Nini Makes

So Long Nini Makes

Glastonbury 2017

The time has come. I can't keep up a blog and it seemed silly to keep paying for a premium look – this is the free ugly duckling Typepad blog.

The change over has meant that I lost my pages of tutorials and patterns. If you're looking for those you can find them in the following posts:

Nini Makes Tutorials

Nini Makes Patterns

Glastonbury

I went to Glastonbury this year for the first time, it's impossible to describe how fantastic it is. I went to see my son perform (on a much smaller stage than this one). If you're into punk and rock, similar to Green Day, Blink 182 and Sum 41, hear his music here. They're fun to watch (in my humble yet very biased opinion).

Here he is in the early days of this blog, time doesn't march, it sprints! And here's Gracie in the early days, we still like tea parties.

So long...

Writing this blog over the years brought me many friends and opportunities for which I'm truly grateful.

If you want to keep up with me currently, I'm mostly on Instagram as far as social goes.

See you,

Nini x

 

Nini Makes Patterns

Purchase this whole collection of 13 Nini Makes patterns for £9.00

Go to my PayPal page here to make a payment. I will email the PDF patterns to the email address on your PayPal account. If you do not receive the patterns for any reason, please email me at this vintage email address: ninimakes(at)aol(dot)com .

Note: These are not paper patterns. You will receive PDF patterns that you can transfer to fabric yourself. Craftsy has a handy tutorial for how to do that.

I'm also available via Direct Message on Instagram, I'm NiniMakes.

 

 

Moth Pattern

Embroidery pattern with additional watercolour illustration. Use it for embroidery, appliqué or paper crafts. To see a sample of it needle-felted and embroidered, see this post.

 

Gnomebody's Home
Embroidery pattern with coloured illustration. Stitch it up with wording or without. See it stitched up on a log cabin quilt cushion here.

 

Mistletoe Kisses
Embroidery pattern, see it stitched here.

 

 Partridges & Pears

Embroidery & appliqué, three page pattern and tutorial.

Two large partridges to stitch up ornaments and two small partridges for making twig partridge and pear trees.

 

Mouse House
Embroidery & appliqué, see it stitched in appliqué here

 

 Tree Family
Embroidery pattern, see it stitched here.

 

 Butterfly Kisses
Embroidery pattern, see it stitched here

 

 Cheeky Cherub

Embroidery pattern, see it stitched here

 

Tweet Valentine

Embroidery pattern, see it stitched here

 

 Out on a Limb
Embroidery & appliqué pattern, see example appliqué here

 

Gracie's Puppy and Kitty 
Embroidery (see how we stitched it here)

 

Bunny's Bow
Embroidery pattern, see it stitched here

 

 

Sleepy Owls
Gracie's sleepy owls drawing, perfect for bookmarks

 

 

Nini Makes Tutorials

STITCHING

Moth Patches

Cones of Joy

Cheater's Patchwork

Quick Patchwork Ornaments (includes 4 ornament template)

 
Stitched Postcard

 
Felted egg cozy

 
Felted Wool Stocking

 
Needle Book

 
Peg Bag (PDF Pattern)

 
Button Monograms

 
Felt Tooth Fairy Pouch (includes template)

 
Child's Adjustable Apron

 

Needle Case

This tutorial was originally published on WhipUp. It no longer exists due to the site sadly having to be taken down. I've left the image here to inspire those who have antique cigarette cases gathering dust – turn them into needle cases!

 
Very Easy Headbands

 
Felt Travel Frame

 
Naughty Felt Bunnies

 
Monogrammed Lavender Bags

CRAFT
Here are projects designed for children and grown-ups too!

Twig Flower Pots

 
Making Kandinsky inspired art with children

Carved Egg Carton Owl

 
Painted Owl Cards

Lichen Wreath

 
Milk Carton Boats

 
Silhouette Ornament 

 
Advent Calendar Bunting 

 
Newspaper envelopes

 
Dragonflies for younger crafters

Ship Ahoy Card (includes template)

Felt & Button Flowers (includes template)

 
Wirework Dragonflies

 
Painting Simple Doll Faces

 
Bracelets & Wrist Cuffs

 
Personalized Paper Dolls

 
Window Hanging

 
Father's Day Card

 
Paper Cut Art/Cards

 
Dancing Scarecrows (includes template)

 
Pomanders, Scented Christmas Gifts

 
Clay Robin Ornament (includes template)

 
Mini Dioramas

 
Simple Garden Wreath

Newspaper Envelopes

A5 size newspaper envelopes 

Making envelopes is so easy and since we make most of our greeting cards it's only fitting that we make the envelopes to go with them. Problem is large paper is needed. Newspaper does just the trick, especially for children's cards. 

Most of our cards, like these and these, and these, are A4 (close to US letter size) folded in half so we need A5 envelopes. 

When we choose a piece of newspaper to use we try and find content or images pertinent to the recipient. Here we had a football lover and an animal lover. 

Template

Simply take a pre-made envelope and carefully open it all the way out flat, gently unsealing the glued parts.

Using a bright colour, trace around the flattened envelope on to your piece of newspaper and be sure the image you want is positioned underneath the template.  

Cut the shape out of the newspaper, score it in the same places the template envelope is scored, then seal the flaps with a glue stick. 

Lastly, add a label to the front to right the recipient's name on it.

Easy-peasy, lemon squeazy.

Obviously any envelope shape or size and any type of paper will work for making envelopes, keep a stash of your favourite types and sizes before chucking them in the recycling bin to create a collection of templates.

Peg Bag Tutorial

Peg bag tutorial

Supplies

• One breakable, plastic hanger
• Wire cutters (you may not need these)
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• A piece of oil cloth or heavy cotton fabric, roughly 36cm x 82cm (I recycled the best bits of an old, stained table cover)
• 38cm length of 2cm wide folded bias binding (you will fold it again to 1cm wide to go around the circular opening)
• Thread that matches the bias binding and thread that matches the fabric

Instructions

1. Take a plastic hanger (the type that come free with clothing) and break part of the ends off. Lay the hanger on the pattern to check the length making sure it will fit inside the top portion of the bag. If it needs small trims, wire cutters work well. Be sure the hanger ends are smooth enough to not cut the bag. Use sand paper to soften edges if they're sharp.

2. Print out the pattern from this PDF file and enlarge it 135%

3. Fold fabric in half with right sides facing and cut out the pattern, making two pieces. Then cut the circle out of one of the pattern pieces.

4. Take a scrap of the fabric and test the stitching with your machine, especially if you are using oil cloth, you may have to adjust settings.

5. Fold the top point of each pattern piece down about 5mm with wrong sides facing, then sew them each down (if in doubt, see position of red dotted line on the pattern). This hems the edge where the hanger pokes through.

6. Iron your strip of bias binding in half to make a 1cm wide strip, this will make it easier to sew in place. Now starting at the bottom of the circle, cover the unfinished edge of the circle with the binding and slowly sew into place at least 5mm from the inside edge of the circle. When you get back to the bottom of the circle where you started, sew under the end of the binding to finish the edge.

7. Line up the two pattern pieces with right sides facing and using a 1cm seam allowance, sew the sides together, tapering both edges off the bag at the top and leaving a 1 cm unsewn gap for the hanger (see the grey dotted line on the pattern.) Then clip the rounded corners of the bag and turn the bag rightside out. Push out the corners with the rubber end of a pencil and insert your hanger.

Now fill with pegs and hang some laundry (singing optional).

Child's Apron

Child's apron

This apron is quick to make using bits from your fabric stash. It will fit a child aged 5 - 10 (maybe even 12) but could easily be enlarged for adults.

Materials:

• Three pieces of heavy cotton (I used denim) in the following sizes:

-    44cm x 56cm

-    30cm x 25cm

 -  10cm x 65cm

• 1 Fat quarter of any cheerful fabric for the pocket
• 1 Metre of cotton twill tape for the tie, or a fourth piece of heavy cotton 10cm x 100cm to make a tie (I had no twill tape on hand so I sewed the ties)
• Matching thread
• 1 Button

1. Cut out a pocket in any shape (rectangular is easiest.) Then hem the top of it and turn under the edges all the way around. Note: If making a curved pocket like this one, cut into the fabric at the curves nearly to the fold before turning the fabric under - this will give a smooth curve.

2. Sew trim to the pocket, then pin the pocket in place on the large piece of cotton fabric that makes up the bottom of the apron. (Notice I didn't even change the thread in my machine to red when I stitched on my trim - hasty, hasty.) Top stitch the pocket on (leaving the top open - pockets are more useful when you can put things in them. Sew close to the edge of the pocket - 1/8" or 2-3 mm.

3. Make the neck strap and the waist ties (or just the neck strap if using twill tape for the ties.) Sorry no photo for this - it's very easy though. Take the 10cm x 65cm strip of fabric and fold the 10cm edges inside so the fabric meets in the middle and press all the way down the strip.

Then fold it again and iron creating a 2.5cm x 65cm pressed strip. Top stitch it closed all the way down the length of the strip close to the edge, then top stitch the other edge all the way down.

NOTE: If you aren't using twill tape for the ties, repeat this strap making process using a 10cm x 100cm strip of fabric then cut it into two 50cm long pieces.

4. Take the 30cm x 25cm piece of fabric. Fold under and press a 1cm hem on the 25cm edge. Slide the neck strap under the fold about a 2cm from the edge of the fabric. Hold the strap under the pressed edge then fold it up and over the edge. Now, while still holding the strap under the fold, hem the edge attaching the strap at the same time.

5. Measure the strap around child's neck and mark the placement for the buttonholes. Put in three buttonholes, the first one should fit now and two closer to the end of the strap are to adjust as the child grows. Now roll the end of the strap over twice and sew it down to hem it.

6. Hem up the remaining edges (5mm hem - about 1/4 inch) of the upper piece of the apron. Then attach a button to the opposite side of the strap. NOTE: The button could be place on the inside or as detailing on the outside of the apron.

7. Take the larger piece of cotton and hem the top edge of it. Then take your twill tape, or the fabric ties and hem them into both top, side edges of the bottom section just like the process for the neck strap.

8. Place the top section of the apron above the bottom section, then turn it over and center it on top off the bottom section. The two parts should now be top to bottom with right sides of the fabric facing each other. Sew the two sections together.

The very simple construction should look like this. As a final optional step, you could turn the apron over and top-stitch across the bottom edge of the top section of the apron, this helps it lay smoothly - I have done this.

Finished : )

 

New Pattern for Selvedge Readers

It's not every day you're asked to contribute to one of your favourite magazines. So when Polly Leonard emailed requesting my moth mending pattern, how could I say no?

Already in the midst of work deadlines, it ended up being a bit of an all-nighter, but it was so fun to get stitching again.

We decided on a new pattern just for Selvedge readers. The result, another combo needle-felting/embroidery patch. This time I created a Jersey Tiger Moth, inspired by a beauty found sunning itself in our garden.

If you missed my original project from a couple of years back, you can see it here.

Hope you get a chance to pick up the latest Selvedge. If you do, you'll also catch two articles by ultra clever Eirlys of Scrapiana. Eirlys shares remedies for stopping moths from wreaking too much havoc.

Happy Wednesday to you and a big happy birthday to sweet Sonia.

Please support the last Action Pack Magazine

I was surprised to find a picture from this project I sent off for the Whip Up Action Pack back in 2013 in my Inbox this morning.

Anyone familiar with Whip Up will know that the publisher, Kathreen Ricketson and her husband Rob both sadly died in an accident two years ago. Days after I sent this project off I received that heartbreaking news. 

With the help of Kathreen's family and friends, that issue is now being published. It will be the last Action Pack Magazine published. 

Whip Up was an incubator for the Internet craft movement. And Kathreen was more than a curator of photos and projects. She was a conversation starter, brilliant writer, editor and maker too. 

Many people met through the community built around Whip Up all those years ago when craft blogs were young. I used to check Whip Up each morning, it was a treat to read before starting my day – I'm sure thousands of others did the same. 

Kathreen and Rob's two children will receive all of the proceeds from the sales of Action Pack. What a lovely tribute it would make to help this issue sell like crazy. Please buy it. Even if you have no children, sit down and get stuck into the projects yourself.

Please spread the word. Learn more about Action Pack Magazine here.  And go here to purchase the latest or past issues.

UPDATE: Sadly, Whip Up and Action Pack are no longer available. It became difficult for friends and family to carry on managing the sites. The Whip Up community will be missed, but I'm personally grateful for friends made there and the countless hours of enjoyable reading both provided.

Go on, go share those links.

Thanks

Pattern gold

Newlywed birds made for a sweet couple of friends who recently married.

After a long hiatus, I'm back with a few blog design changes and that overdue pattern recommendation. Typepad are very slowly coming around to responsive themes. This one I'm using (still in beta) is the first I've found that works properly. What do you think?

Artist, Ann Wood's Little Bird pattern was perfect for a couple of gifts I wanted to make. I've always loved her designs, it was a real treat to find that she's now selling her patterns, including her amazing ships. Ann has a lovely style to the way she writes her tutorials.

This one was for a robin loving friend.

I'm pleased with these little birds but I'd do a few things differently if I made them again sometime. Getting better wire for one thing and stuffing until the seams nearly burst for another. The newlyweds in particular have kind of saggy bottoms.

These birds are quite small so they're perfect for using up scraps. They're so easy to customize and make your own yet retain the sweet face the Ann created.

Today I noticed Ann added a post to her website where she recommends her favourite tools. If you're a softie maker or trying out one her new patterns you'll probably find tips there you've read about nowhere else.

Shadowplay on a sunny day.

And today is Mother's Day in the UK. So happy Mother's Day to all mums everywhere.

Here is a link to my favourite UK flower shop feed on Instagram. I send you all a virtual bouquet.

Happy Sunday :)

Behind the scenes

Hedgerow grasses

Our house is like many others, children going here, going there. Me taxi, boot polisher, roadie, and a few other titles too. School holidays officially started today, sadly we have only six short weeks of a loose schedule and no clock watching for going to meet the bus. I'll still be working but we have a family visit to California coming up and we'll be squeezing in day visits to other places too. Right now though we're taking a little breather and enjoying the warm weather we've been having for the last several weeks.

I've been working out how to fit this blog into our new life and make it more relevant to where we are now. It remains a good personal archive of what we've done and where we've gone as a family and also how enormously our lives have changed, which is natural. 

I considered leaving Typepad, wishing they'd catch up with competing platforms and offer more contemporary design solutions and better security. You may notice closed comments on old posts and monitoring of new ones – all down to outrageous amounts of spam. When I voiced my concerns and thoughts on leaving Typepad to their support staff they offered me a free upgrade which I appreciated, this will give me the option of using HTML and CSS to personalize it more.

Trying out a sweet pattern

So for time and financial reasons, I won't be migrating to another platform, I'll be giving Typepad another year, hoping they up their game. The site I'm developing for my work is on WordPress.org which is more important for investing time and money in. I've also designed sites on Squarespace for clients and have been really impressed with it. Importantly, their customer service is outstanding, great for small businesses who are a bit tech-shy and won't want to handle upgrades themselves down the road.

For the longest time I couldn't decide what to do, stay or go. So I thought I'd voice my reasoning here in case others are contemplating the same jump. I know Sonia did and moved over to Squarespace with beautiful results. She incorporated her Big Cartel shop in the new design really nicely too. Abby from While She Naps recently moved from Typepad to a WordPress.org site and has some great blog posts about her experiences; here's her latest which discusses going from Blogger to WordPress. Abby's new site is a real triumph, clearly worth the time and financial investment.

Finding shade on a hot day

Though I intend on getting back to this space more regularly, I can be found on Instagram almost daily. I will be back here very soon to show my results with a sweet pattern I recently purchased, you'll want to try it out too.

I hope you're loving summer as much as we are. 

Jx