Featured — I Want To Be A Turtle

July 2016: #Vintagepledge Guest blogger - A Stitching Odyssey

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October 2016: Cut Out + Keep Sewing Superstar

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one for sorrow, two for joy - Obscurae Magazine Volume 6 Issue 1

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I Want To Be A Turtle

A creative lifestyle blog which mainly focuses on my personal sewing, drawing and thread painting projects.

Claire

Self taught sewist, fabric hoarder and handmade wardrobe builder. Say hello:

iwanttobeaturtle@gmail.com

Over on Instagram

Like many others, we’re trying to reduce waste and single use items are top of my hit list. Instead if purchasing more kitchen roll, I cut up three hand towels from a charity shop which had seen better days. £3.98 and 15 minutes at the overlocker produced 26 cloths. Making this change has met with a little resistance as kitchen roll is so convenient but seeing as though we don’t have kids or pets, I figured it’s a change we can easily make.

Inching towards completing this self drafted jacket that I started 18 months ago. The lining will be a pop of brightness during the winter months.

Nine months, nine medals, and I’ve already passed last year by 73 miles. The intention was to get back into the habit of three runs a week. Signing up monthly has helped so much with that goal and I’m now beginning to reap the rewards. Surely that that will be motivation enough to keep me going as we slide into dark winter months?

Joined the Oxford Climate Strike this afternoon. The march was over a mile long. Also, when craft meets activism.

I’m celebrating finishing the first part of a major project tonight. It’s sapped a lot of my mental energy over the past three months. While this isn’t an exciting photo, it shows the difference pressing ‘send’ has already made alongside celebratory treats. I’m working on my next @minervadotcom project, adapting a suit waistband to include a fancy elastic opening. I have no idea if it’ll work but I’m hopeful. Excuse my terrible sketches at the bottom of the page!

It’s a super warm day in Zagreb so we’ve sought shade in one of the beautiful parks. I’m steadily working on a new embroidery and enjoying the relaxed pace of the city.

#ad Is there anything better than a lovely lightweight viscose challis for warm days? I made a Vintage Shirt dress in this dreamy floral print which has kept me cool in the recent warm weather. Full details are over on the @minervacrafts blog.

New form of panic holiday sewing as I’m not trying to work through a stack of clothing as usual. I whipped up this sleep mask in 30 mins from scraps only to find I had over heated the elastic and it feels weaker than it should. Fingers crossed it lasts two weeks.

In the chaos of the last two months, I didn’t share this finished piece. It’s my largest embroidery to date at 7 inches. The pattern was fun to stitch, full of new to me techniques and I was amazed how thread hungry it was! It’s by no means perfect but I love the textured look. Design is the Elephant Ear & Rug by @sarahkbenning