Craft Focus - Apr/May (Issue 66)

92 craft focus best British FULL BLOOM Crafter’s Companion founder, Sara Davies, started her business from her bedroom in 2005 and has grown the company into a multimillion- pound empire, making it one of the great British crafting success stories. This April, the company is launching its new Full Bloom collection, designed by artist Sheena Douglass. With beautiful hand- drawn imagery and a stylish script font, its dies co-ordinate perfectly with floral stamps, allowing the user to cut with ease and precision. The range can be used with many different mediums, and additional dies are available. Crafter’s Companion, crafterscompanion.co.uk WEIGHED DOWN Hantex will be distributing a range of pattern weights from this February. These handy little tools are essential for dressmakers, allowing pattern pieces to be held in place without pins. The best designs are flat and unobtrusive, enabling the user to move their hands over the pattern without touching the weight. The new collection is quirky and fun, and each set comes in a stylish tin. Hantex, hantex.co.uk SUGAR RUSH British manufacturer, FMM Sugarcraft will be celebrating its 70 th anniversary this year. The company was established in 1948 and designs and manufactures more than 90 per cent of its products in the UK. This gives it control of the whole process, from ensuring that initial drawings are clear, all the way through to checking prototypes. It also means the full range of sugarcraft products and accessories are always in stock. FMM Sugarcraft, fmmsugarcraft.com A BIRD IN THE HAND Made with British wool, Hawthorn Handmade’s blue tits needle felting kit is a worthy bestseller. Created by hand in Dorset, the kit includes five coloured wools, two felting needles, a foam block working surface and detailed instructions. The bright colours are ideal for catching customers’ attentions and with enough to make two birds, this product is ideal for beginners. It retails at £20. Hawthorn Handmade, hawthornhandmade.com