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My first (proper) sewing project

Do you ever have those moments where you're really proud of yourself? (I hope you do 'cause you're awesome). For me, my first (proper) sewing projct was one of those moments. Not that long ago (okay, a long time ago because my first proper sewing project took a few weekends to finish) I attended the 70th birthday party of Remnant Kings at their flagship store in Glasgow. If you've never been to their store on Argyle Street above House of Fraser, it has walls of fabrics from cute children's print to classic faux furs and classy tartans. Also in store are sewing patterns, threads and knitting/crocheting materials. There's also a sewing room where they host classes for people not overtly confident with a thread and needle.

Now, if you've known me a while, you will know I have a love-hate relationship with sewing. That love being the creative part of me who loves getting lost in a project and creating something no one else has. The hate side of me filling up with rage about how damn fiddly sewing can get and why can't I just by-pass the learning stage and immediately become a professional dress-maker who never has to wear a store-bought dress again. So shockingly enough, I didn't go there expecting to buy anything.

However, that was before I bumped into Sinead of Wee and Twee. Being a sewing blogger she was actually there to buy stuff (and not just mingle and drink prosecco). So she, erm, managed to talk me into giving sewing another bash. A proper bash. Not just the time I made a stuffed bird at a blogging event or my own Togepi for a Misty cosplay (and a related note: omg, Pokemon Go amiright?!?!!?).

This all happened because she caught me eyeing up the Tilly & Buttons sewing patterns. If you've ever looked at a sewing pattern and thought the woman in the picture looks like the photos you've seen of your mum in the 70s, you're not alone. That's how I look at most sewing patterns. Tilly & Buttons caught my eye because they design patterns that look like they were designed this side of the millennium (and cute-as-a-button branding). That's when Sinead stepped in - and convinced me to try the cute Fifi boudoir set reminding me "if you muck it up a bit, it's only pyjamas and you could still wear them 'cause no one will see them".

Well, aside from the entire internet.

She then helped me pick out everything I would need to create the pyjamas I was inevitably going to blog about regardless of how they turned out. There was of course the super-gorgeous and super-pink penguin fabric (from the kids section, no less) and on top of that matching thread (pink and navy in my case), some dark navy material for the straps, elastic for the waist and a small ribbon for a final touche. Thankfully, this information is on the packet so even you don't have a Sinead to help you you should work it out.

Once I was home I would like to say I eagerly dusted off my (second-hand from my mum) sewing machine and got to work like Cinderella. Instead I waited a few days, and there was lots of faffing. Like re-learning how to thread a sewing machine. Wrapped thread round a bobbin. Watching YouTube videos to try and convince myself I knew what I was doing. After all that faffing I was able to start. and by start I mean wash the fabric (I didn't know this: but you should wash fabric before you start sewing so you don't make a pretty dress which then shrinks in its first wash). Then waiting for it dry overnight (and ironing it)

After preparing the fabric, I was able to cut out the pattern. I did so, and decided that was enough work for one day.

Next Weekend I started sewing.

Very tentatively and timidly. Honestly, it's hard to remember which part I started with but I think it was the shorts, because they required less steps. In terms of difficulty this was probably not the best pattern to start out with. There were folds, thin seems to iron down, elasticated waists and French seams. The instructions were helpful - helpful being the strongest word I can muster up. When you're a beginner - in pretty much anything - you appreciate intricate steps. However, the instructions were numbered paragraphs, which made them a tad intimidating (and easy to lose your place). It left me having to think about my next step, YouTubing things and sometimes just hoping for the best. Tilly & The Buttons actually have a beginners pack - which this design wasn't included in. Figures.

I was a size five on the pattern, and I'm a size 10-12 in the UK. The pattern sizes have only a few millimetres between them so I imagine anyone who is smaller than a size UK 8 and anyone bigger than a size UK 14 wouldn't fit this pattern. With size 14 being the UK average this seems like a bit of bad business move - just some feedback for pattern designers.

I spilt the project across a few weekends and was honestly high-5ing myself when I completed my Fifi pyjamas. The seams are messy and there is lose thread hanging everywhere, but as Sinead said I'm not wearing pyjamas in public (but I will post photos in the public domain). I could never sell them for an amount that would cover the cost of making them, but for a first attempt at making a proper piece of clothing I'm really pleased with myself.

Will I sew again?

My next sewing project is already in the works. My mum replaced her old sewing machine (my current one) with a fancy ass expensive one and we're going to work on something when I visit my parents in Aberdeenshire. I've spent some time sifting through the 70s style patterns to find something a 20-something like me would genuinely wear in the street: this dress with cross-over straps has caught my eye, this lacy top, this Arielle skirt from Tilly & Buttons have been catching my eye, or I might try a bash at some underwear with the guide my mum has in some of her sewing patterns.

If my descriptions of how the sewing went aren't clear (for the experienced craft bloggers - how do you 'review' a sewing pattern?) I created a YouTube video to help illustrate my ramblings. Linking back to my opening sentence, this is something I'm also really proud of. I've dabbled in vlogging a few times but had never really sat down to 'learn how to YouTube properly'. This is the first video I really put in effort into and I'm really proud of the outcome. Not going to give Zoella a run for her money but it's not bad for an early attempt (though the quality dropped after I uploaded it, grr).

Learn more about Remnant Kings:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Learn more about Tilly & Buttons:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Morag x

To be clear: I attended the Remnant Kings event as a blogger and did receive a goody back with some sewing equipment (like pins and a tape measure). I bought the sewing pattern and fabric myself with my own money,with the discount available that night.

mòrag

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Cruelty-free Cleaning: EcoEgg in Orange Blossom

Remember in January when I turned into my mother and began raving about a cleaning product called the Laundry Egg?

Well, the blogging gods clearly listened as Ecoegg sent me over their newest kit* to try some more of their range. Inside of it was their Antibacterial Laundry Egg (a world first!), 2 Laundry Egg Holders, a Double Size Stain Remover, and an Ultimate Detox Tablet. I was also sent their newest fragrance, Orange Blossom to try out to see how it compared to the Soft Cotton fragrance I already have.

Naturally, I was excited (I actually received make-up samples the same day, but was more excited about my newest egg) and grabbed what was currently in laundry basket to try it out (like the secret forty year old that I am).

Each of the eggs are filled with tiny balls that act like a detergent. In each egg there are mineral pellets and tourmaline pellets which acts together to clean your clothes without the use of chemicals. The Orange Blossom box came with several packets of laundry refills, some of which were suitable for whites and some for coloured laundry. EcoEgg has also sent me over a second antibacterial egg so I've created an egg for my coloured clothes and one for my white clothes (so I now have three eggs in total making me weirdly organised).

In my first review I said I would need to see how long it lasts me. I can now report that my original egg is still going strong and in use despite having used it every week since January. So now I have two scents to switch up and change as need be. The quality of both are exactly the same so it will be down to personal choice which scent works best for who (there are other scents on the EcoEgg website too).

Also included in the package was their Double Sized Stain Remover. The Batman top I wear to bed and to get ready in the morning (or just generally laze around my flat in) was getting pretty worse for wear with make-up and toothpaste stains so was the perfect place to start. Obviously these aren't exactly the crème de la crème of stains so I can't vouch for whether it will work on anything more stainy (like...car oil? kids finger paint?) but I can vouch it removed my (probably) one month old toothpaste stains (and random bronzer marks).

On top of all this they also sent me over an Ultimate Detox Tablet to clean my washing machine with. I’m going to admit that cleaning the machine I clean my clothes in is one of those adult things I haven’t quite ticked off my list yet. So…my washing machine was probably in dire need of a detox. To use it, you place it in your empty washing machine and send it for a wash on your hottest setting to get the drum and all those pipes cleaned out. It’s one of those products that are hard to determine the effectiveness of as I’m not really sure how one check’s their laundry pipes, but my machine definitely had a fresh clean smell to it afterwords (for the sake of a review I did pop my head at the entrance of my machine washing and had a sniff...).

This is quite a lot of products to absorb in one go, however if you do want to try this out for yourself, QVC UK will be doing a special deal on everything I've mentioned for better than half the price of buying each product individually on the EcoEgg website. This coming Monday this kit will be the Today's Special Value on QVC so if you do fancy buying it, hop on over on Monday!

The full kit contains:
- The Orange Blossom EcoEgg with refills
- A spare antibacterial Laundry Egg
- Two laundry egg holders
- An Ultimate Detox Tablet
- A double sized stain remover

This deal and the Orange Blossom fragrance is exclusive to QVC as well.

mòrag

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Ethical shopping...for an energy supplier

It's not very often that I talk about my 'real job' on here. I work in the utilities industry and it's a bit on the dull side. I work for a consultancy and we organise company's utility contracts and lower their consumption...yeah.yeah, I know you don't care. However, working in this situations means I can rattle on about tariff comparison rates, renter rights, smart meters and ethical suppliers as if it's my job (because it is).

And the ethical part is what I'm discussing today, because y'all know I'm big on the ethical shopping. Whilst shopping around for an ethical energy supplier is nowhere as riveting as a shopping for a cruelty-free, vegan, organic, fair trade foundation...it is a form of ethical shopping that could actually leave more money in your pocket to spend on that cruelty-free, vegan, organic, fair trade foundation. You see, ethical in the utilities industry isn't just renewables and paper-free billing; it's about not ripping people off (which is what a lot of suppliers do). Ethical shopping can be something which is reserved for middle-class folks however choosing an ethical energy supplier is a moral consumer choice which is cost accessible for majority of people.

I'm not exactly huge on sharing my financial information on the Internet but for the purpose of creating a scene. When I moved into my current flat I was paying £112 a month for electricity (ouch!) from Scottish Power but when I switched to Ovo Energy it fell to £52 a month. My bill more than halved and I'm now with a supplier who isn't a member of the Big Six, on a tariff with is partially renewable and receive paperless billing. See what I mean about the ethical option being the cheapest option?

So where to start?

Choosing a smaller supplier

You may or may not be familiar with the term 'big six' - but it refers to the six main energy players in the UK. And I can assure you they deserve the hate they get in the press and no ethically savvy shopper would have them heating their home (we're talking about British Gas, SSE, nPower, EDF, E.On and Scottish Power). When I was researching suppliers I didn't even consider the big six, as I consider myself an active boycotter.

Comparison sites/DIY

When I'm researching for my flat (I'll do it again next winter) I run my details through comparison sites to get a flavour of what's available at my address, but then I go to the supplier website and get a quote directly from them. The difference between the quote offered on a comparison site and a quote from the supplier itself can be considerable. Oh, and comparison sites make commissions (they're effectively brokers/middle-men).

What are you wanting from a supplier?
I went with Ovo because it offered me a waaayyyy cheaper deal than any other supplier and being on a graduate income I decided that getting something cheap was more important than signing up with the bee-knees of the energy industry. However if situations were different I would have went with Good Energy who have a very good customer service rating and are 100% renewable (but with Ovo I still get a partially renewable tariff and I'm still sticking it to the big six) and their owner didn't donate a heap of money to the Labour party (looking at you Ecotricity).

Keeping up to date and familiarising yourself with the industry
The comparison site USwitch has a fantastic blog and Facebook page, and it's great place to keep up with domestic energy news. And as much as I hate the Daily Mail, their financial section This is Money is also a good place to start. My parents are also members of Which? and I have their login details and I make very few big purchases without it. The industry news site Utility Week is informative however without buying a subscription you can only read a limited number of articles a week, so only read information regarding domestic energy (and not, say the story on electricity transmission charges - that's the kind of stuff I read).

Fixed price versus variable
Essentially a variable rate will mean you bill moves up and down depending on your usage. Whereas a fixed rate you only pay a certain amount each month regardless of your usage. A fixed rate tariff is however usually for a fixed amount of time. The basic rule is if you're a high energy user (work from home etc) a fixed rate would work best but if you're a low energy users (rarely in the house) then a variable rate would be the better option. My personal advice is that you should only choose a fixed rate if you've been switching for a good number of years and know what's a good price for your property and can be certain you'll be better off.

Renting and home ownership
What a lot of people don't know (and I also didn't know until I started my current job) is that renters have the right to choose their own supplier. The only situation a renter isn't allowed to choose is if they aren't responsible for paying the energy bills (i.e. utilities are included in the rent). If it's your name on the bills, it's your decision. The only thing renters need to be aware of is that the landlord can insist they change the supplier back when they move out, so don't choose a fixed term contract (unless you've spoken to your landlord).

Check your credit levels when you leave a supplier
A lot of suppliers work on a credit and debit basis where you pay the same amount each month and is designed to balance out the higher costs in the winter (but you'll pay a bit extra in the summer). When switching check if you have a credit balance and if so make sure you get it back (and it's best to claim it back before you announce you're leaving them). And avoid switching when your account is in debit.

How often should you switch
The guidance is every year. If you're on a fixed contract don't renew without checking other offers and if you're on flexible tariff it's still a good idea to check it every year. Just remember to check when you're account is in credit.

My experience with Ovo Energy
This was by far the cheapest option. However I've had the odd nuisance with them but for the price I haven't made that much of a fuss. I have two supplies in my flat, and when I applied to switch they only thought I wanted to change one supply which caused Scottish Power to block the move. Then, when they applied to switch them both they made one supply variable and one supply fixed. Thankfully I'm renting my current flat long term so it could be worse but they should have checked! But this is nothing compared to Scottish Power (who were banned from taking on more customers because their service was that shocking). I'm happy with them due to how cheap they are, but if you can afford something better I'd say go better.

As mentioned it's my job to know all this and there's information that I couldn't fit into one blog post. However, if you're now inspired to switch your supplier I'm more than happy to answer any questions. And if I don't know the answer someone in my work probably will.

Happy ethical energy switching!

Morag x

mòrag

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Quirky Xmas interiors with Sterling

We're etching much further into the Christmas period and it's becoming a lot more acceptable to talk about the 25th of December. I started off a bit of ho ho ho cheer with my first thoughts on some of the Lush Christmas range, and now I'm moving onto getting my abode into the mood.

Last Thursday I was invited along to Sterling Furniture in Glasgow to have a nosey at their newly launched Christmas range and have a wee chat with the buyer for the company, Isabelle. They have three main ranges as well as their regular products, and no matter what you're after - whether it's a traditional throw or a pair of fluffy ice-skates to hang from your ceiling - this range has you covered.

The picture I used above is a quick look at the Candy Cane range. It makes use of the colour red and has a very American feel to it, and out of the ranges it is the most Christmassy. Santa makes several appearances along with his reindeers, along with some tongue-in-cheek slogans. It's very funky and includes off-beat pieces, my favourite being the pair of ski's for your tree.

sterling furniture frosted forrest 1

However my favourite range is the Frosted Forrest. Isabelle explained that this is aimed at buyers with contemporary homes which would be me (only one of the seven properties I've lived in could be considered old). I love me some green and teal shades and this reminds me of a winter wonderland fairy tale.

sterling furniture midas touch

Finally, for anyone who doesn't want something that looks like Santa or Snow White designed it, there is the Midas Touch range. As you can see from the photo it is gold and black throughout and is not your stereotypical Christmas decor. If you fancy some black feathers, a giant gold pineapple or some sparkly black birds for your mantelpiece then this is your calling. Even though this is range I was least personally drawn to what did strike me about this is that almost everything could be used all year round. If you want to have a Santa cushion on your sofa all year round then that's your prerogative, but if you don't want to change your ornaments when the clocks change then this is a great range to look at (especially if you like black).

Sterling furniture Christmas range

Beyond the three main ranges, there is also a generic Christmas range if none of the three showpieces caught your eye. The white tree in the photo above is from the etc range which I bought on the night for only £3. The Santa it's a long story tree decoration* is part of the Candy Cane range but as I don't buy a tree (Christmas day is spent at my parents' in Aberdeenshire) I'm planning to make use of it by hanging it over a door handle. I have a few Christmas bits and pieces I've built up over the years and I'm planning to get round to showing off some of the tiny Christmas touches I give my rented flat.

As always, all pictures from the event are on my blog's Facebook page.

Morag x

P.S. The tree decoration was given to me for free at the press event.

mòrag