What money can't buy

I've been thinking a lot lately about how things used to be in 'the olden days'. How different it is now. Modern technology to help us every day; cleaning clothes, washing dishes... even sewing. I feel like the world is kind of overtaking me before I've even caught up with learning how to do these basic skills like hand-sewing and fixing things the old-fashioned way.

As a new mother and a daughter of an amazingly talented lady, I feel almost like it's my job to be able to do these supposedly simple things. A few years ago I felt like I was going along with the modern movement of feminism; girls mastering the skills previously classed as man's work; using drills, maintaining a car's tire pressure, putting up a tent in under 5 minutes. I can do all of these!! Yet if I'm honest, I've never really learned (what is classed as) women's work... the idea of hand-sewing a quilt is so daunting, I haven't dared broach the subject.

Now I must admit I hate mobile phones (yet I'm using one to write this blog right now), I hate speaking on the phone (yet knowing I can call someone if I'm in trouble gives me peace of mind), don't even get me started on modern computers (without one my family members couldn't do their jobs). In my ideal world we would ditch our mobile phones and instead own our own smallholding. We would get our hands dirty. We would wake up early. We would have to hand-wash our clothes. We would eat our own home-grown vegetables. We would sew our own quilts. Now, that's a lot of work isn't it? But I suppose it's the feeling of people having gratitude that I also crave.

As a crafter, I have come to the realisation that more often than not, people will not pay for the work you put into making something anymore. This for me is sad. So I've decided something. While I'm going to be proud that I can use a drill and keep my car on the road, I'm also going to make a family heirloom quilt. Every stitch will be done by hand. It will take time. But the ironic thing about it, is that rather than using scrap pieces of material I have 'left over', I shall have to cut into larger, new pieces of expensive fabric, to give the effect of an old quilt made by a Great Grandmother, who had little to spare. No one would be willing to buy this quilt from me, for the time it takes, materials and costs incurred. However, I will make other thing with the leftovers. It doesn't matter too much how it looks, it matters that I made it and it keeps my little boy warm on a cold day when he is feeling poorly. And maybe when I'm gone, my family will continue to use it as their own. Xx

You're better than you think you are

Every now and then, I meet someone whom I really admire, and kind of wish I had their capabilities when it comes to certain crafts. It happened again recently. A young girl, perhaps in her 20's,was clutching a piece of cloth, pinned underneath a neatly cut-out piece from a sewing pattern. I love things like that. It's not 'just a piece of fabric'. It has it's place in the world, but not just yet.

She was on the hunt for buckram. Now, although she seemed confident, I got the impression she hadn't used it before. "Do you do a lot of sewing?" I asked. I suppose I had assumed her answer would be yes. She would have fitted in perfectly as a cast member of 'The Great British Sewing Bee'; pretty, a sweet girl, and clearly quite imaginative. After her explaining that she'd done some experimenting, altering her clothes etc, she told me that this particular project was something her father had asked her to do. The way she put it really made me feel a sense of 'pride'; "My dad thinks I'm better than I am"... so he had asked her to make him a shirt, hence her needing the buckram to stiffen the collar. It was such a wonderful phrase. Perhaps I read too much into these things, but I definitely feel that there was this talented girl, who really didn't know how capable she could be, with a father who sees potential and encourages her creativity. We had a chat about how daunting dress patterns are, when you're a beginner and you slowly take it out of the packet, and then realise how enormous some of them can be. But, once you actually just go for it, without rushing yourself, it can often be a lot easier than it first... seams!

So be brave! Don't talk yourself into thinking you aren't capable of being just as creative as all of those crafty folk that you admire. You CAN do it. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, just have fun with it! Not only that, but what have you got to lose? 

A Bog Frog Story

A lovely lady came into the shop last week, in her hand a very cute knitting pattern. Now, many of the people that I speak to in the shop are aware that I love to make crochet toys. Most don’t share my passion, but they show an interest. I was very pleased to see that on the front cover of the ‘leaflet’ was a pretty cool-looking frog! A bright green, happy-chappy of a frog. Upon closer inspection (ok I got a bit nosey and wanted to know more, so I just had to ask!), I read the words ‘Bog Frog’... the lady was going to be making this little fellow...

The Bog Frog Toilet Roll Holder!

 During our chat about which, out of all of our lovely green yarns was the correct ‘frog green’ (her bathroom is brown, this could have been an option if he was a toad, but he is not a toad, he is a definite green sort of bog frog), she explained that she had found a fantastic site for paid knitting patterns and her experience with them had been very good thus far. So I jotted down the company name and thought I’d share it here with you all. They're called 'Knitting By Post' (available via amazon.com).

 So, if you don’t share my passion for toys, but think your bathroom could be calling out for its very own creature to keep your loo-roll clean and safe, then you simply MUST knit yourself Mr.Bog Frog!