Cats and quilts/ pets and works-in-progress

Why is it that pets are irresistibly drawn to whatever you're working on?

As soon as the Lulu gets off, I'll be able to get on with (yet another) work in progress: my (second!) quilt. This one involves no patchwork, but is a quick and simple creation, made from batting inside a futon cover, then stitched into place.

The batting and futon cover are currently pinned together, so it's not the comfiest of cat beds, I wouldn't have thought, but at least Lucy choosing it proves it must be warm!

The futon cover is a denim-grey-blue crinkly cotton, and I bought it from a branch of Muji in Tokyo when I lived there years ago, and slept on it during my stay. As it's a futon cover, it doesn't fit a duvet properly, but I love the fabric (and the memories) so I didn't want to let it go...

You could, of course, use an old duvet cover instead…

Here's the first quilt I made: brick-pattern patchwork:

How to sew Easter gift tags

In the past I've blown eggs to give at Easter (see my feature on how to blow and colour eggs), decorating them with painting, mini collage, sticking on ribbon, flowers… all kinds.

This year I'm giving Lindt chocolate rabbits and, to add a personal touch, I've sewn felt gift tags to go round their necks. And if they like, they can hang them on a doorknob or drawer handle as a decoration. Of course, you can sew felt gift tags for any occasion.

On the left is a sort-of sunflower, for my mum, who loves the colour yellow, and is pining for sunshine.

On the right is a head in a swimming hat with a drop of water, for my stepdad, a wild swimmer.

Go for a design that means something; it could be a pet, an activity, food or drink… and there's no shame in having to explain to the recipient what it is!

Here's how to sew felt gift tags
Vary the colours and designs however you want.

For the sunflower
• Four rectangles of yellow felt, around 7x3cm
• Scrap of dark brown felt
• Needle and thread
• Ribbon
For the swimming hat
• One rectangle of dark blue felt, around 7x3cm
• Scrap of light blue felt
• Scrap of beige felt
• Needle and thread
• Ribbon

To make the sunflower, lay four rectangular scraps of felt cross-ways on top of each other.
Cut a circle of dark brown felt for the centre, using pinking shears, and place in the centre of the pieces of yellow felt. Snip off the corners of the yellow rectangles. Thread your needle and sew the layers together. You can stitch from the edge of the brown circle to the centre, or along the edge, or in a spiral, it doesn't really matter. Bring the thread through to the back. Make a loop of ribbon and stitch to the back of the flower, taking care not to push the needle right through to the front side.
You might also like: how to sew a felt anemone brooch

To make the swimming hat, cut an oval of beige felt and use this as a template to cut a swimming hat from light blue felt. Place the hat on the head and the head on the dark blue felt. Thread your needle and sew the layers together, stitching along the edge. Bring the thread through to the back, and attach a loop of ribbon, as before.

And here they are around the necks of the chocolate rabbits...

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Make a last-minute hanging heart for Valentine's Day - from almost nothing!

Forgotten to buy, or make, a card? Running out of time? No craft materials on hand? I'm not necessarily saying any or all of the above apply to me, but I'm on holiday in Vietnam, I didn't bring a card with me, and Valentine's Day isn't celebrated here. I did have an old newspaper, scissors and thread, so I made a hanging heart. 

I folded a piece of paper, cut a heart shape on the fold, then used that as a template to cut more.

I stitched them together up the centre line, leaving a long length of thread to hang the charming finished item.

Went down rather well.

Knit for charity: Woolly Hat Day

Last time I knitted a woolly hat was for 2017's Women's March, and I made it in a couple of hours, by knitting a rectangle, folding it over, and joining the sides. Not the best-looking hat ever – and by no means the best made – but certainly fit for purpose.

You don't need to knit a new woolly hat for Woolly Hat Day, on January 26, organised by St Mungo's homelessness charity, to take part, but I think it adds another level of giving. Knit your hat, take your selfie wearing it, post on social media with the hashtag  #WHD18, donate to St Mungo's then give the hat to a charity shop or send it to Knit for Peace.

To make your donation text WOOL18 £2, WOOL18 £5, WOOL18 £10, or the amount of your choice, to 70070.

Need a pattern? Try one of these…

Ribbed beanie designed by Graeme Knowles-Miller

Classic pompom hat

See it, try it, buy it: 2018 shows for crafters

Liven up the coming year ahead by planning a day out at a craft show or exhibition. Whether you go to be inspired by exquisite pieces, to stock up on supplies, to socialise – or a combination – you'll refresh your creative juices and return home full of enthusiasm for your next project. (I'll be updating this page so you might want to bookmark it.)

Perspectives on Patterns, Bankfield Museum, Halifax 
Until June 2 2018 | Free
Curated by the TAG (Textile Art Group), commemorating the mill-working tradition in the area, with embellished cards and clogs, bobbins with fabric strips (I think I saw this in Saltaire a couple of years ago), textile samples, stitched panels and needle-felting.

Wonderwool Wales Festival, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells
April 28-29 | £10
With over 210 exhibitors spanning spinning, felting, weaving, knitting and crochet. Take part in hands-on woolschool workshops and events showcasing the best in Welsh and British wool and natural fibres

Orla Kiely: A Life in Pattern, Fashion and Textile Museum, London SE1
May 25-Sept 23 | £9.90
A look at super-successful designer Orla Kiely's 30+ years of work, from first sketches to finished fabrics.

Anni Albers, Tate Modern, London SE1
Oct 11-Jan 27 2019 | £16.50
Barred from studying painting at the Bauhaus school – because she was a woman – she turned to weaving and became an influential figure, pioneering innovative uses of woven fabric as art, architecture and design. This exhibition brings together some of her most important pieces of work.

Christmas is coming…

It's the time of year when many more of us like to get creative, so here are some of my ideas from Christmases past, on this blog, in features I've written, and on Instagram. And there are Christmas presents to buy, too, in the form of a couple of gift guides for particular people.

Christmas cards and decorations

So-simple Christmas cards Your own photos pasted onto cards

Make a mini wreath

Make a festive foliage bauble

Transform tealight holders

Make paper Christmas decorations – perfect for children

Sew a felt Christmas stocking

Make a popcorn and cranberry garland

Make pine cone decorations

Make a paper bag advent calendar

Gifts to make

Step-by-step instructions, or simple inspiration

How to make spiced gin

How to make sloe gin

How to make preserved lemons

Make mulled wine sachets

Embroider a hashtag

Make bird-feeder balls

Knit a cowl

Make beard oil

Knit for babies (11 free patterns)

Christmas gift guides

For particular people, more to come, and more to be added to each.

Houseplants and horticulture 

Christmas gift guide: houseplants & horticulture

On-trend interiors are currently channelling the 1970s jungle vibe, so here are some pressies for budding gardeners with a growing enthusiasm for all things green-fingered…

What's planted where

Even in a weeny windowbox, it's easy to lose track of the plants, seeds and bulbs that are in there, especially if they're lying dormant, died back or, not wishing to be negative, but just plain dead. And it's not unheard of to forget the name of that favourite flowerer… Pop in a plant marker, with the plant name (and date of sowing or bulb planting) written on it in pencil indelible marker and you'll know what's where. So useful.
Wooden plant markers, £3.95 for 40, Sarah Raven



Light up

Light the way, or show off a favourite plant, with this space-saving planter featuring a built-in solar-powered LED lamp. Yes, fairy lights are lovely, but this will sit on a tabletop. Once fully charged, it gives eight hours’ light, perfect for outdoor entertaining.
Elho Flower Light, £35.95, The Worm that Turned







Learn with experts

No, not the services of a gardener. This is RHS Ambassador Jamie Butterworth, whose RHS remit is to encourage more young people to get into gardening. This online gardening course teaches how to convert any spot into a plant paradise including how to plan properly, what to plant for both food and beauty and how to maintain it all.
The new Contemporary Garden course, led by RHS ambassador Jamie Butterworth, from £79, www.learningwithexperts.com (gift vouchers available)


Hearts on hand

Yep, an actual plant. This Ceropegia woodii, aka chain of hearts or string of hearts, is a trailing vine, looking its best cascading from a hanging basket or down a set of shelves. It's often to be seen in the top #houseplants Instagram posts
Ceropegia woodii, £12.50, Trouva







No visible means of support

Terrariums look great, although their popularity may have peaked. However, as anyone who's ever owned one knows, the plants can quite quickly fail to thrive. That micro-environment needs careful managing in order to create optimum growing conditions. I've learnt this the hard way, by making several terrariums and watching their decline. See James Wong's terrarium advice. However, if you routinely kill all houseplants, an airplant (Tillandsia, to be precise) is much less demanding than soil-sited plants. This just needs a bright place, good air circulation and squirting with a plant mister a few times a week in summer, less frequently the rest of the year.
Airplant terrarium kit, £10.50, Crafty Plants (I'd leave out the reindeer moss when assembling, myself)

As seen on my screen

Definitely not Crocs. I appreciate that you don't reeeeally need special outdoor shoes for a bit of light pruning on the balcony, but these will identify you as a gardener when you're going out for supplies, visiting a garden for inspo, guerrilla gardening etc. Light, comfortable and waterproof, Backdoorshoes are made of super-lightweight expanded foam, in sizes 3-14, in loads of jolly outdoor designs including flowers, veg, grass, meadows (like mine, left).
Backdoorshoes, £25, www.backdoorshoes.co.uk