Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 61 i Mollie Magazine

Happy new year Mollie Makers! We’ve packed this issue with a couple of last-minute festive makes and lots of party projects and winter warmers. We also wanted to inspire you to get things in order for the new year – try our desk tidy projects on pages 55, 89 and 63. There’s a theme emerging at Mollie Makes HQ for 2016: Reinvention. Our new series, the Start Up Starter Kit on page 82 will look at different ways you can start turning your creativity into cash. On that note, we’ve updated our copyright terms to make it clearer which projects you can make to sell. Read about it on the right-hand side of page 6 and look out for our new ‘Make to sell’ tag: Challenge yourself to start something…

We're crushing on new book, Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Style. Centred around five of Lotta's easy and versatile sewing patterns and organised by season, it shows you not only how to make the designs but mix and match them all year round. Now that's a minimal capsule wardrobe we can get massively excited about. www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk THIS MONTH’S WISHLIST Feel the burn! Sewaholic's oh-so-stylish Vancouver collection is what team Mollie will be making and donning as we run off our Chrimbo calories. www.backstitch.co.uk How cute are these new Kids' Zig Zag Mitts from Donna Wilson in bold blue and orange shades? Knitted up in 100% lambswool, they will keep little hands warm and cosy on winter walks and snow-filled days. We only wish they were available in adult sizes (hint, hint). www.donnawilson.com…

MATERIALS Crochet hook 1.8mm (US size 6) DMC threads, 8m per skein, one skein each of Stranded Cottons 503, 504 (or 3813) and 3072, and Light Effects E966 and E3849 Jump rings: 10 in silver tone at 6mm, 6 in gold tone at 4mm Set of ball earring studs in gold tone with loops and matching backs Needle nose pliers ABBREVIATIONS (UK) st(s) stitch(es) ch chain dc double crochet yrh yarn round hook MR magic ring: hold thread in hand and wrap working yarn around forefinger twice to create ring, slip ring off finger and insert hook to pick up first st, then work the necessary sts and close the ring tightly by pulling the loose end. idtr incomplete double treble crochet: yrh twice, insert hook into ring, yrh and…

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HOW TO MAKE… A PIÑATA MATERIALS Big piece(s) of cardboard Tissue paper Scissors Large ruler Glue stick Tape Utility knife and cutting mat Treats and confetti for inside Rope and/ or ribbon What might we find inside this giant cracker, we wonder? XXL-sized sewing kits or nail clippers? Or maybe a multitude of cheesy jokes? This piñata can be customised to be as big as you like – depending on the size of your party – and filled with whatever you can get your hands on. We went for good old candy and confetti, but you could have fun making your own jokes and party hats, adding small toys for kids, or maybe mini bottles of spirits if it’s that kind of party. Choose tissue paper in various colours to…

When are the winter blues not a bad thing? When they’re combined with lush greens and turquoises in our homes. Make the tropical trend work through the colder months with a more subdued palette and natural textures. It’s like having an indoor garden, when your real one’s a temporary no-go zone. www.grahamandgreen.co.uk GET THE LOOK DARK AND STORMY Ease the January clean-up by enlisting the help of this charcoal kitty cat. Alternatively, dream of faraway oceans with this Japanese-inspired shibori-dyed tea towel. www.todryfor.com, www.bindandfold.etsy.com Cosy up inside with texture galore – these woven, stitched and tasselled cushions are currently topping our winter comfort list. www.anthropologie.com/uk Who says the industrial look has to be cold? These iron candlesticks might look tough, but they’re just the thing for bathing your home in…

HOW TO MAKE… A DESK CALENDAR MATERIALS Three sheets of matt coloured card Three fold back metal clips Metallic gold spray paint Straw or cocktail skewer MDF sheet, A5, 3mm thick Wood block, A5 length (larger sizes can be trimmed down with a saw) Sandpaper White matt emulsion paint tester pot Paintbrush Very strong all purpose glue, such as Gorilla Glue Nail polish in various colours, including metallic gold Tupperware box, old dish or foil tray filled with water White vinyl numbers and letters in Ariel Regular font, 2cm (¾") size Scissors Ruler What’s on your new year’s resolution list? Get more organised? Make some work strides? Get a head start by sprucing up your workspace with Teri Muncey’s slick marbled desk calendar – it's made using nail polish, so…

I think most artists are hoarders in some way or other.We’re always looking for inspiration and interesting things to incorporate into our work. As an embroidery illustrator, I collect things I find beautiful – my studio shelves are packed with buttons, ribbons, books, maps and small antique ornaments. I don’t know much about antiques or any object’s value – I just buy what I like. Growing up, I always found snow globes quite magical – the thought of those far away places being captured in a dreamlike scene, with a magical spray of frosty snow tumbling down. But I didn’t own any until after university, when my now-husband and I bought one from Prague to celebrate our engagement. My collection grew without me ever intending it to – I now…

HOW TO MAKE… A STATEMENT SCARF MATERIALS • Rowan Creative Focus Worsted, 75% wool/25% alpaca, 100g/201m per ball. For the scarf: three balls in Magenta (01890). For the shawl: three balls in Saffron (3810) • Or Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted, 100% wool, 100g/200m per ball. For the scarf: three balls in Magenta (119). For the shawl: three balls in Mustard (131) (only two balls are required if you omit the pom poms) • Pair 4.5mm (UK 7 /US 7) knitting needles • Tapestry needle • Pom pom maker approx. 6cm diameter • Lockable stitch marker TENSION 7 sts and 35 rows to 10cm (4") measured over garter stitch on 4.5mm needles ABBREVIATIONS (UK) st(s) stitch(es) k knit RS right side k2tog knit 2 sts together k3tog knit 3 sts…

Teri Muncey Teri grew up dreaming about becoming a tornado chaser or a designer. Unsurprisingly the latter won. Her mind is awash with new craft projects to sink her teeth into, inspired by even the most mundane household objects. Marble Teri’s desktop calendar on page 55 . www.thelovelydrawer.com Gretel Parker Originally a freelance children’s illustrator, Gretel discovered needlefelting in 2008 and fell in love. Her work is collected around the world and her first book was published in 2014. She also sells kits and supplies on Etsy. Needlefelt Gretel’s mini village on page 20 . www.gretelparker.com Katie Leamon London-based designer Katie is a self-confessed paper addict who loves nothing more than starting a new sketchbook. Her second favourite love is food, and she can…

01 Glitter lashes, because why not? www.notonthehigh street.com/niclove 02 Pop in your hair after combing it with a fork... www.bando.com 03 ..then keep your fork safe in this bag. www. skinnydiplondon.com 04 Just in case you can’t keep it a secret. www . ilovecrafty.etsy.com 05 For adorning your underwater boudoir. www.notonthehigh street.com/korla 06 Just the thing for serving seafood. www. suiteonestudio.com 07 Up your hostess game with some gold flecked coasters. www. anthropologie.com/uk 08 This two litre candle should see you all through winter. www. anthropologie.com/uk 09 If we can’t wear a real tail, this midi skirt will do nicely. www.topshop.com…

MATERIALS Air drying clay White acrylic paint Metallic paint in a variety of colours Paintbrush Transparent varnish Rolling pin Small bowl 01 Take a piece of clay and roll it into a ball. 02 Use your rolling pin to flatten the clay until it’s about 3mm thick and as big as the top part of the bowl. 03 Place your bowl, face down onto the rolled out clay. Press hard on the bowl, creating a ring. Remove the bowl and the excess clay around the circle. 04 Take the circle of clay and gently place it inside your bowl. Don’t press too hard – it doesn’t have to touch the bottom of the bowl. The more you press the clay down, the deeper your finished dish will be. Let the…

Nikki McWilliams first began making gifts to sell while at school, then moved on to co-organising a series of craft markets while studying for her degree in fine art and drawing. So it makes total sense that she’d decide to set up her own handmade homewares label in 2009. A joyful tribute to her love of pop art and British culture plus her fascination with the ritual of the tea break, her label bears the fruit of her fine art training and understanding of colour. She’s best known for her iconic British biscuit designs, which appear on everything from cushions and wall hangings to sticky tape in her busy online shop. Nikki’s label grew quickly, with orders flooding in from all over the world. Textile printing is now outsourced to…

Have you ever had one of those days in the depths of January when the skies are grey, you’ve come to the end of your favourite boxset, your house is full of unfinished craft projects and you’ve run out of PVA glue? Dark, dark times. Even if your craft cupboard is fully furnished with adhesives, the months between November and March can be somewhat flat. Sunshine is rarer than a retweet from Ryan Gosling, you haven’t had a delicately coloured beverage in a beer garden for months and your Instagram feed is utterly devoid of peonies. It’s winter, and the time when many people feel a little like a deflated souffle. And it’s no wonder. As the northern hemisphere shifts away from the sun in the autumn we lose sunlight…

Stéphanie Rottée-Lesné, also know as Madame LaBroc (which loosely translates as Mrs Bric-a-Brac), spends her days transforming the weird and the wacky into contemporary interiors accessories with a vintage vibe. From her studio – an extension to the 1900s workman’s cottage that she shares with her husband Romain, an executive for Honda, her ten-year-old daughter Satine, and Frida the dog – Stéphanie works on instinct (and never with brand name products), giving new life to quirky paraphernalia from a bygone time. “Back in 2010 we started looking for a home to suit our increasingly busy lifestyles,” says Stéphanie, who has a hands-on approach when it comes to both family and work commitments. “We instantly fell in love with the authentic charm of this two-bedroomed house. And, on a more practical…

HOW TO MAKE… CORD COASTERS MATERIALS • Piping cord • Sharp needle • Gold metallic and aqua embroidery threads • Hot glue gun and glue • Scissors • Felt What will you be drinking this New Year’s Eve? Bucks fizz? A cocktail or two? Juice for the virtuous amongst you? Whatever your poison, rest it on these coasters for minimal clearing-up time come the 1st. They’re so easy to make, you could whip them up as last-minute stocking fillers too. Bottoms up! 01 Cut one end off your piping cord and wrap it with a piece of tape. Then trim the end down until you have about one eighth of the tape left. This will stop your cord from fraying. 02 Put glue on this end of the piping and…

HOW TO MAKE… MOUNTAIN WRIST WARMERS MATERIALS Jamieson’s DK, 100% Shetland wool, 25g/75m per ball: one ball each in Bluebell(665) (Colour A), Lagoon (660) (Colour B) and China Blue (655) (Colour C) Rowan Pure Superwash Wool DK, 100% Wool, 50g/130m per ball, one in Snow (012) (Colour D) Rico Design Essentials Merino DK, 100% Merino, 50g/120m, one ball in Silver Grey (98) (Colour E) Set of five 3.25mm (UK 10/ US 3) double pointed sock needles (or circular needles) Set of five 3.75mm (UK 9/ US 5) double pointed sock needles (or circular needles) Stitch marker Tapestry needle TENSION 24 sts and 32 rows to 10cm (4") measured over stocking stitch on 3.75mm needles ABBREVIATIONS (UK)  st(s) stitch(es) k knit p purl st st stocking st: if knitting on dpns…

HOW TO MAKE… FOX SLIPPERS MATERIALS Bergere de France Ideal, 40% Wool/30%Acrylic/30% Polyamide, 50g/125m per ball, two balls in Vitamine (24109) (main orange colour (M)), two balls in Meije (51253) (contrast cream colour), small quantity in Truffle (22002) (black colour) Scrap yarn markers in four colours – A,B,D,E Pair of 2.5mm (US 1½) knitting needles Pair of 3.5mm (US 4) knitting needles Tapestry needle TENSION 24 sts and 31 rows to 10cm (4") measured over stocking stitch on 3.5mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS (UK)  k knit p purl kfb knit into the front and the back of the stitch skp slip a stitch, knit a stitch, pass stitch over k2tog knit two stitches together M main colour C contrast colour p(number)M purl number of sts in M k(number)M knit number of sts…

YOUR FREE GIFT BOW HAIR GRIP For additional kit instructions and templates, please go to www.molliemakes.com 01 Cut a 1.5cm ( 3/8") strip from your piece of gold faux leather. 02 Concertina fold your leather. Our folds were 2cm (¾") wide. 03 Add a few stitches to secure the centre of your ‘bow’, or use glue if you don’t have a needle and thread handy. 04 Cut your strip of leather down to approximately 7cm (2¾") long– you might want it to be longer depending on the size of your bow. Wrap it around the centre of your bow and stitch it or glue into place. 05 We added a hairpin to turn it into a hair accessory, but you could use the brooch or chain provided in the pack.…

I grew up in a creative, colourful household in London and was exposed to design from an early age, but it wasn’t until moving to Bristol five years ago that I was inspired to follow my heart and open my own shop, Objets de Désir. I started with a pop-up, then finally opened my bricks’n’mortar store in April 2014. There’s a definite lull in January thanks to the weather and festive over-indulgence, however people do come out to spend their Christmas money – it’s lovely to see them treating themselves to something they really want. I like to curate different seasons for my shop, bringing in new artists and designers, so in January I’ll be planning the year ahead and researching fresh new design talent. It’s also a great time…

Always believe in your soul… “I’m a huge fan of using faux leather in my designs – especially gold leather! I just love how versatile it is. For this month’s cover gift I’ve created four tutorials using this wonderful material: a succulent that can be used as a necklace or brooch, a planter, a golden hair bow and a fabulous tassel. There’s a project here for every skill level – the bow and tassel can be whipped up in a few minutes, or if you fancy something with a little more stitching then try the hanging planter – I’m popping a real life succulent in mine, to match my necklace.” When Charlotte isn’t dreaming up new colourful jewel-based projects for her blog, she’s busy making driftwood shelves for her recently…

MATERIALS 0.25m (¼yrd) ivory satin 0.25m (¼yrd) iridescent chiffon 0.25m (¼yrd) grey cotton fabric for lining 0.25m (¼yrd) medium weight interfacing 0.25m (¼yrd) fusible fleece 50cm (20") zipper Matching thread Contrasting thread Liquid stitch or fabri-tac glue for sealing edges Sewing machine Sewing shears 01 Using the template on page 100, cut one each of the satin fabric, cotton fabric, chiffon fabric, iridescent fabric, interfacing and fusible fleece. 02 Fuse the fleece to the wrong side (WS) of the satin. Layer the iridescent fabric on top. Using the template photo as a guide, machine or hand stitch the shape of a shell as shown. Fuse the interfacing to the WS of the cotton fabric. 03 Using the liquid stitch or fabri-tac, lightly seal the edges of the fabric pieces together.…

Burn bright Add radiance to your simple pillar candles with gemstone embellishments. Experiment with wire, ribbon and genuine gemstones to create a unique gift or home decor. Products from £6.95 The perfect stack Create the perfect on trend look with these wire stacking rings. Simple and easy to make, each ring can be personalised to suit your own individual style. Prices start from £4.95 Dainty details Experiment with wire and gemstones to embellish dainty tea lights. They’ll be the perfect addition to your festive décor this Christmas. Products from £3.95 Starry night Make your tree sparkle with wire and gemstone decorations. We love these delicate stars. Choose from an array of genuine gemstones, each available in limited runs. Gemstones from £2.95 There’s plenty to discover this month at JewelleryMaker, including…

HOW TO MAKE… A BLANKET CAPE MATERIALS IKEA Polarvide blanket, 130 x 170cm (51 x 67") Tapestry wools and/ or DK/worsted weight yarns (We used Cascade 220 Superwash: Colour 910A, Winter White – 50m, Cascade 220 Superwash: Colour 870, Straw – 50m, DMC tapestry wool, 10m skeins of assorted greens (one of each): 7542, 7386, 7323, 7541, 7406, 7598, 7704) Chenille needle, size 16 Embroidery hoop, 10cm (4") Dressmaking scissors Embroidery scissors Tailors chalk Ruler Grab that throw from the sofa and turn it into your new favourite wear-anywhere accessory – with the help of a little cutting and some freehand embroidery. Blanket-style capes are ideal for throwing over a cosy winter coat on frosty days, and they’ll see you through to early spring when worn alone or teamed with…

Just because it’s dark outside, it doesn’t mean your home has to go down the same route. We’re upping our sparkle and neon game with this oh-so-easy idea from Papermash. Fill mini milk bottles (available from the website) halfway with gold glitter then add neon candles. Matching twine around the top makes for a finishing touch, and there you go – sparkle and colour for winter nights. Just add Netflix, hot chocolate and a crochet blanket. www.papermash.co.uk…

HOW TO MAKE… A DECOUPAGE TRAY MATERIALS Tray Floral gift wrap Sharp scissors X-acto knife (optional) Decoupage medium in matte finish (we used Mod Podge) Flat paintbrush Gold leaf sheets Gilding adhesive Cotton gloves Stiff brush (such as a stencil brush) We all know us crafters have a habit of squirrelling away used wrapping paper for our to-be- confirmed future projects – so here’s a good way to actually put those scraps to use. These florals (ours came from Rifle Paper Co mint floral gift wrap) look oh-so-elegant when anchored on a black background and framed with a gilded rim. Just the thing for serving up a trayful of cocktails this New Year’s Eve. 01 Paint your tray, if you wish – we spray-painted ours black. Cut the floral elements…

Making is about pleasure, but sooner or later most crafters wonder: ‘Could I make money from this?’ In the current economic downturn, few can expect to earn a huge income, but some makers are flourishing financially. So how do they do it? One way is to partner with brands or organisations. This could involve anything from being an artist-in-residence to teaching sewing in schools to something more corporate (where the big money is).You can approach brands directly with an offer of collaboration – Sonia Bownes, founder of London Craft Club (www.londoncraftclub.co.uk), which runs craft workshops, has worked with brands such as Hobbycraft and Dylon. This, she says, has been ‘super helpful’ for contacts and visibility. Just make sure you’re paid for such partnerships according to your day rate, and refunded…

HOW TO MAKE… A STITCHED PEN POT MATERIALS • Piece of 7 count plastic canvas, 65 x 21 squares (approx. 24.5cm x 8cm (9¾ x 3 1/8")) • Tapestry or double knitting wool, 6m (6yrd) in beige, mustard yellow, pale turquoise and dark grey, 8m (8yrd) in light grey • Tapestry needle, size 20 • Clean, empty food tin January: the month of good intentions and tidying up. This textured pen pot is a good place to start – it makes a nifty last-minute stocking filler, too. Pop it on your desk alongside our marbled calendar (page 55) and revel in your new year organisation. 01 Make sure your tin is clean. Lightly sand the edge where the lid was removed to make it safe. Now, cut your plastic canvas…

SATIN STITCH When you want to fill an area with a smooth finish, this stitch is the ideal choice. It’s best worked in small areas, because if the stitches are too long, they may snag. Come up at point 1, then go down at point 2. Come up at point 3, then go down at point 4. Repeat. Always work the stitches across the area you’re filling, coming up on the opposite side where your needle went down. STRAIGHT STITCH Come up about an inch outside of the flower centre, then come back down in the centre, creating one straight stitch. Keep repeating this action, until you have filled the space all around with straight stitches, to create your finished flower motif. FRENCH KNOT This is a stitch that everyone…