With face masks becoming compulsory in more and more places I wanted to produce a round-up of face mask patterns. So I have gathered together patterns including simple ones to sew and crochet or knit. Cloth face coverings should NOT be worn by children under the age of 2 (CDC recommendation) or 3 (UK Government recommendation).
These free online children’s sewing lessons are a great way to keep your kids busy and engaged over the summer. The summer is the perfect time to encourage your children to improve their skills and sewing is the big things at the moment with the success of the Great British Sewing Bee.
I have been using the Janome Horizon 8200QCP for well over a year now and thought that it was about time I did a review. The Memory Craft 8200QCP is a long arm machine with an 11inch arm space to the right of the needle with an RRP of £1699.00.
I took part in the good enough to eat swap, where I was partnered with Gill The Vintage Gardener Gill is a very talented lady and she sent some wonderful things, all tied up with gardening twine A fab lavender heart and marching bookmark Some delicious fabric Two wonderful pot stands, we are using these on the dining table Look at these stunning tags, Gill makes these and sells them at her Folksy Shop I also got this divine pouch filled with more tags, which I adore Plus some lovely stationery (which for some reason blogger wont include the right way up).
As you know I love to craft and make things, whether that be with the boys or for the boys. They have certainly brought out the creative side of me. So in order to help fund my fabric addiction and also to try and bring in some extra money (which we sorely need – £82 for 2 pairs of school shoes!), I have decided to start selling some things that I make. Now I have no idea what will sell, so I am dipping my toe in the water, but I would also like to say that I can make to order should anyone wish. So please take a look and […]
I am starting to get my creative mojo back after a nasty bout of Flu and Vertigo and it feels good. No it actually feels great. Inspired by the signs of new shoots and Spring outside my front door I have made new cushion covers for both the sitting room and the conservatory/playroom. Simple envelope style, in the sitting room from some seconds Laura Ashley picked up last year. Something a little more funcky in the conservatiry, Pop Garden By Heather Baily. I have also been making birthday presents for Maxi’s friends. Simple personalised purses filled with wooden beads. Sugar cubes, inspired by …… I can not find the post, so […]
I also took part in Dolly Dollops colour swap this month too. I was paired with Vicki, from Vintage Vicki My colours were pink and green and you can see that Vicky has had a good look at the blog nad realised I am a lover of Hot Pink! What a fantastic parcel indeed, I received some felted soap, which is mine all mine and a bar of chocolate, which I polished off on my own too! Look at this fantastic bunting, isn’t it just brilliant. I have popped it up in the kitchen and I have to say I love it, thank you Vicki. But there was more! Vicki made […]
I have been wanting to show you a couple more of the things I have been doing with the mini’s this week, but it is so dark, photo’s are not the best. I don’t know about you, but it seems once Johnnie Boden gets a hold of your address, he sends you a million and one catalogues, STOP Johnnie, you must be single handed responsible for the decimation of the rain forest. Plus the models are so smug with their little snippets of their lives. I don’t want to know that Verity loves chocolate cake, especially when she looks about a size 2! I can not bear to throw them in […]
I have said it before and I will say it again. The Internet, the WWW, the blogosphere, it has been wonderful to me. It has kept me sane on the dark nights when sleep has refused to blanket me with it warming cocoon, it has kept me company whilst sitting in bed waiting for healing to start and it has made me giggle in my darkest moments.With this is mind, I am always more than happy to give when I can to fellow bloggers. First off, a small piece of fabric for the lovely Mary Poppins, Mary is making a curtain and this will be used in it, Mary and […]
There has been a lot of murmuring in blog land recently on being thrifty, managing on one income and the mend and make do lifestyle. I thought I would add my penny’s worth, as we have been living as frugally as possible on one income for a number of reasons. People who knew me from old are totally amazed to the change in me, but it is so worth making sacrifices and changes to spend this time with my boys. So as they say mother is the necessity of invention!! One of our biggest changes has been moving from never carrying cash to using a cash only system for incidentals, fuel, […]
Manners, I like manners. In fact I think that the boys can get away with most things, if they say please, thank you and have table manners. We are teaching the boys to help around the house, well they have been since they could walk really and lately they have been trying to set the table, but their constant “I cant remember which side the fork goes on mummy” has been driving me crackers, especially as I am in the kitchen preparing the dinner. So I put my thinking cap on and came up with these……. My first attempt at free form sewing. I used some fabric I already had in […]
Well with the laptop still not being well, I have been busy in the craft room. MaxiMad’s best friend is 5 tomorrow, so with money still being very tight, I have made some presents for him. Firstly I made a birthday Crown. The inspiration for this was taken from Amanda Soules Creative Family. I now have two for the boys cut out. I have also made him a pencil roll and popped some double ended pencils in it. Finally inspired by Beki over at The rambling of an everyday mother, I have made him a monster, I even went to Argos and bought the same tea towels, although mine looks very […]
Pennies have been tight this year at TheMadHouse, so we have put our heads together and made as much as we can. Rice and Lavender hot pad with removable cover Felt pocket tissue cover Home made tea cup candles Basic wrapping with brown paper, wool, string and ribbon – I am of the opinion that good packaging detracts from the homemade feel I tied home made gingham and mother of pearl hearts to the wrapping. We had printed postcards of some photo’s we had taken over the year at Moo. I made pouches to hold them The minimads decorated 90p shoppings bags from Hobbycraft I made […]
I am a lucky lady you know. I have made some wonderful friends over the internet. I am blessed to have them and wanted to say thank you for all their support during this year. So, we make reindeer food as part of our annual christmas traditions, therefore, I made a little extra and have packaged it off to them and their little ones as a gesture of my feelings for them. Reindeer food I haven’t re-invented the wheel here, we basically use oats and glitter or coloured sugar. It is dead easy to colour sugar, pop it in a plastic bag, add food colour […]
I have been a busy bee over the last week. I have been making an advent calender for us, one that meets our needs and that I hope will be used for many, many years to come. I have been inspired by one I saw on Living with Kids, but of course my version is homemade and as inexpensive as possible. I used a fleece from Ikea, little peg clips from poundland and everything else we already had in the house. I stitched 24 mini stockings, put some ribbon trim abound the top. I then cut out 24 green felt stars which I stamped with the dates. I punched a tag out of […]
MaxiMad was off to a birthday party on Saturday and we only got the invite on Tuesday. With me being in hospital I have not had the chance to go out and find anything suitable and I only have presents suitable for boys in our stash at the moment. So I had a chat with Maxi Mad and we decided to make a small drawstring bag and a purse and fill it with lovely wooden beads and elastic for making bracelets and such. We also stamped her name on with permanent fabric ink, for the personal touch. He came in to the study and picked which fabric he liked for her and helped […]
I finished the hearts for the minimads tonight. These are made with inspiration from Amanda Blake-Soules Handmade Home. I made them from a baby blanket that MaxiMad was given from a dear friend (well the truth is we pinched it from her, as she had two and we liked it that much), who now is living back in her home country of South Africa. MiniMad used the blanket too, so it has lots of meaning for both the boys and me too and it is such a lovely soft brushed cotton. They are stuffed with scraps and dried lavender and have a pocket with a card in and a little message […]
Look, my new to me sewing machine and my first project on it. A new swimming bag for MaxiMad. He picked out the fabric when we were in York a few weeks back from the Cath Kidston store (he has taste that young man)! Thing is once I had done one and mini mad saw it, I had to make another one this afternoon. I also made these key rings as Christmas Presents and one for myself, as I always end up popping my car keys in my mouth to hold it I dont have any pockets on (so I can strap the children in their car seats). Do you like […]
We had this white shelf in the garage, since we moved in 3 years ago, we bought it with the intention of using it in the hall area, but it was damaged and the company refunded us. We found a better solution for the hall and we were not sure where to put it, or all that enamoured with the white finish. Finally we decided on a place above my chalkboard painted wall in the kitchen, but I just didn’t like the white. My solution, paint it hot pink 2 coats of primer and 3 coats of pink spray paint later (which we had in the garage, but for the life […]
I have been practicing my sewing again whilst also thinking about affordable homemade Christmas presents for my niece’s and the children’s friends and found a recycled drinks pouch pencil case on the great Skip to my loo blog. My mum had some 8 inch zips in her stash, so I though I would give them a try and you know what the boys love there’s. So now we need to drink more Capri-sun, so that I can make more for all the youngsters. I am thinking of putting together art bags for them all. But best of all they cost me nothing and are a great way of recycling and are fun, […]
