The Leopard Anchor

Why do we like what we like?

I'm afraid I am that annoying child that won't stop asking why, luckily with age came the ability to internalise my questioning. Just lately I got to thinking about taste and style and where they come from, how they develop and why exactly we like what we like.

For my personal taste the answer is dead simple:

Style-wise (florals, pretty dresses, ultra feminine) it comes from rebellion. I grew up with three older brothers, we watched boy TV shows and played boy games, my mum put me in girly clothes a lot but I had a pretty masculine childhood for the most part. I've also grown up and worked in a grubby, typically manly, distinctly non-floral trade (the motor trade) my whole life.

General taste-wise (retro, old, quirky, shabby) it is plain to see where it comes from, here are a small selection of things from my family home.

I don't think I stood a chance of growing up to like normal, modern things!

How about you? Is the evolution of your taste as clear as mine? I'd love to read your comments (or blog posts).

xo Kirst

DIY tutorial: make your own paper garland

I have another super simple tutorial for you: make your own paper garland.

Ingredients:

Paper, whatever kind you like

Pencil & template (optional)

Scissor or knife & cutting mat

Masking tape or tracing paper and Blu Tack (optional)

Thread

Sewing machine, I always keep used sewing machine needles from projects to use for stitching paper, saves using a new one

Step one: choose your paper and what style of garland you're going for, there are so many options!

Step two: Draw & cut out your paper shapes/letters/whatevers, use a template or go freestyle.

Step three: (optional) If you are doing lettering, or you like things accurate, then you might want to lay out your design out on some masking tape (please test to see if it peels away from your paper type easily). Or you could use tracing paper and tack it in place before sewing.

Step four: Stitch!

To start pull enough of your top and bottom thread to enable you to hang your garland, at least a few inches. Pop your first piece under your presser foot and start stitching. There's no need to back-stitch, but you can if you like, I don't mind.

The feed dog should pull the paper through easily, you want to gently pull the whole garland through at the same speed as the feed dog does, so when you are between pieces you keep pulling at the same speed but you will be stitching air, so to speak.

If you skipped step 3 then you'll want to pick a spot on your sewing machine behind the needle that is the same distance you'd like between paper pieces. Once your first piece has reached the chosen spot slide your next piece under the presser foot, there is no need to stop and lift the presser foot, the feed dog should pull your next piece through. Keep gently pulling the garland through to keep the spacing in between consistent.

Keep going until you've stitched all your pieces. If your garland is going to hang horizontally then make sure to pull out the threads enough to hang it, at least a few inches again!

Step five: Gently peel off your masking tape or tracing paper if you used either.

Step six: Hang somewhere eyecatching and enjoy!

The possibilities are endless!

New happy place: my studio

I'm so delighted to be able to share my new space, I've been working on it for a few weeks and finally finished it on Tuesday.

The tall cabinet makes my fabric stash look much smaller than it did in my bedroom.

I've got an Instax rogues gallery going on on my shelf edge, these are from my first little craft club party on Wednesday, what a joy that was!

Apart from this desk and these chairs (Ikea) every other piece of furniture was free, wonderfully thrifty.

I painted these clipboards with chalkboard paint and am so pleased with them. I also used chalkboard paint on the window sill and the back of the door, it's great fun for guests!

The shelves were already in the room and are horribly ugly so I edged each shelf differently, they're now one of my favourite bits of the studio.

I've had this print for ages (available here), waiting for the right frame and then for the right place to hang it, it's so pretty. And I couldn't leave the flower lamp behind in Ikea.

My Rob Ryan bunting finally has a home. I got these Japanese paper balloons from Petra Boase, they're so cheery - my nephew visited today and will be getting some for his birthday next month, he loved them.

I really wanted a space that was relaxing, fun, inspiring and very personal, I think I managed it, it's defintely a peek in to my personality. I've had a few visitors and they've been doing exactly what I was hoping for: lots of looking around saying "ooh look at this", "ooh where did you get that?", "wow that's so cool".

There you have it, The Leopard Anchor HQ.

xo Kirst..

PS: There are some before photos here.

DIY tutorial: make your own cake stand

This is a such a simple make that I feel a bit of a cheat doing it as my first tutorial, but I think every host and hostess needs a cake stand, so I'm doing my bit for a pretty serve-ware filled world.

Ingredients:

Plates - as many as you want, two or three would get you a traditional cake stand

Teacups - one less than the number of plates, you could use glasses or egg cups instead if you want your gaps to be deeper or more shallow

Adhesive - something suitable for glass & ceramic

Optional:

Pretty drawer knob

* * *

Method:

Pick the components of your cake stand.

Usually I would favour a mismatched look, but I bought this lot (as part of a dirt cheap 60-plus part set) specifically for making things with.

Thoroughly clean & dry all of your components, you don't want anything contaminating the adhesive.

Decide on your layout, you might find that teacup handles render some layouts unsuitable, I couldn't use either of the top layouts as the handle prevented the top plate and teacup rim sitting flush.

You might want a carry handle on the top like the shop bought cake stands, a pretty drawer knob would be great for this!

There is a step here that I skipped, you might want to measure and mark your centres & plate to teacup positioning, I just did it by eye.

Get your adhesive out and read the instructions

Prepare your adhesive as per the instructions, remembering to crack a window first in case it smells of rotting fish like this stuff did.

Now glue it all together, piece by piece.

I smooshed (technical term) some more glue around the edges after the pieces had been initially glued in position.

Pop something heavy on top and go do something else.

Add some sweet treats (& maybe some mini paper bunting if you're so inclined) and there you have it.

xo Kirst.

My new sewing/craft area

I missed the light at the weekend, so my plan for more detailed photos of my new sewing table failed. So here is just one photo of my lovely new crafting home.

<3 <3 <3

Best of all is that the desk was free, so were the chairs (these will be painted eventually, it's on my list), the vase was £5 from Sainsburys of all places, and the cloth is actually a very pretty duvet cover from Tesco.

xo Kirsty..