Hochanda

If you caught our debut show on Hochanda , we thought you may like some ideas of what designs can be made from the packs we featured.  Amongst the goodies available are three leather bundles, noodle bead packs including CZ rondels and a fabulous hematine bead 10 strand pack. We have designed this classic leather necklace using a combination of items from this show and we want to share the design with you. It’s perfect for that day-into-evening look.       1  Firstly take one of the 1 metre lengths of leather and fold in half.         2  Then attach a crimp and ring to each end of the leather. Crimp it in the middle with pliers to hold it securely in place.     3      Take a headpin and snip off the head with snips/flush cutters to create a piece of wire. Use the wrapped loop technique* to turn a loop in one end of the wire, before completing the wrapped loop, atta...

Peterborough Re-use, “British Renewable Energy Awards Finalist” have crafted an amazing idea of coffee bags from around the world. These kits will be exclusively designed and sold to Hochanda viewers only. Ranged from just £9.99, each kit is unique due to the cut of the fabric, the inner material, ribbon used for handles, decoration and strength so viewers will definitely be spoiled for choice. Be the first to take a look here! A bag from literally around the world Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica- to name a few- are some of the countries the coffee bags have come from. The bags each hold up to 65kg of coffee beans so they are extremely strong. Created to help eradicate our throwaway society ethos and to get the community involved in the project, Peterborough Re-use has held a series of workshops in the local area. These being sewing and fresh home-working opportunities. The initiative has given local people the opportunity to learn new skills and created fres...

A sneak peek of our new alternative mixed media supplier joining Hochanda in June! We’re so excited for Powertex® to be joining us that two of our team travelled to Studley, Warwickshire to spend the day in a workshop with our fabulous new guest, Tracey and her husband Gary! Lorna and Sam tell us about their day… When we arrived we were welcomed with open arms and given a tour of the amazing studio – I mean just look how amazing it is! Tracey had set up a little work station for us; a table covered in plastic (always recommended), an apron, paper plates, paint brushes, latex gloves, and one of the amazing kits she’ll be bringing to her shows on Hochanda in June, which included cotton fabric, and a mixture of embellishments such as ribbons, wooden shapes and plaster shapes. We had everything we would need to get started. She started by showing us how to use the Powertex® before we got our hands dirty helping us with simple tips and tricks as she went alo...

Kim & Debbie are back once again to keep us up to date on all of their adventures in their regular guest blog! We can't believe that on the last Sunday of May we are up to the penultimate pattern in Florries Sampler Quilt!  Last month we tackled the blocks featuring Needle Turned Appliqué and Bears Paw.  The extra project was a lovely little pot holder using one block of the Bears Paw. To top things off, Our Sewing at the Manor book proved really popular and a lovely pack of half metres from the Mill Shirtings Collection were also on the show! We have some extra shows in May, on the 2nd we brought a Free Motion Sewing Pack and the rotating 12 inch board which is in inches, Happy Days! Also, on Friday 13th we are looking forward to sunnier days with a pack of fabric called 'Vacation' and some useful bag accessories... oh! And an LED night in a choice of colours. Florries Sampler Quilt Pattern 5 has the wow factor with a foundation pieced Spinning Bl...

We're so excited to be bringing you this brilliant die cleaning tool from Craft Obsessions , which will relieve all of the frustrations that come with cleaning intricate dies, featuring on Hochanda on Wednesday 4th May at 10AM and 1PM & 6PM. Anyone who has ever used an intricate die suffers the frustrating job of having to clear out the dozens of waste bits of paper or card before they can use it again. Existing die cleaning brushes work up to a point, but as die designs become ever more intricate, manufacturers are having to reduce the size of the openings in the back of the die to allow more intricate features to form part of the design.   This results in upwards of 60 or more individual holes through which you can poke out the waste with a pin or craft pick or roll a brush over the back of the die and wait for just one bristle to find its way into the hole you need it to go through to force the waste out…..that is until now! Introducing Roll Away: ...

We gave away a kit to knit your very own Ursula the Polar Bear at Crafting at Ally Pally which has been designed by Barbara Prime,  and now we’ve got the pattern below from Practical Publishing for all of you who’d like to create this adorable knit! For anyone who didn’t get a chance to grab the knit kit, all you need is red and white wool to get started! Happy Knitting! Body: With MC and smaller needles, cast on 9sts. Join to work in the rnd, being careful not to twist. Pm to mark beg of rnd at centre back. Rnd 1: Knit. 
 Rnd 2: [K1, m1] 9 times. 18 sts 
 Rnds 3, 5, 7, 9 & 11: Knit. 
 Rnd 4: [K3, m1] 6 times. 24 sts 
 Rnd 6: [K4, m1] 6 times. 30 sts 
 Rnd 8: [K5, m1] 6 times. 36 sts 
 Rnd 10: [K6, m1] 6 times. 42 sts 
 Rnd 12: [K7, m1] 6 times. 48 sts 
 Rnd 13-15: Knit. 
 Rnd 16: K18, p1, k10, p1, k18. Purled sts mark eye locations. 
 Rnds 17-27: Knit. 
 Rnd 28: K19, m1, k10, m1, k19. 50 sts Rnds 29-35: Knit. 
 Rnd 36:...