U-handblog

I'm really blushing here!

I've been awarded by four lovely bloggers for two awards in the last two days.  It's made tummy flip each time because it's quite something to make other people happy from just doing I love, and even more so when that thing is also my job. Thank you for allowing  me to combine craft (which is probably one of the purest pleasures going!) with my means of earning a living.

So with sewing machine in tow I'm walking up the crafty red carpet (in my pajamas of course) to collect a You Make My Day award:

Which has been kindly given to me the lovely Florence whose blog is newer to me.  I love her style writing it's very human, intelligent, and full of thought.  It's wonderful reading about the crafty goings involving her and her children (who are both already very nimble fingered), that said she's pretty crafty herself (she can sew kimonos!) and her husband makes music, and dinosaur toast for the kids!

And the lovely Christine has also given me the same award.  Christine has just started blogging, but I think I might have found my match bag making wise.  She makes beautiful bags and makes up fab tutorials with BIG enthusiasm.

I'll pass this award to:

• Kathi - who has just started blogging was recently seen rubbing shoulders with Oprah W. (go Kathi!).   Her writing style is sharp and very funny and her bags make me go a funny shade of green.
• Ali - whose side board (I know) is filling up with awards already - and rightly so.  Her writing is fabulous, to the point, straight-up, and so funny (in a dry way which I love).  She sews, cooks, knits, rubber stamps, and runs around after 2 boisterous boys etc etc etc!
• Jo - Hi Jo, I know you have one already, but now you can put an award in both of the bathrooms.  Jo is the only blogging buddy I have met; she is just as lovely in person as she in her blog.
• Melanie - who is a bright and lovely person and she is so patient with me when I take AGES to reply to her comments and emails. Sometimes I pop into her blog just to have a drool at her gorgeous fabric.
• Anna - Hi Anna, I know you already have one too.   You have been so kind sending me lots of emails and comment over the past months.  Anna's writing is sharp and funny and she will try most any crafty thing once.  She handmade gorgeous soaps the other day.

I have also been award the Art Y Pico award by Helen whose bags, wallets and aprons are just gorgeous - have  peek at them in her shop, she's not been selling for long, but she is doing well.

And the aforementioned Jo has also given me the same award (you well deserved yours Jo!).

I will pass this award to:

• Meg - is so talented with her sewing and now she is selling her patterns (jealous).  Not only is she sucessful, she's very generous in spirit with her advice.
• Carrie - makes and sells gorgeous bags, pouches, and aprons and she also writes a very entertaining blog.  She is another lady who is successful and generous in spirit and she makes me look like a lazy bones!
• Felicia - makes the most the most cute and daft crittters from recycled materials.  You only have to drop into her blog and straight away you are presented with fluffiness, googly eyes, and wonky smiles - enough to bring a smile to anyone's face.
• Jessica - her blog is so inspirational, her posts are eclectic and style finds are fab.   She is so generous with her tutes - need to paint a chair anyone?

PHEW!!  Thank you so much everyone.  (I know I've missed lots of you out!).

I'm will be celebrating this award ceremony with a rather nice bag making bits draw which I'll about post tomorrow. 

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Time wasters welcome - much cuteness for your computer

Just checking in because I seem to be on a blogging roll at the moment so I'm making the most of it.

About yesterdays post on coffee, Ties sent me link to a site which talks about Starbucks bowing down to consumer pressure and making moves to do the right thing, which is encouraging.
 

Yay!  I've made start on the oilcoth tute, very excited about it.   It's the first in a short run (unless I get bored of working with it) of oilcloth tutes  that I will be doing. I have pattern on paper so the hardest part is over (she says...) - I'm thinking you'll dig this one... 

I have been nominated for two awards today (thank you so much girls!).  I'll put some thought into who I can pass them on to.

Whilst I do some behind the scenes stuff here are two cuteness links you might like sent to me by lovely Chrissy.  Here is a link to a very individual and fun hand made craft shop.  I love the mood of it and her products are so inspiring.  And here is link to a wonderful site with LOADS of fabulous (and free) desktop wall papers and icon sets for both Macs & Pcs.  Here is my current desktop:
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This wall paper is called 'Waiting room', it appeals to my love of all things daft.

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And here is a groovy pic Chrissy sent in with her email - must be something to do with my drummer pic...

Sooo cute; it really brings a smile to my face.  Pass it around if you like.

The bitter taste of coffee

Last night I watched a very good docu-film called Black Gold.   It was a depressing tale of coffee, greed, and mind-boggling apathy.  It is told through the eyes of Tadesse, a man in charge of the Oromia Coffee Cooperative Union in Ethiopia.   He passionately coordinates small independent farmers and fights for a fairer price for their coffee.  I know growers get artificially low prices for their coffee, so I buy fair trade and I don't visit coffee shops (in London you can expect to pay approx £2.75 ($5.50) or more for a crappy coffee mocky choccy which is just insulting).  Starbucks & et al are the worst greed offenders, as are the big four multi-nationals Kraft, Sara-Lee, Nestle, and Procter-Gamble. Watching the film I was shocked to learn that:

• In the last decade the value of the coffee industry has increased from $30 billion to $80 Billion PER YEAR!! In the same period the price that the grower countries are paid in return for their coffee has dropped from 33% to less than 10%
• It's not that the 1st world is buying less coffee, or that the growers are growing less; it's the price to the farmer that has dropped to unsustainable levels.  The multinationals and Starbucks et al are screwing these farmers and they are screwing us the consumer as well.  I'm all for making a living, (we all are), but how can some companies knowingly turn a profit on the back of people who are starving????
• In the Ethiopian region in which Starbuck's buys it's coffee beans from the inhabitants are on the verge of famine, the growers are still growing their coffee, but they receive less than a dollar per kilo so it's hardly surprising that the farmers cannot feed their children, let alone send them to school.
• Parts of Africa are more reliant on aid than ever before.  Indeed, they are the only countries in the world that are getting poorer rather than richer.
• African farmers feel they cannot trade fairly in the global market when farmers in the 1st world countries are given subsidies.  This issue is brought up by 3rd world coffee grower country delegates at the World Trade Organisation meeting in 2003.  But they are ignored by the 1st world delegates who just want to talk amongst themselves about strengthening and improving trade in the 1st world. Thus, the talks broke down...

If the multinationals and Starbucks et al stopped clubbing together in the playground to trample on the small guy, the farmer would be paid fairly for his work, be able feed his family, and live with the dignity that all good humans deserve.  And I'm willing to bet that if they weren't so incredibly greedy for large profits it wouldn't cost us any more for the farmer to be paid fairly and for us have our daily shot of coffee. 

Click on the coffee calculator below to find who gets what of the money that you pay for your cappuccino.

And the winner of Handcrafted Journal is...

After deleting the duplicates, there were 87 entries for the Handcrafted Journal draw.  The random number picker (so you can't blame me) stopped on the number 61. 

So would Patricia M who wrote:

"This magazine is stunning! I've been asked to create "something" for an upcoming school auction fundraiser. Either the "Sweetheart Necklace" or "Close to the Heart" necklaces would be good auction items."

Will you please step forward, claim your prize, and send me your address?

Sorry to those who didn't get lucky this time, there is (as ever) another prize draw just around the corner...

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Misc-link-mania

OK so there was no clear favourite as to what I should make for the oilcoth tutorial so I'll make more than one thing from the list.  Meanwhile (whilst I procrastinate yet further about actually making a start on the tut) here are some groovy crafty goings on you might want to check out:

• Melanie's - fabric lust....drool, she sells some of it too...droool!
• Jo's - first tutorial (which is better than my 1st!) is this lovely crochet hook roll.
• Christine - has done it again with a super easy diaper bag tute.
• Julia - makes her own corsets and she's used some of my tutes to make bags :)
• Craftjuice - a site to show off your crafty work.
• Claire's - Moo wallets can be found here - I have one and folks are always impressed when I whip it out of my bag.
• Lightbox tute - make the best of your photos by making your own lightbox on the cheap
• Guisypatch - aw man!  I LOVE her handmade wallets.
• Jennalou - is starting to sell her own patterns, one of them is this fab wallet.
• Eclectic Moi - pretty vintage items to make with or to wear.
• Savvy Seams -  mini duffel bag tute.
• Flossieteacakes - the sweetest (and tastiest) dinosaurs I've ever seen.
• Montessori by hand - name Meg's new dinky-doo apron and win an apron book.
• Anna's - pretty fabric waste bin tute - what a great idea!

In my next post I will announce the winner of the Handcrafted Journal...

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Sewing Machine Review

One of the things I love about making bags is that they are so newbie friendly. The idea of sewing a bag is far less scary than the idea of sewing a shirt or even a simple dress.  This must be why I get lots of emails from newbie sewists saying "I've never sewn a stitch before, but I really do want to make a bag (which is wonderful to hear!) can you recommend a user friendly machine for me?" I must get around 60 emails like this a month.  I usually recommend the make of sewing machine that I began sewing with (if you like you can email me to find out what it was), but after testing this machine I would happily recommend this one instead.

Before I start, I just wanted you to know I'm NOT being paid by Toyota or anyone else to review this machine .  I don't do paid reviews - it's not what I'm about :)

The sewing machine tested is a Toyota SPA15.  You can see the tech specs here. The machine is aimed at newbies or folks who want a decent basic machine.  This is what is included in the box:

In the box: Sewing machine, dust cover, battery, pedal, and a one of the best sewing machine manuals I've ever seen (more about that later).  Overall the build feels fine (not flimsy) and it's light too.  There are also bobbins, a stitch ripper (best friend), zipper & button hole foot, and needles.

Close-up: all the important stuff is close at hand and there is a roomy sewing base.  At first I wasn't sure how the machine was 'ergonomically designed' but it became apparent how when I started to use the machine.  The way that the arm is set back from the stitching area makes viewing your sewing much easier so you don't have to slouch or lean forward (I'm always slouch at my machine).

Machine Info Guide: Lift the flap on the top right and you are presented with handy flip guides on how to get going, trouble shooting, and sewing info.  These 3 steps to sew are helpful if you are new to sewing - I tested this on Al and he managed to thread the top thread, the bobbin, and pull the bobbin thread up (by himself) without swearing once!

Bobbin winder: Al threaded this bobbin.  One thing I really like about this machine is that you can wind bobbins without having to unthread the top thread, because the motor for the bobbin and the sewing machine are separate from each other.  There is a separate battery for the bobbin winder (which is soooo fast!).

Manual shots:  I was SO impressed by the machine's manual, there has obviously been a lot of thought put into writing it.  I mean a good manual can result in you becoming a confident sewist extraodinaire, a crap manual on the other hand could have you turning to drink!   This manual is written in good English, clear and simple terms, and there are plenty of clear diagrams - heavenly!

A crystal clear explanation of the what the heck tension is.

Clear explanation of how to insert a Zipper

"Yes all very good, but can it handle (bag making standard) layers?" I hear you ask.  The answer is definitely a yes!  In this pic I have sandwiched 2 layers of Timtex-like interlining (and you know what a cow that can be to work with) in between 2 layers of thick home dec. fabric and the sewing machine sailed though it all like melted butter - and this machine is faster than my beloved Janome :(

Flip up guide and stitching dial.  Now to test some stitches out...

Stitches sample: The stitches all work great and I even did my first machine button hole (yep it really was my 1st, have you ever seen button closures on any of my bags?  Nope?)  so I'm very happy about that.  You get this button hole machine foot guide and the instructions are (again) clear as day.

In use

Ultimate Newbie test: Al (who wasn't too keen on being photographed whilst sewing...) is a genuine sewing newbie so I made him: thread up a bobbin, the top thread, and pull up the bobbin thread and sew his choice of stitch by himself.  Didn't he do well?

My verdict of the Toyota SPA15: I was pleasantly surprised.  I tried to approach the machine as a newbie might and I found the machine to be very user friendly, predictable (which is important when you're a newbie), and simple to use.  The layout is good and the manual is fabulous.  Another thing that I like is that it sews like the wind and it sails through bulky layers! The machine is also reasonably priced - you can't go wrong!  A newbie could purchase this machine and very successfully make all manner of bags and what not on this machine.

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Jump up & down song

OK so that's twice in one week with the You Tube; I promise to try my best not to make a habit of it, but doesn't this song just want make you jump around?  Have fun listening and I'll make a start on the Oilcloth Tutorial - if you wanna it's not too late to vote on the tute you'd like  :)

Later I'll be road testing a sewing machine for newbies as well - I do love a busy crafty weekend.  I hope you have a lovely weekend too. X

Fighting fit & a word about sewing with oilcloth

Thank you for your lovely get well wishes everyone :)  I feel tip-top again and I even went to the gym last night.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that I wasn't totally unfit and I even managed to do some boxing training.  Whilst I was warming up I saw a lady doing some boxing sparring with a trainer.  The trainer  was holding pads - for her to hit (so you can box without being hit back - which is a definite bonus).  It looked like brilliant fun, so when the trainer was free I asked to have a go. It was a gas! Really exhausting, but such exhilarating fun.  Well, that's it! I have finally found something that is an all round work out, but also great fun - who knew?   Earlier today I even bought myself these - woo!

Onto sewing things.  I am going to get a 'working with oilcloth' tutorial together (as promised).  I thought I would ask you if you had any preferences as to what I should make out of oilcloth for the tutorial:   

• Laptop sleeve   
  
• Ipod cover - though there are so many different shapes of these things these days
• Wallet
• Lunch Bag   
  
• Magazine Bag   
  
• errrrrrrr...

In case you didn't already know, sewing with oilcloth is made INFINITELY easier if you have the right sewing machine foot (ah! So that's why the oilcloth always flipping sticks!).  The machine foot needs to be non-stick (also known as Teflon coated foot).   These feet glide over sticky oilcloth, vinyl and plastic, and they look like this:

Pic credit: Sewing Machines Plus.

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Fun Run

I'm just recovering from (brain-fry) flu.  Very odd flu it was, no dribbly nose, but aches and pains, and I also grew football sized tonsils.  Ah well it made me slow down and I've had a chance to read and have a think about creative things - the body is very clever in the way it sometimes disregards how busy you are.  I'm more or less okey dokey now.  What is cool is that by default I've lost a few pounds.  I've decided I'm going to go the the gym to capitalize on this effortless weight loss. Wouldn't it great if exercising was this fun?

Handcrafted journal Review & Giveaway!!

Here is a review of a fabulous current issue of Handcrafted: 250+ of our favourite Crafting Projects.   This journal is very high quality in both content and build.  It's so dripping with crafty eye candy, and packed with different tutorials it's hard to know where to put it (on your coffee table, by your work table, or on your wall - some of the photos would very attractive framed pictures (the paper is thick). This journal is wonderfully inspiring if you happen to be in craft rut (we all are from time to time).  Inside you'll find a diverse mixture of different crafts and techniques often with accompanying tutorials so you can try your hand at creating some of the gorgeous projects.  Heres' a small selection of some of my favourites:

Handcrafted Published by Stampington and Company.  Available now.

Ever tried jewelry making?  This is one of the necklace making tutorials - so pretty!

Instructions on how to create the aforementioned necklace.  The instructions are clear and easy to understand.

Creating with paper. I love these paper Geisha dolls, there is a tutorial and pattern inside the journal for if you fancy trying your hand at these oriental ornaments.

I really love the idea of the keepsake portfolios.  They're hand decorated document wallets with dividers for the owner to store special letter, images, and thoughts etc.  They'd make a great present...

Instructions for making the above keepsake portfolios.

Of course there has to be homage to the Bag somewhere in here.  There's also a tutorial for these sweet felted bags.

This is a fun twist to the traditional locket necklace.  The necklace opens up to reveal a selection of your favourite images.  There is a tutorial for this sweet necklace too.

Do you fancy winning a copy of this dreamy (packed with tutorials) journal?

I'll send this journal to 1 lucky draw winner.

To enter all you have to do is comment on THIS PARTICULAR POST by:

• Telling us what new or different crafting techniques/skills you might try out this year?

 

Contest Official-ness :

• I'll randomly draw the winner in a weeks time -18th Feb **UPDATE**: I'm an idiot! I should have written 25th Feb!! and I'll announce the winner the following day-ish.  Good luck!

• As this prize is on the heavyish side I'll need to ask the lucky winner to make a donation for the postage.

• Sorry I can't notify winners, so please keep an eye for the winner announcement.  This is made easier for you if you subscribe to this blog so you don't have to keep checking back, although it's always great to have you pop-in for a read :)

• Sorry I can't reply to contest/draw comments, but I do love reading every single one :)