Susan Penny
Out with the new and in with the old!
Susan Penny blends some vintage treasures This project is my way of welcoming in 2014 – a new year, with new challenges and lots of new ideas. I wanted to make something that would remind me of new years past. It had to include tartan, because I have had a bit of a thing about […]
Get Inspired
Pretty Stitched Pincushion
Susan Penny shows you how to make this delightful pincushion in less than an hour. As each new year begins, so does my need to get better organised. This January, I am about to move into my new workroom. It is slightly smaller than the one I am in now, but it is warmer and […]
A truly vintage pig
Susan Penny shares a delightful sewing project As a craft writer I am often asked to pitch for a book idea without knowing if it will ever get published. A blad needs to be produced: this is a small section of the book; a taster to get the book buyers interested in the idea. To […]
Pipe cleaner Xmas trees
Make this fun project with Susan Penny These miniature Christmas trees cost just a few pence to make using things from your garden shed and your sewing box. The trees are made from soft plant ties bought from a garden centre, wrapped around a central stem – similar to pipe cleaners but with a wire […]
Editor’s Wednesday Craft Special
Susan Penny shows you how to make a simple tree decoration This pretty bauble is made by gluing torn pieces of vintage fabric onto a polystyrene ball – I was lucky enough to have some French ticking left over from another project, but any fabric scraps could be used. Add ribbon, net, a button and […]
Last Minute Advent Calendar
Susan Penny shows you how to make this lovely Advent Calendar. Our children love having an Advent calendar. They count down the days to Christmas, enjoying the special treats found in the calendar. This year, after seeing my project, they decided to leave the old Advent calendar in the trunk, and use these bags on the […]
Recycled Christmas Crackers
Susan Penny shows you how to turn some scraps into miniature crackers If your drawers are full of brown paper grocery bags, then this Christmas cracker project is a great way to recycle them into something pretty. With advent just round the corner, these miniature crackers are a great project for the weekend. The crackers […]
Drumming up a knitted Christmas
Susan Penny shows you how to make these simple knitted Christmas drum decorations. These delightful knitted drums were inspired by the Christmas rhyme ‘On the twelfth day of Christmas’. Quick to knit in scraps of wool, they are so simple to make, you are sure to find yourself knitting at least twelve to hang on […]
Margarine for the quintessential 60s housewife
Susan Penny reflects on her childhood baking experiences My first ever sponge cake was made for a Stork margarine/ MacDougall’s flour baking competition at school. Although my rather uneven, slightly burnt offering didn’t win, it did get me a highly commended certificate, and a desire to improve my cooking skills. As a child I […]