Christmas Gift Sale & Folksy Gift Guide

A few weeks ago I remember promising a round-up of my favourite handmade gift ideas to be found in online marketplaces, and I seem to have got as far as Etsy… and then we moved house. I completed underestimated how much time this was going to take out of my month, and now I fear I’ve missed the Christmas shopping bubble. Hopefully there is still time for last minute purchases, and where better to look in the UK than Folksy.

For those of you who are new Folksy, this online marketplace is very similar to Etsy, but only sells hand crafted or designed work from UK designer-makers. This is a great opportunity to support British makers, and also handy for last-minute gifts! Folksy provides handy Gift Guides  which have been curated by some of the talented makers over the past year. These include ‘British Printmakers’, ‘Gifts for Makers’ ‘Eco Friendly Gifts’ and ‘Gifts for Music Lovers’ – there really is something for everyone! Here are just a few of my favourites...

Going clockwise from top left: Mouse Bookmark, Earth & Air Jewellery, £18; Sycamore Yarn Bowl, Bluebell Woodturning, £31; Thread Storage Wall Organiser, Laura ter Kulle, £34.99; Lampshade in Forest Green, Justine Ellis, £46; Wooden Heart Stud Earrings, Ivy Lace London, £6.50; Felt Coin Pouch, Song of the Seam, £6.

If you're still stuck for last minute gift ideas, why not check out my own sale in both the Sewmotion shop, and my Folksy shop - with up to 30% off selected gifts and cushions.

Folksy is also running a great campaign to celebrate everything handmade – use the hashtag #celebrate_handmade on social media to find some beautiful items. They also have a wonderful article on their blog by Tash Goswami who explains why buying and giving handmade is so much better - why it's more sustainable than mass production, how handmade is forever, not just for now, and how, by buying handmade, we are supporting local businesses and keeping craft skills alive.

I think the last point Tash makes about keeping craft skills alive, which also demands education in these skills, is something I feel very strongly about. I could go one for days about how wonderful, relaxing, therapeutic, and just so good for you, crafting is, whether you are sitting at your sewing machine all day sewing endless half-square triangles, or in front of a roaring fire with an EPP project on the go, the repetitive action of crafts like patchwork and quilting is what slow craft is all about. Being able to unplug, for even just an hour, and concentrate on one thing, is as beneficial for many as a good night’s sleep. This is why through Sewmotion, I aim to introduce as many people as I can to my wonderful craft, be it through my free online tutorials such as the Beginner’s Quilt series, or through one of my Quick and Easy Quilt Kits. These would also make great Christmas gifts!  

I hope this blog has helped you out with any last-minute gifts, before I go I just wanted to share this fantastic video. As you may know by now, I’m a great fan of star quilter Angela Walters, and I was so happy to discover she’s just started a new quilting channel on YouTube for Craftsy called the Midnight Quilter. In the first episode Angela makes this gorgeous Variable Star Quilt and shares some great tips along the way, at the same time raising a glass of red wine – she is my kinda girl!

This week I'm linking up with Let's Bee Social on Sew Fresh Quilts and Midweek Makers on Quilt Fabrication. If anyone knows of any UK linky parties out there, please let me know - otherwise, I'm thinking of starting my own in 2017...


 

Moving house means Sale time!

After five long months we're finally moving into our new house! I'd be lying if I said it's been an easy process, I always forget how long these things take! Anyway, we're moving into a 1930s 3-bed semi in the lovely area of Linthorpe Village in Middlesbrough - complete with wood chip wallpaper and the most expressive artex I have even seen. It's strangely growing on me, much to Justin's annoyance! One thing we do agree on though is the beautiful log burner in the front room and these wonderful door knobs - aren't they cute!

With no time or budget to tackle the wood chip, for now I've decided to just whitewash the second bedroom which is to be my studio, I'm sure once I've got shelves of fabric adorning the walls and some pictures and hangings up, I'll forget all about what's lurking underneath.

While packing up my room, which seems to be taking forever, I've realised how much stock of handmade items I actually have... and I really need to make room for 2017's creations. So I'm having a little pre-Christmas sale, it is now December after all. I've reduced my Teessider Cushion Collection by 30%, this is a great opportunity to grab a one-off gift for someone from, or maybe living away from, the North-East. Maybe you've got a homesick student who would like to be reminded of home now and again. Click below to see the whole range.

Amazingly moving house has made us get ahead with our gift shopping just to get it out of the way, and I know I'm not alone! So I've taken 20% off selected smaller gift items in the Sewmotion shop, including coin purses, pencil cases and make-up pouches, perfect stocking fillers, gifts for school friends, or secret santas. Click below to see the collection.

This month's free Pre-Cut Party pattern is for this cute Bargello Make-up Pouch which uses 2.5" strips and a clever tube technique to create this staggered squares pattern. I also show you how to make up your quilted panel into this pouch to hold all your everyday essentials - also great for last minute gifts!

For this free pattern, just subscribe to the Newsletter for the link to this and past patterns based on quilting pre-cuts.

For more quilty fun and inspiration, why not pop along to these linky parties
and say Hi!

Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts 

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation  
Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication 

A Handmade Christmas

I love giving handmade gifts at Christmas, though I do tend to give them to people who I know will appreciate the love and work gone into making them. I remember when I rang mum on Christmas Day a few years back so she could open her handmade quilt over the phone… there were tears, which was wonderful! Last year I made my nephews some very bespoke cushions – they’re both Games Workshop mad – and they were over the moon to say the least… I have no idea how I’m going to beat that this year!

When you give handmade, you’re giving much more than the item, you’re also giving the love and hard work that went into making that gift. You chose the colours and the design and always had the recipient at the forefront of your mind while making it. Isn’t this what gift giving is all about?

I know we’re not all makers and creatives, but I think the same could be said about buying handmade – with so many one-off beautiful gifts available on Etsy, Folksy and Notonthehightstreet, it’s much easier to find the perfect gift that will be treasured for what it is – and what’s more, you can shop from the comfort of your sofa! I’ll be sharing some of my favourite finds in weeks to come.

But for all you sewists out there, there’s still time to make something unique and beautiful for that special someone, so below I’ve listed some of my go-to blogs for inspiration and free tutorials for small weekend or evening projects that you should be able to get done before the big day.

I think I love every project on Svetlana Sotak’s blog – from cute zip pouches, to plant pot cosies and drawstring bags, these are great small projects for last minute makes – perfect for stocking fillers or Secret Santas.

Another great source for larger makes such as these gorgeous bags is Noodlehead. Anna is a fabric designer, teacher and blogger and I just love her fabric choices in her beautiful designs. Why not make yourself her duffel bag for your trip to see family this Christmas?

My final lovely blog and a new find to me is Sew Delicious. Ros, like me is mostly self taught and I like reading about her new adventures and discoveries in her sewing life. This HST pouch would make a great gift for a teenager!

And of course, there’s always YouTube for some great tutorials, such as this one by the Missouri Star Quilt Co. Perfect for those gorgeous fat quarters in your stash, these pouches always come in handy for something!

I hope these projects have inspired you to get creative. However, if sewing isn't your thing, and you just love buying handmade, I'll be sharing some of my favourite gift ideas with you next week.

This week, I'm linking up with;

Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrications

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation 
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts