Sewing Tips, Tutorials, Projects and Events

I am a big fan of blouses yet I have never owned a pussy bow blouse. Scandalous I know! Bored of the limited selection of blouses in my wardrobe I decided to whip up the Sew Over It pussy bow blouse. I heard it was a super easy make and we had some deliciously drapey viscose in stock, which was the perfect partner.

Love it or hate it, finishing seams is a crucial step in producing a well made garment. Using an overlocker or overcasting stitch on your machine are the most common techniques, but there are plenty of other fun alternatives to try. In this article we share a few of the most common seam finishing techniques that might just crank up the excitement levels when it comes to this step in your dressmaking!

After sewing my first ever pair of jeans I thought it was time to treat myself to a nice easy sew. Thanks to my carefully considered #makenine list it was easy to choose something that fitted the bill and I knew I would wear. Hello floral shift dress AKA dinner parties and restaurant visits sorted for Spring/Summer this year.

We recently started hosting Q&A vlogs, which have been hugely popular and a great way to interact with our lovely customers and followers. It has also increased our awareness of what you would like to learn more about hence today's blog article on sewing with a twin needle. In this article we'll take you through twin needle basics and look at trouble shooting when you don't quite get the results you're looking for.

I don't know about you, but I am so over winter! I keep finding myself day dreaming of sunshine and summer dresses willing the grey skies and baltic temperatures to kindly push off! To help lift my mood I've spent some time picking out the key trends for Spring/Summer 2018 and the patterns and fabrics you can use to get your handmade wardrobe bang up to date. As always the focus is on the truly wearable rather than wacky catwalk.

I decided to start the New Year with a bang: sewing my first ever pair of jeans. I made a series of quick, simple sews at the end of last year then had a break from sewing over Christmas. Refreshed and reinvigorated it was time for a challenge. I chose the Jalie Eleonore pull on jeans pattern, winner of the 'best pants/jeans pattern' award on Pattern Review for the last two years, and our mid blue stretch denim. I thought it would be a good way to dip my toe in the water and start the learning journey of fitting trousers. Find out what I learned, my thoughts on the pattern and why I recommend giving jeans a go.

This week's vlog is essentially me drooling over fabrics! I run through my picks from our latest range, pair them with patterns and make suggestions for creating garments to transition the seasons seamlessly. It's time to share the fabric love!

Have you ever fancied sewing with leather or faux leather? If so you are in luck. This week we are sharing a beautiful bag our very own Angela made from faux leather and her top tips for getting great results with these fabrics. For an extra little twist Angela even machine embroidered a design onto the faux leather so there are tips for that too!

This week's vlog is all about you! Just before Christmas we invited you to ask us any burning questions and we promised to answer them in the New Year. So here are the answers and thank you for some really interesting questions. Also please do join in the fun with what will become a regular feature on the vlog and leave any questions you have in the comments below.