Projects Incomplete - what projects will you start or restart in 2015?

At the end of last year we were thrilled to add a new member of staff to the Ministry of Craft team. The lovely Jennifer Stevens joined us at Ministry HQ as our new Operations Supervisor. Obviously Jennifer is super organised and efficent, BUT, like most of us, she's also super crafty too! 

Our Jen!

I enjoyed reading her personal craft blog last week, Humilde Folk Art & Craft, (definitely worth a follow) about a new challenge she has set herself for 2015: Projects Incomplete. Could you finish off all of your half completed or unfinished projects in one year? Jennifer intends to do just that:

"It’s the time of year when we’re all trying to get back to being the best versions of our selves. I love the New Year, for me it’s a chance to really think about what I’m doing and how I can push myself to do better in the coming year.

Paper cut house using scraps of paper

2014 was a year of change for me. I quit my awful office job and started working part time for a company I love. And with my new found freedom and extra time I’ve been able to pursue my creative endeavours, which I’ve been trying to do for years but was always too beaten down by working in an environment that didn’t suit me.

This all brings me to my own 2015 ‘project’, one you can join in with too. I have met many creative people and it seems to me that one of the bad habits of being creative is hoarding! Hoarding materials and ideas and letting them waste away in corners. This year I’m going to clean out those corners, I’m going to attempt to finish every little project I have started or planned instead of letting it go to waste.

It’s an experiment of sorts, how will it feel if I really complete every project? What new skills will I learn by pushing myself to act on my ideas? I will share my journey from start to finish, however bad or good the outcome.

So here’s my first one: a paper cut I planned to do before Christmas but ran out of time. It hasn’t turned out as well as I would like and has made me think the design might work better as a print (another one for the list!) but I’m pleased I got it done and I have plenty more to get on with tomorrow!"

Jen's latest papercut

So which crafty challenges will you be joining in with or setting up for 2015? Will you join Jennifer with your Projects Incomplete? How about a making it a Make Do & Mend Year like Jen Gale? Keep us in the loop, join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram, and keep up the good work!

#ProjectsIncomplete 

Top 10 Ministry courses to put a Spring in your step in 2015

This is your year: 2015 is going to be great! Disposable fashion and mass produced homewares be gone: this year why not make your own clothes or furnishings, save money in the process and learn a host of new creative skills into the bargain?

The trend for Make Do and Mending continues to grow and at Ministry of Craft we are proud to help our customers take their first steps into the Craftiverse. As well as learning useful and practical skills, social crafting makes you happier! Whether it’s joining a local knit and natter group, or taking part in the virtual shared hug that is #MeMadeMay (a social media celebration of DIY dressmaking), getting together for a spot of making en masse is proven to be relaxing, therapeutic and it’s a whole lot of fun too!

So this January why not dust off your knitting needles, seek out your old sewing machine and make a New Years resolution to join the crafting masses?

We’ve got courses galore on our website, something for everyone no matter what your level of ability or crafty preference: sewing, knitting, printing, jewellery making and much, much more. Our most popular course has always been ‘Conquer Your Sewing Machine’, the perfect way to get started with sewing or to rekindle your love of stitchery (which may have lain dormant since your school days), but we’ve upped the ante in response to our dedicated customers’ calls to offer bolder and more challenging courses (Fair Isle knitting anyone?!).

We’ve got super cool classrooms at FredAldous (a brilliant art and craft supplies store, recently voted one of the top 5 indie shops in Manchester) which is located in the heart of the Northern Quarter. So after a morning of crafting with our expert tutors you’re perfectly placed for a bite to eat or even a fancy cocktail if you’re so inclined.

Here’s my top 10 pick of the courses we’ve got coming up in 2015 (between now and April), these are courses I have either been on myself or would like to try this year. For the full complement of all courses go to www.ministryofcraft.co.uk. We look forward to welcoming you into the fold!

1. Sew your own tunic dress or top
Saturday 24 January
Wardrobe staples have a special place in every girl’s heart, and you NEED to make this one! Trust me, I have made two and I'm about to start my third.

2. Tailormade fabric lampshade
Saturday 24 January
If you want a bespoke look when it comes to lighting up your room, but can’t find the right lampshade, why not make it yourself? I made a shade for my baby daughter's nursery and I bodged it. I should've come on this course first!

3. Beginners Quilting: Snuggle or baby quilt
Sunday 25 January, 22 February, 29 March
I REALLY want to do this course in 2015. They say everyone has a ‘book in them’ - well we think every stitcher has ‘a quilt in them’ - and this gorgeous patchwork quilt is the ideal way to get started. Check out photos of our recent graduates here.

 

4. Knitting skills - How to knit Fair Isle
Sunday 1 February
What’s a winter without a bright Fair Isle knit? Come down to Ministry and learn the decorative techniques of Fair Isle Knitting for yourself. I'd love to knit myself a Christmassy jumper this year. FIRMLY on my list!

5. Beginners sewing: Classy clutch bag
Saturday 7 February
Perfect with any outfit, a clutch bag is an essential item of every girl’s wardrobe and now you can sew your own to match every outfit you own! I routinely borrow a bright orange clutch from a friend for all the weddings and parties I attend. It's time to make my own.

 
6. Introduction to curtain and blind making
Sunday 15 February
You can put up wallpaper and paint but can you suss out curtains and blinds?  Nope, me neither. This is the course that saves people HUGE SUMS OF MONEY because bespoke curtains and blinds don't come cheap. I'll be making myself a lovely long pair of yellow curtains this year, after I've attended this course!

7. Sew a gorgeous girls dress
Saturday 28 February
Make a little girl’s day with a gorgeous A-line dress! Perfect for the princess in your life. I've made a Red Riding Hood cape for my little girl, Sylvie, and I'd like to make a dress like this to go with it.

 

 

8. Beginners sewing: Patchwork Pouf
Saturday 14 March
At the end of a busy day there is nothing better than putting your feet up and relaxing, with this perfect handmade pouf. Mine is adored by the whole family. I LOVE this course.

  

 
 

9. Paperperfect: Decoupage jewellery
Saturday 14 March
Loved sticking and gluing as a child? Well now you can try the more sophisticated version as a grown up! Create your own ‘paper perfect’ jewellery and master the French art of decoupage! My next target is a battered old sewing table - I'm going to decoupage it with vintage comics to hide the coffee rings!

10. Sew your own knickers!
Saturday 21 March
Don’t let your underwear let you down – simply sew your own knickers! Bring your knicker drawer to life with these fantastic briefs in our bright flowery fabric and stretchy scarlet lace. I can thing of nothing better for 2015 than sewing smalls with a group of strangers. Bring it on!

January Sales - top 5 sales in the craftiverse

The sales are ON! I'm not one for fast fashion, I like the treasure hunt of the charity shop and the jousting of a jumble sale. But what I like even more is making the things that I need by my very own hand. Here's our top 5 sales to scour for your crafting essentials, fabric and trimmings...

1. Abakhan. 
Obvs. I'll be buying heavyweight tartan to make another of my staple Ministry of Craft tunics.

2. John Lewis.
Very good quality but normally kinda pricey so go nuts in their clearance. I'll be buying this geo design oil cloth (even though it's NOT in the clearance, dammit!) to cover my lovely pine dining table which has been desecrated by my kids and their chunky felt tips.

3. Elephant in My Handbag.
They've got lots of deliciously festive tidbits in their sale. Stock up for next Christmas!

4. Laura Ashley. We are smitten with their wall papers since running a bloggers workshop last month. I'll be buying a roll in their sale and making origami gift boxes and bows all year for birthdays and festivities.

5. Fred Aldous.
You can shop online but really you've got to go in to Fred's to understand why it's so darn cool. Peruse the sale, get yourself some sparkly bling or chunky yarn, peep into our classrooms while you're there and then retire to Fig + Sparrow for a coffee, or maybe Ginger's Comfort Emporium (upstairs in Afflecks Palace) for an ice cream. That's pretty much my perfect day right there. *Grabs keys, heads into town*