Shaw - Celebrate with a Stitch: Over 20 Gorgeous Sewing Stitching and Embroidery Projects for Every Occasion

This book is dedicated to two very special people with whom I have had the pleasure of sharing many a good celebration Auntie Betty and Debbie. Thank you my darlings for your inspirations; you will be greatly missed.

Mandy is a true creative she fizzes with new ideas for designs and is buzzing with excitement about her latest book project. This collection of projects to celebrate everything from birthdays to babies, captures Mandys contagious energy and enthusiasm as well as her unique style, making it a must for any crafter, new or experienced.

I first met Mandy when she showed me how to make a Christmas stocking using gorgeous vintage fabrics from my scrap stash. In this, her latest book, Mandy shows us how to make celebratory bunting, pennants and decorations using vintage and modern fabrics, that can be adapted for every occasion.

Immerse yourself in this fabulous selection of projects, which culminates with the ultimate Celebration Quilt an heirloom keepsake to be treasured forever.

Happy sewing!

Kirstie Allsopp

When it comes to designing, making, creating and writing, my home and my family are always my inspiration, and why? Because we are always celebrating one event or another. Whether its passing an exam, a birthday party, a family get-together, a birth or a marriage, Halloween or Christmas, it seems there is a celebration every month of the year.

Days spent together with friends and family make memories the more we can cram in, the richer our lives will be. This book is about celebrating these occasions by the making of decorations and gifts.

No party is complete without bunting and Ive got several different versions for you to make. My pennants are a quick fix for brightening up any event, and wine glass lampshades are perfect for decorating a party table. I have project ideas for celebrating the birth of a baby, a wedding celebration, a childs birthday party and Christmas of course but any of the ideas can easily be adapted to suit your own celebrations.

If the great celebration ideas in this book and the beautiful photography have inspired you to get creative, but you are new to stitching, this chapter will give you all the advice you need to begin with confidence. There is helpful advice on choosing fabrics and threads, essential tips on working the appliqu designs, as well as hand embroidery stitch diagrams for both left- and right-handers. All the projects contain a variety of sewing techniques to teach you new skills and perhaps brush up on ones you already know.

The fabrics I have used for the projects in this book have a retro Fifties feel with lots of spots, checks and stripes. I used a colour palette of pastels and primary colours which, I hope you will agree, gives a fresh, bright look that will appeal to all ages.

If you are new to making things from fabric you are in for a great treat. You have so much to look forward to as you build your fabric collections, from sourcing fabric shops, to stashing your buys on little shelves or in a special drawer. I love to work with 100% cotton to give a clean, crisp textured look to my makes. It is advisable to wash and press your fabrics before you sew in case the colour runs. Fabrics are often treated with a sort of starch dressing to make them easier to sew; after washing and drying, you may find that giving your fabrics a little spray starch will aid sewing.

I adore working with felt as it does not fray; it is lovely to sew, and especially to blanket stitch. There are various qualities of felt, which perform differently with wear; always buy felt that has a percentage of wool in it the higher the better as this will help to prevent the felts surface from going bobbly over time.

Vintage fabrics are a favourite of mine embroidered cloths, lace hankies, cotton monogrammed linens and similar treasures can be sourced from internet auctions, car boot sales and secondhand shops; you never know what you will discover.