Sallygardens Smallholding

Now Its My Turn To Receive A Free Gift

I've been asked to review a Toyota SPA 15 ergonomic design sewing machine and afterwards I get to keep it.  This is going to fit in nicely with International Downshifting Week. How? Well instead of watching TV in the evenings I want to try and use up all those pieces of material I seem to have collected over the last few years. I'm going to start by making clothes for my children (mainly because they are the only recipients who would be delighted with my efforts!).

As well as various materials bought from bargain bins in fabric shops I've also got a variety of old clothes to cut up and remake into new garments. Another great source I've discovered are the sample books from interior design shops. Just call in and ask if you can have their out of season samples. They are only too happy to pass on their waste rather than pay to put it in the rubbish bin. Some of the pieces are really generously large and the smaller samples are perfect for various crafts, particularly quiltmaking or collage.

Basket Making

You might remember we planted about a fifth of an acre of biofuel willow almost a year ago. The whips have grown about a foot in their first year and I'm hoping that this spring they start to shoot up at a good rate.  Some will be used in our multi-fuel stove which heats our water and radiators in winter. I'm also hoping to do some basket making and use a lot for living fences, willow wattle fencing and living sculpture. Having never made a basket in my life I decided it was about time I did a basket making course! I chose a two day course at the Organic Centre in Rossinver, Co Leitrim. I was very pleased at my first attempt although apart from learning a basic technique I also learned that ...  this craft is very tough on the hands, you need to be fairly strong and it takes quite a long time to make something.

So although I need a lot of practice I at least have the basics for making a simple basket like this one. The process is very satisfying . My piece is far from perfect but I like artifacts to take their own shape. An organic shape is far more appealing to my eye than a perfectly proportioned or angled product that resembles something mass produced from a factory (well thats my excuse anyway!).

The basket is very sturdy and I'm fairly optimistic it will last for years. I'm using it nearly daily to collect salad leaves from the polytunnel. Its also great for collecting spuds from the potato store as the gaps in the weave allow the loose soil to fall through so the basket stays clean.

New Irish Arts Blog

A very exciting new Irish Arts Blog has just been launched, the brainchild of Paul O'Mahony. I'm particularly excited about this new blog as I've been invited to join. The blog is a group effort with eleven Irish artisans contributing posts. Most of these are based in Ireland, or are Irish and working abroad. The scope of work is amazing, there's something for everyone. Fibre crafts are represented with some stunning work hailing from as far afield as Mexico, there's glass, mixed media, painting, photography ... well why not pop on over and have a look, be inspired.

By Cliodhna

Fabric Painting Gifts

Fabric painting is something I thoroughly enjoy and it opens up a whole world of possibilities when making gifts for children. Have you noticed how they love to own something with their name on it? Whether its a mug, a T-shirt,  a doorplate, whatever it is seems to result in a swell of pride. I've made a few personalised pillow cases for children I know. I always try to incorporate something into the design that the child is particularly fond of. This pillow case is for a little girl who spends the summer skipping around the garden watching butterflies as they flit from flower to flower.

And this is a pillow case I made for another little girl who has a penchant for mice.

I must confess I share this fascination and when I was eight years old I had a pet mouse that lived in my cardigan pocket.  By the time my parents realised a wild mouse was visiting her cage each night  (he was small enough to squeeze between the bars at leisure) we had a flock of sixteen baby mice to contend with!

The Christmas Card Dilemma Solved

I have a pile of Christmas cards that I simply can't bring myself to throw away. Being honest, I still have last years Christmas cards too, and all this years family birthday cards as well. Throwing them in the bin seems so wasteful.  So last week I gathered the family around and we read through all the cards again. Then I armed the children with glue and scissors and we began to cut out the images to make a big A2 collage. It all went quite well ie only a couple of items got glued to the floor and there was one minor flesh wound.  The resulting collage is hanging on their bedroom wall and it looks really fantastic. Its a great way to remember all the lovely cards we received and it invokes memories of all our friends who sent them. It justifies a little more all that paper we use sending cards only to be thrown away a couple of weeks later and its a great kids craft activity for a rainy day.

The blank backs of the cards have all been saved and threaded together to make a shopping list notebook. When the notebook has been used up it will then be re-reused as a fire lighter ... and then the ashes will go on the compost heap ... and then, well you get the idea.

There, now if I thought the receivers of my Christmas cards did the same, I might just actually send some next year! As it is my eco-conscience prevents me from sending any for a couple of years in a row, then my social conscience normally gets the better of me and I send out a batch in roughly three yearly cycles. I don't yet have the excuse my late Grandmother had ... she would say quite often in her final two decades 'Oh I didn't bother sending any cards this year, my friends will just think that I'm dead, and then when they do get one next year it will be such a lovely surprise'!

Feltmaking Workshops

Here are the dates I've set for felting workshops over the next six months.

Felting is an ancient art which involves the combination of animal fleece, soapy water and hand pressure to form a textile. Its great fun and very therapeutic. Felt can be used to make clothing, accessories, jewellery, blankets and sculpted pieces. On workshops I provide a wide range of coloured sheep fleece to work with and a selection of threads and yarns. These small courses are set around the farmhouse table with a maximum of four participants. We make two A4 sized flat pieces of feltwork suitable for framing or use as a wall hanging. Weather permitting will also visit my goats, and assuming a little cooperation on their part, take a snip of their fleece to use!

Felt Workshops for 2008

Sunday 3rd February, 10am - 12.30pm FULLY BOOKED
Saturday 1st March, 10am - 12.30 pm places available
Tuesday 8th April 10am - 12.30pm places available
Wednesday 7th May 10am - 12.30pm places available
Saturday 7th June 10am - 12.30pm places available

To read about the fun we had on 21st April 2007 workshop visit this blog article

I hope to re-run this course at least monthly throughout the year. If you are interested but can't attend the dates above, please email to register your interest and I will arrange more dates to meet demand.

To book email danbecky@iolfree.ie or phone 071 9632212
Cost €46, includes tea/coffee & biscuits and materials
Times : 10am till 12.30pm
Max. number of participants - four

Magazine Article - Felting Tutorial by ... me!

As you know I enjoy crafting in my spare time. One of my main textile passions is the art of felting. I can let you in on a little secret that I'm quite excited about. I was approached by Yarn Forward to write a tutorial a little while ago. Its a fresh and fairly new magazine based in the UK thats packed full of all things woollen and doing very well. As I'd initially thought, its not just a knitting magazine, but so much more. There are craft items suitable for a range of abilities throughout the magazine. I'm not a knitter yet when I opened up a copy that was sent to me I managed to lose myself in the pages for a good hour or two, several times, so I was delighted to take up the offer of writing my first ever freelance article for Yarn Forward.

My item is based on the art of felting, but thats all I can say at this stage until the magazine hits the shelves in a week or two. I can't wait to get my copy in the post and see what my first paid freelance writing gig looks like in the flesh.

Cooking Aprons

When our children grow out of clothes we swap them with friends (the clothes not the children) or give them to a charity shop. Sometimes (well, more often than not) the clothes are badly ripped or have permanent stains and so aren't suitable for the traditional routes of reuse.  So rather than throw them in the bin there is another way to reuse them  .... this year I kept some of those clothes not up to scratch and took out my scissors to rescue the usable fabric. I love seeing the items of clothing that hold so many family memories of picnics, tree climbing, swimming in lakes, blackberry hunting etc being reborn.

With this fabric I made a range of cooking aprons for my children and those of friends. They make really lovely Christmas or Birthday presents. The bow on this apron is taken from a box of chocolates. As a final touch, include a hand written recipe for some delicious buns or biscuits. No cash is paid out but for me the giving or receiving of a handmade gift is very fulfilling. There's something about the commercialisation of Christmas that doesn't sit well with me, so I try to claim back some of the meaning behind the giving of a gift by taking time to make a few of them myself.  I hope I'm not deluding myself, perhaps people groan at the thought of opening gifts from me!!!

For those of you who share with me an odd and unexplained attraction towards the making of aprons, try visiting Tie One On, you won't be disappointed!

Felt Christmas Decorations

Some of you may be aware that I had a crafting blog called An Irish Craftworkers Good Life, its where I began my blogging life. I felt that smallholding and living sustainably were my true passions which is why I started Sallygardens here leaving Irish Craftworker fallow over the busy spring and summer months. Now that autumn and winter are here, some evenings are spent crafting by the fire again. Other evenings are spent annoying the household with my fiddle practice, writing a blog post, or enjoying family company. I have decided that I won't be resurrecting Irish Craftworker, instead I have added a new 'craft' category here in Sallygardens. If by chance you are interested in purchasing an item of craft please get in touch. I'll be adding a paypal shop window to the sidebar here over the coming weeks where individual items of craft may be available to buy now and then. The paypal shopping cart is actually being integrated as part of an exciting new Sallygardens initiative, but more on that at a later date.

Textiles are my main creative passion and felting is a huge part of my life for the last ten years. At this time of year I like to do my best to make handcrafted gifts for friends and family (you can hear them all groan!). After all, our lifestyle is time rich and hence cash poor - not that our 'rich' time is spent lounging about. Every day is a full and physical days work for both of us.

Back to the felting. I have made my own felt from merino sheeps fleece, then cut out heart shapes to make a stuffed decoration. I have decorated these with buttons which are of huge sentimental value, and then added a little hand embroidery. Fill the heart with toy grade stuffing available from fabric shops.

Hang them from the Christmas tree or keep them out all year on cupboard door knobs. Another option is to fill it with dried lavender or rose and pop it into your clothes drawers. And the buttons? They belonged to my late mother. She was a great woman for sewing and craft. As a child I loved sorting through her jar of buttons, making them into little piles of various colours, shapes and metals.

I've also added a crafting section to the Sallygardens Bookshop, why not have a browse, and suggest any of your favourite craft books you think could be added.

Flurry the Friendly Monster

At last back to a little bit of crafting! You may remember quite a while back I had a particularly good 'fabric find' experience in our local charity shop in Carrick on Shannon. Recently there was a very special new arrival for one of my best friends. Baby Lilian came 6 weeks earlier than expected so she didn't mind waiting a little while as I used that lovely schematic floral design to make a cuddly toy friendly monster for her.  So meet Flurry, I hope she isn't too frightening!

With a sweet little face like this, hopefully she doesn't seem too vicious!