Review- Sew On The Go Blog Tour by Mary Jane Baxter.

In 2016, Mary Jane Baxter quit her job at the BBC, rented out her flat and headed for the hills. Her home for the next few months was an upcycled 1986 Bedford Bambi campervan with a top speed of 60mph. She raided skips for vintage wallpaper and scoured second-hand emporiums to source stylish vintage accessories, creating her own travelling craft studio, packed with everything necessary for crafting on the road. She then set off around Europe
searching for inspiration, travelling from Belgium right down to the Cinque Terre in Italy then around France and up to Scotland.

Armed with her trusty hand-cranked Singer, she spent a summer sewing on the go. Like creatives the world over, she decided to see where her travels would lead her and returned with a head full of new projects. Fortunately, there’s no need for you to give up your job, wave goodbye to your family and rent out your house in order to reignite your own creativity; Mary Jane has done all the hard work for you. Sew on the Go is her guide to carving out more creative space in your life.

Review

I love crafting. I love reading about crafting, I love traveling, so I thought to myself, Sew On The Go by Mary Jane Baxter be the perfect book for me and I was right, it is!

The best thing about this book, is the way the writer combines advice about crafting with a moving and fascinating account about her journey around Europe, as she carves a more creative space into her life. I loved how tips and advice, with full instructions on making some items was interspersed with the trials and tribulations, as well as incredible rewards, such a radical change in lifestyle brought about for her. It made the book feel inclusive, because not only did the writer make you feel included in her journey, but she shares her tips around crating, so that you to can make items such as a simple Provencal skirt. The way she works these craft projects into the narrative of her journey feels seamless, rather than breaking up the way her story unfolds, in fact it adds to the enjoyment for the reader,. Reminding us what this book is about, living a life that enriches you.

At a time when we are more aware than ever about the effect we are having on the environment around us and the need to live in a more sustainable way, Sew On The Go is an important book, about how changes to our lives have the power to be challenging and enriching in so many ways. Mary Jane Baxter, shows us how we can live in a way that helps us to protect the world for future generations, while finding pleasure in the things that bring us joy and lets us feel more connected to the world around us.

I can’t wait to buy this book for friends and family alike.

You can purchase this book from Waterstones and Amazon.

About the author

Mary Jane Baxter used to work as a BBC news correspondent and producer. In 2016, she set off on a crafting adventure across Europe in a mobile studio. She is the author of Chic on a Shoestring and The Modern Girl’s Guide to Hatmaking, and has presented on fashion and craft for the BBC, most notably bartering her sewing skills for board and lodging in a series of films for Newsnight. She lives in London and is available for interview, events, and to write pieces on commission. @maryjanemakes