Win an ecofriendly, handmade, vintage fabric market tote in my giveaway

I'm celebrating the start of another sun-filled week with a giveaway over on my Instagram feed. You have the chance to win an ecofriendly, handmade, vintage fabric market tote...

This market tote is handmade using vintage fabric. Fully lined with robust, oatmeal cotton. Perfect for taking to the shops or local market to stock up on provisions. Wide straps make this bag comfortable to carry. It would also be great for stashing yarn, carrying craft projects or as a book or beach bag... You can cram virtually anything into this handy tote...

To enter, head over to my Instagram account to see the full details. Good luck!

This giveaway is in no way associated with Instagram.

Open to worldwide entries.

Closes on Monday July 16th 2018.

Win a bundle of vintage trims in my instagram giveaway

*GIVEAWAY* to celebrate the reopening on my Etsy shop, I'm holding a vintage trim giveaway over on Instagram

To enter, please leave a comment & tag two people who you think might like to enter my giveaway...

The prize is a bundle of vintage fabric trim:
4 yards of scroll trim in mustard yellow
4 yards of ditsy floral trim in crimson
4 yards of woven trim in sage & scarlet

These trims are perfect for appliqué, collage, mixed-media artwork, scrapbooking and much, much more...

Head over to my Instagram feed to find out more...

You have until Wednesday evening (26/04/17) to take part

I will choose one winner on Thursday (27/04/17)
Open to international entries
Good luck!

Crafting is my Therapy #5 + colouring book giveaway

Welcome to the fifth “Crafting is my Therapy” blog link-up.

I hope you’ve had a wonderful month or making and creating.

This month we are holding another giveaway.
Up for grabs are two colouring books from Phoenix Yard Books. The prize includes two of their newest titles. "The One and Only Mandala Postcard Colouring Book" which takes all the intricate designs from their mandala range and puts them together in an accessibly sized book. "The One and Only Elephant Parade Postcard Colouring Book" is a books of designs taken from Elephant Parade, a social enterprise who run the world’s largest art exhibition of decorated elephant statues. This publication takes the designs painted on the elephants in the parade and brings them together into a beautiful collection of postcards for you to colour.
To be in with a chance to win these lovely colouring books, simply link up with a craft related blog post below...

Looking back over the pieces I have created in May...
...I wanted to have a break from sewing words and just play around with stitches. Sometimes it's nice just to sit down with fabric, thread and no real plan. I created a spiral in chain stitch and embellished a piece of one of my favourite vintage fabrics with embroidery stitches. I’m hoping to add more stitches to the spiral over the coming month...

In May we had a lovely selection of crafts added to our link-up. It was nice to see a few new craft bloggers linking up, we love seeing everything you’ve created. I enjoyed reading all the lovely posts and it was great to see Amy Loves to Sew creating finger puppets for her baby daughter using craft supplies she had won in our April giveaway.

In May we held another giveaway. There were 8 posts (not including the hosts) added to our link-up in May. Using the random number generator, I can tell you that the winner is…Simply Blossoms! A bundle of crafty goodies will be heading her way shortly.

If you love all things handmade then you might like to go along to Kirstie Allsopp's 'The Handmade Fair'. It will be held on The Green at Hampton Court Palace on the 16th – 18th of September 2016. Mrs Crafty B is offering a special discount code for 'Full Experience' tickets, head over to her blog to find out more...

Have you created anything crafty this month? If you sew, knit, crochet, paint, work with ceramics…please join in and share your blog posts.
The focus of this linky is crafting for pleasure, basically taking some ‘me-time’ to unwind in our busy lives. It doesn’t have to be a finished project, we love seeing work in progress, planning posts or tutorials too.

Grab the Crafting is my Therapy badge:

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I co-host Crafting is my Therapy with Jennifer Jain. She writes the popular craft blog Jennifers Little World. Jennifer hosts our Pinterest group board. Would you like your blog posts to be seen by over 700K followers? Craft Bloggers linking to #craftingismytherapy are welcome to join our board. It's a great way for your posts to reach a wider audience...

Giveaway Entry Rules:
– One winner will receive the two colouring books described above.
– The winner will be chosen at random from eligible entries to the linky this month.
– In order for an entry to be eligible it must be a relevant post, it must mention the "Crafting is my Therapy" linky either by text or using the badge, and it must link back to one of the linky hosts. The linky will remain open until Thursday 30th June 2016.
– If the winner does not respond within 28 days we will redraw and reallocate the prize. There is no cash alternative. Invalid entries will be discounted.

The “Crafting is my Therapy” linky will open today, 6th June, and stay open for the whole month – giving you plenty of time to get involved.

– You can link up with maximum of three posts per month, old or new.
– Grab the linky badge or link back to our blogs on your post.
– Please share the love and comment on other people’s posts.
– If you could share your post and the linky (using the hashtag #craftingismytherapy) on any social media channels that would be great. This will help us to grow the community. We will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention us (@pouchvintage/@JenniferJain )
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome! Jennifer Jain’s links are here too: Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.

An InLinkz Link-up

Crafting in May: chain stitch spirals and french knots

It's time for my latest post looking at the craft projects I've been working on over the past month. As part of the "Crafting is my Therapy" project, I'm determined to make more time in my life for crafting and creativity. In April I created my 'it's cool to be kind' hoop. I was inspired by the work carers do and it's a subject I feel very strongly about. In May I wanted to have a break from sewing words and just play around with stitches. Sometimes it's nice just to sit down with fabric, thread and no real plan.

I have heaps of vintage fabric scraps and this one featuring retro circles is a favourite of mine. I thought it would be nice to embellish a small section with some embroidery stitches.

Alongside chain stitch and backstitch I thought I'd give French Knots a try. I have never sewn them before and spotted this "What's Knot To Love" tutorial over on the Ambrosia Stitches blog. You should also check out her "A Project that will Make You Love French Knots" post because it really will have you itching to try them out.

Back in March I learnt to sew chain stitch. I really fell in love with creating the tiny chains in thread. I had an idea in my head to create a spiral in chain stitch. Not sure why, I just liked the idea of sitting down and sewing a spiral in one stitch.

Whilst I enjoyed the steady rhythm of sewing chain stitch, I found the thread became quite twisted and 'splitty' (technical term!). I'm not sure if it's the fabric I'm using (calico) or the floss (Anchor Thread)...but the stitches were a bit hit and miss at times. I think the overall effect looks good, but I'm going to look into getting some different fabrics for embroidery. I'd love to hear your fabric recommendations and if their is a particular brand of thread you love. Any tips gratefully received...

Here are some more French Knots sewn by me this month. The purple and lilac knots are my very first attempts after reading Ambrosia Stitches post. I think I'm getting them right. It's the sort of stitch that makes you feel like you could do with an extra pair of hands. But you soon get into the rhythm of holding the thread taut and winding with the other hand.

Playing around with stitches has reinvigorated my interest in embroidery. Once I get back into stitching, I want to learn more. Next on my list is satin stitch. I've seen lots of tutorials online. Some people recommend filling the shape with running stitch before placing satin stitch over the top. This gives a more 3-D effect and probably looks amazing. But would I have the patience to do this? Other tutorials don't mention the running stitch stage and suggest edging the satin stitch with back stitch to give a neater outline. Some don't even think you need to add the outline stitching. I think I need to give a few methods a go and see what works for me. Again, any tips from experienced satin-stitchers would be most welcome...

The next "Crafting is my Therapy" blog link-up will open on 6th June. We'd love to see your makes, all crafts welcome...

This week I'm linking up with these lovely blogs...

"Share With Me" over on mummyfever.co.uk

"Blogger Club UK" over on www.cuddlefairy.com and www.myrandommusings.co.uk

My latest craft project: vintage fabric applique rabbit hoop

At the start of the year I decided to try and make more time for creativity. I wrote a post about the therapeutic effect of being creative. Sewing makes me relaxed and happy, so I resolved to do more of it this year. Alongside this, I've launched a new blog linky called "Crafting is my Therapy", it acts as a place for people to share their crafty skills. With Spring on the horizon and Easter only a few weeks away, this months project is bunny-themed.

Over the past couple of weeks I have sewn a colourful applique rabbit using vintage fabric and calico. I love blanket stitch and try and incorporate it into my sewing projects wherever possible. This version uses a floral fabric in shades of turquoise and cobalt blue. A few months ago I created a similar applique hoop using orange and chocolate brown vintage fabric.

Over the years I have amassed a wide selection of vintage fabrics so there is scope for me to make more variations. I find this particular manmade fabric features colours that really pop and they rarely fade.

I love the finished effect, but they aren't the easiest things to sew. It's quite hard work getting the needle through calico and the thick vintage fabric. The smaller blanket stitch around the ears was particularly fiddly. Having said that, I do still enjoy making them.

Looking forward to next month's project I'm particularly keen to practise some new embroidery stitches. The latest Crafting is my Therapy linky goes live this Friday on the 4th March...the focus of the linky is crafting for pleasure, basically taking some ‘me-time’ to unwind in our busy lives.

It doesn’t have to be a finished project, I love seeing work in progress photos or tutorial posts too. I hope any crafty bloggers reading this will come and join in with Crafting is my Therapy #2

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if you'd like to sew more of my sewing projects, I have a "Sewing is my Therapy" board over on Pinterest:

Follow Pouch : blogging + craft's board Sewing Is My Therapy on Pinterest.

This week I'm linking up with:

The 'Making Home' link up over on www.mrscraftyb.co.uk

Blogger Club UK over on www.cuddlefairy.com and mudpiefridays.com

February Craft Project: Love Is All you Need

I decided at the start of the year to make more time for crafting. I want to aim to complete one sewing project a month. February is the month where we start to see red hearts & cuddly teddies in the shop windows. As soon as the Christmas decorations are out of the way, the shelves start to fill up with Valentines gifts.

There's something so uplifting about the Beatles "All You Need Is Love". Reading about the song online, the Beatles said this song: "cannot be misinterpreted. It is a clear message saying that love is everything". With this in mind, I was inspired to stitch a section of the song.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.

Nothing you can say, but you can learn

How to play the game

It's easy.

Nothing you can make that can't be made.

No one you can save that can't be saved.

Nothing you can do, but you can learn

How to be you in time

It's easy.

All you need is love

All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.

Love it or hate it, you can't get away from Valentine's Day. But love is about more than a few overpriced roses and a shiny card...

There are so many forms of love. Whether it's for a child, a partner, your parents, good friends and even pets. They are all equally important and we all need it in one form or another.

If you love to craft, you may like to take part in my new monthly "Crafting is my Therapy" blog linky.

The focus of the linky is crafting for pleasure, basically taking some ‘me-time’ to unwind in our busy lives. It doesn’t have to be a finished project, I love seeing work in progress photos or tutorial posts too.

All crafts welcome!

This week I'm linking up with these lovely blogs:

"Happy Days" over on www.whatkatysaid.com and www.quitefranklyshesaid.com

The therapeutic effect of being creative

Art and creativity have an important role to play in improving the health and well-being of individuals. Therapeutic effects include relaxation, a way to express yourself and can lower blood pressure. In addition, these effects can boost the immune system and reduce stress.

For me, hand sewing is one of the ways I like to relax. I find concentrating on the stitches helps me to focus on the moment, like a form of mindfulness. I also like the sense of accomplishment when I reach the end of a sewing project. I run my fingers over the stitches and feel proud of my handiwork. Once one project is complete, my mind jumps to the next idea. It's definitely an outlet for my creativity.

Over the past nine years I have created many pieces using hand sewing techniques. Such as Happy Cat Waving inspired by a drawing my niece created when she was six. I love to embroider some of my favourite quotes, like this Dr Seuss nugget from "Oh the Places You'll Go". More recently I have sewn an applique version of my vintage fabric rabbits and a nostalgia inspired fortieth birthday canvas for a friend of mine.

I have enjoyed making every one of them and yet I often don't have the time to sit down and stitch. Or I don't allow myself to have the time. I think it's indulgent to sit down with fabric and threads when I could be doing something more 'important' such as housework, paperwork, food shopping. The less than thrilling tasks a busy home requires to keep ticking over take priority over sewing.

I've recently blogged about wanting to protect my mental health and embrace my creativity. So why don't I make something that makes me happy a bigger part of my life? It's probably a question many busy people ask themselves whilst trying to juggle work and family life.

I took part in a Story of Mum "Make Date" on Twitter a few days ago. These "Make Dates" are great fun and offer "a chance for mums to get together on twitter and tweet while we attempt to do something creative - like doodling, taking a photo, writing poetry, making stuff or even squidging plasticine. We give ourselves some creative me-time and connect with other lovely mums."

Whilst chatting to the other Mums I talked about wanting to get back into sewing. Many of my projects sit abandoned in a box upstairs because I 'don't have time' to complete them. My New Year blog post focussed on a popular Anne Lamott quote and the wish to "embrace a big, juicy creative life' and resolve to do less of the things that make me feel bad.

A combination of absorbing the Anne Lamott quote and the Story of Mum "Make Date" gave me the impetus to pick up my sewing again. I completed this vintage fabric "Sewing Mends the Soul" embroidery hoop last week. It's not a ground breaking piece of textile art, but it makes me smile.

This year I am going to aim to create at least one sewing project a month. I will blog about my creations and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy over on my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

I would encourage everyone to make some space in their life to tune into creative pursuits. Whether it's painting, throwing some clay on a wheel, metalwork, music making, carving wood or doodling...whatever inspires you creatively. Just enjoy taking the time to do something that makes you happy.

Grab my badge below...

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if you'd like to sew more of my sewing projects, I have a board over on Pinterest:

Follow Pouch : blogging + craft's board Hand embroidered wall art on Pinterest.

A new project: rabbit applique hoops handmade with vintage fabric

I've been making my lavender-filled, vintage fabric rabbits for nearly six years now. Alongside my handmade sleepy owls, they have proved to be one of my biggest selling items. I have had many customers buy more than one because 'they can't decide on the colour' and many have come back to buy more for friends and family as gifts.

I use a particular type of thick vintage fabric and I have amassed a selection of colours over the past few years. I find this particular fabric features colours that really pop and they rarely fade. People seem to love these vibrant colourways, I'm a big fan of them too, in fact I have about six or seven lavender rabbits dotted around our home.

I decided a little while ago that I would attempt to make an applique version of the rabbit motif. I knew I would need to adapt the shape slightly because the template I currently use is wider due to seam allowances. After a bit of sketching I created a new template. Once the main body of the rabbit was cut out I attached the rest of the felt detailing and eyes. With the help of a bit of Bondaweb I attached the rabbit to some calico and started the applique process. I have used a combination of back stitch and blanket stitch. I adore blanket stitch and it has always been an important part of the lavender-filled design.

I have to say I am really pleased with the results. I put a photo of the finished item on my Pouch Vintage Facebook page and was pleasantly surprised by the positive response. I think I may try and sew a few ready to go into my online shop in time for Christmas. I'm currently putting together another rabbit-hoop in a different colourway. I will post photos once I have finished it...

Fresh batch: lavender owls in lilac and plum

I've just completed a new batch of lavender owls in lilac and plum after they sold out in March. Both the owls and rabbits in this particular vintage fabric have proven to be very popular with my customers. I'm down to the last few pieces of this fabric, so I'm planning to make one more batch of lavender rabbits and then I will have completely run out! So if you like this particular colour, grab one soon, they are strictly limited edition!

Fabric lovliness

I have been really spoilt recently. I've had not one, but two lovely parcels from crafty friends.
Sally's parcel contained a vintage pillowcase and duvet cover. I love the purple fabric, it's quite unusual to find vintage fabric in one colourway rather than a riot of colours.
The parcel from Laura Fallulah, was a complete surprise. I've always loved Laura's rose brooches, her hand sewing detail is just beautiful and so neat.



Inspired by the Great British Sewing Bee on BBC 2, I'm going to have a go at making a garment out of the purple fabric from Sally. I thought I would make a Summer dress for my daughter. I just need to track down a nice pattern and get started! I'll post some progress photos and the finished product on here.
Laura and Sally are fabric addicts just like me and it's lovely to pass different pieces of fabric and handmade items onto friends you know will appreciate it!

New listing: apple green lavener rabbit

There has been a serious lack of 'new listings' in my online stores recently. With all the stress of trying to move house and look after a lively toddler, I just don't have the time to get any sewing done. I'm starting to feel slightly 'cold turkey' about it all, my fabric is in the loft, my machine is in the loft and all signs of sewing mess have been cleared away to make our house look as pristine as possible.

So when a good friend of mine kindly gifted this amazing apple green vintage fabric to me, I had to get the scissors and thread out and make a new batch of rabbits! I adore the geometric pattern on this fabric and the colours just pop right out at you.

Lavender rabbit in apple green on Etsy

Lavender rabbit in apple green on Folksy

New colourway! amber and chocolate

I've just listed these lovelies in my Etsy and Folksy stores, a brand new colourway - amber and chocolate!

Made with vintage fabric in my absolute favourite colour combination, brown and orange - it's the two colours that scream 'vintage' whenever I'm sourcing new fabric. I think most of my clothes were brown in the 70s and I remember asking my Mum when I was little, 'why is everything in our house brown mummy?' and the answer I got was 'because it's fashionable'!

This gorgeous fabric came my way via Sally at Tinkering Textiles, also something of a vintage fabric aficionado!

Hope you like them! Lavender rabbit in amber and chocolate

Vintage fabric Rudolf decorations

Now that Halloween and Bonfire Night are safely out of the way, it's time to start thinking about Christmas...after all it's only 7 weeks away!!

So on that festive note, I'd like to introduce you to my latest creation - vintage fabric Rudolf decorations. Handmade with vintage fabric in shades of amber orange, chocolate brown, pure white and jet black. He's filled with non-allergenic stuffing and has wool felt detailing in shades of chocolate and toffee brown. His look is completed with a bright red button nose.

I currently have two versions for sale, one is unscented and the other contains a delicious combination of dried star anise, cinnamon and cloves. I have had lots of fun making the latter as the scent is just amazing.

So far, I have had lots of fabulous feedback for Rudolf from crafting friends and most recently he was featured on the popular Craft Gossip blog, the Cuteable blog and of the UK Handmade Facebook page, which gained lots of thumbs up from their readers!

Also, if you are quick, there is a chance to win one on the popular Bugs and Fishes blog.

I just wanted to add, I made two versions partly because not everyone will like the festive spice mix, everyone has different tastes! But also because certain countries do not allow dried plant products to be imported into their country, most notably Australia has very strict laws relating to this. So the unscented version is available for worldwide shipping and the scented version is for United Kingdom and Europe only.

They are available in both my Etsy and Folksy stores.

New for 2011: vintage fabric cushion covers

Back in April, I sourced a fantastic selection of vintage fabric. It's been calling out to be made into retro cushion covers ever since it arrived at my house. I have spent the Summer months creating a new range for Pouch and they are now live in my Etsy and Folksy stores!



I am so pleased with the way they have turned out, the colours really pop. They make a fab addition to any vintage-addicts house! Due to the fact we use vintage fabric, these cushion covers are limited edition, once the fabric has gone, we can't make more!



I currently have six colourways for sale, they are:
vintage fabric cushion cover in buttercup and chestnut
vintage fabric cushion cover in mauve and purple
vintage fabric cushion cover in turquoise and cobalt blue
vintage fabric cushion cover in plum purple
vintage fabric cushion cover in turquoise and midnight blue
vintage fabric cushion cover in jade and scarlet

To view the full range, please visit my Etsy and Folksy stores!