Yesterday, I re-covered my camera strap, and I thought I’d show you what I did.  I’ve wanted to re-cover my camera strap for a while, so on Wednesday when I went to my local craft shop, I picked up a .25m strip of fabric for the project.  The fabric I chose was green with flowers – isn’t it cute?!  I wanted to make my strap orange, but since I photograph wildlife and nature it’s not really sensible as it’s hardly very stealthy!

I found some instructions for covering your camera strap on the internet, however, in the end I didn’t follow these instructions so I’ll show you exactly what I did instead.  There are two reasons why I didn’t follow the instructions I’ve just linked to.  The first is that I only have one camera strap, and I was worried that I wouldn’t like the strap once I was finished with it and then I’d have to buy a new strap (I love how my strap’s turned out so I don’t think this would’ve been a problem).  The second reason is that Bekuh, the blogger who wrote the instructions I’ve linked to, sews the fabric directly on to her camera strap, and I was worried about the additional stitching ruining the integrity of the camera strap.  This is probably a daft thing to worry about, but since my camera is worth upwards of £600, I don’t want the strap to break just because I’ve sewn some cloth on to it!

With these thoughts in mind, I decided to make my cover so it would slide over the strap and so didn’t interfere with the camera strap itself.  It has the added benefit of being removable in case I get bored with it!

Measure, measure, measure…

The most boring part of any craft project, it’s true.  Doubly-annoying for Brits, since we live in a country where both metric and imperial units are commonplace.  Want a crazy example of how weird we are?  Fabric is sold in metres (which as you know is a metric unit of measurement), but craft projects are measured in inches (an imperial unit of measurement).  So, I bought .25m of fabric, measured my camera strap length (44cm), laid the fabric out on my cutting board, and then remembered that my cutting ruler and cutting board are in inches, so I had to start over.

When you cut your fabric, don’t forget that you will need to add additional length for a hem.  I usually include 1 inch for hemming (which is 0.5 inches for each edge).  So the length of the fabric you cut will be the length of your camera strap + 1 inch for hemming.

For the width of your fabric strip, you need to measure the width of your camera strap, double it because we’re covering both sides, and add 1 inch for hemming.  I also added an additional 0.5 inches because I included a layer of wadding, which thickens the strap.

To wad or not to wad…

I use wadding for pretty much all projects, it’s true.  Since I was covering the camera strap, I decided I might as well make it as comfortable as possible!  I have lots of wadding left over from quilting projects, so it didn’t cost any more for me to include wadding in my strap cover.  You can skip this part if you don’t want to use wadding.

You need to cut the wadding so that it is 0.5 inches narrower and 0.5 inches shorter than your fabric.

Pin…

I usually skip the pinning part of projects, but it is important for this project as you’re working with quite small hems.  Fold the edges of your fabric twice and pin to the wadding (or to itself if you’re not using wadding).  It should look like this (without wadding if you’re not using it):

This will be the inside of your strap when you’re finished.

Now, you just need to sew these hems down.  You can use a straight stitch on the sewing machine for this, or you can hand-stitch if you prefer.  I hand-stitched mine because I prefer hand-stitching to machine stitching, but it’s entirely up to you!

The final step…

When you’ve finished hemming, you’ll have a long rectangle of fabric with neatly hemmed edges.  Fold the fabric in half lengthways, with the right side of the fabric facing out.  Now you just need to stitch along the long edge of the fabric to make a ‘tube’.  You can either do this with the fabric loose, or you can do as I did and stitch it straight over your camera strap.  It doesn’t matter which way you do it – my camera strap is attached to my camera really tightly and I didn’t think I’d be able to un-do it easily to slip the cover on, so I sewed my cover straight over my strap.

Because your stitching will be visible, you need to make sure it’s neat.  Again, you can stitch with a machine or by hand, however I would recommend that you hand-stitch here, as you’ll have more control over the placement of each stitch, meaning you can make sure it’s even and pretty.  I used whip-stitch, but I did the stitches much closer together than usually recommended.  I used an embroidery thread so that the stitching became a feature of the strap.

Once that step’s completed, you’ve finished!  Hopefully, you’ve now got a snazzy camera strap!

Ever since I saw the adoration with which bloggers referred to this brand of pencil, I have wanted to try it. I’m not really a pencil person, but this year I’ve been making an effort to use the pencils I own and I am starting to enjoy writing with a pencil. It has one major benefit over the fountain pen, which is that if I have to pause in the middle of writing something, I don’t have to worry about the nib going dry (I’m talking about a long pause, not a hesitation!).

It’s taken me quite a few months to obtain this pencil, because I was hesitant to ship from the U.S (where the pencil is made). Luckily, I think I’d mentioned something in passing on Twitter, and Lito from Palimpsest mentioned that Pencils.com ship worldwide. They then tweeted back to say they also recommended a UK stockist, Pedlars, who would be glad to take my order. I was so excited to find out about a UK stockist, and I shortly afterwards ordered a box of the pencils.

Firstly, many bloggers have commented on the price of these pencils – which is definitely a bit more than most people would pay for a pencil, so it wasn’t a shock when I saw the price. Still, I did wince when I ordered them. I paid £29.90 for 12 pencils and postage, which works out at £2.49 a pencil.  They aren’t cheap!

The Palomino Blackwing has quite a presence on the web.  There is the manufacturer’s page and lots of reviews (and also anti-Palomino Blackwing pages, which I wasn’t aware existed)!  I’m not going to regurgitate all of the information presented on these pages, so I’m just going to share with you the bits that matter.

The parent company that own the Palomino brand, California Cedar Products, grow their own incense-cedar trees, and these are what’s used to make the Palomino pencils.  For the boring botanist types like me, incense-cedar is a type of conifer native to California.  So, they win points on the sustainability and eco fronts.  Which is really all that matters in a pencil manufacturer!  (I’m kidding, of course, the quality of the pencil is also important!  But, good credentials are a start!).

How does the pencil write?

Since I don’t have that  much experience writing with pencils, and even less experience reviewing them, I tried to work out what a regular pencil user would need from a pencil.  Since I trained as a geologist, I decided to review the pencil from the point of view of an outdoor worker.  Pencils how several benefits over pens when in the field.  They don’t run out of ink, the writing is insoluble and they don’t leak when in your pocket.  So, what do you need in a pencil?

Firstly, the pencil needs to lay down a dark line.  You need to be able to see what you’ve written against any smudges or marks on the paper.  This is true whether you’re indoors or out.  Whether it’s cat prints or mud, you need to see what you wrote down clearly.  The Blackwing has quite a dark line – in fact it’s famous for this.

I can’t really see how the Blackwing pencil is darker than other pencils though.  I’ve included some other pencils I had to hand in my test so we could compare.  The blackwing is darker than the Derwent HB, but it only seems to be a slight improvement on the Connect HB.  Whilst the 6B is very dark, it’s a really soft lead so would be impractical to write with on a regular basis.

Here’s another writing sample of the Blackwing.  The pencil keeps it’s point quite well, which makes it nice to write with.

Next, people probably want their pencil to erase mistakes easily.  I must say that I don’t care for this aspect of pencils.  I rarely use erasers unless I’m drawing – I’m quite happy to just scribble over a mistake, as I do for pen mistakes.  However, I have included a review of the eraser that comes with the Blackwing pencil.

This eraser is unique, as it is detachable from the pencil and can be replaced when it’s run out.

The metal clasp around the eraser can be removed and you can buy replacement erasers in several colours.  I like that this has been considered, as I’ve seen many a pencil where the eraser has been used up, but the pencil is only half-used.

The eraser itself is nothing to write home about, but it does the job.

You can see in the photo above that I’ve erased the specification details written for each pencil.  You can still see the shadow of what I’ve erased, and the 6B smudges terribly, but if you were writing a list in a hurry this shouldn’t be a problem.  If you’re planning to use this pencil for drawing, I’d recommend using a proper eraser!

Next, I decided to subject the samples to a smudge test.  Whether you’ve rubbed your page with your own hand, or you have a sticky toddler touching everything, your writing needs to stay clear with basic use.

Although I’m not reviewing the Derwent pencils here, I must say I’m very surprised at how much the Derwent HB smudged.  The Blackwing doesn’t fair to badly in this test.  There is some smudging, but the original text is still clear.

For my final test, I’ve spilt tea over the writing to see how being wet affects it.  Whether it’s rain or a drink leaking in your handbag (sad times!), you expect a pencil to fare better than a pen in a wet test.  The Blackwing doesn’t let you down here.

Again, I’m surprised at how smudgy the Derwent HB is, but the Blackwing is fine.  The Derwent 6B is now losing some of its definition (which wasn’t great to start with), and the Connect HB has faded a little.

Really, the Blackwing is just a pencil.  A good pencil, but just a pencil nonetheless.  It’s like the Lamy of pencils.  Functional, well-designed and what you want from all pencils.  If you had more money to spend, I imagine you’d go for something posher (as you would with a fountain pen), but it does the job and is a pleasure to use.

Link tag Tuesday is a collection of webpages that I’ve been looking at this week.  You can view previous Link tag Tuesdays here.

• I love the prose that Palimpsest posted on his blog recently: Writing instruments are the voice of desire.  Thanks for writing down our feelings, Baudrillard!
• Here are some Dalai Lama tips to get you through your day!
• One of the financial blogs I read recently published a post on how to survive the apocalypse.  It’s quite an amusing post, and I guess it’s topical what with The Hunger Games being in the cinemas ‘n’ all… Go and read it, and then start learning to make a crossbow!
• Have you got 15 mins spare?  If so, go and explore Nick Veasey’s website.  Nick Veasey is a photographer who specialises in x-ray photography.  Click on the link for Projects, and then look at all his work.  My favourite folder is his Aquatic work.  Everything is so pretty!  Plant life is my second favourite folder!
• Caballo Blanco is a famous ultra-runner, and he went missing at the end of March.  Unfortunately, he was confirmed dead a few weeks ago, but Christopher McDougall (the writer of Born to Run) wrote a beautiful article on Caballo’s last run.  If you’re a runner, you should go read it.
• Are you a James Bond fan? (Yes, yes, YES!)  Here’s a photo of the house where Ian Fleming once lived.
• Recording Thoughts wrote a post about why you need a yellow pen.  I don’t own a yellow pen, but I have been dithering over a yellow Lamy!  Mind you, Steve is dismissive of orange pens and I love them!
• And finally, cat photos.  Because everyone loves them.

Happy Tuesday!

I’m a bit late with my review this month. April has passed very quickly!

I’ve had quite an expensive month. I’ve been buying clothes! I’ve also spent £29.64 on iTunes and £15.75 on books. Tut tut. My “Misc.” category has also expanded a lot this month, with £59.39 being spent on generic things that don’t fit into any other category. Ridiculous!

Clothing

I’ve bought 7 items of clothing this month, so I’m only allowed to buy 5 more items in the rest of the year (hopefully I won’t do that though!). 3 of the items were shoes. I could probably have got away with only buying one new pair of shoes, but I wanted something pretty as well as something functional, and then I decided to get a new pair of flip flops… I also bought a pair of pj bottoms, and a new cardi. It will be great for next winter! I’ve worn it already, but it’s a bit hot for this time of year. It’s beautiful, and I got it on sale! Inside, it’s lined with plaid flannel, so it’s nice and snuggly.

I also brought a striped knitted top and a sleeveless t-shirt for summer (assuming it ever stops raining).

I shall reign in my spending in May. I also want to finish more books this month. And finish a crochet project. We’ll see how it all goes!

I haven’t been down to the canal near where I live for quite a few months – I think at least since last autumn, so last week I went one evening for a nice stroll.  Some of the trees are still bare, but there are flowers along the path and the birds are busy tweeting.

I haven’t taken my DSLR out for a walk for quite a while.  Since I got my iPhone 4GS I’ve been enjoying the 8 megapixel camera it has in its hardware.  I’ve been having a lot of a fun playing with filters, as you can see from today’s photos.  They make everything look so dreamy!

I hope you have a lovely Saturday, whatever you have planned

Hi all.  I thought it was time to revisit my Filofax Flex, and show you how it looks now that I’ve been using it for four months.  I reviewed the Flex when I got it back in January, and at the time I was using only one notebook in it (and the tiny Field Notes memo book).  I still haven’t solved my pen issue, although at the moment I’m using my Waterman Audace.  I’m still using the Flex to house all of my MSc notebooks as I work on my thesis.  It’s handy having everything kept together in one “file”.

My Flex has grown a lot fatter since you saw it last.  It’s storing a lot of notebooks – probably more than is recommended. However, it’s not showing any signs of stress so I think it’s fine!

This is everything that is currently in my Filofax Flex.

So, actually in the pockets, I have my Daycraft Signature notebook on the right (with an Apple sticker), and the Filofax Flex notebook on the left.  The notebook on the right is slotted in with the back cover, so you can see the front in this photo.  The Flex notebook is slotted in with the front cover, so you can see the back cover in this photo.  When I open the notebook it rests on the Daycraft notebook, so I can lean on it.

Then we have my Field Notes memo book.  This lives in one of the horizontal slots behind the Flex notebook.  It’s a perfect size for fitting in these slots.

Next, I have a 2012 week view diary from Trinity College Dublin.  My Grandma bought this for me.  It’s not my actual planner (I still use my Filofax), but I needed a small week-to-view planner for my MSc, so I’m using this.

Finally, I have a pretty cahier from Paperchase.  The Daycraft notebook is already full, so I’m using this notebook now to continue my notes (I’m using the Flex notebook for planning).  This cahier doesn’t have a slot, so it just floats around in the Flex like the planner.

I also have some folded sheets of paper floating around, but there’s no point in photographing them!

And that’s my Filofax Flex at the moment!  I’m impressed at how much you can fit inside the Flex – I love it!

Yesterday I went to my local wool shop to pick up lots of wool for new projects.  I meant to take some photos while I was in the shop because it’s an amazing shop and you’d all love it, but I forgot.  Bad Millie!  I will try and remember next time I go!

Here’s a photo of the yarns I purchased:

There are two projects here.  I will be making a granny square blanket with the green at the back of the pile and the purple at the front of the photograph.  These are not colours I would have chosen to put together myself, but I’m making it for a friend.  I’ve tried to choose a green and a purple that won’t clash and look horrible.  I think I’ve chosen well, what do you think?

The second project is a simple striped crochet blanket in the bright blue and the bright yellow, both in the middle of the photo (labelled “Alaska”).  These are both bright colours that clash wonderfully!  I’m making this blanket for Friends of Chernobyl’s Children, which is a charity that works with orphanages and poor families in the area around the Chernobyl disaster area.  Aside from the fact these children are often in poverty-stricken areas, they suffer from high levels of cancer due to the daily radiation levels they’re exposed to as a result of the nuclear disaster.

The charity has local groups across the UK, and there is a group in a village near where I live.  Children come to stay with foster families in the UK every year.  Research into the project has found that the children that spend a month in the UK have reduced likelihood of cancer as a result of living in a radiation-free area briefly.  The charity picks up all medical and dental costs whilst the children are in the UK, and it gives them a chance to be fed properly and looked after in a safe environment.  My local group send the children home with home-made blankets.  In some of the homes these children come from, it might be the only thing that they own and it helps protect them from the Russian winters.

I love making things, as you know from this blog, but there is a limit to the number of blankets I need.  I’m very happy to make blankets for charity and this is such a wonderful cause.  I started the blanket after I got home from the wool shop, and this is what it looks like so far:

I’ve chosen a colour scheme that has no political or gender-specific significance.  Blue and yellow stripes are quite harmless and are cheerful to look at.  I’ll show you the blanket once it’s finished!

Last week, I read a post on The Everyday Minimalist about cataloguing the clothing you own to avoid buying duplicate items, and to make sure all your clothes match.  I thought it was a brilliant idea, so for the last few days I’ve been doing it sporadically with my own clothes.  I’ve photographed everything and pulled some items out to go to charity.  I’ve re-organised my wardrobe and dusted everything.  It feels like a proper spring clean!

I think this is a very worthwhile project to do, but I must warn you that it’s very time consuming!  I didn’t take care with my photos like The Everyday Minimalist did (I’m only using them for reference and I don’t think photos of me wearing each item is necessary), and it still took hours to do.  I then had to organise all the photos into folders and upload them to Dropbox, which also took hours!

The end result is quite scary.  I own A LOT of clothing!  Would you like some numbers?  It might make you feel better about your wardrobe (or you might think I own no clothing at all!).

Here is how my wardrobe breaks down:

• 5 gilets
• 6 skirts and 11 dresses (even though I rarely wear either!)
• 25 jumpers and 8 knitted sweaters
• 17 long-sleeved t-shirts, 18 short-sleeved t-shirts and 8 sleeveless t-shirts
• 5 button shirts
• 18 pairs of trousers (includes jeans, cords, wool, etc)
• 6 pairs of shorts

I haven’t included sportswear (it’s all in a box and I couldn’t be bothered to get it out), and I haven’t catalogued my shoes yet (it’s cold in the garage so I’ll wait until we have some warm weather).  I definitely don’t need to buy any more clothes now (I’ve already bought some this month, which I will discussing in a blog post in a few days).

Have you ever catalogued your wardrobe?

Link tag Tuesday is a collection of webpages that I’ve been looking at this week.  You can view previous Link tag Tuesdays here.

• Here’s a fun link to start off this Tuesday’s post: 15 things you may not know about chocolate.  It’s quite interesting.  I didn’t know, for example, that 70% of the world’s cacao beans come from West Africa.  I just assumed that it all came from South American countries.
• This is a link to make you think, from Oprah’s website: How much is too much to give to charity?  I’m not a religious person (I have in fact been an atheist my whole life), but I do tithe.  Throughout my school years I fund-raised and donated to charity regularly, and I always said that as soon as I got a full-time job I would tithe properly, and I’ve kept that promise to myself.  Charity is something that’s very important to me – no matter how rubbish my life gets, there will always be people who are suffering more and projects that will need my support.  I strongly believe that anyone in full-time work has a responsibility to donate part of their income to charity for this reason.  However, charity is a personal choice and it’s up to you to do what you feel is comfortable and right.  The article is well-worth a read before you make any decisions though.
• Another link I’ve been meaning to share for ages!  I read a few farming and smallholding blogs alongside the stationery blogs I follow, and occasionally my blog loves cross-over, as they did here.  Throwback at Trapper Creek did a post showing journal entries from the 1980s recording life on the farm, and I wanted to share it with you.
• I try to include at least one image-based link every week, and this week’s comes from a Graphic Designer in New Zealand, called Glenn Jones.  I love how his images are full of pop culture references, and bold colours.  I think my favourite design is the “Rainbow Chasers” one.  I’d watch that show!
• There was recently an international design competition for a new research lab in Bali, and the winning design is very James Bond villian-esque.  I love it!  I’m so glad projects like this are happening, and making the world such a cool place!
• This isn’t a link for you to read, but I came across some worksheet designs that are free to download and print out, and I thought I’d share it with you.  There are exercise worksheets, shopping list worksheets and many more, all nicely designed.
• I love lip balms, but this list of 11 unusual lip balm flavours kind of freaks me out a bit.  What sort of person wants Cheez-It flavoured lip balm?!  That’s just gross!

That’s it for this week, have you got any links you’d like to share?  Leave a comment below.  Happy Tuesday!

All this week, we’ve had sunny mornings and rain/hail storms in the afternoon. Yesterday we even had a thunderstorm and a power cut. Today, therefore, we went for a walk in the morning while the sun was out.

A peacock butterfly stopped to pose for photos, and the fields are full of rape seed.

Have a lovely Sunday.