Monday 10 October 2011

Not Pinterested Part 1... Mollie Makes

Aah Pinterest...the website more addictive than watching the X Factor with your crack-pipe and a tube of Pringles. Like so many others in blogland, I'll admit to getting a teeny bit obsessed with this virtual pinboard which allows you to keep all your ideas and inspirations found online together. No need for bookmarks and favourites - just click on the image and you're taken straight to the original site. Not only that, but if you can't find anything to pin from your own browsing, you can follow other people's boards and spend your time frantically repinning what the 'tastemakers' have decreed is hip.

Yup. It's a time suck and I haven't created anything except an internet history

It's genius, but spend a while on there and it does start to feel like everyone's pining for and pinning the same things. And of course, while I like to pretend that I'm an arty type doing vital research for my er, art; the reality is that I've pinned several thousand craft projects I'm never likely to attempt, let alone complete, plus made the discovery of a zillion more bloggers who have obviously been created by an evil gene splice of Martha Stewart and Kirsty Allsopp.

Anyway, while I'm happily pinning away, I can't help but notice certain trends - the things people are pinning which I just fundamentally, completely and totally DO NOT GET. [Like burlap. More on that another time]. Hopefully you've accepted my misanthropic tendencies by now, so maybe you'll also see the need for  'Not Pinterested' - a place where I can put all the stuff I'm currently bored and/or enraged with, but that everyone else seems to love - my internet room 101. So, here's the first in a probably-not-that-occasional-and-actually-quite-frequent series. Enjoy!

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Do you ever get the feeling you're out of kilter with everyone else? I picked up a copy of Mollie Makes in Smiths recently, and instead of taking it home, reading it cover to cover and then blogging about how charming it was, I flicked through it, got infuriated with myself for even considering spending a FIVER on yet another issue, and wondered why I didn't understand the apparent obsession with crafting your five a day. I'm thrilled that stitchery is having its moment in the spotlight, really I am, but does the cover always have to be 'the hands' clutching some kind of fake food?  Every. Single. Month. We've had felt biscuits, fabric strawberries - the complete madness which was the crocheted jacket for your apple - and now patchwork bloody pears. The day I actually bought a magazine whose leading story was 


"Sweet and Juicy!...freshly crocheted vegetables" 

 with a handful of peas made from yarn on the cover was the day I realised things had gone too far. I could almost see my teenage self, clutching a copy of Kerrang and laughing. Whatever next, Needle felt this stunning radish brooch? Knit a hat for your lunchtime jacket potato?


Mu-um, the other kids in nursery get REAL food...

Veronica! Dinner!

I know why I'm supposed to like this magazine, and periodically, when I'm in a cosier mood, I do. Kind of. There's a bit of thrift oriented property porn, new ways to display second hand finds, and some lovely photography inside -  but so many of the makes seem designed to delight nine year olds.  I have never felt the urge to make myself a felt pet - despite the patterns for both hamsters and chihuahuas - but then I'm not the crafting Paris Hilton. Or maybe I'm just dead inside?

Reading the mag is pretty much like sitting down with the laptop and flicking between Etsy and the prettier blogs on my blogroll, only I can get those for nothing, and they don't come with innumerable ads for sewing classes. The 'free' gift sewing project seems designed to somehow justify the extortionate cover price - but how many more ways can there be to stifle an MP3 player? Poor Steve Jobs, feted as the saviour of modern design - I imagine he's looking down now wondering why he ever bothered to make the iPod without a jaunty Scandi-style fabric bird attached to it.

What do you think of Mollie Makes? Despite my sniping I'm pretty sure it will exert its pull on my purse strings again sometime. In fact, I'm working on my pattern for felt asparagus now. I see it as the Valentine's cover star for February. Can anyone crochet Hollandaise sauce? 


Lakota x

 
Feel free to follow me on Pinterest - I'll happily stalk you back! Oh, and those of you taking part in the swap, I'll be announcing partners in the next few days. Last chance to sign up!

Linking up to newly discovered FFS Friday

80 comments:

  1. Pinterest sounds intense. I would really never start my etsy shop if I had one of those. There, that's my excuse. Good review of Mollie Makes, they should really try and switch it up. I once saw a robot cat made out of felt on a blog. Never left my mind. I had never wanted anything so bad. It's probably in my bookmarks somewhere never to be found. And now we've come full circle.

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  2. I'm a self confessed Mollie Makes fan - I love the crafter profiles most of all. But I can see how it'd look relentlessly twee to someone who wasn't massively keen! :-) Lol.

    Pinterest is the devil. Well, maybe not the devil, but certainly one of his minions. I've had to embargo it and now that I've spend so little time on there over the past couple of weeks I find I can just pop on for 15 minutes here and there, enjoy, then sign off. But there was a point at which I was totally addicted and I agree - there are definitely trends in pinning as there are in everything else

    Jem xXx

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  3. That post was priceless Lakota and so funny .... you are not alone as I don't get it too although was more than happy to sell my copy of issue 2 on a well known auction site to some numpty who shelled out £16! Desperate, sad, sick or what ! I don't want a wooly jumper for my fruit and I don't get these wierd robot thingies with one eye either but then I am a little long in the tooth. Keep up the good work x

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  4. It's funny that you just posted this because this morning I posted Pinterest Recipe Week. I'm actually going to cook some of the recipes I've been pinning. I'm making actual food though - nothing in a jar. Can someone explain the point of putting everything in mason jars? Last I checked cake tasted just as good on a plain plate.

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  5. This is quite possibly the best blog post I've ever read.
    You have really made me smile................thank you x

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  6. I'd rather spend a fiver in the charity shop on some clothes I'll never wear!
    I've stayed away from Pinterest, sounds like something for organised folk to me.
    I'm happy just making absolute rubbish from rubbish. And talking rubbish on here and Twitter.
    I'm loathe to become a 'fan' of anything. Stems from trying to be different as a teen (which was easy in my town!).

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  7. hahaha - Great post. I'm not offended at all. I feel the same way about Pinterest, but I do get on there when I have a few minutes. Actually the whole blogging experience is keeping me from actually crafting ANYTHING. I need some boundaries.

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  8. Phew! It's not just me who doesn't want to fork out a fiver for Mollie Makes. I did buy one and quite enjoyed it and wished I had got the first one. (mainly for the crocheted square pattern, which really isn't worth a fiver but I can't find it free online anywhere.) The one I bought it sitting with all the Period Living's, Country Homes and Interiors and all their mates in a basket on my living room floor and will probably never be looked at again. I have flicked through it in Smiffs but never felt the need to spend a fiver on it again.
    The other magazines are an addiction. There was nothing in the issue I bought that I wanted to make. And really I don't actually make anything other than crochet, I just think about it and talk about it but never get to it.
    So I'm glad I'm not on my own. I'd rather look at blogs if I need a bit of eye candy.
    x

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  9. what an absolutley brilliant post!! I have not bought that mag because I thought it was a waste of money when I flicked through it, but now all I will see when looking at it glaring at me from the shelf of WH Smiths is my rock chick, leather clad Pantera/Metallica loving former self yelling 'NOOOOOO - step AWAY'...you have indeed put it into perspective...I thank you...my 15 years younger self thanks you...

    BH x

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  10. I haven't signed up to Pinterest yet. I am on Tumblr and Instagram, neither of which I use much as I am so busy with blogging Twitter and Facebook. Now onder I haven't got time to do anything.

    I don't buy many magazines these days because I can find pretty much whatever I want online. I love making clothes and accessories but can't imagine buying a magazine that tells you how to make felt food, not unless it was cupcakes!

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  11. I never read that magazine, i only buy magazines from time to time ,who give away free make up.
    I dont get the fruit thing either,lol

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  12. bahaha! Totally enjoyed this Lakota, always know we can count on you to tell it the way it is - love it! However step away from the burlap.... naaaa! Looking forward to your take on it and Im sure it will have my sides shaking as much as this post.

    I however have steered clear of pininterest - my rockabilly roots have already been contaminated by cath kidston/twee floral obsessions but shssssh dont tell anyone ;o)

    Scarlett x

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  13. If I want eye candy, I google Jon Bon Jovi.
    If I want to buy a magazine, I go for something trashy cos that's my form of relaxation and it's three quid less than this Mollie Makes magazine which suddenly EVERYONE in Blogland seems to be reading.
    I'm ever so very new to crochet (like it took a year to work out the treble crochet stitch, I kid you not) but dear god, if I ever wanted to start crocheting vegetables, I'd have to have a very stern word with myself in the mirror I think!
    As for Pinterest, it seems to spark a lot of greed for people wanting more "nice and pretty" things than they already have and I am not sure it is terribly healthy.
    Oh god, I am stepping of my soap box. And pouring a glass of wine. And reading a trashy mag (whilst trying to work out how to crochet a granny square.)
    Jump OFF the band wagon I can hear my inner self cry (rebel against it!. So many blogs are beginning to look the same - your post today was bloody brilliant and totally hit the nail on the head. I know people have similar interests but I feel it's all getting a bit samey and now crocheted food is taking over the nation. Noooooo!

    xx

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  14. OMG!! You crack me up Lakota! I like Pinterest when I remember to look in my account, but haven't got addicted to it as much as my crack pipe and Pringles tube....yet. ;-)

    Love your post.

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  15. Hellloooooo, I have started to follow you on Pintrest, you are quite welcome to follow me, but a lot of the time I forget to 'pin' things and 'blog' them instead.

    Your writing style is the funniest and mostest cleverest in the world, but I do think I may have to disagree with you on the whole Mollie Makes thing. I love love love it, don't know why just do. But yes it is like checking out Etsy and all the pretty blogs.

    Cxxx

    formerly 'Floating with the Stars'

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  16. Oh, I am so glad to read that there are people who agree with me about Mollie Makes! Theres about 2 projects in each magazine and they are the sort that are readily available online, not that I'd want to make felt vegetables or little hamsters for that matter!
    Yes its a pretty mag but so are a lot of blogs, and they are free!!
    Pinterest oooh yes its addictive isn't it? Although at the moment its very Americanised I think, needs more Brits on there!
    Happy to read your very sensible thoughts xx

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  17. I've never bought a copy of Molly Makes and never intend to. I see no purpose at all to make a felted pea, when I can find pretty much the same thing, but real, if I scratch around under my cooker for a minute or three. Nope. Making things, I love, twee makes me want to poke my eyes out with crochet hooks. Em x

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  18. You always make me laugh! You're my kind of crazy ;) LOve the rant and the truth of the great divide between looking at crafts and actually doing them..(Ive been spending way too much time faffing and daydreaming lately too!) x

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  19. i am a magazine addict and love mollie makes, thought completely agree with you too! ha! mollie makes seems to be exactly the same each month too.x

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  20. Ah Lakota, speaker of truth, I don't "get" Mollie Makes or the insane fuss around it either. And £5? Get real, I could get a whole outfit for that - including shoes.

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  21. And Mollie Makes? What a rubbish, rubbish name.

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  22. Ah I agree with everything you say about Pinterest. I'm all about the food boards even though it's mainly just cakes in jars! Truly addictive

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  23. Mollie Makes? Mollie Makes Me Wanna Vom, more like. What is that about?? I laughed and pointed in the supermarket, with a loud WTF for good measure. Maybe I am just not in creative mood? Or maybe I would rather spend £5 on pins for my EYES. I think you can see clearly how I feel about another whimsy mag on the market.

    But.. Pintrest. Now.. that I could go for... I shall just clear my schedule.

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  24. Now I am going to have to whisper this very quietly for fear of being laughed at but...
    I've never heard of Mollie Makes. There, said it.
    Never heard of Pinterest till you mentioned it either.
    I know, I'll get my coat and won't bother you again. The shame, the shame.

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  25. "...Needle felt this stunning radish brooch? Knit a hat for your lunchtime jacket potato?" ahh, your always good for a belly laugh Lakota! I too thought the fruit/vege cover thing was a bit weird too, I suspect someone in charge there has an eating disorder and crochets these things instead of eating the real thing. That said I am going to have a go at making them, for my kid to play shops with and the felt rings will be in every christmas cracker I make this year x

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  26. Love this post Lakota. I'm glad it's going to make a regular appearance on your blog. I don't do the facebook/twitter/pinterest thing...just the blog thing and even that is losing its appeal...
    There are loads and loads of things that are so popular, constantly blogged about, in the press and on the telly etc that I just DON'T get. I have been sucked in and bought one or two of these things that have been raved about only to be totally disappointed when I received them. The hype still continues and when I look at what I got, the poor quality, crappy workmanship etc I wonder how? why? or did I just get a dud one? I could get quite cross if I let myself think about it...
    Crap comment, I'm in a hurry.

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  27. I haven't even looked at pinterest blogging is addictive enough for me. Making fruit in veg doesn't excite me seeing I don't like eating them ha ha.

    Ps. My tattoo says When you're smiling

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  28. I'm refusing to investigate pinterest....it looks like a huge theif of time and I am already the victim of twitter, facebook and of course blogging. My ironing pile is in danger of suffocating someone if it falls on them.

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  29. I signed up to Pinterest in the heat of the moment but confess that I don't really get it to be honest ~ so I've only visited a handful of times and didn't feel the slightest urge to stay long LOL I've only bought one copy of Mollie Makes and quite liked it *blush"

    My big problem is blog-hopping! omg, the time I waste jumping around from blog-to-blog is just criminal ~ I seriously need to curb my internet time ;-D

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  30. I'm really really glad that I don't get pinterest at all. I'm deliberately avoiding it in fact. As for Mollie Makes, I'd rather not spend a fiver on something which tells me how to crochet vegetables. WTF indeed.

    (I like a bit of burlap though, Missus. I'm with Scarlett on this one!).

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  31. You are a funny biatch! I love it.
    The name says it all, so twee and horribly "nice". I don't care for magazines, like Lucy I'd rather fritter a fiver away on something I can wear from a charity shop or go down the pub.
    There's far more free crafting inspiration from fellow bloggers and Craftster.com.
    I joined Pinterest and it's a good way of storing images but I haven't been on there for ages. x

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  32. You make me laugh Lakota, never a dull read. I'm just staring on Pinterest now and can see why you can get hooked. As for MM, I haven't been able to locate a copy but I'm not really one for making crafty food. Would still like to check it out though.

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  33. I like Mollie Makes, it has some cute ideas BUT it's like $15.00 here. So it's hard to like it THAT much

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  34. Oh my word, how I laughed! Now, I'm the sort of crafty person that likes to just admire craft from afar because if given scissors, glue, a sewing machine or any other craft implement, it comes out looking like a bad science experiment gone wrong or something made by a chimp when someone tries to get them to do human activities (I've poor co-ordination so my imagination is v.much thwated by my clumsy hands!).

    So yeah, I'd rather look craft based websites up, or look at people who've made crafty stuffs websites than buy a copy of Mollie Makes....I did think I'd like it, but then I flicked through it and it very much scared this non crafter away...

    I've yet to embrace pinterest and just today I ended up googling it to see what it was all about, and to start getting inspiration for my 30th b'day party in ten or so months time, cos I heard thats the place to make the equilvant of the mood board I made myself out of copies of Sugar and Bliss, masking tape, sellotape and several old cereal boxes when I was about fifteen....I think I may still have said beauty somewhere....

    But yeah, my inner teenager would probably tell me off if I bought Mollie Makes too....my sister was the cooler kerang buyer, whereas I forked out abouT £1.75 for Empire because I liked to think myself on the verge of becoming a world reowned film maker.....she'd definitely raise a brow over not only that not happening, but instead her grown up self is sat making crochet mushrooms or whatever else is deemed envogue by this mysterious Mollie and her makes...

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  35. this post is a hoot. We do not get Mollie Makes here (Canada) but I have enjoyed peoples blogs about it....wonder how long it will last?

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  36. Hi my dear!! Insightful post, Pinterest sounds very intriguing and I've not heard of Mollie Makes until now, I'm not really a crafts person, but I do admire people who do indulge! Thanks for the lovely comment too xxx

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  37. Not interested in Pinterest and never seen Mollie Makes Mag. Does that make me out of touch, not following the crowd, not 'in'? I did crochet a carrot once to put on a birthday card - only because we grow our own veg and the card was for DH who helps dig the plot.
    I don't think I've got enough time for Pinterest when there are fantastic blogs like yours to read.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  38. I’m going to have to admit this- I’m subscribed to Mollie Makes, the first issue got me!
    But I am not the biggest fan of all the crafty makes, I just don’t have the time to be able to sit down and do them, in fact I’ve got all the free packets sat unopened, I know this is ridiculous when I’ve paid over the odds for the bloody subscription, but I think what I will probably end up doing is adding all the bits to my regular sewing kit and use them that way.
    I’m more into the collectables and second-hand stuff (naturally) so that’s what I enjoy reading the most about. I am forever in awe of the some of beautiful homes featured xxx

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  39. hi! I'm new :) Oh i laughed at your Mollie Makes comment. The five a day....well yes they are very nice...but....what would you do with them?! haha!

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  40. I was so glad to read your post about Molly Makes. Yes it is a lovely looking and appealing magazine, but really it doesn't have much in it. If I see something I like in it I usually discover that it isn't a pattern they have provided in the magazine it is a picture of something that someone else makes to sell for an inordinately high price.

    I'm tired of magazine free k=gifts that are supposed to justify the higher cover price.

    Keep on trucking!

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  41. I signed up for Pinterest a couple of months ago. I really haven't taken the time to understand it until this week. I finally added a PIN IT button and now can see my time being sucked away!! :)

    Have a great day.
    Pam

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  42. Pinterest IS crack in internet form

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  43. Yeah. I get you. I got caught up in Pinterest too and couldn't get through my morning without at least an hour of pinning and then we had internet issues and, well, I had to stop. Cold turkey, you could say. And guess what? I lived. Heh.

    And not only that, I suddenly had loads of time to go upstairs to my sewing room and actually do some crafty things.

    Hmmm yes - am thinking of totally knocking Pinterest on the head because apart from occasionally (these days) pinning something I see, I never go and look at it. So what's it for then?

    As for Mollie Makes. The first issue, I loved. Completely and utterly, even though the crocheted apple jacket did startle me a bit.

    Subsequent issues have left me feeling cheated because I don't want to make fabric food and because I already read most of the blogs they highlight.

    Big disappointment - it hasn't lived up to it's initial promise.

    I have a year's subscription but will not renew it, unless there is a major improvement.

    Excellent blog post Lakota - and I am looking forward to hear what you have to say about burlap. (I bought some recently to make Christmas stockings - man that stuff pongs, even after a heavy duty wash and days of sunshine and air. I cannot believe people have it as cushions.)

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  44. I couldn't agree more, I love Pinterest and hate Mollie Makes in equal measures.
    Possibly it's because I'm such a cynical individual... I really don't understand why one would need so much crocheted fruit and veg?! I think there IS room in the market for a craft magazine, but not this twee nonsense. I can't see it lasting much longer. Even the name is totally cringe worthy.
    I find blogland's unadulterated worshipping of Mollie Makes a bit nauseating to be honest.

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  45. I haven't been on Pinterest in ages - I spend too much time reading other people's blogs! Am following you now, though.
    I haven't actually seen a copy of Mollie Makes, but I can't say anything I've seen of it online makes me want it. I have so little time for crafting, I'd rather make something practical and pretty so I don't think crocheted veg would be my thing either. That and the fact I can't crochet for toffee!

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  46. I have never got into pinterest or read Molly Makes, shock horror haha. I love the idea of crafting but rarely have the motivation to do it myself.

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  47. More additive than watching Xfactor with a crack pipe eating Pringles.....HAHAHAH that is some funny shit right there!!! I don't know that I could add one more task to my list of trinkets I play with on the computer. Sounds a bit like Polyvore, that is a time sink too.

    Haven't heard of the magazine and I too don't get all the fabric food stuff (unless it's a cupcake)! I subscribe to the Rachel ray magazine and I love it, so many yummy quick and easy recipes.

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  48. I buy Mollie Makes every month, flick through it for a bit of craft and thrifting porn and then sell it a few weeks later on ebay - and a nice little earner they are too. I do quite like the magazine anyway but what they feature is nothing that you can't find on the internet anyway. And I know exactly what you mean about the teeny felt animals and the interminable crocheted fruit and veg which seem to feature every month.

    I'm keeping well away from Pinterest as I waste quite enough time on the computer as it is. Plus, I'm sure I'd soon start to feel even more inadequate craft-wise if I saw what others were creating.

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  49. I'm such a loser.I finally remembered about your swap......bit late!Sorry about that,I wasn't ignoring it,just didn't have my head screwed on!!!
    Anyway,I haven't heard of this mag,but we probably get it,or something similar here!I would avoid it,as if I get any more inspirations I will POP.Dammit! Love those knitted peas pods & carrots,fecking adorable!!!
    XXX

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  50. I have had to stop myself going on Pinterest as is such a time drain, although I do love it.

    I don't mind a bit of Molly Makes but I refuse to purchase, luckily my sister gives me her cast-offs and has introduced me to a much better inspirational magazine called 'Making' which I've done loads of bits from.

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  51. I read your post but I couldn't think about anything after reading "tube of Pringles" :D

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  52. I've never seen Mollie Makes, or used pinterest. I often feel like I'm living in a parallel universe as I don't have a facebook account, an ipod, a blackberry or a kindle, let alone a hand crafted Cath Kidston cover to put one in!

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  53. Oh excellent post. I was given a subscription to Mollie Makes as a present. But I will not renew it. Yes lovely things to make in there, but there are lovely things out in blogland.

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  54. I'm now following you over at my newest obsession - pinterest. What an addictive place!

    I've never bought Mollie Makes but have often considered it, hmmm maybe I wont bother now. Theres soooo many tutorials and great craft blogs out there that I dont feel the need to buy it at the mo.

    Off to check out who Ive been linked up with for the swap x

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  55. I must admit that I love Mollie Makes & go to great lengths to secure myself a copy here in Oz where it's as rare as bloody hens teeth, but I think it's because some of my friends are in it, more than anything else, and you've definitely put it in a bit of a different light for me now! It DOES have a lot of ads, things you should buy & where you should go to buy them... I didn't want to say anything lest I be cast out of the cool crafty kids club (where knitted cupcakes are served for afternoon tea), but I can see I am safe to voice that here.

    Pinterest.... "Meh". I forget it exists & then when I remember, it bores me to death. On this I seem to be the only one?

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  56. I whole heartedly agree- there is NOTHING useful in Mollie Makes, and at 6 projects an issue and padded out with pretentiousness and multiple features on Bath which infuriates me.

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  57. ooooh yes! if i'm not blog hopping, ebay-ing or facebooking/tweeting, i definitely pinterest-ing (sounds wrong but oh well) I loveeee pinterest and yes i'm following you! hehe i have missed a few issues of mollie makes, coz sometimes when i flicked through it before buying it, i got abit bored as i dont think i want to crochet all kinds of fruits or veg or make something that i dont think i'll ever use or display but only waste space or worst money to buy the materials to make them hehe so i tend to think first what i want to make or if i ever going to sell, would it sell or if i wanted to display it, where and would i get bored with it soon etc..hehe coz the cost of most magazines itself can put me off if i only wanted to make one or two of what's inside the mag. oh well still i do love crafty magazines and that's one of my fave place to get ideas, besides pinterest for free :)

    x susan

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  58. ooooh yes! if i'm not blog hopping, ebay-ing or facebooking/tweeting, i definitely pinterest-ing (sounds wrong but oh well) I loveeee pinterest and yes i'm following you! hehe i have missed a few issues of mollie makes, coz sometimes when i flicked through it before buying it, i got abit bored as i dont think i want to crochet all kinds of fruits or veg or make something that i dont think i'll ever use or display but only waste space or worst money to buy the materials to make them hehe so i tend to think first what i want to make or if i ever going to sell, would it sell or if i wanted to display it, where and would i get bored with it soon etc..hehe coz the cost of most magazines itself can put me off if i only wanted to make one or two of what's inside the mag. oh well still i do love crafty magazines and that's one of my fave place to get ideas, besides pinterest for free :)

    x susan

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  59. Ha, great post. :D

    Pinterest *is* seriously addictive, that's for sure. And once you get past the faux vintage camera effects, wistful girls in long socks and mary janes, and the never-bloody-ending reams of bunting, there are some gems to be found. But you need to exercise caution, it's true.

    I did attempt to get a copy of Mollie Makes to see what the fuss was about, but I am not good at crochet and I don't drool over property. However, I was making felt veggies long before Mollie Makes was dreamt of, although they have eyes (and I don't just mean the potatoes). I had a similar issue with my felt asparagus re: Hollandaise sauce - it is a worry. ;-)

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  60. I bought Mollie Makes the first time round and was happy to donate it to a friend (although now I wish I'd pu it on ebay).... I was at a total loss to understand the Twittersteria that had broken out about it. And oh yes, the hands... the have been driving me bonkers. It's all so icky.

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  61. I have to agree with you about Mollie Makes. Although I have bought all the issues so far and while I loved it at first it has become a bit repetitive. I was tempted to subscribe so that I could get it a bit cheaper but I'm waiting to see if they mix things up at all before I commit. I too have seen enough of felt creatures and fake food and gadget cases.
    Can't wait to see more of your 'not pinterested' posts.

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  62. Haha I did want to like Mollie Makes but I was the same as you - couldn't bring myself to spend that money on it! It didn't seem great at all...!

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  63. Oh such a great post! I have only got so far as to register for Pinterest, and not looked at the content, life is far too short to be sitting at the computer looking at other peoples work when I should be doing my own! It's akin to playing games on Facebook - what's the point?
    As for Mollie Makes - well I have bought every copy, but I totally agree with everything you have said - it is full of pretty pictures and ads, but not much else really. As a teacher of Textiles for....um (in a whisper)30+ years, there isn't much it can show me that I can't already do, but my adult 'Learn to Sew' students like it. I did subscribe to get my three copies for a £1 but cancelled the direct debit recently! Is that cheeky?

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  64. I followed a link to your blog and it tickled me muchly, and oh dear, I have liked Mollie's Makes on Facebook (because of the pretty picture of crochet jackets for apples on the first cover) I dont even crochet, wouldnt know where to start. The other thing is I have never even taken a peek inside the mag! Followed link to Pinterest once and didnt get it, so that was that. Happily looking forward to your next post better go and look up what on earth burlap may be :-S

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  65. V funny and well written post as usual Lakota. Luckily I can take or leave Pinterest however I'm going to defend Mollie Makes. *rolls up sleeves for a mini-rant*

    While I don't think I'll ever crochet a bean or make a felty I guess there are others who do like these things and MM is trying to cater for all interests. I like it for its interiors profiles, interviews, inspirational photography and some of the projects are up my street.

    Moreover i think this mag has really appealed to people because when you look at what other crafting mags were available (full of bad, cheesy photography and indecipherable patterns) MM has been a real breakthrough. I know first-hand how hard it is to create a magazine and come up with a unique concept and if i'd been on the launch team of MM I'd be pretty darn proud of what we'd achieved. It obviously appeals to a lot of people for a reason so I'm of the view, if you don't like, don't buy.
    I'm also a little depressed at how, when something is successful or popular in this country (for good reason usually) it then becomes a target to be ridiculed and put down. Is it a UK thing or just a female thing? Would we find men doing this? I don't know.

    Oh and for the record everyone, i do like some of the stuff from Cath Kidston - I hope people aren't going to start spitting at me in the street...

    Sorry for the slight stroppiness of my comment, it's not you, it's me xxx

    *rant over*

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  66. Kat - I'm not really one to talk *shoves several issues of MM under the bed*, and you know most of what I say is strictly tongue in cheek. I'm glad someone has come in and defended it, it would be a dull world if we all had the same opinions. But I'm sure if anyone is going to be ostracised for their feelings on Cath K it would be me! (And again, I don't mind her stuff, just in smaller doses than most people).

    I'm not really trying to put down anyone at the magazine, just to take a different tack and hopefully make people laugh. Besides - my overwhelming impression has been that MOST people have loved it and been far from putting it down. Aside from some of the comments after my post, mine had been the only dissenting voice I'd seen. MM staff should absolutely be proud of their successful magazine, although my own subscription is to 'Making' - an equally stylish crafting magazine which launched several months earlier than MM but has largely been ignored in comparison.

    Suggesting that putting things down might be a 'female' thing does rankle a little though - are you using it as a synonym for bitching? That's always perceived as a female trait - it can't just be that I have an opinion which is slightly different from the norm? I did try to be (a little) balanced and had pointed out the lovely photography and and appealing property stuff inside.

    Hey ho - maybe we'll agree next time - are you a fan of burlap?
    ;-)

    Lakota

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  67. THIS. So much. I've had a look through MM, a few of the ladies in my craft group love it, but I have to admit that the crocheted apple cosies gave me the rage.

    1. Why do apples need to be COSY?
    2. These covers are not useful. It specifically says in the magazine that they should not be used to protect your apple from being bumped around in your bag.
    3. Apples come in different sizes.
    4. Is this an aesthetic thing? What's wrong with how apples look by themselves? Why do we need to improve on how apples look?

    I only got that far in my objections before my brain melted.

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  68. Maybe I should consider cancelling that 12 page feature on burlap... ;)

    Jane Toft, Editor, Mollie Makes magazine

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  69. One thing that infuriates me about Mollie Makes is that it reinforced that stereotype craft=ditzy, saccharine, cutesy, not edgy etc'. And of course, all these things + feminine ... god forbid a man sew or knit.

    There is a wealth of alternative (of just plain not-cute-felt-food)craft out there, demonstrating craft can be expressive, edgy and either artistic or deeply practical. But it's always online on communities like Cut Out And Keep, which is kind of preaching to the choir.

    Just as vintage doesn't mean Cath Kidston, craft doesn't always mean knitted strawberries. But it does if you read craft mags.

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  70. Ah this made me laugh - especially the bit about your Kerrang!-loving former self! I'd seen a lot of fuss about Mollie Makes in blogland and picked up a copy in Smiths the other day and you know what struck me first? The abundance of non-edible foodstuffs! Just completely pointless! A felted radish brooch on the other hand I would like to hear more about.... xx

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  71. Never read it! Crocheting sounds like too much coordination for me! That said, I quite like Knitted battenburg! Yes, I've stopped buying craft magazines- just seems a bit much! I'm working through the hundreds I bought in the past - one is reaping great dividends!
    Hilarious post- I do love rants! It sounds like me in the staffroom after a lesson where the children are being vile!

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  72. I honestly can't see what the fuss is all about - Mollie Makes is so twee. I will not be buying it again. It is so refreshing to read that I'm not alone in thinking this way!

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  73. Oh good, it’s not just me then! I had a look at a copy of MM last week whilst on a trip to UK and decided it wasn’t worth adding to my luggage allowance. I rarely buy a craft mag now; partly because I can’t get them here and partly because there are so many excellent craft blogs, ideas and tutorials that I don’t need to. I do indulge in a couple of e-mags but only because they are cheaper than the hard copy, and I never get to actually DO any of the projects.

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  74. Pinterest. Don't get it!

    MM~ I've bought it & I like it, I'm old fashioned & like a good ole fashioned mag over the net sometimes. However I actually prefer Oh Comely which is far far less twee & still rather inspirational!

    It's good to see crafters being celebrated in a mainstream publication though :)

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  75. I'm a bit late catching up on this which made me hoot! I've never seen MM but can I offer you "Making" magazine - crocheted jacket for a beach pebble anyone? Now I'm off to Pinterested - there's probably a whole board of hand crafted 5 a day.

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  76. Love this post!

    Am so far trying to resist Pinterest.

    I failed to resist 'Molly Makes' but my subscription to it is on Zinio (‘the electronic newstand’) so that I have fewer paper magazines piling up in the house. This means I don’t get the free gifts, but this isn’t really a problem as I probably wouldn’t get round to using them anyway.

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  77. I popped over from a blog, from a blog, . . . Been wondering what Pinterest actually was, now I'm not even going over to look. I look at enough blogs already of people I really like.

    I must agree, the need to make miniature everything from yarn or felt and then adorn my every room with them is a bit over the top.

    I did make my 3 year old granddaughter a picnic basket filled with felt food, but it was quick and easy, no fuss or muss. Figured the dogs would eat them! Nope, still in her play kitchen after 2 years. Bet if I'd spent all that time crocheting or making the felt come alive with stitchery they'd have looked more appealing to them!

    Gone are the days of spending money on crafty magazines. Tired, as you so rightly wrote, of cover to cover ads for everything but the items I thought would be in them. Also, the patterns shown within the covers, well, they're an additional charge!

    Thanks for the laugh and reality check!

    Blessings,
    Donna

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  78. Hi, a late comment as only just stumbled across this blog post. So far, I really don't get the appeal of Pinterest. It's Delicious with pictures as far as I can see and I stopped using Delicious ages ago and only really want to bookmark text, not photos.

    I haven't bought a copy of Molly Makes, as I have been an avid reader of the beautiful and endlessly creative Marie Claire Idees for over 10 years and nothing can compare to that IMO. Just wish they would do an English version, as then I could share my craft magazine joy with non French speakers.

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  79. I have to admit that I buy MM mostly for the thrifty ideas and for drooling over the mid century modern furniture that all of those featured designers seem to have. There's also the annoying hipstery feel to some of the stuff that gets me a bit ragey. This month's MM hit an all time hipster wtf? high with it's weddings booklet. I mean chopped up vintage bedsheets for decorations? Really?

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  80. Great post. Summed up completely what I wanted to say but never been brave enough as part of me secretly hopes I will be 'discovered' by Mollie Makes one day. Never going to happen as my blog is neither twee nor professional. I stuck with the mag for a year though & every now & again I relapse (well I was rude not to when there was a free crochet hook & I had a train journey).

    I don't really do pinterest though. Can't really explain why, except the mobile version is rubbish, I know just what a time sap it will be if I really get into it, and I just find it overwhelming, and makes me feel quite inadequate. It's like it's saying "look at all these things you will never have the time or skill to make". It exhausts me! Will keep checking out your blog though :)

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