Sewing Tips, Tutorials, Projects and Events

I honestly think this Seren sundress by Tilly and the Buttons in our cotton lawn fabric is my all time favourite summer dress. Multiple views, a definite retro vibe and a fit that feels elegant yet totally wearable it is a wardrobe winner. Continue reading →

It's time to get excited about fabrics this week - I have some real beauties to show you in this month's fabric haul. In fact I love them so much I've sewn two of them up into gorgeous dresses already with a third washed and ready to cut out. Continue reading →

It has taken a while, but I've had some more wardrobe rut realisations. Sewing this cheetah print skirt and simple Lark Tshirt were part of an ongoing campaign to snap out of it! Both nice, simple sews and very comfortable and easy to wear, in fact this was probably my most worn outfit during #MeMadeMay. Continue reading →

This week I'll show you how to make a small bust adjustment to your sewing patterns. The basic principles are the same for a full bust adjustment so it is useful for anyone with those issues too. Continue reading →

Up until I sewed Simplicity 8606 last year I'd never owned a wrap dress. Crazy I know. It has become a firm favourite in my wardrobe so I decided to sew another one, this time I opted for Simplicity 8735. I was intrigued to work with a sewing pattern with cup sizes and thought the princess seams were a nice touch on a wrap dress too. This project was a little piece of heaven. Continue reading →

This week on the vlog we hosted a Q&A session with our wonderful followers and customers. It was your chance to tell us what you'd really like to know - here's a round up of the questions and answers. Thanks for taking part everyone and if you'd like to take part in a future session just leave your questions in the comments of the YouTube video this time. Continue reading →

This week on the vlog I'm sharing some of my favourite woven summer fabrics. Beautiful viscose prints and crepe plus ideas for patterns you can pair them with. We also have a stack of new fabrics ready to go on the site too and I'll be sharing the love with those in the coming weeks so stay tuned. Continue reading →

I honestly don't think I've ever owned a circle skirt. Seriously I cannot remember ever having one, even as a child. Whilst in my 'I'm so busy with very little time for sewing phase' I thought it was the perfect time to try one out. I'm pleased to report I love it. I mean seriously why did this take me so long? Continue reading →

If you have protruding shoulder blades or a rounded back you may find that garments never fit properly in these areas. They can feel tight across the back and you also may notice that the armholes gape at the back. Our simple tutorial for adding a shoulder dart to your sewing patterns can make the world of difference, giving you a more comfortable and flattering fit in this area and eliminate those gaping back armholes too. Continue reading →

Several weeks ago I mentioned work and life have been a little hectic of late. Well not much has changed hence posting about a leather look skirt I made several weeks months ago. Two months to be precise! Anyway it was a great project for learning and I was really pleased with the end result so here it is. Better late than never. Continue reading →

One of our favourite blogs/vlogs of the year is always trend spotting for the new season then scouring our site for the patterns and fabrics you can use to make them - your way. As always the focus is on wearable rather than eccentric and we've tried to think how the pieces we've chosen can work together too. Grab a cuppa and get ready for some sewing inspo. Continue reading →

The Great British Sewing Bee Series 5, which aired in 2019, brought together a fresh group of talented amateur sewists competing for the coveted title. Hosted by Joe Lycett, with judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant, the series featured ten episodes packed with creative challenges, from delicate lingerie and jumpsuits to recycling projects and dramatic made-to-measure outfits. Contestants were pushed to demonstrate both technical skill and flair for design, while also managing the pressure of time and precision. After weeks of inventive sewing, emotional highs, and nail-biting judging, it was Juliet Uzor who triumphed as the winner, impressing with her bold style, technical ability, and creativity throughout the competition. Continue reading →