Simply Sewing and Sew Crafty 'Quick Gifts to Sew'

I am sorry to make this week all about where else you can find our stuff other than here, however I am SUPER excited to finally share with you something I was working on this past summer.

Quick Gifts to Sew is a booklet that comes FREE with issue 10 of Simply Sewing magazine and if you like our sewing tutorials you will LOVE this! It is packed with 20 tutorials for things to sew with your fat quarter stash. I designed the projects with a mix of easy fun ways to practice your sewing skills. I also wanted to include a good mix of techniques that can be used over and over again. There is a nice selection of projects with hopefully something for everyone on your Christmas gift list and beyond!  The best thing is that nearly everything you need for all the projects are available from my shop Sew Crafty!

This project is one of the best things I have ever had the opportunity to create. I will never get used to seeing my tutorials in print, let alone the feeling of walking in to the newsagent and seeing this on the shelf, overwhelming and truly awesome! It was a real pleasure to collaborate with the guys over at Simply Sewing on this beautiful booklet. 

I really hope that, if you get hold of a copy, you enjoy the projects as much as I enjoyed creating them. Don't forget that there is also a brilliant copy of Simply Sewing magazine full of projects to enjoy too, I adore Portia's gorgeous cape seen on the front cover! An autumn essential!  

I would love it, if you don't already, to follow @SewCraftyShop and @SimplySewingMag over on Instagram, Oh and while your there make sure you are following @liveit.loveit.makeit because we will be live posting from Renegade Craft Fair this Sunday. 

Have a lovely weekend

Sammy xxx

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How Blogging Can Help your Handmade Business - Feature in Craftseller

If you head down to your newsagent this weekend, don't forget to pick up the October issue of Craftseller magazine, not just because it's a great crafty mag, but you may see an article with some familiar faces.

We were asked a few months ago to weigh in on the subject of how having a blog can help your handmade business.  Something we love to talk about!

The piece by Karen Dunn includes some other amazing Girl boss bloggers, the lovely Kat and Kat founders of Blogtacular, Camilla Westgaard from the Folksy Blog and Alice Tams from Birds in hats.  I know we are biased, but it is well worth a read if you are in any doubt as to whether blogging is for you and your brand.  Spoiler alert.  It totally is!

As if you needed another reason to head out and grab a copy there is also a great interview with Amanda Overs of I Can Make Shoes, who's workshops have been on our wishlist for ages.  Definitely on our Christmas list now!

We would love to know if you have a handmade business or brand and how your blog has impacted it, or if you find social media and blogging just a bit overwhelming?  What have you learnt about yourself or your customers via your blog?

Sammy and H xxx



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Love it: Simply Sewing Magazine

I have a quick question for you, is there room on the heaving shelves of the craft section in your newsagent for yet another sewing magazine?  My first answer if you had asked me a month or so ago when I first heard about Simply Sewing would have been a big fat no.  However, as I saw images and samples coming my way via their publishers and on social media my initial thoughts wavered.  Finally on Wednesday the real thing landed on my desk and I have to say I was reeeeaaally hoping it was going to be as good as the promise...

The great news is that it surpassed my expectations, like, a-lot.  I was excited to read pages of good looking projects, realistic projects that are actually wearable using stylish fabrics.  Packed full of really great tips and tricks for beginners and seasoned sewers.  A good variety of clothing, home sewing and crafty sewing projects make the first issue a nicely rounded overview of what is to come in future issues.

It is not Tilly Walnes on the cover (although they could be twins!) She does grace the pages with an interview and a great up-cycling project.  I don't want to show you too much because I don't want to spoil it for you all, but how cute is this little bunny bag below!  I have seen a few versions of these but I love the grey and blue colour scheme they have used for this series projects.

I think it has hit a great gap in the sewing magazine market, a sweet spot for those of us who spend hours on blogs and Pinterest yearning for the 'sewers' version of Mollie Makes.  The layout is clean and crisp with great photography throughout.

The clothing projects are trendy but not too fashion forward so as to limit their appeal.  I think their crafty cousin (Mollie Makes) would be very proud of what they have given us in the début issue.  I only wish they had gone with a different name for a magazine, with such style it could have taken a more unique title. The project on pg 43-45 offers up a far more interesting option for a possible title??

They are onto a winner signing up one of my favourite bloggers Portia Lawrie for a regular feature and for now at least there are a bunch of great sewing tips in the back pages.

You may have noticed there was no photo of the free fabric that came with my issue... well I couldn't help myself and whipped up a couple of quick zip pouches, a drawstring bag and some embellishments with my freebie.  What will you make with yours?  They have their own hashtag set-up too, tag your craftiness with #sewcialsparkle .

So, yeah, I'm a little smitten with this new offering, I can't wait to see what's up next.  To find out why I am so excited pick up your copy from all good news agents now or sign up for a subscription and get the first 3 issues for £5, Bargain!

Have you already grabbed your copy??  We would love to know what you think, Let us know in the comments below. Seriously tell me what you think, I am off the International Hobby, Craft and Stitch on Monday and I want to take all my comments and yours to the team behind Simply Sewing. Have a great weekend.

Sammy xxx

P.S. To be clear for anyone who remembers a magazine a few years ago under the same name, this is not the same magazine and it has no affiliation with the publisher who ran that magazine.  Simply Sewing is published by Immediate Media, who were the owners of the late Cloth magazine before it's run was cancelled.


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Our 500th Post & OMG! We are in Mollie Makes!

We are a little over-excited today as it is not only our 500th post here on Live it. Love it. Make it, but it is also the day after one of our longest standing blog goals has been ticked off our list. We have a four page feature in Mollie Makes magazine!!  Our Fabric Envelope Bunting tutorial 'Bunting with a Twist' is on page 45-47.  If you get a chance to take a look we are sure you will love it, there is also a little interview about us on page 48 too!

H and I first got a glimpse of Mollie Makes before it had even been published at the Stitch and Craft show at Olympia back in 2011.  Future Publishing were showing off mock ups of their brand new magazine at one of the stands, we both fell in love with the styling and design of what is now the Queen of the crafty news-stand.

Since that first issue it has been a big goal of ours to appear on the pages of Mollie and in the month that our blog turns 3, we have been featured in our favourite magazine, we are over the moon! We don't want to spoil the surprise so these are only little teaser photos, to see the full feature pick up your copy in all good newsagents now.  Even better, follow the link in our side bar and subscribe for monthly Mollie Makes fun.

Thank you to the lovely team at Mollie Makes for making our dreams come true.

H and Sammy xxx

Pretty Nostalgic 'Live by our Motto' feature

If you have never heard of Pretty Nostalgic magazine, you are missing out! We were asked last November to contribute our thoughts to a feature for the new year and we finally managed to get a hold of a copy and check out what else the issue had to offer. 

The magazine is available to buy from their website and a limited number (growing) of independent retailers. Their website is really lovely too, we spent some time looking around it whilst waiting for our issue to arrive (which it did very quickly). 

We were asked to way-in on the subjects 'Spend wisely, Waste less, Appreciate more' that make up Pretty Nostalgic's motto. We could have spoken about this all day but we managed to get our points across in three small paragraphs which have all been featured in the six page spread, along with other bloggers, writers and readers of the magazine.

There are some really lovely articles, as well as the one we are in, in this edition. Particularly one about British shoe makers and Nicole Burnett talking about her love of repaired objects and the sad loss of making do and mending simple household goods.

If you like vintage for the history, not just the fashion factor and like seeing real artisans at work whilst being enchanted by beautiful photography, take some time out to get a copy. Then sit down on a Sunday afternoon with a big cup of tea and enjoy.

H and Sammy xxx


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Friday Favourite: Celebrating Friendship

This week has been very sentimental for us here at Live it. Love it. Make it. with H and I celebrating our fifteen years of friendship. Looking back over the happy and sad times we have spent together has made me feel so lucky. Friends deserve to be celebrated so I have dedicated this weeks Friday Favourites to friendship.

1. Book yourself and your friend onto a workshop, its a great way to spend some quality time together and create a little something to gift to each-other at the end of the class.

2. Create a personalised embroidery, you could use their favourite colours and their name or initial. 

3.I love this Personalised cake tin from Not on the High Street, great if your buddy likes baking.

4. This Friendship Poem print is a sweet little keepsake, this one is from Not on the High Street, or you could create your own.

5. Order your friend a little crafty kit, we love the range from Check My box, order one for yourself and you have handmade friendship jewellery.

6. Get your bestie a magazine subscription to her favourite title, a lot of the publishers do great deals like £5 for your first three issues. 

7. You don't have to spend lots of money to show your friendship, how about just buying a cute card and writing a heartfelt note inside. I love this Random Card from Not on the High Street.

8. Another idea that doesn't cost a lot of money is a handmade coupon book, H made me this one for Christmas last year.  It had cute little vouchers in it that entitled me to things like a cinema trip, a wardrobe de-clutter and a picnic.

9. There are loads of crafty/beauty/cake box monthly subscriptions around at the moment, why not sign your friend up for a trial offer. 

10. I love the sentiment that accompanies these pretty knot Friendship earrings.

11. Why not do what we did and treat each-other to afternoon tea, we had such a lovely time chatting, catching up and eating cake!

I hope that has given you some ideas on how to spoil your best friends. They really are worth spoiling you know.  I am so lucky to have some very special friends in my life and I know H would say the same.  It really is a bond worth celebrating.

Have a lovely weekend.

Sammy xxx

Review: New Look Cloth Magazine

I have been stocking Cloth magazine at Sew Crafty since the first issue, our customers love it! So I was apprehensive when I heard that the Mag had been bought by a larger publisher, was it going to lose it's charm? Was it to lose the feel that we loved about this magazine with just the right amount of dress making, up-cycling and crafts?

I needn't have worried.  Aside from it being bigger in size than before {it used to be A5, now more the size of Mollie Makes}, it is still jam packed with Yummy projects and Gorgeous Photography.

Packed with great ideas for up-cycling your clothes,

Any magazine that has a 'this months Loves' page this pretty is off to a good start in my book. This issue comes with the cutest paper doll, included in her paper wardrobe are some of the items that you can make over the coming issues, such a lovely touch!

A great look inside the Wardrobe of Costume buyer and designer Arianna Cadwallader. She owns a Vintage  monochrome Chanel dress to.die.for!

Packed with great ideas for up-cycling your clothes, with this issue offering a flower appliqué Jacket, some clever Military styling {see front cover} a Cute iPad case and some lush ideas for those winter essentials, Tights.

 

I am thoroughly smitten with the new look Cloth, I can't wait to have a go at some of these projects. Look out for it in your local Newsagents soon or pop over to Cloth's website for a great subscription offer.

Loving it all things Cloth

Sammy xxx

Look Magazine Fashion DIY's

Check out this weeks Look magazine for ideas to make your own catwalk inspired wardrobe!

Love it!
H