Crafting a Cushion: Hillarys Blinds Country Crafts Competition

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today is a very special blog - I'm unveiling my entry for the Country Crafts blogger competition run by the lovely people at Hillary's Blinds.

As you may know, I love a good sew (hey, a rhyme!), and as I've been so stressed with uni work, when I saw that Hillary's were running a competition to turn one of their new country retreat fabrics into something fab, I jumped at the chance for a little creative project. Plus, prize money of £1,000 is certainly nothing to be scoffed at!

Naturally I know there are all manner of incredible craft bloggers out there whilst I'm still very much an amateur Annie, but after scouring Pinterest for inspiration, I fell in love with the idea of 'conversation cushions.' I'm going to be moving house soon and will have my own home office, so really wanted to make something that would bring a bit of whimsy to my new space, plus greet visitors! Here were some images of inspo:

I then had an agonising decision between the four beautiful Hillary's fabrics on offer. I very nearly plumped for Bird Parade Teal, but we all know I'm a sucker for colour so Calluna Amethest became the obvious choice. The fabric was lovely and thick to work with, as you would expect curtain material to be, and really provided a solid base for embroidery and applique. As I love a bit of upcycling, the Amethyst also perfectly matched an old t-shirt of my boyfriend's which I used for the back of the cushion. 

And here is my final cushion! In hindsight I wish I'd used embroidery thread on the 'hello' to make it a little bolder, but considering I did the whole thing by hand, I'm pretty pleased with the result and still have loads of fabric left to experiment with. If you're interested in making your own 'hello' cushion, you can follow my step by step below. Sewing by machine is obviously quicker, but if you're after something fun to do in the evenings whilst watching telly, I couldn't recommend hand sewing more - it's so relaxing.

What do you think of my cushion? Wish me luck in the competition! Check out more info here - http://www.hillarys.co.uk/inspiration/the-hub/2014/country-craft-competition/

How To: Pearl Headband

Hello all! So it's been a while since I've done one of these. But I was just checking my blog stats and it appears that you all like my How To's best of everything on the site! Thanks a lot to all of you who have read so far; hopefully I will be able to tame your crafty appetites will all the little tutorials I have planned.

I LOVE making headbands, namely because they are really easy, cheap and can lift an entire outfit if you match them right. I've never really been one for these massive floral garlands (they make my head look huge) but I did notice a key trend at the festivals this summer for the embellished jewel headband. Whether they be adorned with gems, cat ears or spikes, a bit of hair accessorising clearly never hurt nobody.

If you fancy something a little more ladylike, understated and suitable for day to day wear, have a go at my pearl headband tutorial.

You Will Need

• Plain headband (I bought two of these simple black plastic and elastic ones from Primark for 50p, although any plain headband or Alice band would work)
• Pearl beads (Mine came off some old pearl bracelets I had lying around, although you should be able to pick some loose ones up from a haberdashery or market stall)
• Scissors
• Elastic Cord (thin enough to thread through the beads but thick enough to stay strong)
• Needle and Thread

1)Assemble your materials and de-string your pearls, making sure you have enough for the length of the headband

2)Thread the pearls onto your elastic cord and know at either end

3)Knot the cord through the hole at the end of your hairband, or if using a more solid headband, stitch or fabric glue it into place

4)Copy on the other end. You should now have what looks like two headbands tied together.

5)Using a thread in a subtle colour, do a few loop stitches at intervals along the headband to keep the pearl layer in place

6)Snip any loose threads and voila!

How to: Summer Hair Bow/Head Scarf

Hello! Bit hot isn't it? With summer well and truly kicking and the cafe I work in closed for summer, I have found myself with a lot of crafty time on my hands but not a lot of money. Henceforth, lots of cheap tutorials! This one was inspired by my favourite dress, a forest green button down tea frock that I bought last summer at Leeds festival. drawn to its beautiful print, it was waaaay too long for me so i lopped it off at the knee and kept the spare fabric in a box... until now! inspired by the whole two piece matchy trend I've spotted a lot of people sporting recently, and of course, my love of retro fashion, I thought I'd try my hand at showing you all how to make an easy hair band/hair scarf that takes hardly any time to make.

You Will Need:

• Fabric - check it goes round your head with some left over to make the bow. Exact measurements are pointless - everyone's head size is different You can use whatever thickness you like - I normally find 3 inches gives you versatility to go for an alice band style if you fold it over, or a more traditional 50's housewife vibe if you don't. The fun is in the experimentation!
• Pins
• Needle and Thread (or sewing machine)
• Scissors

1)gather your materials - check that your thread is the nearest matching colour you have to your fabric
Iron out fabric and fold into preferred thickness
2)turn fabric inside out, pin edges for a neat finish
3)use tacking stitches to secure into place
4)sew edges together and sew one end up
5)turn inside out and sew, sew the end up
6)tie round head and voila!

What do you think? ignore my frizzy hair, this heat is playing havoc with it and it is badly in need of a good relaxer!

Pretty cute eh? you can experiment with all sorts of thicknesses or even add bead embellishments or embroidered patterns, even better if you can match them to a dress or top. They're great for tucking your hair up in a rush, or if you're like me, hiding your frizzy roots! For a better example, see here for the one I wore (with matching dress) when I interviewed Alt J in Leeds )also a cheeky plug for my other music blog, safetyinsound.com)

How To: Make A Simple Hair Bow

Seen as I'm off uni for the summer, but am pretty skint, I thought I'd start trying out some small, easy and cheap craft tutorials to share with you all on here. I'm definitely no Kirsty Allsopp when it comes to sewing just yet, but in my experience of crafty blogs, it's sometimes nice to see a tutorial that actually makes you think 'I can do that...right now!' without having to rush out for loads of materials you'll only use once or any complicated techniques. So here goes, with hopefully the first of many...

You will need:

• A rectangle of fabric, whatever size and pattern you like or have. I thought gingham would be cute for summer and you can make loads which will all have exactly the same print. For a small bow, I used a rectangle approximately 15cm long and  8cm wide
• Scissors
• Needle and Thread
• Kirby Grip to attach it to hair. Or else a brooch pin/ hair elastic will work just as well depending how or what you are wanting to attach it to.

1)Cut a rectangle of fabric to relevant measurements.

2)Fold the fabric in half longways, and then fold each end in on itself until you have what looks like a garden gate- two flapping 'door's. This will make a smaller, shorter, tighter rectangle which will form your bow. Stitch up the middle to seal this into a small package.

3)Pinch the rectangle in the middle and loop a few stitches to tack it into place

4)Using a spare scrap of fabric or bit of ribbon, sew a simple band around the middle to keep it in place and hide any ugly stitches. This could look quite nice if you used a contrasting fabric too - get creative!

5)Slide a kirby grip into place, or loop some elastic through the band.

6)Wear away! This could also look nice pinned to a cardigan or attached to a ribbon to make a  simple belt to accessorise a plain belt.

Ebaying for Blood

Since my student days started, I have consider myself a bit of a thrifty connoisseur when it comes to clothing, and ebay is my vehicle of choice. Ask any of my housemates and they will tell you they are constantly treated to my squeals of delight when a package drops through our letter box, and then look on in bemusement as I clutch some crazily patterned, musty smelling 70’s dress to my chest and declare it ‘totally similar to that one in topshop that’s 80 quid!’

Being a fashion conscious teenager, I of course want to look good, without being a slave to high street prices, or indeed their dictated standards of what we should all be wearing. Shopping on ebay allows you to put together a unique ensemble, snapping up last season’s dress that you never got round to buying, whilst being economically and environmentally friendly. Plus of course, that glowing feeling you get when you can shout TAKE THAT BITCH! at your computer screen as you snare a bargain from your rival bidders grasp. Have I got you convinced yet? No? Well, take a look at my guide below for a few tips on how to maximise your satisfaction without cracking too far into your savings.

USE MISSPELLINGS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE Written English isn’t everyone’s strong point, so be sure to exploit misslistings. Searching ‘Urban Outfittors’ or ‘Mis Selfirdge’ and you might find those items selling a bit cheaper, as less people are looking. Also utilise key phrases when looking for a specific fashion item, for example  ‘topshop leather skater skirt’ can also be searched as ‘fit and flare’ ‘a line; ,’pleather’, ‘topshop style skirt’ and numerous other combinations that may yield cheaper and very similar brand imitations.

SHOP OUT OF SEASON The cheapest buys can often be found on ebay out of season. Buy that fluffy cardi you’ve been lusting over in July, as far less people will be searching for it, minimising your bidding competition. Swimwear in winter, glitzy Christmas embellishments in spring… it all works on the same principle. Likewise, if you are looking to make maximum money when selling, make sure you capitalise on key seasons and trends – summer is an excellent time to flog your old hunter wellies in time for the festivals.

SPOT THE CHEEKY SELLER An item might be 99p, but the postage is 16.00. Sellers will often hike up delivery costs to recompense what they know will be a cheap auction. Use the ‘list lowest to highest:including postage) to minimise the risk of being caught out at the checkout, and seriously think about whether you are getting a good deal . Also look out for sellers who list items ‘as new’, but in description point out that there are several stains and a distinct possibility that they wore it once a night out and may or may not have thrown up in it. At the same time, don’t get precious – this is ebay, so the majority of clothing items will be on there as second-hand and may look as such. Read the descriptions thoroughly and if in any doubt, contact the seller before you bid.  

START SMALL If you are new to ebay, experiment with some cheaper buys, building the thrill of the bargain as you build your expertise in working out what is worth buying and what isn’t, and which sellers you can and can’t trust. Set yourself a maximum allowance, and do not allow yourself to go beyond it: bidding wars, whilst adrenaline filled, almost always end in a sense of regret when you realise you spent far more than you were originally planning.

THE ART OF THE QUIRKY SNIPE If you find yourself in a bidding war, always add a few pence to your bid (4.57 as opposed to 4.50). Chances are your competitor has gone for a rounder figure, maximising your chances of catching them over a few pence. Keep refreshing the page in the last few seconds to make sure you’re keeping track. And NEVER SNIPE TOO SOON – you might think 1 minute to go is sweaty palm moment, but if your competitor is a seasoned ebayer, they will have their technique down to an exact science. Never leave more than 10 seconds between your final bid and the ending time. But do make sure you’re all logged in first – there is nothing more annoying that feverishly having to remember your password in the dying seconds of an auction.

STICK TO PAYPAL When paying for items, use paypal transactions wherever possible instead of physical money/cheques. It’s a lot safer, and means refunds or transaction complaints are all mediated by ebay, lessening the risk of getting conned. It also means the only details you need to give the seller is your email address, rather than any bank details.

START SELLING YOURSELF! Shed the guilt and build up a nice paypal surplus by selling your own old forgotten wares on ebay. If you haven’t worn or looked at a garment in over two months, it should probably go. Start gently with anything you know no longer fits or you know you no longer like, and sit back in pleasure as people pay money for something you might have once just put in the bin. Keep the money you make in your paypal account as a great way of keeping savings separate. Unless you’re like me, and end up splurging your money back on ebay. The cycle never ends…