Author: Dee Logan

Now we KNOW that many of are experts in your own fields but have you ever fancied knitting your own garments? Well, Rachel Hobby has put together the ultimate (it says here!) beginners guide to knitting. Have read through it we’d have to agree as it’s a great resource for anyone who’d like to have a go at knitting.

You can read the guide here.

I’m just a girl who can’t sit still…

I grew up around amazingly skilled women who knitted, sewed and crocheted; thankfully they taught me the basics. As I got older, my Auntie Phyll enrolled me on a beginners patchwork course with her and we were off!

I’ve enjoyed learning all my life and thankfully, in crafting, you never stop learning; there is always another technique or craft to be tried and improved. Though my Aunt has sadly passed, I have a lot of friends who enjoy making costume, patch-working, crocheting and knitting and her voice, along with the oft repeated rustic wisdom of my Grandmother ring in our ears as we work.

Learning new crafts has allowed me to see projects from unspun wool through to woven and crafted complete items. Starting from as early in the process as possible is something I have always found fascinating. It allows me to know exactly where and how materials are sourced and how they are prepared. It also gives me the opportunity to lower the miles associated with a final product. If there’s anything you would like to know about what I do or the processes I use, just ask – it will give my husband a break from having to listen to me witter about my crafts!

If only there were more time to sit and craft…. 

View my Etsy shop here

“Each of my textile pieces is completely unique and all the parts that make up the whole are hand-made by me.

I am excited by the use of colour and the unexpected results that I get when hand-colouring fabrics. I use various colouring techniques which include break-down printing, mono printing, various discharge techiniques as well as block printing and shibori techniques. I then start to build up texture with the addition of felted fleece and hand and machine embroidery”.

Anne has had her shop open on etsy since 2009 and is based in Northampton, England.

Rachel is a ceramicist, potter, classically trained musician and master of steel pan playing. One of the reasons that she began learning and practicing with ceramics is because she gained a connection with it – Something she never really had with music. Music is a performance art whereas being able to create an object, you can play around with it until your happy with it and it is a lot less stressful. She has been working with ceramics for about 2 years and has been using various different aspects of life to inspire her.

Rachel often suffers from insomnia and it is during these times, when she is laying in bed or day dreaming, that she comes up with most of her ideas for pots. Coming up with ideas can be quite tricky as she really wanted to create things that nobody had done before.

Check out the full interview below!

My name is Kerry, I am happily married with three beautiful grown up children and I live in a beautiful coastal town in Dorset, UK. I am a crochet pattern designer and create crochet baby hats, crochet adult hats, crochet cowls, crochet blankets and all sorts of colourful patchwork and crochet patterns.

My patterns are unique. My passion is to design top quality and easy to follow crochet patterns, including lots of details and photo tutorials to show you exactly where to place your hook and change your colour. I also include a stitch guide to explain how to make any stitch used in the pattern. I grade most of my patterns as ‘Easy’ If you can make basic stitches you will be able to follow my patterns ?

I learned to crochet and knit when I was 12 years old by my grandmother and her sisters who all lived together. I loved going round to visit their cosy little house after school, to sit in front of the warm open coal fire, being spoilt by three little old ladies with hot chocolate, biscuits and my ‘crochet lessons’.
I remember there was always little piles of tiny weeny baby cardigans and hats neatly piled on the arms of the chair, freshly knitted that day. I remember the sound of their needles clicking as they all worked and chattered away! ? They are very happy memories and perhaps thats why I still have the love and passion for it today.

I have always been a bit of a crafty girl, I can remember being taught to knit on big chunky wooden needles when I was about 6 and was the very proud owner of a vintage Singer Sewing machine at 9. I have always loved colour and turning old things into something new, long before up-cycling became the thing to do!!

When I had my little boy I decided I wanted to be a stay at home mum as didn’t want to miss a minute. When it came for me to have time to do something that fitted in with being a mummy I started a successful cake making business (Mummy Cupcakes) We then decided to move from Brighton along the south coast to Bournemouth. As we had a massive refurbishment project to do on the house I put Mummy Cupcakes on hold .

When we got to the point that the house was nearly finished I decided not to continue with cakes and try my hand at something different. I started making hand poured shaped crayons and designing colouring sheets using my own character’s which then turned into cards, prints……..and more. So that is how ‘Doodle Dot’ got to be part of the family.

At Doodle Dot as well as offering a design service for other small businesses we create fun and colourful gift and greetings cards. All of our range is handmade and packaged in the studio in our garden. We design all our own characters and use them across our range of cards, gifts and hand painted magical doors. We have lots of new ideas in the pipeline and would love for Doodle Dot to be a brand in its own right.

The Stitchery Dorset started in November 2015, and they are so pleased that there small business is growing from strength to strength. As the company name suggests they are a small sewing business run from there home in the lovely county of Dorset UK.

To provide quality, different home made items, take a walk away from the conventional and have some fun!

“Sarah (me/I) have been sewing for many years, my love for fabric and haberdashery is great. I am so lucky to have access to such beautiful fabrics, and I am always on the lookout for more … you can never have too much fabric. My partner Tim helps me with the cutting out, stock control and shipping, together with our lovely daughters we make a great family team.”