London-based label DIYcouture has launched a collection of couture clothing with a difference. Rather than all the ready-to-wear yawn-a-rama you can buy from any old designer label, DIYcouture gives you the patterns and know how to make your own garment.
The team call their patterns "ghosts that come into being as each person begins to build them himself with his own interpretations" in a bid to combat the trend of fast, run-of-the-mill fashion that has been relentlessly stomping off the catwalk and into the shops.
The patterns come in book form and run from hoodies to Grecian dresses. There's a handy hints page on finding your fabric to go along with your pattern purchase to make things super easy.
For a quick insight into crafting your own couture the site also features a handy 'How to' section showing you stitching, joining and pleating.
Be your very own designer label, dahhhhhling! You'll look fabulous.
Back in days gone by they were a classy bunch. Graceful, debonair and chic; the dress of the 40s and 50s took a fair amount of putting together but was worth it for the finished look. Inspired by her grandmother's photos and vintage fashion photographs of the period, My Vintage Dresser was created.
Katie dreamed up the vintage pattern shop when her job became a bit unstable and has gone onto create a place where you can find a treasure trove of vintage fabulousness.
You can dig up retro goodness to your heart's content with a classic selection of sewing and knitting patterns. From 1960s pleated skirts from Vogue to P&B Wools patterns for fine tailored jackets, every pattern will have you itching to get your retro on.
Katie also teams them up with the opportunity to attend workshops covering everything from vintage hairstyling and makeup to where to source vintage and how to put it all together.
You'll be crafting yourself vintagey before you can say "Make do and mend".
Accessories are everything when you're a crafty creature. Once the craft bug bites you need places to store things, bags to tote things, markers to make things and purses to shove all your bits and bobs in. A solution is needed and flapping to the rescue are the good folks at The Bothered Owl.
Alex and Sarah, the handmade heroes who make up The Bothered Owl, are two Aussie ex-pats crafting their creations over here in London. They check two of the coolest boxes in craft in that their makings heavily involve the wonder that is Lego and they manage to rustle up some of the finest fabrics I've ever seen.
Their Etsy and Folksy shops wave their cute and quirky Lego stitchmarkers and jewellery in your face, wink cheekily at you with brooches and purses adorned with dancing skeletons and wise owls, and tempt you in with more needle rolls, totes and project bags than you can stuff your stuff into.
All sewn items feature fabrics you'd walk over the sharpest bits of Lego barefoot just to get your hands on.
What also sets them apart from the handmaking hoardes is their willingness to listen to your ideas on what you might be missing for your crafty collection. Read their blog, comment on their stuff, tweet them on Twitter.
Definitely crafters to keep your owl eyes on.
A cold snap is all it's taken for legwarmers - previously on the fringes of what was considered acceptable wear - to fall firmly into fasion-friendly territory. All of a sudden it's ok to wear them with a straight face, even if you're not going to a flashdance party. In fact, it's the only sane way to wear a skirt...
Some of the best 'warmers I've seen are coming direct from the craft community, which has a knack for meeting these sudden needs. Clokwise from top left, here are some of Etsy's finest:
Snow Day legwarmers: upcycled from a sweater, with embroidered snowflakes. $24 by Pondhopper
Eco-friendly Dark Heathered Purple recycled legwarmers. $20 at Mountain Girl Clothing
Nights in Rodanthe upcycled lacy legwarmers, $27 by Pondhopper
Hello Traveller legwarmers in Peruvian colours. $22 by Mademoiselle Mermaid
I've certainly never seen anything quite like these creepy, Alfred Hitchcock-inspired moccasins before. Moccasins are supposed to be the most innocuous of shoes, but a second glance at this handmade pair from Darlingtonia will give you cause to think again.
What I like most about these shoes is the way they make you double take: the black birds look just like abstract splodges until you give them a closer inspection. Despite this, they're still a perfect moccasin shape and style. Genius.
$129 at Etsy
If you can't beat the cold, maybe you can shoot at it with multi-coloured lazer beams instead? This Space Invader themed scarf I spotted over on Folksy would certainly help blast any snowflakes skyward if we're in for another whiteout this week!
The scarves are handmade with love in Scotland from 100% luxurious Merino Lambswool, spun in the UK. What d'you reckon the odds are of an early spring setting in if we all tempt fate by putting in an order now?
£30 from Wildcat Designs
Related: Baby Space Invader knitted hat | DIY Space Invaders lamp | Space Invaders hat pattern
Looking for a way to wow your Christmas dinner guests that doesn't involve you setting fire to something or juggling with clove-encrusted oranges? How about a bit of table origami to set off your festive table top?
Gone are the days when a simple triangle or fan napkin would do the job of making your table look trendy. These days it's all about turning a simple square of cloth into something that will make folks reluctant to unfold it so they can dab gravy off their chin.
The Folding Napkin Origanimals by Diana Eng are ever so lovely to behold. They're stitched with coloured-thread instructions for ease of use in four different animal: Bunny, Snail, Bear and Peacock.
The original napkin set was available online though it seems to be tough to track them down now. Helpfully this tutorial on Craft gives great instructions on how to create Diana's Rabbit Napkin without buying the kit.
Add a bit of napkin beast to your table setting. Go on.
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