Hope & Gloria - Sewing Inspiration for Children

Hope & Gloria - Sewing Inspiration for Children
Happy Mother's Day UK

Saturday, April 25, 2015

10 Great Reasons to Knit


 Knitting is topical for me right now - this week we launched the first Hope & Gloria Knitting Club! I can't tell you how exciting the planning has been and the actual event was, I am pleased to report, a huge success. Lots of smiley faces all around, which is what we always aim for in our children's clubs.

So as you can imagine I have been thinking about knitting a great deal over the past few weeks. Knitting is something I learnt as a child. My Nan and Mum were rarely in front of the television of an evening without a pair of knitting needles in hand. I was taught to knit by both of them from about the age of five - I had great teachers. Knitting continued to be part of my life for many, many years. We knitted to wear. We had two fantastic dedicated knitting shops in the town where I grew up and we made clothes that we would love to be seen in - it was also great value and invariably cheaper than trying to buy the same thing in a shop.

Today's resurgence in knitting it seems to me is different. Making an item of clothing is now an expensive pastime and available patterns seem to focus on decorative items or accessories. So this has got me thinking - why should we knit and what does it have to offer a potential whole new generation of knitting enthusiasts? Here are the answers I have come up with....

There are just a few basics to master
Knitting may look tricky to the untrained eye, but the great thing about it is that there really are just a few basics to learn and then you can achieve anything. Once you have learnt to cast on, make a knit stitch, make a purl stitch, cast off, increase your stitches, decrease your stitches and learn to read a pattern you can make something wonderful.

You can make things to wear.
This seems like an obvious one but don't underestimate the pleasure of being complimented on what you are wearing on to respond that you made it yourself!

You can make things to use
From blankets to tea cosies, from dishcloths to purses, the list is huge. There are untold possibilities when it comes to knitting useful items to have in and around the home.

You can make things to Decorate
How about knitted bunting, coasters, cushion covers? The vintage look remains on trend and you can bring that fabulous look to your home by getting out your knitting needles.

It's Great for Gifts
We all love to receive a handmade gift and knitting something is the perfect way to show you care. Whether knitting a toy for a child or a pair of gloves to keep a friend's hands warm in Winter, a knitted gift is a great way to share the love.

It Enhances Creative Skills and Thinking
Even if you are following a pattern knitting stretches your creativity - something as simple as colour choice encourages creative thinking. Do these colours go together? Will it suit the person/purpose/room I have in mind? Adapting a pattern or making your own opens up further creative choices - there are so many directions in which knitting can take you.

It Enhances Technical Skills
In learning to knit children in particular can benefit from the technicality - measuring and counting are key when embarking on a knitted project. Decoding a pattern can also require technical thought - a great way for stretching the brain.

Relaxation
This is what knitting means to me and this aspect can only be beneficial to young and old alike in today's busy times. Knitting is often referred to as a "mindful activity", and I have to agree that it is the perfect way to take time out from the stresses of everyday life and relax.

It Provides Huge Satisfaction and A Sense of Achievement
With knitting you really do get a sense of making something from start to finish. You are not just crafting something from fabric, you are making the fabric from which you make it and can take an enormous amount pride in this fact when a project is completed.

It's Portable, Accessible and Sociable
Portable, because all you need is your knitting needles and wool and you can take it anywhere, either just to your sofa or on public transport.
Accessible, because wool is becoming available to buy in most towns (I have just seen it for sale in my local garden centre), and knitting magazines are on the shelves in most supermarkets and newsagents.
Sociable, because knitting groups are springing up all over the country. They are easy to join or you can make your own. This brings me back to our children's clubs where children can sit and chat whilst learning the brilliant new skill of knitting.

OK so I have just given three reasons in one, which just goes to show how many brilliant reasons there are to get knitting!

So with all of the above, what's not to love? Come on people let's get those knitting needles out and pass on this brilliant skill to future generations just as my Nan and Mum did to me.

To find out more about Hope & Gloria Knitting Clubs take a look at www.hopeandgloria.com

Monday, April 13, 2015

Our Holiday Sewing Workshop - Lavender Ladybugs and Potted Fabric Flowers

Fabulous Makes!

Last Friday morning I was lucky enough to spend the morning with a lovely group of girls making fun projects at the Hope & Gloria Children's Holiday Workshop.

I have to say that these projects count among some of my favourite things that I have designed for children to make over the years and it was a true delight to see them taking shape at the workshop.


The original designs



We began with our materials and things went from this....



....to this. I love Amelia's flower - such a fabulous choice of colours and fantastic stitching!


There were lots of lovely bright and bold colours used to make the flowers and they all looked brilliant. We filled the flowers and ladybugs with beautifully scented Lavender and the room was filled with it's soothing fragrance.


A huge well done to all who came along. Looking forward to seeing you again soon for more creative sewing projects.

Marvellous Memo Boards



Every busy family needs a memo board - fact.

If like me you love to pin letters from schools, recipe cards, photos etc all in one place, nothing works quite as well as  memo board. It's the perfect busy family's filing system, or at least a great stop-gap until things are filed properly....

Today I finally finished making these two quilted memo boards. They are not for me, I have made them for a friend for her daughters' bedrooms. They are the simplest thing in the world to make. All you need is some chipboard, fabric, ribbon and a staple gun plus a few drawing pins. It's a brilliant way to fill a space on a wall with a splash of colour as well as being hugely practical.

Although a simple project, there are lots of ways to add a stylish touch to a memo board:



I am very partial to spotty fabric so this spotty ribbon just had to be used. I am particularly fond of the fabulous rosebud drawing pins that I used to keep the ribbon in place and make "compartments" as they really help the memo boards to "pop".

I hope the girls love these boards and that they look great adorning their walls. In fact, looking at the walls in my workroom there's a space that's just crying out for a memo board - time to get making again...!



Friday, April 3, 2015

Hope & Gloria Sewing Clubs Easter Gallery

During the last half term we have spent a lot of time learning lots of lovely ways to create a face using stitches. As always the Hope & Gloria sewing enthusiasts have amazed me and all of the sewing club leaders with their enthusiasm for learning and their ability to pick up new techniques to make their gorgeous creations.

A huge well done to everybody who came along to one of our clubs - you were amazing!

Here are just a few of the fabulous creations from last half term....



Finchampstead Primary School


Hatch Ride Primary School


Holy Family Primary School


Oaklands Junior School


The Royal School


St Judes Junior School


St Ann's Heath Junior School




A Happy Easter Garland!


It has been a race against time to get this one finished in time for the Easter weekend but I am delighted to say I did it!

As you can imagine, teaching 550 children a week to sew means that we have a large quantity of scrap felt lying around at Hope & Gloria HQ. The problem has always been what to do with it. I am really pleased that this bright and cheerful Easter Garland has gone some way towards solving the problem.


This project began its life as a huge pile of scrap felt.



As you can see from the picture, my original plan was to use wooden decorations for the garland but once I began attaching them to the garland base, it just didn't feel right. It was time for a rethink and to get out my needle and thread.

This is what happened....




I am, as you know, a huge sewing enthusiast as well as a designer and I run a sewing club company, therefore there can only be sewn decorations on my Easter garland! I have to say I love how the birds and eggs turned out.

Just a few brightly coloured buttons and bows were required to finish it off and it now hangs in pride of place decorating our home before our family arrives for Easter celebrations and of course tonnes of chocolate over the weekend.