clickerty clack

In the age of Ipads, the noise of a typewriter isn't heard very often these days.  There we were, on the way to school, when at the side of the road appeared a collection of objects and a sign 'please take, free to a good home'.

There was an exercise bike (I left that well alone, obviously!) and this...

amazingly, it still works!  Could do with a new ribbon and the roller needs a clean, but the kids are fascinated by it.

Not to be left out though, Luke took a shine to, of all things, the empty box the typewriter had been propped up by, which he insisted on bringing home too...!

It's that time of year again,

...when everybody should have an Elf hat to wear while watching tv!

As is the case every christmas (according to my blog stats) it's my most visited free pattern, link here.

Embroidery hoop embroideries!

I have a couple of new items going onto Etsy today...

a Fox...

and a Kingfisher.  Both are applique pictures mounted in an embroidery hoop.

And, as it's nearly christmas, I also have  4   3   2   1  0 signed copies of 'Countryside Softies' on offer at the special price of $12.50 (that's about £8, cheaper than Amazon!).  This offer will run until Saturday 15th December, once they are gone, they are gone!

Beanie sewing pattern...

Whatever the weather, I mostly walk the school run as parking can be problematic.  In wind and rain, hoods blow down, so a hat can be the best option for keeping dry.  My winter coat is probably best described as being mushroom in colour, and I've been on the look out for a matching hat for ages but not found anything quite right.  Simple solution I suppose, knit one.  But I don't knit, so simpler solution... sew one!

After rooting through my collection of old jumpers, it took about five minutes (that's after I'd drafted the pattern) to cut it out and sew.  What could be easier?
 
This is what you'll need...

a body panel (front or back will do) from an old woollen jumper 

(one panel is roughly big enough to make one Beanie and include the ribbed bottom edge in your measurements) 

piece of paper - 20" (horizontally) x 11 1/2" (vertically) 

plus a pencil, scissors, pins and your sewing machine (you can sew it by hand but it's much quicker on a machine)

Step 1, Fold the piece of paper in half, and then half again so it's now in quarters.  Follow the pattern below for the measurements and shape to cut, cutting through all four layers of paper simultaneously.

Open out your paper pattern to double check it's cut correctly, it should look like this...

Step 2, Fold the paper pattern back in half, and place it on top of the folded (right sides together) jumper panel, lining up both the folded edges and pin to secure.  Stretch the jumper out while pinning if need be.  Next, cut out the Beanie shape from the jumper, cutting through both layers of fabric. Remove the pattern and re pin just the jumper panel in half.

Step 3, Stitch along edge 1, and then edge 2, but while you are sewing edge 2, stop at the marker, turn the beanie inside out (so it is now actually right sides round), and complete stitching edge 2.  This is so when you fold over the ribbed edge, the seam won't show on the outside of the hat.

Step 4, Turn it back so it's inside out again, and re-fold the Beanie so the 2 seams you have just sewn are now central.  Pin and sew the last curved seam around the top.  

Step 5, Turn the hat right side round, fold over the ribbed edge section and give it a quick press with an iron, and it's all done!

 A few tips which may help...

• wear the hat with the long seam at the back, shorter seam to the front as it'll look neater
• by all means, adjust the pattern to fit your head by making it wider or narrower if it's for a child
• you may need to stretch out your jumper panel to fit the pattern, but don't worry about doing this, as knitted fabrics do have a lot of give in them
• you can add decoration, a pom pom or a flower and some buttons

I now have one in mushroom, one in blue, brown next I think...

pdf patterns vs craft books

I'm sure this must be something that goes through most designers minds when they are working on a new pattern which they are intending to sell.  What form do you go about selling it as?

 

In the past, my patterns have been made into craft kits, featured in collaborative craft pattern books and magazines, appeared as a free tutorial both here and on other blogs and websites, in addition to having been granted a book all of their very own.  The avenue I am yet to personally embark on is into the world of PDF downloads.  The issue here is this... in my book Countryside Softies, there are a total of 28 patterns for a retail cover price of $19.95 or £17.99 (obviously, there are outlets online, who shall remain nameless, which will be selling it at a discounted price).  But split those 28 patterns and launch them separately as PDF's, you have got to wonder, from a designers point of view, which would bring in the most revenue?

So, what I'm asking is, what are your preferences when it comes to buying craft patterns?  Here's a little questionaire...

1.  When purchasing craft patterns, do you prefer to buy in the form of a book, magazine or PDF download?

2.  Are you more likely to buy a PDF pattern if it allows you to sell the items you make?

3.  If you buy a PDF pattern, does the fact you could potentially buy a whole craft book for a similar price affect your purchase?

I have been squirreling away with some new patterns, one of which, that stemmed from our visits to the Natural History Museum in London during the summer, there is a sneaky peek of in this post.  This one is most likely heading down the PDF route once the kids have finished playing with it to see how well it stands up to a bit of rough and tumble!