Mollie Magazine September 2019

Community is everything. Yours can pick you up on a bad day, celebrate the positives with you, nudge you in the right direction when you’re lost, and share in those special, life affirming moments. Your community could be friends, family, neighbours, a Facebook forum – it’s whoever you surround yourself with. So, this issue we’re championing the amazing handmade community. All our projects either showcase creative collaborations, encourage you to connect with local makers, or feature those who share their skills with others. And, we haven’t stopped there. Sara Tasker talks finding your tribe online, Kat Goldin opens up her family farm to us, and we announce the winners of the 2019 Mollie Makes Handmade Awards! I hope it inspires all you #molliemakers, and brings a sense of community to you too. FOLLOW…

Christine Leech Christine loves stitching, sticking, creating and chatting. She’s the founder of the Sewyeah Social Club and is very excited about having her own workshop tent at The Handmade Festival this September. Make Christine’s wooden chandelier on page 63. www.sewyeah.co.uk Ministry of Upholstery Anthony Devine has established himself as Britain’s most forward-thinking and creative upholsterer. He’s known for his innovative and out-there designs. When he’s not running Ministry of Upholstery, he’s usually dreaming about climbing mountains. Craft a Ministry of Upholstery foot stool on page 51. www.ministryofupholstery.co.uk Kat Goldin Inspiration for Kat comes via swimming in the Lake of Menteith – Scotland’s only lake. “It’s so cold and refreshing and beautiful. It reminds me that I am so fortunate to have this miraculous place to call home.” Visit Kat’s farm on page 84. www.garturstitchfarm.com Chrysteen Borja When Chrysteen was…

“I hope you enjoy making this little lion as much as I did while I was bringing it to life. I created this fun and easy project that crafters of all skill level can make for themselves or for someone they love! Dandy Lion is surely going to bring joy to anyone he meets. As an adventure lover, he’ll always be ready to jump into your pocket to travel to new places. The idea behind the design was to make a cute animal with some extra details mixing materials, layers and stitches to add different textures and colours. The one I’d made was already playing on the shelf with the rest of my felt creatures until my little niece pointed him out – he then quickly became part of her collection…

SUBTLY INFLUENCING OTHERS THROUGH EASY-WEAR FASHION is our new favourite thing, thanks to Birdsong’s latest tee. Courtesy of a limited edition collab with @drawingsofdogs, its message to ‘Exercise Empathy’ will help you stay strong through your daily commute, plus its pastel hues’ll hopefully inspire others. And the love doesn’t stop there either – the artist’s commission from each sale will be donated to the Survivors’ Network. www.birdsong.london HOME IF YOU’VE GOT A THING FOR EARTHY TONES, texture and shape, this work of fibre art is for you. Brought together by these creative crushes, embroiderers Alisha and Roisin of Sew Botanical and artist Olivia Bedoyan joined forces to produce two unique designs. Not only do their abstract stitches channel autumn vibes, they’ll look just right above that mid-century sideboard you’ve been dreaming…

HOW TO MAKE A WOVEN HOOP MATERIALS Hammered copper hoop, 20cm (7 7/8") diameter (ours was from www.instagram.com/ thymelyglass_studio) Quince & Co. Puffin, 100% wool, 102m/ 112yd per 100g, one skein each in Clay (Yarn A) and Shell (Yarn B) Knit Collage Spun Cloud, 100% wool, 91m/100yd per 200g, one skein in Honeysuckle (Yarn C) Wool and the Gang Crazy Sexy Wool, 100% wool, 80m/87yd per 200g, one ball in Ivory (Yarn D) Silk and chiffon silk ribbon in dark green, 4cm (1 5/8") wide (we used Silk & Willow Plant Dyed Silk Ribbon and Recycled Silk Chiffon in Enchanted Forest from www.silkandwillow.com) Grey chiffon sari silk ribbon (ours was from www.silkdivine.etsy.com) Dried flowers with stems Glue Reconnect with nature and open up your creativity in what we like to think of…

HOW TO MAKE A BUTTON-DOWN SKIRT MATERIALS 2m (78¾") Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids in Yarrow (ours was from www. frumble.co.uk) Matching sewing thread Water soluble pen Seven imitation tortoise shell buttons (ours were from www. textilegarden.com) Dressmaker’s paper The beauty of creating your own clothes is getting the fit just right. And that’s to say nothing of the joy of choosing a fabric you love and adding pockets with wild abandon. This button-down skirt ticks all those boxes, plus you’ll create pattern pieces you can use again and again, based on your own measurements. Use a 1.5cm ( 5/8") seam allowance throughout unless otherwise instructed. If you prefer, you could use press fastenings to close the skirt instead of buttons. 01 Measure your waist – this is measurement A. Measure the length for…