Sugru - a rubbery review

Just before Father's Day  I was sent a pack of Sugru to review. I had never heard of this miraculous substance, and it was being sold to me as a perfect gift for Father's Day - after trying it out I would say it's the perfect gift for anyone!

It's a malleable plasticine like substance, that is sticky enough to adhere to pretty much anything and then...wait for it ...sets like rubber over night! I know! how cool is that!

There are too many uses, fixing fragile phone charging cables, tidying trailing computer cables, making little key hooks, adding grip to things, fixing metal pan lids so they no longer burn your hands...and I used some to turn an annoying slidey hanger into a useful clothes hanger!

It's great! It's heat proof, dishwasher proof, cold proof....I fear that like when I first got a laminator and laminated everything, now I shall be 'improving' everything with Sugru! It comes in various colours and you can even mix them to get shades to match what you are reparing. I'm already sadly addicted.

Sugru is available at B&Q and Wilko from £6.99 - no doubt you can get it elsewhere too.

Disclaimer - I was sent a pack of Sugru to try but the ridiculous enthusiasm for this product is all my own.

 Sugru is available at a wide range of retailers including B&Q, Wilko and Maplin, outdoor stores including Blacks and Ellis Brigham as well as online at sugru.com. Sold in packs of 3 uses from £6.99 and packs of 8 uses from £12.99, sugru is available in a variety of colours - red, yellow, blue, black and white, all of which can be blended to make any colour you like!

I'm a Crafty Sew and Sew

DD being crafty

I'm not the best seamstress in the world. Maybe I would be on the Discworld...but not in this one.

I inherited a sewing machine from my MIL and I was taught needlework at school (and yes it was only the girls, boys did wood work of course!) and I learned the ways of the sewing machine under the stern eye of my needlework mistress. She was scary. "Gels! I do NOT want to see any lipstick on your thread! LADIES do not lick or bite their thread, they cut it neatly!" but she taught us well, I know the uses of the various 'feet' on a sewing machine, I can sew a button hole whether by machine or hand. I can sew a button on too - including into a coat (slightly different technique needed to avoid it being too tight) I can sew a tacking stitch, a blanket stitch and I can do a double seam on denim. I can hem too. All because I learned at school.

BUT even if you don't have all of those skills and even if they, quite frankly, terrify you, you should ensure your home has a sewing kit. Everyone, of every gender should be able to fix stuff! No one should be throwing away a pair of trousers due to a lost button or a jumper because of a frayed hem.

In the time of the internet you can even learn online using youtube tutorials or friendly bloggers and once you are feeling happy with a needle then you can craft! It needn't be perfect either. I learned to make a rather cute strawberry at a festival last year under the careful eye of RedTedArt and it was super easy and fun!

Ditch the wunda-web, the hem-bond or whatever it's called, grab a sharp and get sewing! Be not afraid.

This year I plan to learn to knit (other that finger knitting which I learned at Camp Bestival) and it looks like Wilderness Festival might be the place as they are planning a Naked Knitting Circle!

Do you sew? Do you knit? How 'crafty' are you? and did you learn at school?