And she emerges from her cocoon like a beautiful butterfly!

A proper slouchy comfy cardigan is something that I've been looking for a quite a while and as didn't really want to rely on the high street because inevitably I would find the right shape but the wrong colour or worse, I could find the perfect cardigan and it gets discontinued and I can't get any more. So I searched far and wide across the internet for the perfect pattern and I just couldn't find the right thing until I came across a free pattern (yeah, you heard me, FREE!) from True Bias.

I decided to use the instructions to make a paper pattern rather than just measuring and cutting straight into the fabric and I had some fabric leftover from a previous project so I used that to make a trial run of the cardigan. I loved the trial run so much that I needed more!

I was going to Sew Brum so I put this cardigan on my fabric list. I knew that I needed 2m for it, but I didn't want to spend too much money on it and as luck would have it I found the perfect fabric in the rag market for a mere £2 per meter! 👏👏👏 I also didn't realise when I bought it that the fabric is almost the exact same as the fabric in the tutorial 😂

Once I got my head around which bits of the pattern go where, it was really easy to make and I will definitely be making more of them in different colours.

It's a great length for covering up without looking like a big bag of frump and can just be thrown on top of your outfit and can be dressed up or down depending on the rest of your clothes, accessories etc.

It's cosy...

...and fun!

Overall I'm very happy with how it turned out and even happier with the fact that it only cost £4 to make 😂 If you want to make yourself a cocoon cardi (or 10) to get yourself through the winter then head over to True Bias for the tutorial.

Jingle ALL the way! Nobody likes a half-assed jingler! - A simple Christmas stocking tutorial

It's Christmaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssss!!!!

 Well no, it's actually November, but in the crafting world November is actually quite late to start Christmas projects 😂 But this simple Christmas stocking project can be whipped up super quickly, I promise!

You will need:

0.5m of your outer fabric

0.5m of your inner fabric (I just used plain calico)

Matching thread

Scissors

Sewing machine or the patience to hand sew it!

Here’s what you need to do!

Draw out your basic stocking shape or just Google stocking template like I did 😂

Draw out a rectangle that is as wide as the top of your stocking and as tall as you want the cuff to be (mine is 18cm x 10cm)

Take your stocking template and cut out 2 of the outer fabric and 2 of the inner fabric

Take your cuff template and cut 2 on the fold of your outer fabric

I've shown the cuffs with one folded and one unfolded just so you can see it :)

Take 1 of your outer stocking pieces and pin it right sides together to one side of your cuff and pin 1 of your inner stocking pieces to the other side of your cuff with right sides together making sure that your stocking toes are both facing the same way. Sew them together, press your seams open and do the same for the other pieces.

Pin your pieces together with right sides facing ensuring that the seams at the cuff match up. Sew around the stocking ensuring that you leave a gap at the bottom of the inner stocking to turn them the right way out.

Don't forget to leave a gap!

How many pins is too many pins?

Trim your seam and turn the stocking the right way out through the gap in your lining. Fold the raw edges under and either zig zag stitch them together on your machine or if you’re feeling fancy, you could hand sew it closed using a ladder stitch.

I ain't fancy :)

Stuff your stocking lining into the outer shell and turn the cuff down.

Et voila! You now have a beautiful stocking to give as a gift to family and friends, donate to charity or just keep it for yourself (Mine has festive daschunds on it!)

Alternatively, if you love these stockings but have neither the time or the inclination to make one, then pop on over to my Etsy shop to buy one that’s already made!