British summer means keeping warm (Tutorial)

For any of your reading this post that doesn't live in the UK, you might be enjoying a warm day and might need to keep away from the midday heat and might even have trouble sleeping because it is just too hot.

Well, the reality in the UK is vastly different, especially this year. And we're counting the good sunny days since the start of Spring on two hands. Pah!

With this in mind and to remedy a pesky draft cooling my feet whilst I blog, I thought about doing a draft excluder. The idea was attacking the ever growing fabric stash  (I swear fabric does multiply during full moon) and reuse fabric in and out. I could have done a sausage dog or even a diplodocus...I stuck to reusing what I had.

I used some upholstery fabric, obviously stripy. Did I mention I like stripes?

To stuff it, I used remnant of fabric I accumulated along the years into an empty 5kg rice bag. It meant I had to thieve through the bag and found larger bits that could be salvaged for new projects. The hefty result is also a potential anti-burglar weapon should I ever need one. 

How to make your own (simple) draft excluder):

1. Measure the length required. In my case it was the length of the balcony door
2. Measure the circumference of a glass, add 3cm. This is the width of your excluder
3. Draw two circle for using the same glass and a pen, directly on the fabric, cut the fabric. Those are the end of the excluder
4. Now you know the length and width of your excluder, cut the main body.
5. Stitch the length of the body inside out
6. Stitch one end inside out
7. Stitch 3/4 of the second end
8. Turnover to the right side of the fabric
9. Stuff with all the bits of fabric you're reasonabily never going to do anything with. Be strong and ruthless!
10. Close up with small stitches
11. Et voilà!

You might prefer stuffing it with actual stuffing. You might have a collection of old pillows that could do. Long live toasty feet.