Hi, I'm Libby aka Truly Myrtle, a mad keen knitter, sewer and general maker of "stuff". I've been blogging at Truly Myrtle for just over a year, sharing my knitting and sewing and having a lot of fun :) I learnt to knit and sew as a child and grew up in a very creative home so it feels natural to spend my spare time (well actually, nearly all my time when I'm not making dinner, cleaning or sorting out squabbles...) making things. Truly Myrtle has been a fantastic way for me to meet new people both locally and all over the world. I live in the UK now, but grew up in New Zealand (my parents and some of my siblings live there) and I've really enjoyed being able to connect with crafters down that end of the world too. I've got four small children and have been a stay at home mum since the eldest was born nearly 11 years ago. My love of knitting took off after he was born and I knit and sew for my kids a fair bit. I think there's nothing nicer than a little person wrapped in wool! Lately I've been teaching my eldest daughter to sew.

Early this year I decided to embark upon a fairly ambitious, possibly crazy, project, where I create an entire outfit for myself every month. I'm calling it my Handmade Wardrobe project. I've resolved to knit and sew everything in my outfits except my underwear, tights and shoes (although I am very tempted to sew underwear, just not model it!) I'm wearing my January outfit in my picture and I made the lot, right down to my earrings and my ring. Planning an entire outfit has been a fabulous way to work. I love the challenge of creating a whole look and it gives me such a good focus, rather than flitting off in a dozen different directions with a dozen different ideas. My wardrobe is getting a welcome boost after years of pregnancy and breastfeeding and I'm finding I'm actually getting stuff finished. It's been cool to try new things (I tried glass fusing for Outfit 1) and it's also a brilliant excuse to finally make all those lovely patterns I've had my eye on for ages.  During March I'm running a knit along for the cardigan I'm knitting for Outfit 3 - if you fancy joining in, just pop over to Truly Myrtle and let me know. You can also find me on Facebook :)

Hello, I’m Michelle and very new to crafting.  I’ve started making a few little pieces that have been very popular with local friends and family. My favourite items to make are I.C.E (In Case of Emergency) bracelets and key rings - they’re ideal for days out with little ones.  Each bracelet is made to order and there are lots of lovely beads to choose from - I have a 7 year old son who likes to help pick the beads. All my items are made to order and reasonably priced.  If you’d like to see more, please check out my Etsy shop  and Facebook page.

If you would like to have your blog or crafty business featured in next month's post, pop over to the Sponsor page for more details. There are a few ways to get involved - either by sponsoring the blog with one of several different banners, or if you fancy a 'link swap' please feel drop me a line to tell me a little about yourself. Have a great weekend!