cafe Soya

 

 

I think I made Katie laugh here!

 

 

Fabric Heaven

 

Marie hidden behind all our bags on the way home

 

One of the most exciting parts of the day (there were many) was the now customary swap! And what a swap it was. There was so much stuff! Sewists really are a generous bunch. I did ridiculously well in the swap, coming away with a whole host of wonderful goodies...not really the stash busting exercise that I had planned but you see why I couldn't say no....(sorry about the sideways pictures, another technical hitch!)

 

Patterns from Claire, Winnie and Katie (I think!)

Top to bottom: Cotton print from Claire, double knit from
Catherine and cotton voile from Marie

 

Quilting cotton from Mellie, cotton print from Alice,
cotton something from Amy and yarn from Marie
 





Thank you so much everyone! I cannot wait to use the cotton print from Claire, there is absolutely stacks of this, I can't believe Claire is giving it away! I think it will have to be a dress. My original thought was circle skirt, but now I am gravitating towards a dress. We will see.

The more modest pile of fabrics below is what I bought on the day. I had a budget and I am very proud to say I stuck to it!

L-R: Tweed wool, double knit, cotton print and some kind of polyester!





The wool will be a skirt, the sparkly double knit/jersey will be either a top or a dress...possibly both...I think it would make a super Christmas party dress! The spotty fabric is destined to be a blouse, and who knows what I will make with the dinosaur print but I just couldn't resist!

 

So there we go, my haul. Didn't I do well! I am so excited to start sewing now, bring on the weekend!

 

Thanks again to everyone who came, I had an absolutely fantastic day and was genuinely sad to say goodbye to you all at the end of it. I've met some fantastic new people and discovered some brilliant new blogs. Bring on the next one!

 

K xx