Three and a half years ago, and more, I sat down one weekend and sewed a bag to Icelandair’s exact personal item size and it’s still going strong. I was tired of hunting the house for a bag that maximised the limited space allowed. People criticise the likes of Ryanair and easyJet for being too … More I made my own custom personal item
This is an exciting Christmas activity that I saw Sandy Breitmeier, aka sandymakessense, do a month or two ago and the moment I saw it, I knew I had to give it a go. It’s a lampworking workshop, where you use a blowtorch to melt and twist glass to make a Christmas tree ornament. I … More Lampworking: making a Christmas tree using a blowtorch
I was most excited about the enamel workshop, out of all the tours we did in Georgia. A traditional craft, one I’d never even considered having a go at! I watched videos on how cloisonné enamel is made and honestly, I realised it was going to take longer than the three hours allotted. At the … More An enamel workshop and the ancient capital of Georgia
You may remember that a while back I had a go at glassblowing. I wasn’t great at it because blowing that much pressure down a tube triggers my gag reflex. The actual manipulating and handling of the glass was all new but with practice, I could probably become competent but if you can’t blow the glass, … More I tried blacksmithing (I can do it!)
I like to do new things, strange things, fun things. This time I did a glassblowing taster session – that is, i did a very short session designed for absolute beginners. It was at The Glass Hub, near Bath and there were eight of us. We were dressed up in kevlar gloves and sleeves – … More I tried glassblowing (I can’t do it)
I don’t claim to be a good sewist but I’ve got quite enthusiastic about it in the last couple of years. I’ve been sewing my own badges on my camp blanket for years and I’ve made a few drawstring bags but between 2020 and 2022, I’ve started going a bit more experimental and a bit … More Things I sewed for travel and adventure
For the last little while, I’ve been kind of jealous when I go hiking with other people because their bags have little pockets on the hip belts. They’re really useful and my bag doesn’t have them! I like my bag and I’m not looking to replace it but I do want belt pockets. So I’ve … More MYOG: hip belt pockets for my hiking day bag
Yes, it’s the first post of December and it’s a Christmas-themed one from the bear who hates Christmas! I did a fused glass workshop! I booked it right at the end of October. It was supposed to be on Friday November 6th – yes, the second day of the UK lockdown. On the Saturday night … More My day at a fused glass Christmas workshop
Today I’m taking a break from travel and I’m going to show you how to make a mask. I made a few earlier in the year. There were some experiments that fitted nobody and then I got a shape that fitted me with elastic around my head so I made myself a couple which prompted … More How to make a mask
This is the most ridiculous thing ever. I made a washing-up bag. When I go camping, I never have washing-up stuff. I traipse across a field carrying my plate and bowl and knife and spoon, I find a rusty sink tucked away behind the standpipe and of course, it doesn’t have any washing-up liquid or … More The camping kit-list: my washing-up bag!