Roman blind

● tape measure ● black Sharpie pen ● long straight-edge ruler ● craft knife or scissors ● black electrical tape (or black self-adhesive lead tape) ● wooden batten (optional) ● clamps (optional) ● old

1. Measure the length and height of each of the drawers at the bottom of the wardrobe. Using these measurements, mark the dimensions with a pencil and ruler on the back of a sheet of reeded MDF. 2. Cu

MATERIALS ■ Lightweight woven fabric: 2m ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit Designed by Portia Lawrie@portialawrie What better way to showcase a favourite fabric prints than with an oversized floaty

Living in an old cottage in the Cotswolds, Vanessa Love wasn’t planning on a move 90 minutes away to Wiltshire, until her elderly mother, Ann, fell ill. ‘She was on her own, so I moved into her flat i

MATERIALS ■ Pair of loose-fitting trousers (to use as a template) ■ Lightweight fabric: 2.5mx140cm ■ Elastic for shorts, 3cm wide: your waist measurement + 5cm ■ Elastic for top, 3cm wide: your high b

Last issue, we pledged that we were making improvements to our 1998 ‘van’s rear lounge, and with the blinds now providing some privacy, we moved on to an upgrade to make it cosier and more practical.