SCENE: Winchester Handm@de Fair and Cambridge Open Studios

Handm@de Winchester is at the Guildhall this Sunday! Organised by Handm@de Fairs, the Winchester craft fair is certain to be a brilliant day out, with high quality handmade goods for sale. Pop down to the Guildhall from 10.30 - 4.30 pm to browse a beautiful selection of work from some of the best independent designer/makers in the country.

45 stalls will be filling the King Alfred Hall, featuring a wide range of arts and crafts including paper crafts, photography & art, jewellery, homewares, felted & knitted crafts, clothing & accessories and ceramics.


Handm@de fairs are well-supported by the public, so get there early for your chance to grab a goodie bag, filled to the brim with information and items from exhibitors!
Visit the blog http://handmadewinchester.blogspot.com for more information.

FINDS: Cool gifts of boys under £15

Being a mother of three boys under 10 I feel that I have some experience in this area! I am always in awe of the lovely things available for girls and despair at the choices for boys. Often people buy things that are far too young for my three which leads to a resigned disappointment.
So, I've searched hard (it was!) and found some COOL stuff for boys, all under £15.00.

REVIEW: sewing in kit form

So you want to start sewing but don't know where to begin? This week we're looking at some of the great sewing kits available in the UK with fabulous fabrics, user-friendly methods and instructions, and a great end product.

Originally founded in 1968, Clothkits, the company responsible for many a favourite childhood outfit, is back with some fabulous new designs. Jane of Memake and her daughter had fun with two skirt kits.

‘My daughter is 12 and was able to make the whole thing herself (except for the gathering bit which I helped her with) which she loved.

I had had my skirt kit for months and it is so lovely as a piece of printed art that I didn't want to cut it so when I got the one for my daughter I finally got cutting. I have to admit that I was tempted just to put the whole piece of fabric on the wall instead.'

Clothkits are offering readers of UK handmade a discount of 30% on their new Fox and Hens Bag and Purse kit, featuring a beautiful design by ceramics designer Katrin Moye. Just enter the code foxy1 at checkout to receive your discount.

Gossypium, a company which prides itself on its ethical credentials, has 3 lovely kits for dresses and smocks in organic and fairtrade cottons. Ann tried their dress kit:

‘I made the smock last summer and it was really straightforward. I followed the 'paper' instructions, but also watched the accompanying videos on YouTube which were very helpful - it was useful to be able to see the different steps and made it clear how it all comes together.


I loved that there were different options for putting the garment together (plackets, frills etc.), although the fabric is so pretty that it seemed wasteful to not use every bit (I still have my leftover scraps, in the hope that I will use them somehow, for something, one day).


I would recommend this kit. It was simple to make - although some sewing experience would be an advantage - and the fit was fine - no surprises there.’

Lisa of U-handbag produces a great range of kits for bags and purses with full sized pattern pieces, clear step by step instructions and lots of pictures. We particularly like this limited edition shoulder bag kit, currently available at a reduced price:

Eileen made the Fortune Cookie Clutch and writes

‘I found this pattern a little more challenging than the 'Easy Peasy Purse' kit which made it a nice step up for a relative beginner. The purse kits are also a great way to learn the various techniques you can use to make a purse using a metal frame. This ultimately means you can design further patterns for your own choice of frame. I also particularly like that you can purchase additional frames for a reasonable cost from the website to make additional purses with your own fabrics.


The purse shape itself is a great combination of small size but roomy enough to be useful for carrying a mobile phone, coin purse and credit cards and I use it every day.’

If you’d like to make a soft toy, how about these lovely babushka bunnies and dinosew kits from areathriftyone? Gorgeous retro colours and prints appeal to adults and children alike!

Felicity of joshyandbelle made a babushka bunny and says:

‘all I needed to provide was cotton and stuffing, the instructions were clear and easy to follow, with the option of curling the ears slightly (which I did) or simply sewing with no shaping. It took just over an hour to sew and stuff, I used my sewing machine and would say I have basic knowledge.


The kit was dispatched quickly, and sweetly wrapped, the orange colour ways of the bunny reminded me of my childhood toys passed down, with a nostalgic 70s feel. The only downside I could find is that I will have to buy another, possibly more as my son claimed my first one with my sister and friends wanting more!!’

Nanette of areathriftyone has a special offer for UK handmade readers: 'To claim a 10% discount on goods purchased in my UK store (http://www.areathriftyone.com) enter this code on the checkout page: UKHM10 The discounted amount will appear in the cart and again on the Paypal checkout page. Offer valid until Saturday 11 July. (This discount code only applies to the UK site, not my Etsy shop)'.