So the time has come, winter is creeping in! Dark nights, snuggling by the fire, time for bed socks and cups of cocoa, time to dig out the old woolly jumpers and cardigans… time to dust off the moth balls!

Those little monkeys wriggle in and lay eggs in the summer and can very quickly set to work on your natural fibres.  They will even have a little nibble on your synthetics! Ugh!

Fear not.  This is not the intro to a horror story.  There is no need to freak out, help is at hand, why not try ‘eking out’ (see what I did there) instead?  Don’t just sling them in a bag and charity shop them, all is not lost.  I have repaired many a moth-eaten garment with a needle and thread and my trusty old darning mushroom or embroidery hoop.

You can pick either up at any well stocked haberdashery for a few pounds which I think is really reasonable when you are eking out and saving money in the long run.

Here are a couple of examples of darning using an embroidery hoop…

So please do get in touch if your woolens are in need of some TLC. Or if you would like to learn how to do it yourself, I can show you how.  Not just your woolens though, we all have pieces in our wardrobe that could be repaired or re purposed.  I just love to breathe new life in to old fabric.  It could be a dress that would now work better as a skirt, I invite you to look in to your wardrobe with a creative eye.

These days the amount of clothes that end up at the charity shop or even worse, in the bin is frightening.  Usually because of a slight imperfection on a garment that could easily be rectified if you or someone you know (i.e me!) knows how.  Prices start from £2.50 to repair a small hole.

With our ever-increasing carbon footprint, I believe this is a small but positive step towards greener living.  We can all do our bit in little ways and this is just another that few people consider.

 

 

 

Since starting Sew Create in 2015, I have been lucky enough to have been involved in some interesting and exciting projects!

The end of 2016 saw myself and my very clever and creative colleague and friend Katie Clarke from Handmade By Katie team up with http://www.mind.org.uk to hold a Christmas Crafter-noon, in the hope of raising vital funds.  A charity close to both of our hearts, we were intent on passing on some crafty skills.  So, armed with mince pies and mulled wine, we set about organising our stands.

I set up a Christmas decoration creation station for attendees to pop along and try their hand at a spot of sewing.  You could make a red felt Scandinavian Heart, trimmed with a blanket stitch in a snowy cream embroidery thread, or there was also an option to make a cute little felt robin.  Both easy little projects for the enthusiastic beginner.  Katie’s creation station gave the option to make a Christmas card or try a spot of pyrography, or wood burning; making some amazing personalised Christmas wooden spoons.

It was such a great feeling to pass on some sewing tips whilst chatting away about this or that knowing we were also raising money for this fantastic charity.   All who attended commented how relaxed they felt and satisfied that they had made something with their own hands and learnt something new.   Chilling whilst feeding the soul at the same time.

We had a lovely time and raised a fantastic £180!

I love the idea of holding a Summertime crafter-noon in our garden next year, warm sunshine with a tea and cake accompaniment.  Maybe even a spot of Pimms?  AFTER the needlework!  Watch this space!