Crafting and Sewing in Canada

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Seedlings for 2018

So last year, I got no tomatoes or pumpkins in spite of my efforts.  Here I go again. April 8, 2018: I planted some seeds on April 8, 2018.  Just a few things to get started, I planted large tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and sweet peppers and pumpkins into nursery potting cells. Eek, I can’t wait […]

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Flower Garden 2017 – My Review

A few years ago, we put up a simple pool to cool off in. When we took it down at the end of the season, there was a perfect oval of destroyed grass underneath. (When I say “took it down” I mean pulled the plug and let the air out.) We um’ed and ah’ed as […]

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Vegetables 2017 – My Review

Apparently the plant hardiness zone for my location is 5a or sometimes 5b.  This zoning information is great though and opens up a plethora of relevant information. Unfortunately, there is only so much a fledgling gardener such as myself can take in in the first year. So I just started with the vegetables I like.  […]

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Sew, Sew, Repeat

I have made no secret of the fact that I love the finlayson sweater pattern, but I figured I was done for this season. Not so. My soon-to-be daughter-in-law admired one that Hub was wearing and said she wouldn’t mind having one too.  Well, enough said.  A repeat is good! She wanted the front pocket, […]

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How to Organize Your Thread

I have been collecting more thread with almost every new project. I’ve also benefited from having friends that don’t sew (much) but offer up their threads for my collection. Subsequently, I have assembled a jumbled drawer of miscellaneous threads and bobbins. It doesn’t look too bad in the photo actually, but it is really not […]

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Magic and Skepticism

I have never been a big fan of magic tricks. They aren’t real. I realize, of course, that magic tricks are often astonishingly clever and to become good at it requires years of practice, skill development and showmanship. But at its core, to me a magic trick is intended to trick people.  Magic shows leave […]

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I need a pincushion.

For nearly all my pinning requirements, I use those magical little clips. But, every time I do reach for my pins, the whole top of the pincushion comes off. I needed something functional – like now. There are some areas, like inside seams, that only pins will do. Also, rather than putting away my favourite […]

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Schoolhouse Tunic – PDF Pattern review

I found a nice looking pattern at Sew Liberated called the Schoolhouse Tunic pattern. The front is really nice for a great layered look and the back has a nice flow to it. Electronic patterns are a bit cheaper than traditional patterns. Living in Canada, the cost for this pattern for me was $18.57 CAD […]

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Spring Cleaning 2018

Spring Cleaning – Project 1. Yep, time to take on a deep cleaning project to get ready for summer. First up: kitchen tiles.  Funny how I start to get motivated on tedious cleaning tasks at the change of the seasons. Where I live here in Canada, we have four distinct seasons. I lived in England for […]

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Sewing Then & Now Part II: PDF Patterns

As I do for nearly everything nowadays, one day I thought to look online for sewing patterns and my world changed! I stumbled upon the concept of electronic patterns by independent designers! My, my, my. Isn’t it grand!! The internet was made for this! If anyone is ever interested in picking sewing as a hobby, […]

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Sew Much Better

Looks like I’m finally getting over this flu thing and feeling sew much better.  And I’m finally getting my sewing bug back! I found this rather interesting fabric that had little ridges all over it and loose black checks.  It is very stretchy too. It was in the bargain bin at Fabricland, so I grabbed […]

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Sewing Then & Now Part I: Sewing Machines

If I really thought about it at all, I may have thought that sewing was a dark art. Mum never swore, as I understand the term today, but she was known to explode with a heartfelt “Damn and Blast” when taking on a sewing machine. If Mum was doing buttonholes, it was time to disappear. […]

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The Wiggle Dress from p4p

I have had a cold/flu that really put me off doing much – including sewing the wiggle dress.  So frustrating.  I want to play with my new sewing machine. The wiggle dress by Patterns for Pirates is stunning. Since my own shape and age are not wiggle friendly, I didn’t think I would be able […]

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Sewing Then & Now – An Introduction

This is an introduction to the new series, “Then Vs. Now” Sewing. Numerous, vivid memories of my childhood and my Mum are permanently interwoven with sewing. My earliest memories in this world consist of being dragged through fabric stores as a child. Back then, it just seemed the most monotonous, tiresome thing to do in […]