Review: The Fabric of Civilization – How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel

Apr 7, 2021Apr 7, 2021 toomanystitches2 Comments

This post contains affiliate links meaning if you sign up to the course from this blog, I get a small commission. However, any recommendations and opinions are my own. For more information, please click here.

Some books manage to demand you read every page of them and this week’s review is for one such text. Fancy figuring out the secrets of Machiavelli’s childhood and how textiles shaped his plays and thinking? Eager to find out just how hard it is to knit a 3D bunny on a machine? Read on – this is the text for you!

Craft Shopping in Munich, Germany

Feb 3, 2021Feb 3, 2021 toomanystitches10 Comments

I think we could all use a little escapism, so how about a quick tour of just some of the craft shop gems in Munich? Today’s treats involve the spectacular Roly Poly, Quilt & Textilkunst, ORAG Haus and a classic German craft staple, Wolle Rödel.

Lampshade Making Course, Minerva Studios

Nov 18, 2020Nov 24, 2020 toomanystitches10 Comments

Apart from a recent jaunt down to the London Embroidery School for the rest of their Lace Series course, the number of in-person craft courses going on has been rather lamentable so I was very pleased to see that the weekend Lampshade Making course at Minerva Studios was still going ahead, albeit with some health and safety upgrades.

Pozamanterija Venera, Split, Croatia

Oct 7, 2020Sep 29, 2020 toomanystitches6 Comments

It would be remiss of me to talk about today’s trip to a craft shop without mentioning its absolutely beautiful surroundings. Today we’re going to take a trip to Split, in the Dalmatia region of Croatia and probably one of the most effortlessly beautiful places I have ever been.

Beyond the Festival of Quilts: Jogakbo Light Catcher

Aug 5, 2020Aug 5, 2020 toomanystitches12 Comments

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links meaning if you make any purchases via these links, I receive a small commission that contributes to the running costs of the blog. However, any recommendations and opinions in this review are my own. For more information, please click here.

As it seems everything else in life has had to go online, I supposed it was only an inevitability until things like craft shows and festivals started finding ways to transport themselves to the digital domain. This is exactly what the Festival of Quilts was experimenting with, with their ‘Beyond the Festival of Quilts’ event, which caught my eye for the digital masterclasses on offer.

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Time-lapse Ice Dyeing

Jul 29, 2020Jul 28, 2020 toomanystitches15 Comments

One of the many, many things I like about dyeing, dyes and dyed objects is they make fantastic photography subjects. Maybe that’s because, for me, a load of coloured splodges in a suitable colour scheme are high art and that combination of things is really the essence of dyeing.

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The Bernina Beast (790 Plus)

Jul 8, 2020Jul 8, 2020 toomanystitches8 Comments

There is a new member of the family that I have yet to have the pleasure of introducing you all to yet… My new Bernina 790 Plus. (Complete with embroidery module because the thing wasn’t monstrously huge enough without it).

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Bernina Shop, Zürich

Jun 17, 2020Jun 16, 2020 toomanystitches8 Comments

One of the nice things about being in Switzerland, as well as the beautiful scenery, perfect trains and wonderful cheese, is the number of Bernina stores dotted about the place. Some of them are in surprising places, it often feels like you’ll see one in every small village, but they are usually excellent haberdasheries as well as sewing machine technology wonderlands.

astitchornine (1)

Delicious Food and Delicious Fabric in Trieste, Italy

May 20, 2020May 17, 2020 toomanystitches5 Comments

I’ve been debating for a while when would be a good time to publish several of my posts that have been languishing from trips I took back when international travel was still a routine part of my job. As things tentatively start to open up, in those countries at least, perhaps now is a good time to give some airtime to two truly excellent fabric stores in Italy.

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Spycher Handwerk, Huttwill, Switzerland

Nov 13, 2019Nov 11, 2019 toomanystitches4 Comments

It’s very easy to feel that you’re in the middle of nowhere in Switzerland. Even Geneva, which is the second most populated city in Switzerland, has a population of less than two hundred thousand. The five biggest cities represent 40 % of the total population, making it relatively easy to ‘escape to the countryside’ where there are some excellent hidden gems of craft shops.

astitchornine (3)

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