Balloon Dress

There's a whole lot of dress twirling going on chez Jorth this week!

Love, love, love this dress I've just made up for the Tyger. If you look really closely at the print, you can see some rather resigned looking rabbits and girls floating away with their balloons - hee hee!

It was a fairly quick and easy dress to make up. What I like best about it is the binding finishing done on the inside of the armholes and neckline. It sits so nicely, and is worth the extra time it takes.

The only alteration I made to this pattern was using a 30cm zip instead of the 12cm zip specified in the instructions. I'd love to tell you all that there is a jolly good reason for increasing the zip length, but to be honest, I don't quite know why I did it - I think I got my inches and cms mixed up in the shop, and grabbed the wrong zip. Can you still blame things like that on baby brain, 7 years after the blessed event?

Project Details
Pattern: #19 - Underdress from Ottobre Design Magazine 1/2005
Fabric: 1.5m of balloon print fabric from the Children At Play range by Sarah Jane for Michael Miller Fabrics, purchased from GJ's Discount Fabrics.
Notions: 30cm invisible zip

I really, really want to redraft this slightly and make a top version for myself. To be worn with skinny cigarette pants, bien sur! How nifty would that be?!?

Balcony garden

We planted our little balcony kitchen garden a few weeks ago. I can't get over how much everything has already grown! It's a veritable growing frenzy happening out there.

We've got loads and loads of cherry tomatoes, plus basil, mint, parsley, sage, dill, thyme and oregano. In the past I've been known to get over-excited in the plant nursery, and declare that we can totally grow beans and peas and melons and pumpkins in our pots. And then after a few weeks they all shrivel and die when the sun burns them to death. This year I was determined not to be known as Jorth The Plant Killer, so we've stuck only to the plants we know can hack it on our scorching balcony. I'm sorry, pumpkins. It just wasn't meant to be *sniff*

Now I think about it, I've never had much luck in the pumpkin growing department. I remember when I was just a wee thing planting a pumpkin seed in our yard, and watching amazed as it grew and grew. That is until my Dad discovered it one day. He took one look at it, declared that "those darn things grow like weeds!" and promptly ran over it with the lawn mover. The irony was that we didn't have anything else growing in the yard besides grass, so it's not like the pumpkin was taking over some precious territory, for land's sake! Poor old pumpkin *double sniff*

Whoooooosh! Let's step away from my tragic pumpkin past and move into the present, namely the balcony garden. So far this year, so good. There have been a few caterpillars having the odd exploratory munch, but those I can handle. What I can't handle is the Tyger's habit of smooshing her head into the tomato plants when she is meant to be watering them because quote unquote "I like how it makes my face smell!"

Hehe, I love that crazy kid!

Strawberry bonanza

When I spied this box of strawberries at the local greengrocers then I knew it was my duty to make sure they found a good home!

Although I must say that getting them home was the hard part. It was so hard to fend off the wandering hands that keep sneaking into the box, blatantly ignoring my prudish cry of "But they haven't been washed yet!"

Still, I'm please to report that quite a few are now snuggled into the freezer, awaiting their fate as strawberry smoothies. Or maybe yoghurt icypoles. Or perhaps rhubarb and strawberry compote. Any other ideas appreciated!

Pattern Review: Vogue 8723

Let's see... spots? Check!
Pockets? Check! (I do love a good pocket, particularly in a dress)
Fabulously swirly skirt? Check!
Happy Jorth? Check, check, check!

My only quibble with this dress was the frustration I experienced whilst doing the skirt gathering. Now, this in no way reflects upon the pattern itself - the pattern is great, well drafted and you are guaranteed a good fit across the bust as you can select your bust size when cutting out the pattern. No, the problem arose because I elected to make up this garment in a silk/cotton blend fabric. Whilst the fabric is pretty awesome, it was also rather tough, and when it came to pulling up my gathering threads that fabric just did not want to gather.

So I did what any impatient seamstress would do: I pulled harder. Predictably, all this did was cause my gathering stitches to snap. I gritted my teeth, unpicked them, resewed them and tried to pull the gathering stitches tighter again.

Snap! This thick, tough fabric DID NOT want to play ball, especially across the skirt sections where the pocket tops were basted. In despair I turned to my friend Google, and desperately typed in 'easy gathering techniques'. Lo and behold, I stumbled across this website, which provided instructions on how to gather tougher fabric using string. Basically, you cut a piece of string a bit longer than the piece that needs to be gathered, and then using your widest and longest zig zag stitch, you sew over the string in your specified gathering seam allowance, being careful not to sew on the string itself. Then you use the string to pull up your gathers. It was so easy! And much easier to make all your gathering even, if you ask me. I usually end up with dodgy bits where there's no gathering, then a whole heap of gathers bunch up together. This worked out much better - I'll definitely be using this technique again. Hooray for the internet!

The pattern actually calls for lightweight fabrics, such as cotton shirting, linen or gingham to be used, so I don't think the gathering would cause any issues if you used those, but if you were thinking of making up this dress in a silk or heavy weight fabric, that string trick might be worth keeping in mind. Despite the effort required, I'm glad I made it in this fabric - it sits out so nicely, almost as if I had a petticoat hidden away inside.
Now, I don't know about you, but I can't go past a twirly skirt. Even if it is potentially detrimental to my health. You don't want to know how many times I slammed into that brick wall when we were taking photos. But oh, such good fun!

Project Details
Pattern: Vogue 8723, dress B
Fabric: 1.6m spotted green and navy silk/cotton blend from The Fabric Store plus 1.6m cotton voile in navy blue for lining
Notions: 50cm invisible zip, hook and eye

What's for dinner: Red Lentil and Potato Dahl

I've been thinking for a while now that I might turn Fridays into a blog recipe day. Whaddya all think? I love food - I love eating it, talking about it, reading about it... in fact the first section of the newsagency that I gravitate to is always the food mag part. It's only when I've had a really good peruse there that I wander over to the craft section to see if the new BurdaStyle is in! So I thought that I might share what I've been cooking of late with you. Let me know if you find anything tasty!

As a family we rarely eat meat, so they will always be vegetarian recipes. I hope you don't mind. Let's kickstart it off with today's offering: Red Lentil and Potato Dahl.



This is a great recipe for when the bank balance is looking rather feeble, as it's super budget friendly. It's also good for feeding a crowd, as you'll get at least 6 serves out of it. So if friends drop around unexpectedly with hungry tummies and imploring looks, don't fret - just welcome them warmly and say "Darl! We're having dahl - do come in!"

Ingredients
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
2 heaped tablespoons of your favourite curry paste or powder (or more if you really like a spicy kick)
3 potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm pieces
2 cups red lentils, washed and picked over
800g tin crushed tomatoes
3 cups water or vegetable stock
3 big handfuls of spinach leaves, washed well

1 - Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Cook onion until softened. Add the curry paste/powder, and cook for another two minutes, stirring.
2 - Add the potatoes, stirring so they are covered with the paste mix.
3 - Add the lentils, tomatoes and water/stock. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally so the lentils don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
4 - Reduce to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. If it seems too thick, add some more water - lentils can sometimes need more if they are a bit older.
5 - Take off cover, and simmer for another 5 or so minute, or until the lentils and potatoes are cooked until tender. Stir in the spinach until it is wilted, then serve.

This is great served with naan bread or chapattis, and having a mango lassi on hand really makes it go down a treat. Don't be too fussed about which curry powder or paste you use - if you have a favourite then by all means stick with it.  I personally have found that this dish tastes equally good using any curry paste I've had kicking around. I've made with with fresh red and green pastes, and also with good ol' Keen's Curry Powder, and it's always tasted pretty darn good.

Hope you enjoy it, and that you have a superb weekend.

Gathered with string

The spotted dress sat upon the dressmakers dummy, feeling a lot better than she did the other day. Her raw edges were all overlocked, for a start. But there was still something bothering her. She quietly said "PSSST! Mannequin? Are you awake?"

The dressmakers dummy came to with a start. "Yes, m'dear?" she queried sleepily.

"There's something amiss with my gathers, I think", said the dress anxiously. "I know I'm only a new dress, and that I don't have much experience with all this sewing malarkey, but I think - actually, I'm pretty sure - that she's done my gathers using string!"

"String?", repeated the dummy in surprise.

"String!" said the dress. "She's pulled it all out now, but I must say, it does leave one with a rather odd sensation. Is that how gathers are normally done?"

"It's not how they are done, my dear girl", said the dummy wisely. "It's how neat they look, and I must say, yours look splendid!"

"Oh!", said the dress. "Oh. Well, that's all right then, I suppose."

"Yes it is" said the dummy magnanimously. "Yes it is."

Busted

Hey look! It's a cute dog! Isn't he the sweetest looking thing you've ever seen? I just want to pat that beautiful boy.



And what do we have here? Why, it's a cat! Every blog needs more cat, so they say. Very impressive whiskers. And I don't even like cats, but this one is soooooo handsome I thought, hey, let's whack him up on the blog.



Oh well, nothing else to see here, folks. You'd best be off to find some other crafty websites to look at. Really, nothing else going on around here. I wouldn't even bother scrolling further down this page - I'd hate for you to discover that there is absolutely, positively nothing else on this here blog to look at. Nope, nothing at all. I'll see you all tomorrow, hey?


No, truly - on your way. Seriously, there is zilch going on. I don't want you to get bored now. And loitering is a crime. Catch ya later!


Stop! Wait! Don't scroll! What do you think you are doing? Desist, I beg of you!



Eeeek! I told you not to scroll down! Quick, move away from this page before my stash probation officers discover I broke my fabric pledge and bought more. I couldn't help myself - it's bright pink! Please don't tell. I may even - gulp - put more cat pictures up if you just keep quiet. And I freakin' hate cats. But I'll do it if you keep this fabric buying business to yourself. Promise!

Melbourne Cup Day

Today is Melbourne Cup Day. Which means that it's a public holiday - hooray for the gee gees! Therefore there are two things you might find yourself doing today. One: You might be at the races, dressed in your finest, hoping your fascinator doesn't flutter off in the wind and casting an anxious eye at the grey clouds, praying that the downpour forecast doesn't occur, because flimsy chiffon gowns and raindrops don't mix.

Or, two, you could hang out at home, eating homemade biscuits on the bed (ooooh, rebels!) and knitting away with your favourite gal.

It's a no-brainer which one I elected to do. Maybe if we really get cracking we could knit up some racewear for next years carnival. Tally ho!

The Ran-Out-Of-Thread lament

"Well!" said the dress makers dummy with feeling. "I must say, it's very poor form for the overlocking thread to have just run out like that! And no more to be found in the thread drawer, either."

"Tell me about it!" groaned the half finished dress. "I was hoping that she might wear me over the weekend if the weather held out, but it looks like I'm plum outta luck until she gets more thread. Such dastard misfortune!"

"Cheer up chappies!" chirped a certain pink and black striped sweater from the wardrobe. "It's an ill wind that doesn't blow somebody some good, and methinks that the good will come to yours truly. I'll bet my stripes over your spots that she wears me on the weekend. Rain is forecast, yeah?"

The spotted dress began to wail into her unoverlocked raw edges as the dummy made comforting sounds before glaring at the sweater and muttering darkly about how winter clothes should learn to keep their opinions to themselves. "Particularly," she said out loud to the room in general, "if sweaters who are getting too cocky for their own good should find themselves placed on me. One snag on my rusty edges, and they'll be unravelling quicker than you can say dropped stitches!"

Not another peep was to be heard from the wardrobe after that declaration. The dress makers dummy smiled to herself. At times, being old certainly had its advantages.

Spots

Jorth was beginning to wonder if she should feel alarmed. The odd spot, she knew, was nothing to be worried about, but these were everywhere! Green fuzzy spots, blue spots, flaming red spots, wee little black spots... Thankfully thus far the spot epidemic was confined to her fabric stash, but Jorth knew it was only a matter of time before she too would be covered, absolutely enveloped in spots.

(The above is a rather convoluted way of saying that I'm making Vogue 8723 in a smashing blue and green spotted silk cotton. It's going to be one heck of a dotty summer!)

Pink and Black Striped Sweater

Jorth looked at the weather report. The forecast? Cloudy, scattered showers increasing during the day, top of 19. "YES!" she exclaimed, fist pumping the air. "It's a perfect, perfect day for my new sweater!"



I really, really enjoyed knitting this. I always like knitting stripes - something about seeing another one done spurs me on to knit more, which results in a pretty quick knit. It would have been done a heck of a lot quicker but I had to wait three months for a single ball of black yarn to come back in stock. Silly, silly me for not calculating how many balls I would need. I think from now on I'll get that extra ball, just in case!

The only alteration I made to this knit was to knit two rows of pink to each four rows of black above the big fat middle pink stripe. The pattern called for only one row of pink to be knit, but that left me with two choices: loads of pink ends to weave in, if I cut the yarn, or to use an intarsia technique to catch my pink yarn behind the work. Since my intarsia sucks (it's soooooo messy, I just can't get the hang of it) and I dreaded the thought of weaving in those millions of ends, I decided to make life easy for myself and knit two rows of pink. No ends to weave, no intarsia to worry about - why make things hard?

I am very happy with how this turned out. My love affair with crazy bright pink shows no signs of abating! I love the Sonia Rykiel feel to it. Now she's a woman who appreciates a good stripe!

I am tempted - very, very tempted - to make another one of these for next winter, but dress length! This time, though, I make sure I buy plenty of balls of yarn so I don't have to wait until winter is over before I don it. Gah!

Project Details
Pattern: Sweater #26 from Phildar Automne/Hiver magazine no. 374 (released in 2002)
Yarn: 6 x Morris Empire Superwash Merino 8 ply in Noir and 4 x Morris Empire Superwash Merino in Cha Cha Pink
Needles: 3.75mm

Striped Seaming

The two knitting archaeologists jostled for space at the dusty window. Alf, being older and stouter, won as per usual so Bob had to content himself with peppering Alf with questions as he peered into the room.

"C'mon Alf - what's she doing? Can it be true? Is she really seaming?"

Alf let out a little whistle of surprise. "Can she be seaming? My boy, not only is she seaming, but she's seaming that pink and black striped sweater she started earlier in the year. We are witnessing the completion of a Finished Object!"

Bob jiggled about excitedly behind Alf's copious back. "So the rumours are true - the black yarn she was waiting on finally did come into the store, and now she's able to finish the sweater. Geez - this is momentous!"

Alf turned to him with a broad grin. "Momentous it is, my boy. Yes, admittedly, Jorth has been true to form in waiting until summer had practically started before finishing up her winter garment, but at least she's getting it completed in the year she began it. This, dear lad, is a cause for celebration!"

Bob grinned like a schoolboy and asked "Would it be undignified to dance?"

Alf chortled. "Yes, it would be, but hang it - let's do it anyway!"

It's a pity Jorth was so intent upon her seaming, because if she had of looked outside her window at that moment she would have seen two very happy knitting archaeologists - on yet another mission to find and rescue the poor neglected knits of the world - merrily doing a jig, celebrating the fact that this knit, as least, was not doomed to spend its days unfinished and stuck in a bag, forgotten in the back of a closet.

Pink skirt with ric rac detailing

I'd never actually made a skirt for the Tyger before. Pinafores, yes, but never a skirt. It seems silly to put a baby in a skirt when they are learning to crawl, as they just end up sort of crawling on the skirt instead of the ground, and before you know the skirt is off and your cute baby is hustling across the room, nappy-clad bottom exposed for all the world to see!

Then when Tyger went to kinder I still demurred on the skirt front. I didn't want her showing her smalls to all and sundry in the playground, so we generally stuck with pants and a t-shirt combos, and kept the dresses I made for her for the weekends. Then school came along, and since it ain't broke, why fix it? The combination stayed in place.

But that's not to say that Tyger didn't want a skirt. Boy oh boy, did the girl desire one. At least once a week I would be subjected to her impassioned plea - usually with hands clasped and eyes large and earnest gazing up at me imploringly : Can you pleeeeease make me a skirt? I tried to give her my reasons for not making on just quite yet: pants are warmer, you don't have to worry about undie flashing in jeans etc but she was having none of it. She wanted a skirt, and she wanted one bad!

So finally this year, as I sat writing up my sewing list for her, I decided that she was old enough for skirtdom. I think Tyger thought all her Christmases had come at once! I gave it to her after we had gotten home from school, and she immediately put it on with squeals of delight. Then she started twirling. And twirling. And then twirling some more, and it wasn't until she was in danger of concussing herself from repeated wonky twirls into the bookcase that she finally calmed down.

Then came the next question: Can you make me another one? Sheesh, kid!





Project Details
Pattern: "Velma" vintage skirt #30 from Ottobre Design Magazine 3/2009 (paired with another "Rosalind" t-shirt from the same issue)
Fabric: 1m of printed cotton from GJs Discount Fabrics
Notions: 1.8m of yellow ric rac, two buttons saved from an old cardigan that had seen better days, and 3.5cm wide elastic for the waistband.

This has ended up being such a cute skirt! I loved putting the ric rac on - both because it looks pretty darn sweet, but also because I enjoy learning new sewing tricks. The only alteration I made was to redraft the waistband, as I wanted to do an elasticised waist rather then a fitted one, as I think that would be much more comfortable for such an active child.

Even though I still have plenty of items left on her summer sewing list, I think I might be naughty and make something for myself next. Don't tell the Tyger!

Neckline binding tutorial

So here it is: the one, the only neckline binding tutorial for knits! I must say, I actually much prefer this style of finishing a neckline. It's much easier than doing a bias strip when it comes to knits, in my opinion, and I like the look of this so much more.

I hope you find the tutorial useful. Away we go!

1 - Stitch your shoulder seams together, and press the seams open.

2 - Take your binding strip as per the pattern you are working with, and fold it in half with wrong sides together. Press, then open it up and sew the ends together with right sides together. Press the seam open, then refold and press again if required. You now have a loop of binding.



3 - With raw edges together, pin the binding to the neckline with right sides facing. The seam in the middle of your loop of binding should be positioned at the centre back point of the neckline. Make sure that you stretch the binding around the neckline evenly. Sew with a 1cm seam allowance. Overlock the raw edge.



4 - Phew - the trickiest bit is over! Now press the neck line binding seam allowance flat, towards the t-shirt.

5 - Topstitch along the inside edge of the t-shirt neckline, stitching through the binding seam allowance on the wrong side.



And that's it - you should now have a lovely neck binding. Let me know if you have any questions - I'll answer in the comment box below. But before I go, I must say a lot of credit for this goes to Nic, who taught me how to do it in the first place. Thanks, Nic!

And don't forget - cute buttons are always an option!

Ric rac and other things

Today I have:
 - Popped my ric rac cherry. I can't believe it took me this long to lose my ric rac virginity. Ric rac is fun! More ric rac I say!

 - Cut out another t-shirt for the Tyger. Oh, that reminds me - leave a comment if you want me to do a neckband tutorial.

 - Discovered that the guy I buy my bread from has Alphonsus as his middle name. The weird thing was I actually guessed Alfonso. He, for some reason, thought I was called Melina. Er, not even close buddy! And don't ask why he and I were trying to guess each other's middle names when we should have been focussing on the bread transactions. What can I say - that's just how I roll! (Geddit? Bread roll? Ok, I'll give up before you all start throwing rotten internet tomatoes at me)

 - Finished a skirt for the Tyger (see pic above). Well, when I say finished I actually mean I have done everything except put in the elastic for the waistband, which I can't do until I measure her when she gets home from school.

What I haven't done today:
 - Practiced the piano. My teacher has been away for a month, and I've done scarcely any practice in that time. I am so bad. So, so bad. I can feel the piano gods frowning upon me as I type.

Cool cauliflowers

I went to the local organic store today, and these were the only cauliflowers they had left. Aren't they freakishly cool looking? They're like alien cauliflowers. I'm actually quite excited to be eating these! Heirloom vegetables always make me wish for a massive veggie patch, complete with raspberry, asparagus and rhubarb beds, rather than a teeny balcony with a few herbs and tomatoes. Oh well. One day, maybe!

According to my monthly menu plan we are having a cauliflower, spinach and chickpea stir fry tonight, which will be wrapped up in mountain bread and then topped with a yoghurty tahini sauce. Not only will it be bright green and purple, but also hopefully delicious. What's everybody else having?

Crochet

There are some days that will stay in my memory forever. The day I met the Galumph, for example. Or the day I gave birth to Grumbles - heck of a day, that one, but I'll treasure every memory forever. The day we moved into our very own home, and sat proudly on the steps thinking "Yes! It's ours!" Yes, those mighty fine days that bath us in sunshine every time we think of them.

There's one more day I can add to this happy list. Sunday, 16th October 2011 shall be forever be enshrined as the day I taught myself to crochet. Oh, happy day indeed!

Now, before you go and organise the marching band and ticker tap parade, I will admit that I only really know how to do chain stitch and double crochet. But still, it's a start, and more than I knew on Saturday! I'm using the excellent Kids Learn To Crochet by Lucinda Guy and Francois Hall. Hey, if it's good enough for the kids, it's good enough for me! Nah, really, it's a simple but thorough book, and the illustrations are tremendously helpful.

I must say, I'm quite excited to be walking around calling myself a crocheter. It always felt like some exclusive club I just couldn't quite get into, and I'd find myself pressing my greasy nose up against the window and looking on with admiration and longing at everybody else merrily crocheting away inside. But now I'm in the room, hook at the ready with the best of them. Hooray!
In other news, the winner of the Clutch Purse is Rie. Send me your deets, Rie, and I'll send you the clutch!

Green hope

Jorth sank down into her chair and read the news headlines with a feeling of total and utter relief. Finally, FINALLY, Australia had decided to pass a parliamentary bill to fix a price on carbon emissions. Yes, she admitted to herself, it wasn't the best plan in the world - in her opinion, there was still far too much kowtowing to big businesses and lobby groups, but it was something. It felt like an actual, concrete start in the fight against climate change. She sent up a silent prayer that where Australia had the guts to lead, other countries would follow.

Jorth was loath to admit it, but she had been despairing for the future of the Earth of late. She had been reading books by Bill McKibben and Mark Lynas, both of whom had laid out frightening scenarios of what life on Earth would be like if we passed the critical 350ppm emissions point. But after reading of these probable environmental Armageddons, she looked around her and saw people driving their kids two blocks to school, jumping on planes whenever the fancy took them and always, always conveniently forgetting the impact their actions were having on others - typically others who had less than they to start with.

Knowing that 350ppm had been passed and that current CO2 emissions were standing at 389 ppm, she looked into the scientific predictions of life on a hotter earth, and was aghast at the possibility of more ferocious storms, never ending droughts, bush fires that wouldn't burn out, rising seas claiming back lands forever - and humans fighting each other tooth and nail for every last bit of arable land to grow their food, and each last drop of clean water.

She had also began to laugh bitterly at herself for her choices. She could sense that her moral and ethical stands struck others as being old fashioned, a bit of a joke. What was the point, she thought, of riding her bike instead of owning a car, of eating a predominately vegetarian diet, of restricting flights to one every 10 years, of living in a tiny house so they wouldn't waste valuable resources when nobody else seems to give a flying damn? Her small voice calling for less material goods made by emission belching factories with a focus instead on building stronger communities was lost in the majority maelstrom of voices crying for MORE! MORE! MORE! But this bill that was passed today gave her hope once more that we could all work together, and fight for the only place we can call home. After all, it's not like we have another one to go to, is it?

If I had a t-shirt this cute, I'd be smiling too!

I must say, old chaps, that I really like this t-shirt! Yes, it is a bit more work than a simple tee. It features sleeve cap gathers,shirring on the lower edge of the sleeves, plus the rolled hems but by jove I think it's worth it.

Although I will be honest here: I wasn't so taken with the whole hand-sew-12-buttons-on thing. The first few buttons were ok. I was thinking to myself "Hey! Buttons are fun! Bring on the buttons!"

Then I got about halfway through, and I began to think "Good gosh! How many more of these darn things are there? Ouch! Needle stab again. Gah! Tell you what, these darn buttons better be going on straight, because I am not unpicking them!"

Then on the last couple of buttons, after band-aiding my bloody finger, I began to look longingly at the fridge, wondering if it was cocktail hour yet, and feeling completely buttoned out.

Still, finally they were done. The Tyger took it, proclaimed her everlasting love for both her new t-shirt and me, and then put it on. And didn't take it off for another three days. That's love, that is.

Project Details
Pattern: 'Rosalind' T-shirt #29 from Ottobre Design Magazine 3/2009
Fabric: 60 cm of yellow cotton knit from GJs Discount Fabrics
Notions: Elastic thread for sleeve shirring, 12 assorted buttons

Clutch tutorial and giveaway!

Good morning everybody! Have you sauntered over to WhipUp yet? Well you should, because I have a nifty clutch tutorial up there as part of the guest blogging series. Hoorah! They are so quick and fun to make, and handy for when you want to fancy up an outfit.

However, if you don't feel like making one of your own, then leave a comment because I am giving away the fabulous one in the picture above. Yay! I'll leave the giveaway open until Friday, and am happy to post anywhere in the world. I've got some Vegemite I need to send to Switzerland anyway, so what's another parcel, eh?

Enjoy the tutorial, and good luck!