SIO Tips 63: Snipping Corners and Excess

If you are sewing something that needs to be turned inside out when finished, make sure you snip the corners before you turn it right side out. This will make it easier to push the corners out and a neater final project because there won’t be so much excess fabric making lumpy edges. The same applies if you have excess fabric on the seam; trim some of it off, avoiding clipping the stitches before turning the fabric right side out as well.

 

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

Getting creative in the Garden

Rock Roses are very common in the Western Cape, where I'm living now. 

Little baby ones are easily found from larger plants and make lovely little plants for the window sill to brighten up a room with a little green. You will find them in your local Garden Centre in the UK.

We've been busy replanting the baby plants into little pots and we got a bit creative with different containers and adding stones for decoration....

These are planted in used tuna cans with little holes punched in the bottom. We have a special can opener that doesn't leave a jagged sharp edge so you can't get cut and takes the lid off cleanly.

....and these ones are planted in a shell we found on the beach down the road. They will need to be replanted when they get too big but it goes to show that you can save on little things when you're nuturing your garden. 

These alternatives to seed trays look pretty and interesting while you're waiting for them to grow.

Enjoy the build up to Spring in the UK!

With sunshine,

Ruthie in South Africa

SIO tips no. 25

Making a wash bag or makeup bag? line with thick polythene cut from a supermarket plastic bag for life or from Shower Curtain material.



SEEK IT OUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time

Craft Tips for Newbies No 13

Keep a small magnet in your sewing basket. When needles and pins drop on the carpet while you're sewing, retrieve them quickly with the magnet.

SEEK IT OUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time

Cutting your cloth accordingly

We hear much of make do and mend just now but not sure we are quite back to unpicking hand knitted jumpers to re knit.  However, it is clear that the mix of recession and environmental worries has got the public thinking.

Simple things can be achieved, we all know that clothing bargains can be found in charity shops but so can many other things.  Old quilt covers can make fantastic simple curtains or blinds, sheets to line those curtains, old jumpers to make hot water bottle covers or even iPad covers.  The ideas are endless, all we need to do is think of alternative uses for everyday items.

The dress for Africa from pillow cases is a brilliant but simple idea, helping to give little girls a dress of their own.  Another we love here at Seek It Out is Turtle Doves, a very clever lady who makes old jumpers into the best ever gloves and more.  Those gloves are winter kit for the SIO team.  So I am sure if you sit a while and just look at everything around you, you will soon have a brain wave and be making bags from old denim's, discovering charity shops all over again and learning new cost effective ways to buy bargains to turn into something new.

Seek It Out: changing the world a stitch at a time.
ButtonBag sewing tin available on the Seek It Out website