Molly Makes and more...

It's all very exciting at the moment. Firstly we are mentioned in Molly Makes this month. Look, there we are, you can even catch a glimpse of what we look like.

For those of you who haven't seen Molly Makes, it is a fairly new magazine, packed with information about craft, things to make and the latest blogs and exhibitions. I almost get panicky when I read it, there's so much going on and so little time. On the same page as us there is a bit about a new shop in Islington called Ray Stitch. I want to go there, badly. You can check out all their wares and have a coffee at the same time.

I might get the chance to go this weekend because I am going to London to visit the Renegade Craft Fair. In case you haven't heard of Renegade Handmade, they are a group of people, based in Chicago, that started showcasing the work of DIY crafters in Chicago in 2003. Since then they have held fairs across America and they have chosen to visit London this weekend! They hand pick which designers and crafts people are going to show, so you get the see the cream of the crop (you can see who is going to be there here). I am so excited. It feels like the craft equivalent of the Rolling Stones are rocking into town. Hmm, what would that look like? If there is any possibility for you to visit it, you should. It feels like a little bit of craft history. OK enough. I finally have an iphone so I'll take lots of pictures, collect lots of cards and share it with you when I get back. Only three sleeps to go.

Emma

MBC Retreat

Emma, Louisa and I have often talked about getting a way for a weekend together but have never actually managed it. This weekend we seized the opportunity that the late October sunshine provided and headed to nearby Bently Wild Fowl Park. Here in the middle of an empty field stands a glamped up shepherds hut.

Its impecabble interior made it the perfect MBC retreat.

Impressed and giggly at managing to engineer a night with no children and no distractions we planned so much crafting fun. Emma and I both took our knitting - we planned to crack a simple babies booties pattern, whilst write publicity material for a friends new business. However, like all good crafters we got distracted. When Lou arrived brandishing wine and chocolate all good intentions quickly evaporated.

We had a wonderful time snuggled up in our den. We read glossy mags and discussed the pros and cons of being Katie Price!

As for making - thanks must go to Lou for creating an excellent fire and our morning hangovers quickly abated when we spotted a bumper crop of sloe berries, ripe for picking and just in time for making sloe gin in time for Christmas.

I guess it just goes to show that when you make time, you can quickly fill it with fun x

Quite Simply

I wanted this summer to be different.  I wanted to move more slowly, invite less activity and distill our days to bare necessity - we fed all the lovely bodies that appear at different times from the mattresses pulled room to room and out into tents in the garden, lit fires inside and out, almost every day and ate under the trees.

 

We pulled out hideous kitchen units and I started to teach myself to bake and with this gorgeous book,

trained the sweet peas,

read The Guernsey Literary And Potatoe Peel Pie Society, The Day to Day Life of Albert Hastings, Breath by Tim Winton and anything by Mary Oliver I could get my hands on, danced wildly with people we love, painted our toe nails, walked the dogs, stopped to listen to the green and growing things, looked for the barn owl that swoops through the fields at the back of the house, idly combed flea markets for treasures for our Bon Bons, and made the simplest things - cinamon rolls, pom poms from tissue paper and plastic bags to take camping

and crocheted bunting.

It looks girly but the green and gold lame (I don't know how to insert the accent) tone it down a bit.  Next step, gold lame skull and cross bones bunting from Emma's pattern here at Steel and Stitch and moving all my beads, thread, fabric, bones, driftwood and note books up to a lovely shed in the garden.

Lou x

Free Bunting Pattern

How is my Christmas list going? Slowly, slowly but getting faster. Crochet seems to be saving the day for me. It is so portable and you can be sociable whilst doing it.

We ran a crochet bunting workshop at Wickle a couple of months ago and we had to come up with or own pattern. I have since modified it and made a strip of it for a small girl I know.

Here is a free brilliant bunting pattern!

Make Believe Café Bunting Pattern

Chain 21

Row 1. Double crochet into the second chain from the hook. Double crochet to the end.

Row 2. Chain 1.Half Treble into the second chain from the hook. Half Treble to the last stitch from the end.Turn.

Row 3. to the end. Repeat row 2 until there is one stitch left.

Finish off.

Work as many flags as you need.

To join them

Chain 20

Slip stitch into the first (beginning) stitch to creat a loop for hanging.

Chain 20

*Double crochet into each stitch across the top of the first flag. Chain 10*

Repeat from * to * until all the flags have been joined and you have chained 10.

Chain a further 30 stitches.

Slip stitch into the 20th stitch from the hook and finish off.

Please let me know if you have any problems with it. I'm not used to writing patterns.

Hope you like it.

Emma x

Bon Bons

We have been very busy recently preparing for the launch of our Make believe Bon Bons.

Bon Bons are a cross between a pass the parcel and a pinata but much more exciting than either. Each ball is made up of a rainbow of paper streamers wrapped around a central gift. Each streamer has a small present hidden with in it - something hand made, vintage, gorgeously kitch or tasty. In America they call them Surprise Balls.
The earliest evidence of surprise balls were found in the Native American culture. Traditionally, it was common practice to tell the history of one’s life with this unique ball. The first layer represented birth and for each event in life, another layer and memento was added.  They also used them to record  journeys. Treasures from the trip (a feather, a special stone) were collected and wrapped into a ball using leaves and twine. As the ball was unravelled, the story of the journey was told.

 In the 1950’s, surprise balls became fashionable in America. They became less popular in the 1960’s and disappeared altogether until recently when they have begun to make a reappearance.

Lou and I made one for Kelly's birthday. We collected all sorts of tiny treasures, an old dance card, a handbag-sized pack of pretty playing cards, a bright red nail varnish, a crystal necklace. She was so surprised by it, it took nearly half an hour for her to unwrap it.

We had a brilliant time making it and have decided to go into production. We are going to sell them on our website once we have set up our shop. You will be able to also buy them at Wickle, in Lewes. So far, we've made them for women and for children.

The children's one will have twenty four presents in it so that it can be used as an alternative advent calendar. You can use each day's streamer to decorate your room!

We have a list as long as your arm of all the different types of Bon Bon we could do. So watch this space!

In September we'll be holding classes for those of you who want to make your own.

Field Trip

This weekend we packed up the car and headed to the WOMAD festival in Wilstshire.

Thankfully, as I am a fair weather camper, the sun was shining and and we were able to amble around the fields and soak up the music and friendly atmosphere.

Early on Saturday I took my lovely boy to the children's field where we spent the morning making tiger masks from paper plates. I was massively inspired by The Forest Bus who are a charity that takes a cool customised bus into hard to reach communities, teaching craft and using play therapy to energise children and youths.

Elsewhere we saw great examples of recycled craft. Lots of pom-poms made from carrier bags lined the gates and an enormous skull - created from the ends of plastic bottles that had material stretched over them was a particular favourite.

Elsewhere, Oxfam were doing a roaring trade on their alteration service. A genius idea where they sold high end, second hand clothes with a £5 per item alteration charge. The result was glamorous festival goers and a tidy sum for charity - everyone was a winner.

I also liked the use of old fabric to create windsocks. Pegged out on a washing line, they danced to the music in the summer breeze. The simple sight of them lifted my heart and made me feel very happy indeed.

Enjoy your summer and seek out your making inspiration wherever you can.
Kx

Whatever the Weather

Regular readers of the Make Believe blog will realise that I rarely write entries. Despite being a founder of MBC, I leave much of the actual making to my skilful friends Lou and Emma and delight in reading here about their making discoveries. This wet weekend though I too had a special making moment.

The day started when I put my rain coat on, sank my hand in the pocket to discover a champagne cork and two pound coins. I don’t wear my rain coat often – even in a storm I try to pretend it’s not raining– and I don’t have a clue how that treasure made its way into my pocket. Anyhow on a wet day that would challenge anyone’s good mood, it was a fine find and it made me smile.

With my new found wealth I went forth to the Needlemakers in Lewes and bought some old sheet music. Returning home, my beautiful son and I set about collecting favourite pictures and scraps of paper from round the house and together we set too with a borrowed badge machine.

For about two hours we merrily experimented with old bits of newspaper, Paris Metro maps and of course the sheet music. Pretty soon we had a production line going – I cut the paper shapes out , he pulled the lever on the badge machine and then I fitted the pin. The rain continued to fall and we continued to chat and create our own treasures.

Just as we were coming to the end of the afternoon the sun decided to make an appearance. We were heading off to Brighton that evening to see a friend sing and, not trusting the weather, we popped our damp rain coats back on. This time though we both sported new badges that made us smile – we giggled about being in a secret club – and felt proud to display our home made wears.

Later that evening a friend read our badges and laughed, for pinned to our raincoats we wore little badges that were the antidote to the rain as they proudly proclaimed, “My other coat’s a jacket.” KS x