"Amazing lesson, I learned a lot of new techniques and didn't find myself bored at any point during the lesson. I'm really looking forward to embroidering new beautiful things with these new tricks up my sleeve!" Rique
"This leggings pattern is absolutely wonderful! The first pair I made fits perfectly. I plan to use this over and over again. Thank you for your great design! Wanda
"What a fun and friendly pattern! I made both the top and dress and still want to make a plain black jersey dress. Love it!"
"Super cute pattern! I made it out of crepe and it fits and drapes beautifully. The pdf printout went together quickly and made sense. Would purchase from this seller again." Sikuwear
Before I dive into how I try to stay creative, let me explain why it is important to me. There is so much bad news and misinformation out there, and It’s everywhere, news sites, Facebook, Instagram, in conversations, on billboards...everywhere.
When Rona first hit I was constantly checking news sites. The first few weeks I kept going in circles. After checking a few sites I would return to the first one to see if there was something new and kept repeating that circle. But when, after a couple of weeks, things seemed to stabilize I seriously needed a (mental) break.
So I decided to set a simple rule for myself: Create and be creative every single day.
About a year ago, I started minimizing my fabric stash currently occupying the guest bedroom that I hope to turn into an office/sewing room. I was off to a great start, but then I got off track.
However, last month I decided to get back at it. Taking cues from Marie Kondo, and Felicia Semple at the Craft Sessions blog. First I started to imagine my ideal workspace. It's a fun, easy, and helpful step to keep me motivated, and stay on track.
In this class you'll learn how to sew with cork fabric to create a simple crossbody bag.
So if you are curious about how to sew with cork fabric a.k.a cork leather or vegan leather and you want to learn some basic bag making skills, this is the class for you!
When I first got interested in cork fabric, I had no idea if you could sew the material with a normal home sewing machine, what needle to use or where to find it. Turns out...yes! You can sew cork leather on a regular sewing machine and with a few handy tools it's not as hard as it looks.
There is much to love about working with cork leather, but these are my main reasons
You’ll need to be confident using a sewing machine and have at least a few projects under your belt...however I am going to show the process step-by-step so if you are an ambitious beginner you should be able to follow along.
If you are an experienced sewer you’ll probably find that the construction of this bag is fairly straightforward and a fun project to experiment with new material.
At the end of this class, you'll know how to sew a simple bag using cork leather and you’ll be able to make a few simple tweaks to customize the design. The bag is a great addition to your me-made wardrobe and perfect as a gift.
Skillshare
If you are new to Skillshare, it's a subscription service like a Netflix but for learning new skills on mostly creative topics like lettering, sewing, embroidery, filmmaking, illustration, procreate, water colour painting, macrame, ceramics, interior desing, graphic desing and much more!
And if you sign up through this link you got to watch my class and thousands of other classes for free for 2 weeks! By signing up for a free trial I earn a small commission ($10) which supports my work and enables me to create more classes. So thank you if you do! And imagine me doing a tiny, awkward happy dance when you do :)
however if you are only interested in my class, you can use this link there are only 25 free spots in the class! How does it work:
- Read this before you click You'll need to make an account (simply don't fill out billing info and you'll automatically have a free account). Then make sure you are logged in, then click on the link to watch and you should be able to unlock the full class.
- First come first serve.
By signing up through the free link, I don't earn a commission, but it does help my class get found on skillshare. More students = more visibility! so thank you for signing up and participating in the class and imagine me doing a little happy dance whilst spilling my morning coffee.
Even though we've been in lockdown or partial lockdown for months I still have a commute to my part time job as a soapmaker, since that's impossible to do from home. During that commute I almost always listen to podcasts and in the evening when I knit or sew...again lots of podcasts.
And since my friend and fellow creative entrpreneur Saskia de Feijter just started a brand new and fabulous podcast...I tought I share my favorite podcasts. I'll start with the craft related ones, but I've included a few other podcasts at the end.
Some podcasts aren't updated anymore, but since most will have an archive full of podcast goodness I've added them anyway. Nothing better than discovering a good podcast and binging on the archive.
A smaller life is a brand new podcast, but it's of to a great start!
I know Saskia since we started collaborating on workshops and teaching beginner knitting workshops at her wool shop. However when she discovered she had a heart condition and then covid hit and she made some radical choices to shape her life and work you can follow her on her journey as she talks to other creatives to explore the ideas of a smaller ife
With this podcast I want to take you with me on my journey to discover the answers to these questions: What do we buy, Where do we buy, Who do we buy from… Or don’t we buy at all but use what we already have? And how relevant is my job as a yarn shop owner selling people stuff when we already have more than we need? How can I make my life as an entrepreneur and textile crafter smaller and more relevant to these times?
https://www.ja-wol.com/blogs/podcast
There haven't been new episodes for a while, but I sometimes go back to this one to relisten a few. It was/is by far my favorite wool/knitting/fiber related podcast out there.
https://woolful.com/podcast-episodes/
Threads is a great source of sewing inspiration, and information.
https://www.threadsmagazine.com/blog/sewing-threads-podcast
"The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process life and world events"
It's like listening in on a conversation of friends chatting away while you can focus and enjoy your knitting or sewing.
Each episode, journalist and sewing blogger Christine Cyr Clisset (of Daughter Fish) interviews master craft people and creators in the home sewing, textile, and fashion communities. From independent pattern and textile designers to couture experts and curators, Christine brings you along on thought-provoking conversations sure to enlighten your own sewing or fibers practice—and give you something to listen to while you stitch, weave, dye, or work!
The podcasts below are on my list to check or I've listened to them sporadically, so I don't have much to say about them other than, give them a try!
http://www.acoffeewithmakers.com/podcast/
https://whileshenaps.com/category/the-podcast/episodes
https://dearhandmadelife.com/podcast/
https://www.vogueknitting.com/magazine/vogue-knitting-knitterviews-podcasts/
http://www.clothesmakingmavens.com/category/blog/
https://www.yarninthecity.com/blog/19/9/2016/episode-45-yarn-crawlers-of-the-baskervilles#
http://modernsewciety.com/podcast-gallery
https://verypink.com/category/podcast/
https://www.pompommag.com/category/podcast/
http://www.knitbritish.net/category/podcast/
It's not really a podcast, but Tara Brach's teachings are uploaded so you can listen and enjoy + join along in the meditations. Tara Brach’s teachings blend Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, compassionate engagement with our world.
My favorite meditation (maybe not the best for a commute though) is the one called "Relaxing into sleep (no bell at the end)"
https://www.tarabrach.com/talks-audio-video/
This podcast is not craft related, but it 's connected to the Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt.....which I don't use, I'm an avid and messy BuJo user! However I do use some of it's principals when I'm planning my day. It's a fun podcast to listen too if you are into planning and want tools to get things done.
https://focusonthispodcast.com/
https://brenebrown.com/podcasts/
The list is a bit all over the place, but I hope you enjoy listening to them and maybe find a new podcast to add to your list, and please share your favorite podcasts in the comments below!
Charlotte
