Lyn
It's that time of year again. I find it difficult to buy something different for my dad for Fathers Day - and he's got enough socks and hankies to last a lifetime! So Annie and I decided to make our cards and some little presents during a stitchy afternoon, and here is what we came up with (we had to resist the usual flowery stuff and go for Things Boys Might Like!):
Handmade cards are always appreciated and can be made to suit your dad's interests. The fisherman and wording are 'drawn' in black sewing thread by free-motion machine embroidery onto scraps of handmade felt, leftover from previous projects, then stuck into place with double-sided sticky tape.
Quick Tip: To machine embroider on a small piece of felt, pin it onto a piece of thin paper, so that you have something to hold onto, and embroider through the felt and paper together. When you've finished, trim the paper so that it doesn't show beyond the edges of the felt, and you'll have a good surface for the double-sided sticky tape, making it easy to attach the felt to the card.
Annie made this robots card for her dad - inspired by a cute little chocolate robot she bought for him in the delicious Chococco tea room (a local Purbeck Chocolate Company). Cos if all else fails, there is always chocolate!
Gardener, fisherman, bird watcher or any other kind of outdoor dad, likes his coffee hot, and mug cosies can be knitted, crocheted, stitched or felted.
I made this one from a double layer of fleece material and the mug holds a man-sized three-quarters of a pint. The vintage car is free-motion machine embroidery on a scrap of dupion silk.
Or if he prefers to guzzle his coffee sat by the computer like Annie’s dad - here’s a double-sided drinks coaster. He loves the coast and all types of boats. When he wins the lottery he will definitely have a nice big sailing boat...And a fishing boat...And a captain's hat!
The pictures were inspired by some holiday photos we took years ago, shown above. The one of the fishing boats is the perfect image - Annie's dad always says we should put a seagull in the sky in any coastal picture - we usually don't, but in this case there really was one!
Homemade whisky marmalade (using your dad's favourite whisky) sounds like too much hard work. All those oranges to prepare.....but wait.....there is a quick and easy way to do it.
We've written a tutorial for this month's Make and Craft magazine, issue 8, that will show you how to make delicious whisky marmalade in just thirty minutes. We made 12 jars so will be eating it for a while! If you don't already subscribe to the magazine, you can download a single digital copy for just £1.99.
Have fun if you decide to make your Fathers Day present or gifts...and try not to eat any edible bits! The choccy robot is really asking to have his head bitten right off....mmmmm
