It's peak Crafting Season 🍂🧡

Cosy Autumn scene with a yellow blanket draped over a wicker chair

The cosy, gezellig (as my Dutch friends would say), days have replaced the outdoorsy, bright and warm summer, and I for one love them as much as I love the sunshine-y ones.

There's something almost smug about being wrapped up and warm whilst the weather outside is growing cold, or rain is spattering against the window.

It's reading weather; it's hot chocolate, jumpers, scarves and boots' time to shine!

The song Urge for Going by Joni Mitchell lives rent free in my mind once the weather turns

For me, this time of year is an excuse to stay put and work on a hand made project. It might be a hand sewn item for a Christmas gift, or maybe a knitted hat, scarf, or if you're a better knitter than me, a jumper or cardigan that will last way beyond this season.

It's an invitation to slow down and recover from excesses of the longer days. And it's why so many of us turn to crafts that remind us of a slower way of life.

Knit & Crochet really appeal to lots of us in the colder months. For me it's often hand stitching. Slow sewing, hand sewing.

Using this activity, and time to ground myself in the practice of sewing. To just BE. It's a wonderfully mindful way to spend some time, and you get something to show for it.

Slow stitched pin badge with a sewing theme

But what to make? Where to begin?

Lots of people tell me they struggle with inspiration for what to make.

But being inspired is the best part, seeing something and thinking "I can make that" or just liking an idea enough to emulate it in your own way.

Today alone I've had two people tell me they take ages to start a project. And to both of them I've said the same thing... Just start. If you wait until you've got enough time, or knowledge, or motivation, you'll never start.

Motivation is best pursued in the action of doing it until the doing it is enough to self sustain, thereby becoming its own motivation, so to speak!

So here's an idea, book a class/workshop, scroll for inspiration, or come to the shop and chat with me about your ideas and plans. Let me help, I love new ideas, and I'm positively overflowing with them at the moment; there's just not enough time to actually undertake many of them.

If you really don't know where to start looking for inspo... try Pinterest! Here's mine to get you going https://pin.it/4DTdY58Zy

If you don't like swearing it might be best to avoid the board called Words 😉