The Look of Love Hoop Challenge!

Readers, we need your help! We received so many brilliant entries for our Look of Love Hoop Challenge from some very talented, creative and inventive crafters and we now have to choose a winner! Yikes! The winning entry will receive a copy of the latest 'The Simple Things' magazine - from the makers of Mollie Makes - which includes some great Autumny articles (good for a read during a chilly evening!)

So here are all the wonderful entries. We are inviting you to vote for your favourite and help us pick a winner! You can vote by leaving a comment with the number of your favourite entry on this post or on the link on our Facebook page.

Voting closes at 9pm on Sunday 17th and a winner will be announced on Monday!

Aaaaand....GO! :)

Number One

Number Two

Number Three

Number Four

Number Five

Number Six

Number Seven

Number Eight

Number Nine

Number Ten

Number Eleven

Make your vote count!

Workshops in March

For those of you wanting to know about the workshops we'll be holding at The Make Cafe this month, we thought we'd do a little feature today detailing all the classes. We've got lots to choose from this month, from home-wares to kids accessories, for complete novices and some for the more experienced crafters.

If you would like more information on any of the following workshops, feel free to send an email to info@themakecafe.co.nz or ring up to speak to one of our lovely ladies in store on 03 348 6187.

We hope this gets your creative taste buds flowing!

Saturday 9th March, 11am - 1pm: Make a Fabric Ottoman

Make a pretty fabric pouf to put your feet up on! You will need to bring fabric and stuffing. 

Saturday 9th March, 2 - 3.30pm: Kids Canvas Class

Get the kids doing something creative and make a piece of wall art using branches, fabric and paint.

Tuesday 12th March, 7.30 - 9.30pm: Cover a fabric lampshade

Choose from our wide selection of fabrics to cover a small bedside lamp. All materials included!

Weds 13^th March, 7.30 – 9.30pm: Table setting Paper Crafts

Learn to make wine glass charms and coasters for a beautifully presented dinner party! This is the first of three classes.

Sat 16^th March, 10.30 – 12pm: Kids Hair Accessories

Use fabric to cover a girly headband and turn fabric covered buttons into cute hair ties!

Sun 17^th March, 2 – 5pm: A lesson with a fashion designer 

       

An opportunity to learn how to make a skirt with an experienced designer of women’s fashion.

Weds 19^th March, 7.30 – 9.30pm:  Paper Pieced Heart 

Learn the principles of paper piecing techniques and make a heart to incorporate into your quilted or patchwork designs!

Weds 20^th March, 7.30 – 9.30pm: Table Setting Paper Crafts

In the second installment of this class, you will make a menu, name place setting and a napkin holder.

Sun 24^th March, 9am – 5pm: Fabric Decoupaged Furniture

Give an old piece of furniture a new lease of life by covering it with beautiful fabric!

Tues 26^th March, 7.30 – 9.30pm: Make a chevron cushion

Details to follow. 

Weds 27^th March, 7.30 – 9.30pm: Table Setting Paper Crafts

In the final session of this three part class, you will learn how to create a pretty flower arrangement which will be the centre piece of your table!

Coast to Coaster Challenge

I am reading this book called French kids eat everything, illustrated by fabric designer Sara Jane Wright, from the minute I read the title it had me interested and I ended up getting it straight away!                                                                                                                              In the book, Karen mentions how respectful the French are of food, and that dressing your table appropriately is just part of it and it adds to the overall effect of enjoying your meal.                                                                                                    I could not agree more by adding some freshly picked flowers to the table for dinner it just makes it feel more enjoyable (even though you will more often than not find me scraping the mornings (or potentially previous mornings weetabix off the table during dinner!) 

This month we are focusing on Table Decor, trying in simple (and sometimes more extravagant  ways to make your table look pretty! We have a fabulous workshops focusing on just this, including a set of 3 paper crafting workshops to create this!

If you are into paper crafting (or have a wedding coming up) then this is the perfect class for you!

Our challenge for March is coasters, a while back I did this tutorial over on our old blog, and I thought we would revive it because it not only makes a great gift but also uses those scraps up!

So if you are in Christchurch once again, please bring in your coasters! We are choosing our winner of our hoop challenge tomorrow! If you are not in Christchurch, please post a picture of them to the Make Cafe's facebook page

So here is a tutorial to get you started, but feel free to enter any kind of coaster, knitted, crocheted, paper crafted, mosaics! The winner receives the next issue of The Simple Life Magazine!

Scrummy Yummy Designer Coasters

Love Fat Quarters?? Do you find yourself collecting them? I certainly do! You can have these done easily in under an hour. To begin, this is the list of materials you will need (not all are essential but they are a great help for sewing quickly!)

You can substitute the ruler & rotary blade with a cut out pattern and sewing scissors. The fabrics above are just coordinating scraps I had left.
Using your ruler & blade cut out 4 equal size squares from each of the four fabrics. My sizes were 3 x3 inches (5cm x 5cm). If you are using a ruler for the first time, make sure your fabric is lined up straight down the left hand side then move your ruler to your chosen measurement with excess fabric on the left and cut. Turn the cut fabric strip around and trim the off the excess

If you are making a set of 4 coasters you will need 16 little bitty bits of fun to piece together & play around with until you have your desired Feng Shui

Once you have decided on your layout, fold two pieces right side to right side (pin) and sew together.

Do that for all 16 pieces. Iron out your seams (these are the little flaps that are left once you have finished sewing and your article looks far prettier when they have been ironed flat, but not an essential if you are in a hurry!)

Place two sets together, right side to right side, and sew once more

And now you should have something like this

To make things simpler, measure out your square now and cut a backing piece & a piece of lining to go in between I used a medium weight lining and my square measured 5.25 inches (13.5cm)

Place the patterned piece face up, the lining on top (face down if necessary) and the backing on top of that

Now pin and sew turning your corners as you go around (by leaving your needle down and lifting your presser foot up), you may find it easier to have your lining on top or the other way around, just try it and see which works best. Leave a small opening about 4cm wide.

Turn it inside out and push the corners out as much as you can using a rounded tip ( I have an embellishing tool which works perfectly!) And now you will have this.

Now take your co-ordinating thread and sew as close as you can to the edge (Tucking in the opening) and turning your corners as mentioned above.

Then once you have completed a full squares move your presser foot so that the right hand side is lined up against your previously sewed line and sew around once more. Repeat that for the third time. You can keep on going around, but I quite like the look of 3 lines and it get's quite tricky near the middle!

Trim off all those little bits of thread and ta daa! You have your amazing set of designer coasters!

Time for a cuppa!

The return of good home baking

Lemon Coconut Slice

We have been dreaming of the day that we could finally change our food selection to a homemade one and that day finally came today!

An entire day spent in the kitchen, but so much gained from it. Bo & her mum Liz came to help and Justin came too with the family in tow.

We are so excited to finally be bringing the handmade theme into our coffee shop, everything you now taste here will remind you of home! So if you feel like a slice of real homemade chocolate cake you know where to come!

Jam Drops & Afghans

I was a little worried
about these
almond
jam
drops,

Veggie Quiches

they have the habit of melting occasionally but we managed to pull them off! They have toasted almonds and Anathoth Strawberry Jam! Bo's mum made some yummy Afghan cookies too!

 We have 2 quiches - Quiche Lorraine & Vegetarian, homemade sausage rolls and we also now offer stuffed baked potatoes, as well as our regular Panini's & Bagels!

 Chocolate seemed to feature a lot today and I don't think that will be a problem going forward either! 

We have Moist Chocolate Cake, filled with caramel, flourless chocolate brownies, made with Almonds & Walnuts, Whittakers Chocolate tarts and delicious Rocky Road - think marshmallows, peanuts and turkish delight! Made into 2 square bundles - share with a friend or take one home for later!

Thank you to Bo & her mum who gave up their Sunday to help get this started ;)

So come in for a treat tomorrow and look out in our menu soon for our Food of the month - a special recipe contributed by you! 

We are also going to be open on Sundays from now on so you have more time to create, share & craft!