We believe:ThaT FaBRICmakes you HAPPY

ThaT IF a ThIng Is woRTh makIng, IT IswoRTh makIngbeAUTiFUllY

ThaT we Can all expRess ouR own unIQue sense oF sTYle

We believe In makIng someThIng jusT BeCause IT Feels RiGHT

We believe ThaT IT Is TIme FoR a new kInd oF CRaFT magaZIne

obsessed

RufflesThis month we’re obsessing about…

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obsessed

Ruffles – we can’t get enough of them. Here’s what’s inspiring us this month. Remember... it’s a ruffly world out there.

01We’re lusting after this Smoldering Hues Shower Curtain from Anthropologie. Never has the bathroom seen such glamour. We love the bold layers of colour. £98 anthropologie.eu

02This white throw from Urban Outfitters is a great way to add thrills to the bedroom. £85 urbanoutfitters.co.uk

03Ruffles upon ruffles of sexy style. Wear them with conviction. Get this Kelsey Genna blouse from her new Begonia House range.$170 (£104) kelseygenna.com

04Make it tiny, cute and super-ruffly with Dream Spun’s Ruffle Bum Bloomer and Stacking Tube Top. $15 for set of four tops, $19.50 for bum bloomer, dreamspunshop.com

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dottie angel

tea and a chat with…

Meet Tif Fussell, a British mother-of-four who lives in suburbia near Seattle, USA, but dreams of living the life of dottie angel – her thrifty, crafty alter-ego. We love all that dottie angel does. We visited Tif in her home, Mossy Shed, for a chat and a mug of rosy lee…

How would you sum up dottie’s style?Handcrafted, vintage and eclectic.

What inspires you to create such fabulous things?Grannies all around the world! I also love vintage fabrics in bold, floral, slighty ugly colours, Japanese craft books, doilies, junk-shop finds, mid-century furniture, Danish and Dutch design, and vintage-style dresses, which, when worn, make me feel crafty.

What do you love to blog about?I like to document the funny side of family life, the silly bits in the day and my crafting epiphanies. I love to share my crafting and ‘how-tos’ that give an instant crafty fix. I think many of my readers enjoy my blog for those reasons and it can get them started again if they are in a crafting rut. I love being a mother and a wife and a crafter, and all that comes with it, good or bad; I think many can relate to those things.

As for dottie angel, I think there is an alter ego in all of us. I just happen to have let mine free.

Do you have a special craft room? My studio space is right in the heart of Mossy Shed. My sewing space is shared with my family, I have a sofa there and my computer, where I blog and do nitty-gritty businessy stuff. Looking towards the French doors, I can see our backyard, an acre of moss with Gladys our Airstream caravan waiting patiently to be remodelled, six chickens, bunting hanging and the tallest pine trees I have ever seen.

She has a sewing machine named Ethel and a computer called Colin

interview

01 The bright and

beautiful workspace of

dottie angel is filled

with eclectic finds, as

well as creations from

friends and family 02 dottie blogs about

her life at home.

Mossy Shed is a

creative space that

allows dottie to

constantly dream up

fantastic new ideas 03 Since she mastered

her first granny

square, crochet has

become the love of

dottie’s life. This

cushion cover shows off

dottie’s love of

eccentric retro colour

combinations that still

manage to have a

timeless appeal

What are your most memorable moments as a crafter?There are two moments that particularly stand out to me. The first is when I learnt to crochet. I sat for a whole month, day after day with hook in hand and taught myself using two hands. When I had mastered the stitches I weaned myself off

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‘I think there is an alter ego in all of us. I just happen to have let mine free…’

horizontally between the last stitch and the first one of the next round) at this point, this will allow you to see when you have completed a ‘round’ and stops you from worrying about counting stitches. Every so often you might like to move it up your cosy as you work.n Round 3: 1dc into each stn Round 4: *2dc into next st, 1dc into following st*, rep from * to * until you reach cotton marker. n Round 5: rep Round 3n Round 6: rep Round 4n Rounds 7-13: rep Round 3

n When you reach the end of round 13, you need to begin working backwards and forwards rather than around and around. This will create the opening at the top of the cosy.

n Round 14: ch1, turn the cosy and work in the opposite direction. 1dc

Give in to temptation…

You know you want one. You know your lunchbox wants one. Everyone’s hooked on crochet right now and looking for cool things to make. Be a devil and make one for someone you love… Here’s the ultimate in crochet craziness. Pattern sara sinaguglia Photographs pHilip sowEls

Crochet apple jacket

Cotton yaRn dk eg. Rowan cotton glace; milk cotton dk; Sublime soya cotton dk

CRoChet hook 3.5mm (feel free to use a larger hook, just adjust the number of stitches – use an apple as your template and nestle the crochet over it every so often to check that you are on the right track)

embRoideRy needle

button vintage or new

n Start with a slip knot. Work 4 chain, join to form a loop with a slip stitch into first chain.n Round 1: ch1, 9dc into central loop, sl st into 1st chain to close the circle.n Round 2: working in the round, 2dc into each subsequent stitch (approximately 18 sts.). Insert a contrast colour yarn marker (3cm length of yarn positioned

into each st. Stop at the last stitch before the 1st chain.n Round 15: ch1, turn *1dc in to each of the following 10 stitches sk1*, rep * to * until you reach the end of the row – don’t worry if there aren’t exactly 10 stitches in the final group. n Round 16: ch1, turn crochet, rep round 14n Round 17: ch1, turn crochet, work the decrease as per round 15 but with just 8dc in between each sk1. When you arrive at the end of the row, ch12 and using a sl st join the last chain back to the main body of crochet to form a loop for the button. Cut the yarn and using an embroidery needle, work it into the back of the cosy. Using the same yarn or a contrast yarn, sew the button to the cosy opposite the loop.

Sara Sinaguglia is a 30-something

mother of two, with a cat called Violet, two hens

called Honey and Forget-me-not and six bantam chicks.

When she’s not sewing, knitting or

crocheting Sara runs a cookery school and

manages an artisan food range. She

can often be found browsing the local auction rooms for

inspiration.etsy.com/people/

OneChurchillsGreenonechurchillsgreen.com

Words Katherine Sorrell Pictures paula millS

Paula Millshas created an airy home,

artfully arranged witheclectic treasures

A trip down the high street to buy some new furniture is not something that Paula Mills would ever relish. She prefers things that have character and history, and has a knack for finding interesting pieces wherever she goes – and, perhaps more importantly, for putting them together so that they look irresistible. “My style is very much flea market, junk shop, charity shop,” she says. “I try to avoid buying anything new. I love to find old pieces that have been chucked out by others, save them

home tour

Paula’s sofa and armchairs were all junk-shop purchases that she covered again. She bought the 1950s table at an auction, and picked up the trunk from the side of the road in Cape Town.

keboniko

why you can’t walk past…

Tucked in a corner of Barcelona’s bohemian quarter is this gem of a crafter’s emporium

Keboniko is the sort of boutique you might dream of stumbling upon. And if you were strolling around the streets of Barcelona, it would be impossible to walk past the displays of curious craft creations.

The small shop is owned by local designer-maker Ariadna Martin, who calls it a place to “discover a world full of imagination and sweetness.”

Keboniko stands in Gracia, the bohemian quarter in north Barcelona. Gracia is where the Spanish city turns from wide boulevards and squares into a maze of narrow streets and lively bars. And it’s also the place to discover Barcelona’s booming handmade movement.

“There are lots of young designers opening workspaces at the moment, and many are now offering workshops and classes.” says Ariadna.

Keboniko is a brilliant place for showing off this exciting new work. Everything for sale is made by small-scale independent designers including Lady Desidia, Cosas Minimas, Caterina Perez, Lia&Cia and Alyona. Our favourite items include pencil cases, scarves, brooches and badges, soft toys and ultra-cute accessories for babies.

Ariadna herself makes textile jewellery pieces that are some of Keboniko’s most popular sellers. Her range of wallets and covers are machine-sewn in the shop according to customers’ exact size requirements so they can personalise their laptop, iPad, mobile or iPod.

She also maintains Keboniko’s online world. She says, “Some days my work is centered on designing and creating, others looking for new designers, or taking photos of products for the online shop and setting up new window displays.”

The online presence has become so popular that Ariadna meets lots of customers from countries as far away as Mexico and Australia who visit the shop if they are having a holiday in Barcelona. “Customers in Gracia are varied,” she says. “You’ll find trendy students browsing next to old ladies interested in crocheted items. I love the diversity of people who appreciate things made with love.”

“It’s an honour,” says Ariadna, “to offer products no other shop has. I prefer to contact designers directly rather than manfacturers who produce items en masse.”

01 Keboniko’s

eye-catching shopfront

draws in crowds of

crafters 02 Barcelona

is the perfect backdrop

for this treasure trove

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01 The goodies on offer

at Keboniko are either

especially made for the

shop or limited

editions 02 There is a

superb range of

original craft supplies03 A unique creation

from one of Keboniko’s

dedicated designers04 Even the essential

stock brightens up the

shop’s interior 05 The

shop’s owner, Ariadna

Martin, is also a

talented designer… 06

… and saleswoman!07 Keboniko’s fun side

shows off proudly in

the shop window08 The shop also

doubles as a craft

workshop hosting

sessions for all abilities.

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retail therapy

in my space

My spaceAt her home in Arizona, Zee Longenecker has created a light, bright studio filled with savvy storage and dashes of vivid colour

‘My workspace is a large room that was added to the house by the previous owner. I do everything related to my work and hobbies in here, including taking photos, sewing and working on the computer. My kids play here as well. It’s a colourful, happy room and I love it because I can do whatever I want to it. My husband also enjoys home décor and we both agree any changes to the rest of the house, but this room is mine. It’s still a bit of a work in progress. I want to add more art, prints and photos to the walls, paint the closet door with green chalk paint, and paint a bookcase to match, too. And I wish I could find a big rustic wooden table for my sewing machine. This is a place to dream, to create, to love. In here, I feel free to be myself.’

Read more about Zee’s at her blog Pixie Blossoms pixieblossoms.com or visit her etsy page etsy.com/shop/heyzee

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01 In the embroidery

hoops I’ve put colourful

swatches of fabrics that

I bought in Brazil

(where I’m originally

from) some time ago. 02 The white bookcases,

magazine racks,

baskets and little

wooden drawers on the

shelves are all from

Ikea. I découpaged the

mini drawers with

vintage fabric to

brighten them up.

03 I bought the big

pegboard at Home

Depot and painted it

with the same off-white

paint as the walls. The

white is broken up by all

my reels of colourful

cotton stacked below.04 My husband built the

cutting table for me –

he’s pretty handy. The

high stool is a bargain

from Ace Hardware.05 The computer desk

was a clearance from

World Market. It was

dark brown, though, so

I had to paint it white,

of course.

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