Simply Stitchy

My bathroom is full of ladybirds. They’re coming in through the window frame. Which probably means that it needs filling somewhere or worse, replacing. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. The ladybirds being in the bathroom that is, not the window frame. The whole bathroom needs some serious TLC to be honest. I quite like Ladybirds. They’re probably the only insects that don’t make me drop everything and run the other way. Known as the gardener’s friend, these unassuming little bugs eat the nasty creepy crawlies that eat your best plants. So as a nod to the Ladybirds, and a quick-fix to brighten up a room in need of some makeover inspiration, I decided to make some curtain tie-backs. Using some Ladybird buttons that I’ve had in my stash forever, and upcycling legs from some old jeans. (1) First step, chop up the jeans. Well, actually, the first step is to decide how long you want the tie-backs. I wanted mine to be around 7 inches (17cm) from hook ...

 Hi there, I recently picked up a second hand ironing board at a local yard sale. It wasn't much to look at but the frame was nice and sturdy so I gave it a new home. Judging by the condition of the cover, this board has seen some serious ironing use. The cover is wafer-thin, the padding is non existent. So much so that when you iron on it, the metal frame is imprinted on your clothes. It's also a bit grubby with a hole or two here and there. It could do with a bit of a make-over. Which is why I spent a couple of hours over the weekend making a new cover for it. To be honest, ironing board covers aren't difficult. I spent most of the time deciding what fabric to cover it with. Pretty much any fabric will do as long as it's hard-wearing and heat-tolerant. Cotton is ideal. Denims are brilliant. This could be a great way to up-cycle the legs from old jeans - as long as you don't use the frayed or ripped parts. Or the seams. You don't want anyt...