Today on the blog I've made another New Look pattern - I have a big pile of them I pilfered from work a while back and have been working my way through them so I can justify snaffling another load! Plus I have a holiday coming up so I wanted to make some new bits to take with me, I can't get too carried away though - we're flying with Ryan Air (urgh!) and are sharing a suitcase between the four of us (double urgh!) so I will be severely limited. I might do a Joey from friends and just wear all my clothes at once on the flight so I can take everything I want to. Continue reading →
Ok so this New Look 6735 top isn't anything particularly exciting, in fact most people probably have something similar hanging in their wardrobe or folded in a drawer somewhere. Having said that, it was my first attempt at sewing with jersey fabric so it was pretty exciting that I a) finished it and it is totally wearable and b) didn't find it difficult to make. Continue reading →
I tried this New Look pattern following my first foray into sewing and dressmaking last year when I made another summer skirt using a Burda pattern and some pretty cotton fabric. I chose our very pretty John Kaldor ditsy cotton fabric in blue and yellow and was full of enthusiasm, but short on time with Alex still a babe in arms and Toby not having started school yet. As a result I cut the pattern out and pinned it to the fabric then it lived in the dining room side board (AKA my sewing store room) for about a year! Continue reading →
A while ago we advertised the fact we would be hosting a sewing blogger meet up at Sew Essential HQ. It seemed like it was a nice idea off in the future somewhere and I didn't need to think too deeply about it. Before I knew it the weeks had rolled by, bloggers had reserved their places and it was time to get organising! I couldn't wait to meet everyone and sprung into action quick sharp! Continue reading →
As always there has been a lot happening at Sew Essential the last few weeks and I now have a growing list of sewing patterns that have turned into garments waiting to be blogged about! First up is the Rae skirt by Sewaholic patterns, which I made in three and a half hours (not including cutting out). I must admit this wasn't one of the patterns that jumped out at me when we first starting stocking the range a few months ago, but when I saw it made up on the Sewaholic website I immediately wanted one! It looked super stylish with a vest top tucked in and a pretty pendant necklace and I could just imagine myself wearing it strolling down the road in a pair of summer sandals to pick Toby up from school. Just imagining the sunshine at the end of a bleak February was enough to get me motivated! Continue reading →
Here at Sew Essential we are proud to be supporting the McCalls Pattern Company Big Vintage Sewalong. We have put together this special blog post to help you find your vintage va va voom and join in the fun! Twenty vintage sewing patterns have been selected for the sewalong and a different sewing blogger will be making their favourite design each week so why not join them? You can share your creation with others taking part via social media using #bvsewalong. There will even be a vintage tea party taking place at the Knitting & Stitching Shows at the Alexandra Palace and Harrogate in the autumn for participants to attend wearing their very own vintage creation. Not only will it be a whole lot of fun taking part in the sewalong it is for a great cause too. Money from the sale of each of the featured 20 patterns listed below will be donated to the Eve Appeal - a charity working to achieve better prevention and detection of women's cancers. Continue reading →
Finally the sun is shining (albeit a bit nippy!) and we are getting more and more excited about the sewing patterns and dressmaking fabrics that will build our spring/summer handmade wardrobe. The Butterick half price pattern starts today and New Look and Kwik Sew half price sewing pattern sales end at midnight on Sunday making it the perfect time for some spring/summer sewing inspiration. We’ve selected some of the key trends for the new season and the patterns and fabrics you can use to get the look below, but remember this is just a sneaky peak of our full range so have a good rummage and see what other gems you can find! Not only do we have hundreds of sewing patterns on offer, with prices starting at just £2.95, we also have some gorgeous new and existing fabrics in stock, plus all the haberdashery and supplies you need to whip up a new wardrobe for the new season in no time! Continue reading →
It has been busy, busy, busy here at Sew Essential HQ and between arranging our bloggers meet up (see previous post if you're interested - all welcome, booking essential) sourcing new products at the Stitches show (watch this space - coming soon!) life in general and the kids my sewing hasn't been churning out as quickly as I would like! I did manage to finish my first garment from a Tilly and the Buttons sewing pattern though - I made an Orla blouse which I love. Garment number three done and dusted! I thoroughly enjoyed making it and am really pleased with the end result. It certainly isn't perfect, but within my realistic expectations of myself as a complete beginner I'm very happy and I'm sure I'll get a lot of wear out of it (as long as it doesn't fall apart in the wash thanks to my amateur sewing skills!) Continue reading →
We've thoroughly enjoyed our foray into the world of blogging so far! From the Sew Brum meet up to working with some of our favourite sewing bloggers on sponsored projects and giveaways we're having a ball! Not to mention writing about our makes and sharing our top tips...so we thought it was time to host a sewing blogger meet up and combine our two great loves - sewing and cake! We've joined forces with Krafty Kat and Samantha of Crafternoon Tea Hostessto reach out to the blogging community and will be hosting a meet at Sew Essential HQ in South Derbyshire near Ashby de la Zouch on Sunday 10th April. Continue reading →
Hello all, we hope you’ve had a good week? Here at Sew Essential we’ve been beavering away adding new products to our website and promoting our new indie sewing pattern range - we hope you like it as much as we do?! We also couldn’t help but notice the news story on Mom’s wearing pyjamas on the school run. How is this relevant to a sewing blog you might ask, but I think any debate around fashion and clothing is relevant and interesting to those of us who like to sew their own clothes. In this article we briefly ponder how our attitudes to dress code have been revolutionised in recent decades and indulge in celebrating the glamour of yesteryear with our six most iconic vintage dress patterns. Continue reading →
We’ve been writing the Sew Essential blog for a couple of months now and I hope you’ve enjoyed the mixture of ‘how to’ guides, interviews, reviews and general interest articles. As we’ve always said we want the blog to become a bank of sewing advice and tips that make it a go to resource for sewers everywhere. We also want to share my personal beginner’s sewing journey. I thought it was high time we shared a make on the blog so here it is! Continue reading →
This is the first in a series of unique interviews with a select few super skilled sewists who also happen to be Sew Essential customers. These super sewers have turned their favourite pastime into a successful career and we’re sure you’ll enjoy having a peek into their world, hearing their stories and seeing their makes as much as we did! First up an incredible young lady called Cherilyn Leeson. Full of energy and an insatiable passion for sewing and dressmaking she is currently building and growing her bespoke dressmaking business ‘English Country Vintage’ using her experience and skills gained from a glittering career in the world of costume making. Continue reading →
