New Sewing Web App coming soon:
New to sewing? Want an easy to follow custom made pattern, made exactly to your measurements? A circle skirt is the ideal beginners choice . Easy as Pi has done the tricky maths for you. All you need to do is grab your tape measure and enter your measurements. You will whip a circle skirt up in no time following our simple instructions. Visit the forum to see examples of other users skirts. It’s as easy as Pi!
Watch this space.
Can’t wait to make these for the studio*, need to find some green t-shirts to refashion.
*I have recently joined some crafty friends and taken up residency in the withsnail&i studio. Exciting times.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am slightly Pinata crazed. Here is my most recent creation:
This was a no paper mache pinata, which is handy when you are in a rush. Here is a great tutorial on how to create one.
These are the beautiful Swedish Stars which we made as part of the Christmas Craft night. I can’t seem to find a tutorial on them , I may make as video tutorial myself of them for next year.
I have been making these for 2 years now and I really like using pages from old books, it gives them a certain charm. Plus I picked up a large book in a charity shop for a euro so it turn out for be a very thrifty decoration to make and we made a ton of them from one book. 
Instructions can be found here.
10/2011 Cape finally complete. This was the first time I ever made a garment following a pattern.
While I may be a newbie to the pattern world, I have a background in technical design and I found the pattern to be quite troublesome (like many of the others who have attempted the pattern).
The hood is badly drafted, its really over sized and really took away for the otherwise tailored aesthetic of the cape. I redrafted my own version of the hood the end. The pattern instructions didn’t have lining, so I winged it and made up my own interruption of it anyway.
Other then that I have to say I am totally in love with the cape. The amount of compliments I get about this is incredible.
2m of a cashmere woolen weave and 2m of silk crepe for the lining.
Intermediate
Such an amazing book, I was sorting through my bookshelf yesterday and found it again. I could not possibly give it a comprehensive enough review now with so much time having passed since I have read it. Here is a review that does it credit.
Could of done with this a few months back.
My personal tip for home pattern printing is pay attention to the test square if one exists. Sometimes pattern makers who supply downloadable patterns include a test square like -a 10cm box which says 10cm box for example.
Its a really smart addition to a downloadable pattern (not all patterns have them). You just whip out your ruler and double check the scale . For a doubting Thomas like me ,I find this quite reassuring. It would be such a pity and waste to start cutting a pattern out only to find the scale is incorrect. As my Dad likes to say, Measure twice cut once.
Pattern Runaway who supply the guide are a lovely little business and design some beautiful patterns.
I really want to make this next summer …..
Using the Easy block stencil printing method I created these cushions as a gift for a friends birthday.
Printed cushion pair.
My chosen colour palette was more like the above, the picture does not do it justice.
As it was a big birthday of my friend , I chose a mature brown/grey cotton with a sateen sheen accented with muted neon piping and print.
Design sponge have a great piping 101 tutorial here.
List of thing items needed:
fionabrid 