Ok, put your hand up if you dread sewing buttonholes. Most sewing machines have a either a manual or automatic buttonhole setting that can make your life a whole lot easier. My old machine had a manual 4 step buttonhole, which meant I had to manually change the settings between each stage. It was simple to use, but getting a…
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Do you ever wonder how or why you have objects in your home that you’ve never liked? I have a set of bedside lamps that I have always hated. They were my parent’s, bought in the early 80’s when bronze stuff was really ‘hot’. I never liked them then, yet I managed to inherit them as a teenager and they…
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Being a mum is a hard and sometimes thankless job, as awesome as my kid is, some days I feel like I deserve a medal. (She is usually pretty great, so I shouldn’t really complain.) Well, I’m not one to rest on my laurels, so I decided to make a few medals of my own with some Hama beads. They…
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I’m so excited to launch my new eBook – Six Baby Gifts to make with Fabric Scraps. It’s a colourful collection of practical gifts for new arrivals, and teaches some handy skills along the way. If you are like me and love to craft, you may find yourself accumulating a collection of fabric scraps. It can be tempting to…
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Clear out unwanted items in your wardrobe to make a Spring dress from an old business shirt and maxi dress. Not really as ambitious as it sounds when you throw a little creative wardrobe refashioning in the mix. I’ve had this business shirt in my wardrobe for years, it still fitted well and the fabric is beautiful quality (and was…
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Transform a pair of vintage linen placemats into a retro style bag with bamboo handles. Only minimal sewing is required in this vintage style refashion. I come across so many beautiful vintage linens in my op-shopping (thrifting) adventures, but I rarely seem to use them for their original purpose. These linen placemats with their geometric retro design, I’m particularly taken…
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One curbside find + an idea + three days of stitching = my favourite upcycled furniture project ever. This unwanted cane weave chair was given a colourful update with some simple cross stitch. There is something so satisfying about finding a discarded object, giving it some special attention and turning it into something covetable. Apart from my time, this project…
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It’s officially Spring in Melbourne, which for me means hayfever! I suffer terribly and always have tissues handy at all times. Rather than having ugly boxes all over the house, I thought making a cute tissue holder from a vintage hankie would be a fun (and very meta) idea. Inspired by those cute pocket size tissue pouches, but much larger…
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