Innehållsförteckning för August 2020 från Mollie Magazine

We’re back! I’ve never been so happy to write this hello, as a two month hiatus has left Team Mollie missing you amazing readers so much. But, the world hasn’t stood still while we’ve been away. It’s been lovely to see creatives and makers coming together to support each other through the pandemic, especially in the wake of George Floyd’s death, and so many of the other tragedies that have affected the Black community. The Black Lives Matter movement is hugely important to us, and the team strive to make our pages diverse, including crafters and contributors of all ethnicities. We know we can always do better though, and one of the ways we’re showing our support this month is by dedicating our Mollie Loves pages to Black-owned businesses. And,…

BOLD SILHOUETTES + DREAMY WAX PRINTS = A SERIOUS SARTORIAL CRUSH. Kemi Telford‘s garments are unapologetically loud, encouraging the women that wear them to take up space. Think statement skirts, dresses and palazzo pants in the wildest hues and patterns. This is slow fashion created to last, with people and the planet in mind. www.kemitelford.com SNAIL MAIL ACTS AS A LIFELINE to many of us at the moment, and cards that send the right message can make all the difference to someone’s day. We’re bigging up artist Dorcas Magbadelo whose stationery does just that. She grew her biz Dorcas Creates from a passion for celebrating and uplifting black women. Find her cards, prints and pins online. www.dorcascreates.com THE SLOGAN TEE SAY IT LOUD Make Everyday Froday your go-to for wearing…

COLOUR SPLASHES Go bold or go home. Or, go bold at home. Whichever way you play it, it’s all about breathing life into your daily routine, finding joy through abstract shapes and sweeping brushstrokes in bright hues. COLOUR SPLASHES LANTERN MATERIALS Two sheets of A4 paper (we used Kitty McCall Encinitas Gift Wrap cut to size, available from www.kittymccall.com) Ribbon, 30cm (11 7/8") Washi tape Hole punch LED tealights 01 Take one sheet of A4 paper and fold it into 16 equal sections across the length. Unfold, then fold each crease in the opposite direction, creating concertina folds across the length of the sheet. 02 Using a ruler, draw two horizontal lines on the back of the paper, one 9cm (3 5/8") down from the top long edge, and one…

“I stitched the spaces I longed for: interiors full of colourful textiles, mid-century furniture and plants.” Embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning lives with her husband and business partner Davey, and their adopted cat Quiqueue, in a three-level Victorian house in Keene, New Hampshire, USA. Much like the textures and layers of her fibre work, there’s plenty to take in and capture the imagination in their decorative home, which has come to mirror the scenes of Sarah’s stitched interiors in a satisfying case of life imitating art. “At the beginning of my embroidery career, when we lived in cheap apartments with our few and modest possessions, I stitched the spaces I longed for: interiors full of colourful textiles, mid-century furniture and thriving houseplants,” explains Sarah. “It was imaginary and aspirational scenery.…

HOW TO MAKE A RUG-COVERED BENCH MATERIALS ■ 25 x 90cm (9 7/8 x 35½") plywood sheet ■ Medium-sized rug ■ Upholstery foam, 20 x 85cm (7 7/8 x 33½") ■ Foam wadding ■ Staple gun ■ Four hairpin legs ■ Drill ■ Screws ■ Craft knife While there’s nothing like a bit of retail therapy, learning how to make your own furniture is a life skill we’re here for. This handy bench is a great way to upcycle a cheap rug into something much more exciting, and is an easy win for adding texture and colour to a space. Plus, those hairpin legs give it a real mid-century modern vibe, minus the price tag of a shop-bought version. Designer-maker Geneva is the editor of Collective Gen, an online community…

Design legend and interiors icon Michelle Ogundehin is a firm believer that our homes have the power to act as a path to wellbeing. And, as the multi-award winning former Editor-in-Chief of ELLE Decoration UK and an authority on the psychological effects of colour, she’s got the knowledge to back it up. We chatted to Michelle the week after lockdown was put in place in the UK, and were already feeling grateful for the safe space our homes gave us, making the release of her new book, Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness even more poignant. From the importance of the way you live to the significance of colour, Happy Inside is intended as an essential handbook for transforming your space into a…

“Sewing served as an escape and helped reduce my anxiety.” Being a self taught sewist who, many years ago, spent evenings after work learning how to sew bags and garments, the lockdown took me back to my early sewing days. I’ve spent a lot of time trying out new sewing techniques, tackling a few self-drafted sewing patterns that needed tweaks in the past, and completing old sewing projects in my UFO (unfinished objects) box. It’s safe to say sewing served as a great escape from the media and helped reduce my anxiety and fear. The act of pinning, cutting, stitching, hemming and pressing fabrics played a crucial role in increasing mindfulness and positivity. It’s easy to get sucked into the hole of fear but in order to maintain a healthy…

Gwen Heng Qiwen (AKA Gwen) caught the bug for all things retro from trips to flea markets as a child. She makes vintage-style co-ord sets, and sometimes a matching shirt for her husband. Gwen also loves oversized earrings. Make Gwen’s floral mini skirt on page 18. www.gwenstellamade. wordpress.com Michelle Ogundehin Brand consultant, TV presenter and interiors icon Michelle has just written her first book, Happy Inside. She lives in Brighton with her young son and two boisterous basset hounds, and is a self-confessed clutter-clearing obsessive and detail queen. Michelle shares how homes can create wellbeing on page 68. www.michelleogundehin.com Juliet Tuzor Self-taught sewist and primary school teacher Juliet bought her first sewing machine in 2013, and went on to win The Great British Sewing Bee in 2019. Her mission is…

HOW TO MAKE A CROSS STITCH HEADBOARD MATERIALS ¦ Pegboard, 120 x 138cm (47 x 54") ■ One can of spray primer ■ Three cans of white spray paint ■ Medium-weight yarn in nine shades (we used Red Heart Super Saver, one ball each in Hot Red 0390 (Yarn 1), Jade 3862 (Yarn 2), Flamingo 0259 (Yarn 5), Gold 0321 (Yarn 6), Coral 0726 (Yarn 7), Raspberry 0774 (Yarn 8), Cherry Red 0319 (Yarn 9) and Lion Brand, one ball each in Heartland Bryce Canyon 130 (Yarn 3) and Vanna's Choice Pink 101 (Yarn 4)) ■ Washi tape ■ Yarn needle ■ Drywall screws and anchors ■ Drill We’re all itching to update our homes at the moment – in the cheapest possible way – so this supersize stitch is…

ART IN ALL ITS FORMS Be it paintings and prints, richly patterned textiles or detailed embroidery, this style celebrates colour and creativity. Pair with equally bold mid-century modern furniture and the living embodiment of art – plants. 01 Vibrant colour, a strong sense of place, and an outfit we’re totally living for – A Street in Ghana has it all. Hang Roeqiya Fris’ striking West African-inspired print as part of a global gallery wall and travel vicariously through it. www.roeqie.etsy.com 02 Thrifting furniture is all well and good, but when all you can find are cast-off flatpack pieces, why not invest in a timeless buy? This slatted sideboard has slight Mad Men vibes, and that deep walnut finish is surely the stuff dreams are made of. www.westelm.co.uk 03 You can…

HOW TO MAKE A MACRAMÉ WALL HANGING MATERIALS ■ 22m (24 1/8 yd) 3-ply cotton rope, 1cm (3/8") thick ■ Single twisted cotton string in different colours (we used natural, grey, light green, dark green, pink and yellow), 3mm ( 1/8") thick ■ Thin wire ■ Sticky tape You know you’ve got a serious crush on a craft when you design a project in tribute to it, à la Fanny Zedenius’ Ashley Wall Hanging. The main pattern is based on knot number 2329 in The Ashley Book of Knots, hence the name – hardcore fangirling indeed. Fanny’s used 3mm (1 1/8") cotton string for the fibre wrapping, and you’ll need roughly 1.4m (1 5/8 yd) per 10cm (4") wrap knot. But, you could use a combination of different fibres, such…

HOW TO MAKE A FLORAL MINI SKIRT MATERIALS ■ 1m (39 3/8") medium-weight fabric ■ 50cm (19¾") lightweight fusible interfacing ■ Buttonhole foot ■ Matching sewing thread ■ Pattern paper ■ Fabric marker ■ Six buttons, 1cm (3/8") wide The Great British Sewing Bee has got us all obsessed with kicking off our me-made wardrobe, but where to start? Well, this floral mini is as good a place as any. It’s a super-cute way to update your look for summer, and it’s easier than you might think. You’ll learn how to draft a pattern using your measurements for that just-right fit, and even master buttonholes. If you’re not feeling the florals, use any medium-weight fabric you have to hand – we love the idea of doing a soft corduroy version.…

HOW TO MAKE ROLL-TOP LUNCH BAGS MATERIALS ■ 1.5m (59") patterned oilcloth (Fabric A) (we used Non-Woven Oilcloth Dusty Green from www.stoffstil.co.uk ) ■ 1.5m (59") plain oilcloth (Fabric B) (we used Non-Woven Oilcloth Powder w Graphic from www.stoffstil.co.uk ) ■ Nylon webbing, 50cm (19¾") ■ Sew-on Velcro, 35cm (13¾") FINISHED SIZE ■ Lunch bag – 25 x 20cm (9 7/8 x 7 7/8") ■ Picnic bag – 35 x 30cm (13¾ x 11 7/8") Hands up if you use tatty old containers or a plastic bag to tote your lunch around in? Well, now’s the time to think about smartening up work and school dinners by making these roomy roll-top bags. Sew the smaller size for packed lunches, then use the scaled-up version to create one for picnics and…

London’s first boutique dedicated to cacti and succulents, PRICK is all about that low maintenance life. Founder Gynelle Leon sees these plants as living sculptures, and pairs each one with their pot soulmate. Choose from their own ’PRICK pots’, or handmade ceramics from local artists. It’s a one-stop shop for all your greenery needs. www.prickldn.com…

HOW TO MAKE AN ABSTRACT-PRINT TEE MATERIALS ■ HappyFlex in Light orange, Pink and Green (available from www. happyfabric.co.uk) ■ HappyFlock in Orange, Mint, Royal Blue (available from www. happyfabric.co.uk) ■ Greaseproof paper ■ Plain T-shirt If you’ve always liked the idea of screen-printing but don’t want to get your hands dirty, this heat transfer vinyl project is a quick way to get the look. Happy Fabric’s vinyls make it easy to layer shapes and colours, transforming a plain tee into the abstract-print top of your dreams with just an iron – no fancy equipment needed. Use our templates on page 79 and follow the design shown, or go freestyle and cut and stick it your way. There’s tons of different vinyl colours and textures to choose from, like HappyFlock’s…

YOUR GIFT BY NIAMH WIMPERIS Use two strands of thread throughout – each thread length contains six strands – and refer to the guide on page 88 for step-by-step instructions for each stitch. 01 Separate the hoop, then place the fabric over the inner hoop with the design facing up. Place the outer hoop over the top, adjusting the fabric to make sure the design is central. Tighten the screw at the top of the hoop, keeping the design central and pulling the fabric taut. 02 Start by filling in the black sections of the bee with vertical satin stitch. Try to stay within the printed lines to outline the curved shapes for the gold thread sections. 03 Next, use black thread and stem stitch to stitch over the bee’s…