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W NE OK! Easy projects to make & give Sewing with polyester LO

Simple & modern patchwork

ISSUE 28

15

FANTASTIC PROJECTS

Your 4-in-1 pattern

for you & your home!

Easy tartan wrap skirt Super kids' sweatshirt January sales guide In sizes 6-22

Pretty pleated Poppy top

Boost your bagmaking skills

ISSUE 28 UK £7.99 www.sewnowmag.co.uk

Treat your pet this winter!

WELCOME

28

Hello With Christmas almost upon us, our present making should almost be inished – hopefully!

It's time for a little selish sewing and you won’t be able to resist this issue’s gorgeous patterns – our McCalls M6953 princess seamed dress pattern (page 10) will pack a punch for the party season, but also work perfectly as a summer dress. With three diferent hemlines, there’s deinitely a style for you. For a more casual look, the Simple Sew Poppy top and dress (page 20) is a quick, easy make that is suitable for a beginner.

With soft pleats and capped sleeves the top will look fantastic with jeans.

Sewing for your home and family is such a pleasure and our beautiful Diamond cushion (page 50) will ill your home with a warm metallic glow. If you still need some gift ideas, and usually struggle making for boys, try our Superstar sweatshirt (page 46). And if your pooch counts as family (we’re sure it will), treat them to our Half yard challenge set (page 33), which includes a dog coat, matching treat bag and storage bag – they’ll look as good as our model Martha does!

33 46

If you’re looking for a new challenge in 2019, get started early with bagmaking and make Debbie von Grabler-Crozier’s Denim Chevron bag (page 42). It is modern and stylish with plenty of pockets and covers a range of techniques including sewing leather.

As well as being packed with inspiration, news and tips to help improve your sewing, don’t forget our fantastic giveaways you could win (page 52).

Happy sewing!

Sam Editor sam.sterken@practicalpublishing.co.uk

Share your thoughts We’d love to hear your thoughts about Sew Now. Find and follow us on: www.facebook.com/sewnowmag www.instagram.com/sewnowmag

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Inside this issue of

54

42 52

REGULARS

50

TUTORIALS

6 19

16

NEWS What’s new in sewing

CHERRY-PICKED FABRIC Fabric inspiration from some of our favourite suppliers

22

WEAR IT WITH High-street inds to complement your Simple Sew top

52

DISCOUNTS AND GIVEAWAYS Sewing goodies and exclusive discounts just for you!

60 64 66

SEWING WORKSHOPS Learn new skills and make new friends BEHIND THE SEAMS Our handy guide to seam inishes

5 MINUTES WITH… We speak to Sewing Bee inalist and owner of Guthrie & Ghani, Lauren Guthrie

www.facebook.com/sewnowmag

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www.twitter.com/sewnowmag

THE THRIFTY STITCHER Claire-Louise Hardie’s guide to broad and narrow back adjustments

PROJECTS

10

FIT FOR A PRINCESS Add a touch of glamour to your winter wardrobe with your pretty pleated dress

20

POPPY TOP AND DRESS Master efortless chic with your beginner-friendly Simple Sew pattern

28

FANTASTIC FRILL TOP Add textured embellishments using bias cut rules

33

IT’S A DOG’S LIFE Pamper your pooch this Christmas with some adorable gifts

42

DENIM CHEVRON TOTE BAG Carry all your essentials in this stylish chevron tote bag

www.instagram.com/sewnowmag

www.pinterest.com/sewnowmag

CONTENTS

MEET THE TEAM: Editor

61 46

SWEATSHIRT SUPERSTAR Learn how to sew with stretchy fabric and whip up an eye-catching sweater

Sam Editorial Assistant

50

SHINE LIKE A DIAMOND Add a pop of colour to your home with this jazzy patchwork cushion

54

TARTAN WRAP SKIRT This classic skirt with buckle fastening is timelessly stylish and really simple to make

Lorna

61

SNOOZY FOX DRAUGHT EXCLUDER Stay warm and cosy on chilly days with an easy to make draught excluder

Seamstress

INSPIRATION

15

PLEAT PERFECTION Create fabulous shapes with these twirl-worthy fabrics from Empress Mills

Jeanette

26

HIT THE SALES Treat yourself to new sewing goodies with our guide to January sales

Photographer

30

START AT THE TOP We talk to master textile artist Emma Giacalone

40

HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS Boost your fabric collection with this exclusive discount from Cotton Reel Studio

45

GET SET FOR 2019!

Feel inspired for the new year with these exciting crafty treats

10

Renata

SKILL LEVEL GUIDE

58

MERRY & BRIGHT Stretch your skills with this exclusive 20% discount at Girl Charlee

Beginner Adventurous beginner

Exclusive prizes!

Intermediate

52 Your chance to win lovely sewing goodies including a bundle of items from Pyrm, Hobby Gift sewing bags and a copy of Tiny Stitches by Irem Yazici

Advanced

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What’s new?

The patterns, events and sewing goodies on our radar this month

Pattern picks My Handmade Wardrobe Ready to Party Dress The latest My Handmade Wardobe pattern from the team at Crafty Sew&So is the seasonal Ready to Party Dress. The pattern includes two lattering dress options, each with a low-back, princess seams, a fullylined bodice and your choice of a sweetheart or scooped neckline and a lared or wrap skirt. Sew in your choice of woven fabric or, for an extra touch of glamour, why not try a more luxurious material like velvet or silk? The PDF pattern is £9 and available from www.craftysewandso.com

Leonard Coat by République du Chifon ’Tis the season for coat-making and we adore this new Leonard Coat from the autumn/winter collection by République du Chifon. The Leonard coat is an oversized staple that ofers ample space for you to throw it on over a cosy jumper and keep snug throughout the colder months.

It features spacious pockets, a classic notched collar and a four-button front closure.

Available in sizes 6-18. The paper pattern is €16 from www.republiqueduchifon. com/en

PRETTY PRINTS Kick-start your new year crafting by adding this beautiful fabric to your stash. In January, Alice Caroline will launch two brandnew Liberty collections – English Eccentrics and the 40th Anniversary Classics Collection. These SS19 ranges marry new Liberty designs with recoloured favourites, showcasing a vibrant mix of dynamic shapes and characters that would be perfect for your dressmaking and home-décor projects. ‘English Eccentrics’ takes inspiration from the exciting excursions and experiences of seven inluential igures including a pioneering botanist, an aristocratic poet and bohemian gardener. Celebrate the best of Liberty’s evocative colourways with the 40th Anniversary Classics Collection which shines the spotlight on some of its most-loved prints including the charming Strawberry Thief, Thorpe and Edenham. The new collections will be available from 1st January 2019 at www.alicecaroline.co.uk

Crunch time We love a bit of sustainable sewing and this new washable paper brings a whole new meaning to fabric shopping. Whip up a variety of homedécor makes with this nifty, tear and water-resistant material which not only looks great but can be washed up to 40° and works in harmony with your sewing machine! It’s available in gold, rose gold and silver, each £16.50 from www.misformake.co.uk

www.rico-design.de

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NEWS

Readers’ makes WIN a Rainbow Rita Kit on page 52

We love to see what you’ve been working on.

Each month’s Star Maker will receive a voucher from Mark at Girl Charlee

WIN A

£25 VOUCHER FROM

STAR MAKE

Charmaine How adorable is this red cord skirt Charmaine has made for her daughter Betsie, using the Girl retro lower skirt from issue 25? She used appliqué and free-motion embroidery to create the pretty loral shapes.

All dolled up Brighten up a little one’s Christmas with this colourful Rainbow Rita doll from Really Maria. Rainbow Rita loves donning bright colours and swishing her rainbow hair. With no darts, iddly gussets, embroidery and buttonholes to contend with, Rita is a great project for all skill levels of sewists. There are easy-to-follow instructions included as well as all the yarn, fabric, trimmings, elastic, thread and templates you need. The Really Rainbow Rita Doll sewing kit is £35.99 from www.reallymaria.com

ON THE BUTTON If you’re lucky enough to have friends and family that want to spoil you this Christmas, and you’re on the lookout for a new sewing machine, the Janome 230DC model would make the ideal sewing companion. This fully computerised model boasts a range of great features while maintaining an easy-to-navigate and ergonomically friendly design. Build your conidence and become familiar with the most widely used stitch patterns by trying out the 30 in-built stitches, as well three styles of auto one-step buttonholes. You can enjoy a quick and easy set up thanks to the automatic needle threader and quick set bobbin, there’s also a good amount of workspace should you be working on larger projects. Additionally, this machine is 5.7kg, making it a great option if you’re attending sewing classes.

The retail price is £349 from www.janome.co.uk

Sumptuous sequins Get set for the party season by whipping up a sparkly garment in your favourite sequined material. This shimmery collection of decorative fabric from Fabrics for Sale includes a gorgeous vintage Jasper Conran Guigou jersey, a range of 100% polyester embellished mesh fabric and sequin-style polyamide.

So, whether you’re creating a stylish party dress or adding some shimmering embellishments to a garment, you’re sure to ind something at www. fabricsforsale.co.uk that will help you add a touch of glamour to your festive attire.

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Laura

PARTY DRESSES One of the reasons I love sewing at this time of year is that there’s an opportunity to be brave and push the boat out with something that’s completely diferent to what I wear for the rest of the year because the festive party season is coming.

New Look 6261

For me, the season started with huge amounts of inspiration earlier in November with the Sewcialite Soirée; a sewing meet-up in Bristol with drinks, dancing and lots of dressmaking chat. It was a really enjoyable event and Me-Made party dresses were deinitely high on the agenda, as were specialty fabric such as sequins, velvet and acres of tulle (Sarah from Like Sew Amazing – this means you). I did toy with wearing my New Look 6261, because champagne lace works really well for parties. However, I couldn’t get the idea of a loor-length dress out of my head so went to work on creating a draped loor-length skirt version of the Anna Dress from

By Hand London (more details on how I did this on my blog www.thepetitepassions.com. I wasn’t the only one in a By Hand London pattern, so if you aren’t sure where to start, I’d suggest there.

Anna Dress from By Hand London

Rosie

Personally, I also think that dress summer dresses make great winter party dresses too.

Though there’s a lot of love out there for the Sew Over It Betty dress, I love the swishy skirt and princess-seamed bodice of the Rosie dress – hello cocktails and dancing! Alternatively, if volume isn’t your thing, a tailored and elegant pattern like the Simplicity 8292 is sleekly styled.

The options that it includes mean you can go for an extra twist that will make your dress stand out as something a little special too. Whatever you choose, have fun and happy sewing!

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NIGHT AND DAY: 1930S FASHION AND PHOTOGRAPHS EXHIBITION There’s still time to catch the fascinating Night and Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London. The exhibit explores the sartorial shifts of the decade against the social, cultural and political backdrop of the era. The exhibit delves into the inluences that helped shape the range of styles punctuating the 1930s, relecting on the fabric, fashion icons and cultural landscape that has helped to deine women’s fashion. Visitors will be treated to over 100 beautiful ensembles relecting the shifting day and evening styles of the decade – from glamorous eveningwear to the subsequent demand for more practical, ready-to-wear garments.

The Night and Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs exhibition is open until 20th January 2019. Tickets cost £9.90 adults, £8.80 concessions, £7 students. Includes 10% gift aid. Children under 12 go free. Book online at www.ftmlondon.org

Reach for the stars Give your garments a new look by adding some pretty embellishments using this clever kit from DMC. The magic paper mouliné étoile kit makes it really easy to add decorative motifs to your clothes and accessories; simply cut out your design, stick it to your fabric, stitch it on and when you’re done, rinse your fabric and the magic paper will disappear! The kit is £3.34 from www.dmc.com

NEWS

Exeter Sewing Machine Company Exeter Sewing Machine Company is an independent shop that sells a variety of craft supplies. We spoke to owner Jenna to ind out more about the business Hi there!

How are you and what are you up to at the shop today?

Today we’re Jenna running our Overlocking for Beginners class.

Overlockers are often underused or even misunderstood and feared so it’s an incredibly popular workshop. We’re also getting ready for the season with lots of new Christmas stock and arranging new class dates for next year.

Tell us a bit about how you came to own your own shop?

The business has a long history in Exeter and was established in the late 1940s. My interest in sewing and background in fashion led to

meeting the previous owner Janet who owned the shop with her husband David. In 2012, a job opportunity arose – I quickly took on a teaching role and within a year my husband Chris joined the company as shop manager. After three years of working for Janet and David we purchased the business in 2015.

SHOP OF THE MONTH

for them. Our advice is always to go to your local dealer, they can ofer you a demonstration and you’ll have someone to go back to when you need help!

What sets you apart from other shops?

We aim to ofer the full customer service when it comes to sewing Which sewing machine would machines. Because we’re a multiyou recommend for a beginner, brand, we can give an independent or an experienced sewist? opinion. We also ofer tuition as There really isn’t one best well as servicing and repairs and machine. It depends so much pride ourselves on our knowledge on the user, what they want to of all machines, particularly in the sew, what they want to achieve, classroom. Our team covers a their budget and space. As variety of specialised knowledge an independent multi-brand and skills and our fabric range has store we believe in helping our something for everyone, from customers ind the right machine traditional to modern.

Is there anything new or exciting coming up that you’d like to tell our readers about?

2019 is set to be an exciting year for new special guest tutors. We’ll be running Japanese Textiles classes for the irst time, including Shibori workshops and dyeing with indigo. You can ind out about our workshops on our website and sign up to our email newsletter for more information.

Exeter Sewing Machine Company LTD 7 Heavitree Road Devon EX1 2LD 01392 275660 www.exetersewing.co.uk

IN OUR GOOD BOOKS More Sewing to Sell

By Virginia Lindsay Equip yourself with the knowledge to successfully ON SALE manage your JAN handmade 2019 business with Virginia Lindsay’s new book More Sewing to Sell (Search Press, £21.99). It ofers heaps of invaluable and practical advice from industry experts to help you promote your products, optimise your time and resources and generate some of that all-important proit. The guide also includes 16 copyright and royaltyfree patterns that you can customise and add to your shop. Find out more at www.searchpress.com

Gertie Sews Jify Dresses

By Gretchen Hirsch Queen of vintage, Gretchen Hirsch ON SALE is back with APRIL a brand-new 2019 title, Gertie Sews Jify Dresses (Abrams Books, £25). Relecting on the inspiration behind Simplicity’s line of Jify sewing patterns released in the 50s and 60s, Gertie will teach you how to make stylish garments quickly and easily, using minimal pattern pieces and simple constructions. Find out more about this title and others at www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

Be Dazzling: Simple Projects to Make Your Wardrobe Sparkle

By Rachel Burke Add some razzledazzle to your homeON SALE sewn wardrobe with NOW this sparkly, new book from Rachel Burke.

Be Dazzling (Hardie Grant, £8.99) includes a mixture of fun-illed projects that will keep your wardrobe gleaming with colour and help you to add glittering embellishments with ease. Sew yourself some gem-covered party socks, a lower crown, confetti tights and more. All projects include easy-tofollow instructions and are sure to bring bit of extra sparkle to your day. Find out more about this title and others at www.hardiegrant.com

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YOUR

FAB PATTERN

Use the measuring guide inside the pattern to find your perfect cup size

VIEW A

Fit for a

PRINCESS Get ready to party in this ultimate going-out dress with a full pleated skirt and itted bodice Photography RENATA STONYTE Model JESSICA for INDUSTRY Hair and make-up RACHEL OWENS for CREATIVES

Get the look

Pastels Lilac Stretch Cotton Sateen A strong vibrant cotton with a sateentouch inish. Perfect for making bold pleats and slightly stretchy due to the 3% spandex content

Debut silver glitter envelope clutch bag, £24 www.debenhams.com

£6.49 per half metre

www.materialgirllaura.co.uk

Jessica is 5’ 7” and a size 8

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Faith silver glitter ‘Chariot Ombre’ stiletto heel, £25 www.debenhams.com

STYLE STYLE

Dress for

SUCCESS Create a gorgeous itted dress with our tips for sewing success ROCK THE COLOUR BLOCK Play with pattern or colour, using the lines of the princess seams in the front bodice. Pick one fabric for the centre section and a contrast colour or pattern for the side panels. Use the high-low hem band and repeat your fabric choices to create a unique, knockout dress!

Clip and notch A place for pattern Using a bold African wax fabric, Instagrammer Nicole of maatje_ so_co used her gorgeous lowing wave print to complement the length of version D. The scale of the pattern is enhanced by the two voluminous pleats in the front and the back of the skirt, giving it a soft look.

Cliping and notching seams are often done separately but when sewing a princess seam, these work perfectly together as one seam is concave and the other is convex. The convex curve is clipped and the concave curve is notched. Both are evenly spaced to prevent weakening the seam.

GET THE RIGHT FIT For the princess-seamed bodice of your dress, it’s essential to get a good it.

Closet Case has issued a free downloadable eBook, Fitting a princess seamed dress, linked to its Fiona Sundress pattern. Guiding you through a number of ixes, it includes full bust adjustment, reducing volume and gaping at the side seam. Find it at www.closetcasepatterns.com/itting-princessseams-iona-sundress W W W.S EWNOWMAG.CO.U K

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Add a little sparkle

Yukon Polyester Dress Fabric Finely woven, substantial polyester with waves of gold and silver speckles

VIEW A

£5 per metre www.croftmill.co.uk

Belt up!

M&Co silver belt £8 www.mandco.com

If you’re using a fine sheer fabric, consider handbasting along the stitching lines, before machine stitching

Pleat

PERFECTION Create fabulous shapes with these twirl-worthy fabrics

McCall’s 6953

Red Scuba Cr̂pe fabric, £7.80 per metre

Aubergine Cotton Sateen fabric, £14.50 per metre

Red Jersey Cotton fabric, £6.90 per metre

Black Stretch Cr̂pe Printed fabric, £5.90 per metre

Spangles Wave Silver Jersey fabric, £14.50 per metre

St Tropez White Navy Multi Spot Jersey Cotton Print, £9.90 per metre

SAVE 10% on everything at Empress Mills use the code SN10 6th December – 26th December. Visit www.empressmills.co.uk to take advantage of this amazing ofer!

Standard White Cotton Voile fabric, £4.80 per metre

Purple Glitter Net, £3.50 per metre

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Stitcher

Claire

A

Claire-Louise Hardie shares her techniques and tips to tackle broad and narrow back adjustments, with the goal of helping you get the best it possible!

NARROW BACKS ON A STANDARD BODICE Draw a vertical line down from the shoulder, 3cm from the armhole to just below the bottom of the armhole. Draw a second line at a right angle from this point.

(See Fig A.)

1

Cut along the two lines, and slide the armhole side to overlap the paper. Stick in place. There are no hard and fast rules about the amount to remove, but generally a small 4" adjustment is enough. Play around with this amount as you develop your itting skills.

(See Fig B.)

B

2

Use a ruler and pencil to true up and redraw the side seam and shoulder seam. Because the upper back has only been adjusted, the it should remain the same around the waist. (See the red lines on Fig B.)

3

f you ind that clothes strain at the upper back, and you end up buying a bigger size that then doesn’t it your front, chances are you have a broad back. If clothes stand away from your spine along the upper centre of your back, then a narrow back adjustment can help. This is the real beauty of dressmaking, you can ine-tune the it exactly where you need it. This technique involves slashing and spreading or overlapping areas of your pattern pieces to create a custom-sized pattern piece. Some patterns will come with an adjustment line for narrow or broad backs drawn on. If your pattern doesn’t, you can easily add this yourself.

I

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You’ll now need to make the front shoulder width a little shorter. Line up the notches on the shoulder, ensuring the neckline is lined up. The front width will be a little longer than the newly adjusted back shoulder. Draw a new, narrower line from the back around the front, trimming a little of the front armhole away. Don't forget to make sure your new curved line is smooth at the shoulder. (See Fig C.)

4

BROAD BACK ADJUSTMENT ON A STANDARD BODICE Start in the same way as a narrow back adjustment, drawing the two lines and cutting along them.

1

Front C

Adjusted back

TECHNIQUE For a broad back, spread the armhole section as before, then redraw a new wider seam line, truing up the edges of the shoulder and the princess seam line. (See Fig I.)

D G Centre back

For a narrow back, overlap the armhole section, and trim away the excess along the princess seam to true. (See Fig J.)

2

Instead of overlapping the cut pattern pieces, spread them. As before there are no hard and fast rules, but with a broad back a ¼-½" adjustment is about right. Fill in the space with some tracing paper and stick together. (See Fig D.)

Side back

MAKING BACK ADJUSTMENTS ON A PRINCESS SEAM PATTERN So how do you alter the back of patterns with shaped seam lines like princess seams? The principles are much the same, spreading and adding for a broad back, reducing for a narrow back.

Front E

Shoulder princess seams The easiest way to approach this is by either increasing the seam allowances where you need extra width, or to take them in to adjust for a narrow back. (See igs F and G.)

Adjusted back

3

Use a ruler and a pencil to true up and redraw the side seam and shoulder seam. (See the red lines on Fig D.)

Armhole princess seams Mark the adjustment lines as before on the centre back panel. (See Fig H.) I

H

4

This time you’ll need to make the front shoulder a little longer. As with the narrow adjustment, line up the shoulder seams, ensuring the neckline is aligned. Place some paper underneath the shoulder area. Draw a curve line from the back shoulder down towards the front armhole, adding a sliver to the front shoulder and armhole. Check that you’ve drawn a smooth line over the shoulder.

(See Fig E.)

Slide across J

F

True

Centre back Back Cut of excess to true Side back

Claire-Louise is an author, pattern designer, teacher and costumier.

We recommend Claire-Louise's new course www.learntosewwithapro. com/ultimate-beginners Claire-Louise’s book, The Great British Sewing Bee: Fashion With Fabric, accompanied the third series of the show and is priced at £20, from www.hardiegrant.com/ uk/quadrille

Rutland Sewing Unit 1a Rutland Village, Ashwell Road, Oakham, Rutland LE15 7QN Tel 01572 756468 www.rutlandsewing.co.uk

Please visit our NEW online shop!

Ample free parking Very close to picturesque Rutland Water Coffee shop on site Classes and workshops Also training for sewing machines, Pfaff embroidery machines, Premier Plus Software & all makes of overlockers Open Tuesday to Saturday 9am – 5pm Sunday 10am – 4pm Closed Mondays

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INSPIRATION

Cherry-picked Stock up on lovely new fabric with these recommendations from some of our favourite fabric suppliers

Charles

EMPRESS MILLS

THREAD HEAD FABRICS

Empress Mills is a fourth-generation family business established in 1927.

Having evolved over the years, it now supplies thousands of thread, fabric and haberdashery items throughout the UK and around the world. www.empressmills.co.uk

Thread Head Fabrics is an independent online retailer ofering an eclectic selection of gorgeous fabric and patterns for your dressmaking, quilting and craft projects. Check out the quality fabric at great prices on the website, which has fast shipping and a trusted customer service! www.threadheadfabrics.co.uk

Clare

7.5oz Petrel Premium Slub Stretch Denim Available in a range of shades, the Slub Stretch collection proves perennially popular – ideal for trousers, skirts and much more. £8.90 per metre

Bright Floral Viscose The beautiful colour and drape make this show-stopper fabric a favourite.

Perfect for sewing blouses, kimono tops and dresses! £6.50 per metre

Dino Roar Royal Jersey Cotton Print Great for children and big kids alike, this striking print is on a lovely cottonrich jersey-base fabric. There are over 200 jersey fabrics to choose from on the website. £12.90 per metre

Teal Bi-Stretch Poly Viscose Suiting This best-selling, season-spanning fabric in a knockout shade, is ideal for sewing beautiful dresses, skirts or capri trousers. £5 per metre

Love Hearts Cream Super Soft Fleece With the weather slowly turning bleak, cuddle up with this supersoft leece. It is ideal for dressing gowns, coats, throws and more! £8.50 per metre

Cloud 9 Fabrics organic yarndyed broadcloth This on-trend checked design in a soft, versatile broadcloth is perfect for shirts, dresses, quilts and more!

Available in ive glorious shades. £12 per metre

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Both large or small prints work well with soft pleats

YOUR

FAB PATTERN

FRONT

Poppy

top & dress This staple pattern is quick to sew and will add a versatile casual style to your winter wardrobe Photography RENATA STONYTE Model JESSICA for INDUSTRY Hair and make-up RACHEL OWENS for CREATIVES

Get the look

John Kaldor Floral Print Peachskin dress fabric This beautiful drapey peachskin fabric is ideal for making tops, blouses, skirts and dresses

Principles navy faux leather scoop grab bag £24 www.debenhams.com

Faith navy suedette ‘Barleena’ block heel ankle boots £27.30 www.debenhams.com

£14.99 per metre www.minervacrafts.com

Jessica is 5’ 7” and a size 8

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www.simplesewpatterns.com

Sew with the

FLOW

Roll with it!

For lightweight fabric, a rolled-hem foot can be a great alternative to an overlocker if you don’t have one and it will create a neat inish to your top. Rolled-hem feet, or hemmer feet as they are also known, come in diferent sizes depending on the width of the hem you’d like to sew.

Add a low and drape to your Poppy top or dress pattern using a polyester fabric such as peachskin or crêpe.

If it’s your irst time sewing these fabrics, follow our techniques

Fruity fabric

Print Peachskin Fabric 27" Beige Purple Blue, £4.99 per metre www.abakhan.co.uk

You might not be familiar with peachskin fabric, but with it’s an afordable way to get a luxury feel.

Created from regular polyester fabric, the surface is rubbed with sandpaper or an emery roller which raises the ibres of the fabric, creating a very short, fuzzy nap on one side. This leaves a soft velvety feel, just like a peachskin to the touch!

Handling polyester Even before sewing, there are plenty of ways to ensure 'polyester perfection'.

1 Use a new, universal, sharps or microtex needle, size 9/60-10/70.

Larger size needles can leave holes or cause the seams to gather slightly as you sew. Blunt needles can snag the fabric and cause runs.

2 Take care when applying fusibles, use a high heat and steam on a test piece irst – but always protect the fabric with a pressing cloth to avoid melting the fabric. If the fabric marks or shrinks, use sew-in interfacing.

3 If possible, use dressmaking shears that have a ine serrated edge on the blades – the serrated edge holds slippery fabric in place as you cut.

4 Cut out around the triangular Prym Professional notches – as this fabric frays easily, Xact Scissors Micro do not snip into seam allowances.

Serration, £25.99 5 Fabric softener in your washing www.minervacrafts.com machine will help reduce static in your garment, but if you're still worried about the dreaded cling try lining your garments.

Brother 2mm narrow hemmer foot, £12.49 www.jaycotts.co.uk

This unique design creates a lat, narrow hem on lightweight fabric. The groove under the foot has a slightly wider and latter form to create a beautifully narrow 2mm hem.

For use with Brother toploading bobbin machines.

4mm and 6mm Janome hemmer feet set £22 www.jaycotts.co.uk

This handy pack of two narrow hem feet for 4mm and 6mm hems is a great buy if you regularly sew with drapey fabric.

Loop the loop

Whether you're creating a simple button loop or longer rouleau straps, a loop turner is a handy tool to have in your kit. Designed to make the tricky task of turning a thin tube of fabric inside out, the clever hook fastener at the end latches onto the fabric, making sure this doesn’t slip of the rod. Laurne Guthrie of Guthrie Ghani posted an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to use a loop turner as part of her review of the True Bias Top. Find it here, at www.guthrie-ghani.co.uk/blog/the-true-bias-ogdencami-summer-series-18

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Wear it with...

Complement your Simple Sew pattern with inds from some of our favorite high-street shops Cardigan, £29.50

Coat, £265

Trousers, £115

JIGSAW www.jigsaw-online.com

Loafers, £29.50

MARKS AND SPENCER www.marksandspencer.com

Necklace, £40

Jeans, £25 Bag, £29.50

Shoes, £139

Jacket, £90 Scarf, £25 Jeans, £15

Cardigan, £22

LAURA ASHLEY www.lauraashley.com

TU CLOTHING www.tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk Scarf, £14

Boots, £25

Skirt, £50

Bag, £50

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Hit the Kick start your new year crafting with our guide to January sales

GIRL CHARLEE www.girlcharlee.co.uk Girl Charlee is a familyrun online fabric store specialising in beautiful knit fabric. From cotton jersey to Ponte Roma, French terry to sweatshirt leece or faux leather, Girl Charlee has you covered with over 250 exclusive knit fabric and over 400 indie designer sewing patterns.

CLOTHSPOT www.clothspot.co.uk This little company from the Lincolnshire Fens has plenty of big ideas when it comes to choosing, using and explaining its quality and dynamic fabric collection. You’ll ind detailed descriptions and videos of fabric, garment kits, a lively blog, as well as a well-earned reputation for excellent customer service.

SALE: The sale runs from Boxing Day through to midnight 13th January 2019.

You’ll ind up to 50% of all fabric right across the site

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SALE: 1st – 7th January you can save up to 70% on many sale fabrics, and 20% on all non-sale fabrics, no codes needed!

SHOPPING

LINTON TWEEDS www.lintondirect.co.uk

For more than 100 years Linton Tweeds has been producing fabric of the highest quality for fashion houses around the world. All of these fabrics are still designed and woven on site at its mill on Shaddongate, Carlisle – just as when it was irst founded by William Linton in 1912.

SALE: Save 25% on all items on the website using the code LINTON25. The sale will run from 26th December until the end of January.

EMPRESS MILLS www.empressmills.co.uk Empress Mills is a fourthgeneration family business established in 1927. Having evolved over the years it now supplies 1000s of thread, fabric and haberdashery items throughout the UK and the world.

SALE: 1st January – 10th February you can ind ofers on a wide range of fabric, thread, wadding, notions and carry cases plus bundle ofers including fat quarter packs and more.

Laura

COTTON REEL STUDIO

FABRICSFORSALE

www.cottonreelstudio.co.uk

www.fabricsforsale.co.uk

Cotton Reel Studio is an independent online fabric and haberdashery shop which is run

by Laura, fabric hoarder and sewing addict.

It ofers a carefully curated selection of fabrics and sewing patterns by independent designers and plenty of inspiration for your next sewing project.

FabricsforSale is an online business with a passion for fabric and sewing. It’s wealth of experience and expertise is relected in its vast collection of premium quality fabrics. The team at FabricsforSale prides itself on ofering the most advanced premium fabric from all around the world, available to buy from the online store.

SALE: 26th December – 10th January there will be savings of up to 50% on fabric and an additional 20% of all full-priced items with the code WINTER whilst stocks last.

SALE: Save an incredible 25% across the store 26th December – 20th January using the code SN25.

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27

Use your template download

Fantastic

FRILL TOP Learn how to make delicate bias-cut rules that are perfect for adding to a simple top or skirt Project AMY THOMAS Photography RENATA STONYTE

We used

Coral chifon, £4.99 per metre Coral peachskin polyester, £7.99 per metre www.minervacrafts.com

STYLE SKILL LEVEL: MATERIALS: • 1.5m chifon • 1.5m co-ordinating lining • 50cm fusible interfacing • tailor's chalk or air-erasable marker • co-ordinating thread • templates downloaded from www.sewnowmag.co.uk CUTTING

SIZING Size

Bust

Waist

Hips

8

33”

26”

36”

10

35”

28”

38”

12

37”

30”

40”

14

39”

32”

42”

16

41”

34”

44”

18

43”

36”

46”

20

45”

38”

48”

A

B

Before you start, check your chalk is easily removable!

C

D

E

HOW TO MAKE: Mark the centre front onto the WS of the bodice front lining piece in chalk.

1 2

Layer the WS of the chifon bodice front on top of the RS of the lining. Baste around the outer edges within the seam allowance to hold the two layers together.

Using your scissors cut the chifon layer only, down the centre of two Using a long clear dressmaker’s ruler, sewn lines. Cut in long strokes so you position your ruler at a 45˚ angle to don’t get a ragged edge. Repeat until the the centre front line. On the WS of the front is fully ruled. (See Pic B.) Run a hot lining mark a line that runs across the iron back and forth over the frills to make piece, taking care not to drag the fabric as them stand away from the lining. Because you go. I used a rotary chalk wheel to get a you cut the rules at a 45˚ angle they will crisp smooth line in one motion. You may not fray as they are on the bias. prefer to use air-erasable fabric pen.

Repeat steps 1-6 for the back bodice.

Choose how wide you’d like your frills to be – I chose 1.5cm frills so marked 3cm parallel lines. Continue to mark parallel Fuse interfacing to the WS of the lines until the bodice front is covered. Work neckline and armhole facings and inish carefully so you don’t smudge the chalk the lower edges with a zigzag stitch or with your arm or the ruler. on an overlocker. Then with RST, sew the armhole facings together at the shoulder seams and press open. (See Pic C.) Sew along the marked lines in a coordinating thread (or contrasting if you prefer), working in the same direction for With RST sew front and back bodice each line. (See Pic A.) together at shoulder seams and press

3

4 5

6

open. (See Pic D.) Repeat for front and back neck facings.

10

Place the bodice and neckline facing RST and pin in place.

Repeat for the armhole facings.

Sew in place using a 1cm seam allowance. (See Pic E.) Notch the seam allowances at the curved edges to help them sit lat and under-stitch the facings to the seam allowance to prevent them from rolling forward.

Press the facings to the inside.

7 8

11

9

12

Turn the top RST and lip armhole facings up. Pin then sew side and facing seams in one motion and press open. Finish raw edges with a zigzag stitch or on an overlocker.

Turn up a small hem and sew in place to inish.

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Bristol Balloons

The Sea

Start at the top Emma

Ever wanted to try free-hand machine embroidery?

We chat to master textile artist Emma Giacalone to ind out her top tips and what inspires her

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi, I’m Emma. I create free-hand machine embroidery and raw-edge appliqué artwork based on my own sketches, which I sell in my online shop. I make pictures depicting quite a varied subject range, but particularly enjoy sewing landscape and seascape pictures.

What is on your sewing table right now?

I always have a few projects in progress at any time – sometimes it helps being able to step away from a picture, but mostly it’s just because I have too many ideas! I usually have commission work in progress – at the moment I'm creating a picture of a garden 30

W W W.SEWNOWM AG.CO.UK

for a 70th birthday present and a wedding venue portrait, but I always try to keep a ‘me-make’ close to hand as well, right now that’s adding hot-air balloons to a large Bristol street scene.

You have quite an unusual sewing space, how did you choose it?

Before I moved into my current workshop, I had been steadily taking over my house with fabric and sewing paraphernalia.

A room became available (which just happens to be a chicken shed) in my husband’s place of work and I think he was quite taken by the idea of getting some space back at home!

How do you take a design from sketch to stitch?

Initially I will make a number of sketches on paper until I’m happy with the way I’d like a design to look, then the process is essentially like a collage, building up colours and textures with scraps of material, and then stitching them down. Sometimes I use a Frixion pen as a guide, but as I’ve become more conident, more often I just

INTERVIEW

Emma using her trusty curved scissors Emma works from her unconventional sewing space, inside a converted chicken shed!

Sewing Room

go free-hand, it’s quite a forgiving technique and often unplanned stitches can become the parts of pictures that work out best.

What are your top tips for successful machine embroidery?

I think the main thing is practice – the more you do it, the more you will get to know your machine and what feels comfortable for you and develop your own style. I also think you need to play to ind a technique that works best for you – I don’t use a foot or hoop when I work, as I ind this allows me to be more accurate and neater.

Which fabric are you enjoying sewing with?

My favourites are always Liberty lawns, they look beautiful and are a dream to work with – especially for raw-edge appliqué as they don’t really fray. I could never choose a favourite pattern but deinitely have a shortlist! There is usually at least a small scrap in each of my pictures.

Which sewing tool could you not live without?

Because I usually cut fabric away after I’ve stitched it, I have a favourite pair of curved tip embroidery scissors, which make cutting away loose threads and awkward shapes a breeze, so it would have to be them. And of course my Janome DM3000 sewing machine.

What is the best and the most challenging thing about working for yourself?

I feel so fortunate to have a job doing something I completely love, so that has to be the best part of working for myself.

The hardest part is probably the fact that it’s just me, so I can feel quite isolated.

Luckily online communities – I particularly like Instagram – can be really supportive and so there’s always virtual company and support.

What can we expect to see over the next few months?

I have so many sketches waiting to be made in to pictures that there’s quite a list! But at the top are always landscape/buildings pictures which I love making. I also have plans to add to my sewing room picture, and increase the range of sewing-themed pictures I have available.

Family Tree Check out Emma’s latest works and ind out more about her at www.emmagiacalone.com

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Craft Cotton

Wool

Silk

Cotton Packs

Jersey

Scuba

Suiting

Indonesian Batik

Corduroy & Velvet

Crepe & Georgette

Linen and Chambray

Waterproof Fabrics

Designer Brands

Denim

Finest Cotton Lawn

We go way back to when a good night out cost less than 10 ‘bob’. The heritage of Croft Mill mail order fabric spans over 50 years and we are still sending beautiful fabrics directly to your door. We are a family business based in Lancashire and we continue to source beautiful fabrics from Britain, Europe and the rest of the World.

See our unique corner of the World Wide Web at www.croftmill.co.uk or via our Mail Order Catalogue

Tel: 01282 859281

@croftmillfabric

facebook/Croft-Mill-Fabric

Freehand Machine Embroidery & Appliqué Christmas Card Workshop.

Set in a luxury hotel with stunning views of Margate main sands

Rooftop Fabrics are proud to offer an every expanding range of fabrics, including: Plush, Cottons, and other specialist items.

Tel: 01420 260036 Email: website@rooftopfabrics.com

www.rooftopfabrics.com

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W W W.SEWNOWM AG.CO.UK

Call 07815053716 or visit www.artseacraftsea.com

@croftmillfabric

Use your template downloads

ch Ha al lf-ya le rd ng e

It’s a

DOG’S LIFE Treat your canine BFF this winter with a luxury dog coat, matching treat bag and fun Christmas decoration Project DEBBIE VON GRABLER-CROZIER www.sallyandcraftyvamp.blogspot.co.uk

Treat bag

Debbie

Stocking

ch Ha al lf-ya le rd ng e

Use your template download

If you’re short on time you can buy ready-made buckle fastenings and a label from Prym

Luxe winter

DOG COAT Pamper your pooch and make sure they stays cosy with this snuggly dog coat

HALF-YARD CHALLENGE

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

SKILL LEVEL: MATERIALS: • 70cm-square brushed cotton for the outer • 70cm-square co-ordinating cotton print for lining • 70cm-square Vlieseline #279 80/20 cotton mix wadding • 60cm fur trim • 30cm-square tan leather • 2x 2.5cm antique bronze buckles • variegated purple thread • walking foot for quilting • leather hole punch • templates downloaded from www.sewnowmag.co.uk NOTES: Seam allowance for all projects is 0.5cm (4”) unless otherwise stated. This coat is designed for a medium-sized dog, such as an English Cocker Spaniel. You can reduce or enlarge it using your dog’s measurements from the back of the neck to the tip of the rump as a guide.

HOW TO MAKE: To make the buckles, cut the components from the leather using the template. You need two long straps,

1

two short straps and two loops. If needed, extend the length of the strap to it.

stamp and permanent Archival Ink. (See Pic F.)

2

Punch all of the holes as shown on the template using the leather hole punch and then stitch the loops together with strong thread. Pre-stitch the strap ends, to make the buckle look more substantial and stitch the remaining section later.

(See pics A & B.)

7 8

3

Slide a loop onto the short strap component. Place the short strap end over the buckle and put the buckle post through the hole. (See Pic C.)

9

4

10

5

11

Glue the longer strap and tuck it under. The buckles will be itted in the last step. (See Pic D.)

Cut the outer from the tartan fabric on the fold. Place the outer onto the wadding. Pin and quilt with a diamond quilting pattern with lines about 4cm apart. Use a variegated purple thread to allow it to blend in without taking anything away from the fabric. (See Pic E.)

6

Add a label. Mine is simply a leather ofcut stamped with a papercraft

Cut the outer fabric and add the neck darts. (See Pic G.)

Cut the lining out and add in your chosen darts. Pin the outer to the lining with the RS and sew all the way around the outside, leaving a gap for turning on the neck seam.

Clip and notch the curves, clip across the corners and turn out through the gap. Close the gap and then top-stitch all the way around. (See Pic H.) Attach a buckle set to the front of the jacket and also to the middle bottom by continuing the stitching you started before. (See Pic I.)

To get the itting just right on the lower buckle, it the jacket onto your dog. The buckle goes where your pet’s natural waist is. Use some clear-drying fabric glue to hold the buckles in place as you sew.

Don’t pin the leather because you will mark it. Finally, trim the collar with faux fur, which is best stitched on by hand, so that it can be removed when the coat is washed.

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ch Ha al lf-ya le rd ng e

On the go

DOG TREAT BAG Stay super stylish with this handy treat bag that holds poop bags too!

HALF-YARD CHALLENGE

A

B

D

SKILL LEVEL: MATERIALS: • FQ brushed cotton fabric.

• FQ co-ordinating lining fabric • FQ Vlieseline H630 fusible wadding • 12cm Prym lex frame • 12mm Prym bronze magnetic clip • Prym bronze swivel clip • 3cm-wide x 3.5cm long oval bronze grommet • 10cm dog print ribbon CUTTING: From the tartan, cut: 2 15cm wide x 14cm long – front and back panels 1 14cm square – front pocket 4 6cm wide x 14cm long – lex frame casing

E

2.5cm. Place the male half of the magnetic clip on this line. (See Pic A.)

C

Add a 3cm-square piece of fusible interfacing and use on the wrong side of the lining where the magnetic clip goes for added reinforcement

2

With the WST, sew the top seam. Flip the pocket over and top-stitch along the top. Baste the sides and bottom to keep the layers neat. (See Pic B.)

3

Take one half of the oval grommet and place it in the centre of the pocket.

Draw around the outer and inner ovals.

Cut a hole that is slightly larger than the inner hole and not as big as the outer one.

(See Pic C.)

Lorna the back. Repeat this with the lining but leave a small turning gap.

Take the lex frame pieces and sew RST on the short ends only. Turn RS out and press. Fold the casing in half lengthways and baste the bottom layers together, to make a lined casing. Repeat for the other two pieces.

4

9

From the lining, cut: 15cm wide x 14cm long – front and back main lining 1 14cm square – front pocket lining

5

Fuse the H630 pieces to the WS of the other two pieces of outer fabric.

Carefully line the magnetic clip up and install the other half.

10

From the Interfacing, cut: 2 15cm wide x 14cm long – front and back main lining 1 14cm square – front pocket lining

6

11

NOTES: Seam allowance for all projects is 0.5cm unless otherwise stated

7

HOW TO MAKE: For the front pocket, fuse the front and back interfacing to the corresponding WS of each lining piece. Find the vertical centre of the lining and measure down

1

Place the grommet onto the pocket front and clip it on, following the manufacturer’s instructions. This creates the perfect pocket for poop bags.

Fold the piece of ribbon in half and enclose the swivel clip. Attach this to the left-hand side of the front panel, right on the front pocket line. (See Pic D.)

Fit the front pocket onto the front panel and align the bottom edge.

Baste the sides and base. Round the two bottom corners. Use this as a template to round the back piece of outer and also the two pieces of lining. (See Pic E.)

8

With the RST sides together and the swivel clip tucked in, sew the front to

Take one of the pieces and attach it to one side of the main bag outer.

Repeat for the remaining piece.

With the bag outer the right way out and the lining inside out, pull the lining on over the outer and pin. The lex frame casing will be down between the outer and the lining and the raw edge facing up. Sew right around the top and then turn the bag out through the lining gap and close it.

Stuf the lining down into the bag and top-stitch around the top edge. Insert the lex frame and handstitch the casing closed on the ends to hide the frame completely.

12

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37

ch Ha al lf-ya le rd ng e

Use your template download

Pawfect

CHRISTMAS STOCKING Sew this paw-print bag for easy item storage

HALF-YARD CHALLENGE

Get the look

A

B

Purple/Lilac Tartan – Brushed Cotton £4.30 per metre www.harveyjacobs.co.uk

Charcoal Nature Elements

by Art Gallery Fabrics

C

D

SKILL LEVEL: MATERIALS: • 30cm brushed cotton fabric • 30cm co-ordinating print for lining • 40cm Vlieseline H630 fusible wadding • 30cm long x 3cm wide light grey webbing • 30cm-square white wool blend felt • 45cm fur trim • 30cm dog print ribbon • darning foot for freemotion embroidery • templates downloaded from www.sewnowmag.co.uk NOTES: Seam allowance for all projects is 0.5 cm unless otherwise stated HOW TO MAKE: Cut two outer pieces of tartan using the template and fuse H630 to the back of both. Cut two pieces of lining and the paw prints from felt. Glue the paw sections onto one tartan outer.

(See Pic A.)

1

2

Set your machine up for free-motion embroidery and embroider the paw prints, sewing around each one twice and not being too neat. Trim the threads away.

(See Pic B.)

3

Make a hanging tab by attaching the ribbon to the webbing. This strap seems long but this is to allow for the fur trim.

For details and stockist information visit www.hantex.co.uk/agf

Brown Luxury Faux Fur Trim

Use your handy bag all year round to store brushes, coats and lead

2m x 80mm £4.90 per pack www.ohsewcrafty.co.uk

Gütermann Natural Cotton Sewing Thread 800m (9978) £7.95 each

Sam

Prym Flex Frame Bag Closure £2.39 each

4

Fold the hanging tab over and attach it to the side of the stocking about 2cm down from the top. (See Pic C.)

5

With the RST, sew the paw outer together leaving the top open. Repeat for the lining but leave a turning gap in the base.

Prym Snap Hook Swivel Clip Fasteners Antique Brass £3.89 each

6

All from www.minervacrafts.com

7

Farmyard Animals – Berisfords ribbon

With the outer the RS out and the lining inside out, pull the lining on over the outer and pin the top so that the side seams line up well. Sew around the top edge leaving no gaps.

Turn the stocking out through the gap in the lining and close the gap.

Pull the hanging tab out. Top-stitch the top edge. Hand-stitch the fur trim to the top (it can then be undone for laundering). (See Pic D.)

Six designs to choose from 90p per metre www.minionsofcraft.co.uk

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39

READER OFFER

Holiday essentials

Whether you’re sewing for yourself or loved ones this Christmas, you’ll ind a fantastic array of fabric at Cotton Reel Studio

Monstera Evergreen Organic Cotton jersey, £10.25 per half metre

Blue Atelier Brunette Moonstone viscose, £8.50 per half metre

Crêpe wandering vine, £3.50 per half metre

Powder Gold Atelier Brunette Sparkle cotton, £8 per half metre

Atelier Brunette Jacquard Shimmer Chic, £14.50 per half metre

Navy Atelier Brunette Bye Bye Birdie cotton, £8 per half metre

Buy the new Tilly and the Buttons Nora top for £12.50 from Cotton Reel Studio

SAVE 20%

Wool Coating Checks, £7 per half metre

40

W W W.SEWNOWM AG.CO.UK

Rust Peachskin Plain, £3 per half metre

on fabric at Cotton Reel Studio 6th December – 10th January using the code SN20 Visit www.cottonreel studio.co.uk and enter the code at checkout to save!

Ofer valid on full-priced items only and subject to availability

In partnership with

If you’re looking for a new machine for Christmas, the 725S is just £259 until 2nd January 2019!

Garlands of

JOY

We used the beginner-friendly 725S! Visit www.janome.co.uk to see more of the fabulous range

MATERIALS & TOOLS: • 20cm square base fabric backed with interfacing • 5 assorted buttons with double holes in the centre • co-ordinating/ contrasting thread • embroidery hoop • button foot 'T' (optional) NOTES: A top-loading mechanical machine has been used for this project HOW TO MAKE: This is a great beginner-level project or for those short on sewing time.

Prepare your fabric by drawing a circle at the centre in pencil, following the inner edge of the hoop as a guide.

Back the fabric with interfacing centrally beneath the circle. Fusible interfacing is neatest but you can hand-

baste sew-in interfacing if you prefer.

Using a decorative scallop stitch, sew a curve of stitching across the width of the circle in the upper third.

Make the stitching curved as though it is hanging down.

Using a narrow zigzag stitch, sew ive vertical lines evenly spaced across the scalloped stitching .

To attach the buttons by machine, lower the feed dogs using the lever on the free arm at the back of the machine (see image right).

You might need to remove the accessories tray to access this lever.

Prepare your machine with co-ordinating thread.

The stitch length dial doesn’t matter as you have lowered the feed dogs.

Position the buttons where you want to attach them.

Using a small piece of sticky

4 5

6

tape to hold each in place while stitching can help.

Adjust the width dial – start at 5. Lower the needle into the left-hand hole of the button and turn the balance wheel on the side of the machine to make sure that the needle also goes into the hole on the righthand side of the button.

If the needle misses the hole, use the width dial to adjust the needle position accordingly to allow the needle to pass through the right-hand hole on the button.

Sew approximately six stitches to hold the button in place.

Once stitching is complete, take the thread tails through to the wrong side of the fabric to secure.

This can also be done with the button sewing foot ‘T’, which is an optional extra.

9

10

1 2

7

11 12

3

8

13

14

Position the fabric in the hoop and draw the excess fabric taut with a handsewn gathering stitch.

Finish the reverse of the hoop with a circle of felt hand-stitched or glued in place.

15

Slide the lever on the back of the free arm to allow you to lower the feed dogs on the machine

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41

Denim Chevron

TOTE BAG With plenty of pockets, this spacious bag will hold everything you need Project DEBBIE VON GRABLER-CROZIER www.sallyandcraftyvamp. blogspot.co.uk

We used

Fading Darts from the Denim Studio

City Sounds from the Rise The Volume Capsule collection

Classic Denim from the Denim Studio All fabrics are Art Gallery Fabrics. For more details and stockist information, visit www.hantex.co.uk/agf

ACCESSORIES

SKILL LEVEL: MATERIALS: • 60cm printed denim (Fabric A) • 40cm dark wash solid denim (Fabric B) • 60cm black and white printed fabric (Fabric C) • 1m Vlieseline H630 fusible wadding • 1m Vlieseline style-vil foam interfacing • F8th Vlieseline S320 fusible interfacing • 2 18cm navy/gold metal zips • 35cm navy/gold metal zip • 18cm white plastic zip • 15cm wide x 1m long leather pieces for straps (this makes 2 lined straps 8cm long) • leather hole punch • co-ordinating thread for the leather • leather sewing needle for your machine • 4 gold Chicago screws • fabric glue NOTES: Seam allowance for all projects is 0.5cm unless otherwise stated The main interfacings are not on the cutting list below as these are better cut using the main panels as a guide and then trimmed individually CUTTING: From Fabric A, cut: 2 21cm wide x 46cm long (front & back main panels) 2 6cm wide x 46cm long (front & back top panels) 2 6cm wide x 46cm long (front & back inside top panels) 2 6cm wide x 37cm long (recessed zipper panel outer) From lining fabric, cut: 2 34x38cm pieces 2 6x50cm strips From Fabric C, cut: 2 36cm wide x 46cm long (main lining panels) 4 15cm wide x 22cm long (lined inner slip pockets) 2 35cm wide x 25cm long (outer front and back zipper pocket linings) 1 35cm wide x 25cm long (internal zipper pocket lining) 2 6cm wide x 37cm long (recessed zipper panel lining) From S320 interfacing, cut: 2 10cm wide x 20cm long (two internal slip pockets)

A

B

C

D

HOW TO MAKE: Make the straps by cutting four pieces of leather 2.5cm wide x 70cm long. If you’re using short pieces these can be joined, but position the joins apart on the front and back strap to avoid bulk.

Take the two strap pieces and use the fabric glue to laminate the suede sides together. (See Pic A.)

1

2

Swap to a leather needle in your machine, thread with your co-ordinating thread and sew around the outer edge of the leather strap.

Using the hole punch, punch the strap at each end in the centre and approximately 1cm up, roughly the size of your Chicago screw post. Repeat for the remaining strap. (See Pic B.)

3

To make the lined inner slip pocket, take the pre-cut S320 and fuse to the WS of lining fabric piece. Place this piece RST with an uninterfaced pocket piece and sew around, close to the edge of the interfacing, leaving a turning gap.

4

Trim the seam allowance back to 0.5cm and clip across the corners.

Turn out through the gap and press so that the edges are perfect. Repeat for the other pocket. These are now ready to topstitch onto the lining. (See Pic C.)

5

Turn the openings and end tape of the main zip to the side and hold in place with a stitch. Stitch

the remaining zip closed at the open end. (See Pic D.)

6

The front and back of the bag are the same. Take the top panel and attach it to the centre, then add the base. Press.

Fuse H630 to the back and trim to the same size. Repeat for the other panel.

7

Find the vertical centre of the front and one piece of the outer zipper pocket lining. Mark with a crease. Position the zipper pocket lining RST on the main front panel, lining up the two vertical creases. The top edge of the pocket lining goes on the seam line of the top panel. Pin. (See Pic E.)

8

On the pocket lining, measure down 3cm and mark a box 18cm long and 1cm deep, or mark your sewing line. Make another horizontal line down the box centre with angles at each end, to mark your cutting line. (See pics F & G.)

9

Sew and cut around the associated lines.

Be sure to cut the angles at the end of the box. Post the lining through the aperture.

Smooth out on the back and top-stitch a navy zip in. Finish the pocket by bringing the long end of the lining up and matching the two short ends. Pin and sew the sides and top. (See Pic H.)

10 11

Repeat steps 8, 9 & 10 for the back of the bag.

Cut a narrow remnant piece of leather and place it through the zipper pull.

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E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

Stitch or glue to make it secure.

(See Pic I.)

12

Lay the completed panels onto a piece of style-vil that is slightly larger all around. Top-stitch one side of the joining seams with co-ordinating thread, then baste the edges in place with a narrow seam.

Trim the foam interfacing back.

(See Pic J.) Mimic a pair of jeans by having a play with your colours for the topstitching.

13

Place the two panels RST and match up the side seams. Pin and sew the sides and bottom. Cut a 4.5cm square from the bottom corners. Pinch the corners together to box the base.

(See Pic K.)

14

Make the top zipper section by fusing H630 to the WS of the outer. Trim the interfacing. Make a zipper sandwich with the outer panel, zip and the lining piece. Find the centre of the zip, the outer and the lining and mark it. Line these marks up and pin.

(See Pic L.)

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15

19

16

20

Sew along the zip. Flip the lining and outer over to bring the zip out and fold the ends under by about 1cm and press. Note that the side panels have to be exactly the same length as the zip.

Top-stitch the sides and along the zip. Baste the other long raw edge closed (the raw sections will be taken care of in the following steps). Repeat for the other side of the zip. Trim this panel so that it is 11cm wide. Cut another zipper pull. (See Pic M.)

17

Use the white plastic zip for the lining pocket. Follow steps 8 & 9 and position this 7cm down on one side of the lining.

18

Top-stitch the slip pockets onto the lining. On the zipper side, position the slip pocket 11cm down from the top. On the opposite side, position slip pocket 10cm down from the top – both are on the centre crease. To avoid sagging, sew in vertical compartments for pens, a phone etc. Fuse H630 to the wrong side of the lining top panel.

Find the centre of the lining piece, the top zipper panel and the interfaced top inner lining panel (the denim section). Make a sandwich with RST and the zipper panel facing up. Sew right along from end to end. Repeat for the other side.

Match the side seams up, sew the sides and base of the lining, leaving a turning gap at the bottom. Box the corners the same as the outer in Step 13.

21

With the outer the RS way out and the lining inside out, pull the lining on over the outer and line the top seams up.

Sew right around the top edge.

22

Turn the bag out through the gap in the base and close it. Push the lining down into the bag and top-stitch right around the top edge. Top-stitch above the recessed zipper to keep things neat.

23

Finally, add the straps by measuring in 11cm from each side seam and in the middle of the top edge and use the leather hole punch to make a hole the same size as the one on the strap. Use the Chicago screws to attach the straps.

INSPIRATION Butterick Teepee and Mat pattern, £9.50 www.sewdirect.com/b4251

Sew Hayley Jane subscription box, £20-£65 www.sewhayleyjane.com

BY HAND London sewing planner, £7 www.byhandlondon.com

Paisley Dropcloth Sampler, £12.50 www.shopbeyondmeasure.co.uk

Get set for

2019!

Got a New Year’s re-sew-lution?

Inspire your creativity with these nifty treats Breaking the Pattern: A modern way to sew by Saara Huhta and Laura Huhta (Quadrille, £26) www.hardiegrant.com

Stretch your skills with these jersey fabrics, from www.fabricgodmother.co.uk

Jessie Coatigan PDF sewing pattern, £7.50 www.sewoverit.co.uk

Daisy Chain Bundle

by Annabel Wrigley, £75, www.clothandcandy.co.uk Janome 8002DG Overlocker, £199 www.franknutt.co.uk W W W.S EWNOWMAG.CO.U K

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Sweatshirt

Superstar Learn how to make an eye-catching star design and get to grips with sweatshirt knit in this fun jumper tutorial Project ANNA BRUCE Madeit Patterns Photography RENATA STONYTE

Anna

Masterclass SWEATSHIRTING FABRIC

We used

Aqua and grey leece-lined sweatshirting £8.30 per half metre www.habbydays.co.uk

Always pre-wash and iron your fabric before starting, because it’s highly likely your sweatshirting will shrink on its irst wash!

The main diference with sweatshirting fabric is that it isn’t as stretchy as regular jersey.

This is why using very stretchy ribbed fabric is helpful at the openings.

Just like working with jersey, it doesn't need to be overlocked if you don't want to, as sweatshirting won’t fray! But if you’re using a leece-backed fabric it may deposit luf everywhere as you cut it out.

If you are using an overlocker to sew the seams remember to trim the necessary amount to ensure the correct seam is taken.

Using your overlocker blade isn’t advised on such thick fabric.

Alternatively, if you are using a sewing machine to sew the seams, make sure you select a stretch stitch and ballpoint or stretch needle. You may also want to ease your presser foot pressure to allow thicker fabric to sit under the foot. Find the adjustment dial by checking your machine manual.

KIDS SKILL LEVEL:

2

Join Piece 4 to Piece 3 with RST, mark a 1cm seam allowance along each edge to meet at the corner of the piece. (See Pic A.)

MATERIALS: • cotton brushed back sweatshirting in two colours • cotton rib to match one of the colours 0.3m (minimum 85cm-wide fabric) • templates downloaded from www.sewnowmag.co.uk

3

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS: Main Colour Sizes 5/6 and 7/8 = 0.5m 115cm-wide or 0.45m 150cm-wide fabric Sizes 9/10 and 11/12 = 0.6m 115cm-wide or 0.55m 150cm-wide fabric Contrast Colour Sizes 5/6 and 7/8 = 0.5m 115cm-wide or 0.5m 150cm-wide fabric Sizes 9/10 and 11/12 = 0.6m 115cm-wide or 0.6m 150cm-wide fabric

Sew up to the marked corner and back-stitch to secure. Turn your work over and snip into the seam as near as possible to the stitches without touching them. (See Pic B.) Turn Piece 4 to line up with the other edge and sew a 1cm seam to the end. (See Pic C.) Sew with the snipped corner facing upwards so you can make sure you start or end your seam at exactly that point to ensure you don't get any puckering or tucks at the corner.

Press the seam upwards towards the top of the garment.

B

C

4

150cm-wide fabric – UNFOLDED main fabric

Attach Panel 2 in the same way, by placing the pieces RST, mark the seam allowances at the corner where they cross, stitch along one side, snip into the seam, turn and sew the remaining edge.

115cm-wide fabric – UNFOLDED main fabric

5 6

LAYPLANS

A

Press this seam towards Piece 3 and trim of any protruding seam corners.

Attach the neck area piece in the same way as before, press the inished seam towards the hem of the garment.

(See Pic D.)

7 8

Repeat the steps until you have completed the front.

Place the garment Front and Back RST lining up the shoulder seams. Sew the shoulder seams together with a 1cm seam.

115/150cm-wide fabric – UNFOLDED contrast Cut 1 sleeve and pattern Piece 3 from contrast fabric

9

Take the ribbed neck band and fold in half. With RST line up the short ends and join with a 1cm seam, press the seam open then fold in half lengthways.

10

Pin the ribbed band to the RS of the neck opening aligning the raw edges. Attach with a 1cm stretch stitch or overlocker. If sewing with an overlocker remember to trim of the necessary amount to ensure the correct seam allowance is taken. Gently extend the rib as you go so it sits lat with the neck edge of the garment as you sew. Press seam towards the garment.

85cm minimum width fabric – UNFOLDED rib

HOW TO MAKE: Take the front and back pieces and arrange them as they will be sewn together.

1

SIZING Age

To it (height)

To it (chest)

Finished chest

Finished CB length

Finished sleeve length

5-6

110-116cm

57-61cm

78cm

45cm

39cm

7-8

122-128cm

63-73cm

82cm

49cm

43.5cm

9-10

134-140cm

69-73cm

86cm

53cm

48cm

11-12

146-152cm

75-80cm

90cm

57cm

52.5cm

D

11

Place the sleeve into the corresponding coloured armhole with RST lining up the sleeve head notch with the shoulder seam of the garment.

Attach using a stretch stitch with a 1cm seam allowance. You can change your overlocking thread to match the colour you are sewing at this point for a neater internal inish. Press the inished seams towards the cuf.

12

Place the front and back together and join the underarm and side seams in one go with a 1cm seam stretch stitch or overlock, making sure you line up the underarm seams. Pin if required to hold in position.

Make the hem band and cuf by folding in half RST and lining up and joining the ends with a 1cm seam. Press the seam open and fold the bands in half, lining up the raw edges. Press them nice and lat.

13 14

Place the band onto the RS of the garment, lining up the raw edges and matching seams. Attach with a 1cm seam, stretch stitch or overlock. Extend the rib gently as you go so it sits lat against the main garment.

15

Press the seams away from the rib either towards the sleeve for the cuf or the main body for the hem.

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SHOP LOCAL DIRECTORY BEVERLEY

BEXLEY HEATH

Sewing supplies & fabrics all under one roof! North Bar Fabrics in Cherry Burton is one of the leading fabric stockists in the area. Visit our store today and you will ind exactly what you are looking for.

Bernina and Janome stockists

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Visit us in store or online to see our range of Dress Fabrics, Patchwork Fabrics from Makower, Moda, Riley Blake and many more, plus knitting yarn and haberdashery.

19 Badminton Road Downend Bristol BS16 6BB

The Courtyard, Burton Mount, Off Malton Road, Cherry Burton, Beverley, HU17 7RA info@northbarfabrics.co.uk Call: 01964 551 955

CLITHEROE

BRISTOL

Tel. 0117 329 3857 www.fabrics-plus.co.uk info@fabrics-plus.co.uk

DUMFRIES

ESSEX

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Romy's Sewing Rooms For all your haberdashery needs.

Sewing classes for all ages and abilities.

180 Irish Street, Dumfries, DG1 2NJ 01387250867

romyssewingrooms@gmail.com www.facebook.com/Romyssewingrooms

And Sew On Fabrics Fabrics, Haberdashery, Pre-Cuts, Books, Patterns, Panels Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 Sunday 10.30-4 Unit 12 Blake House Craft Centre, Blake End, Rayne, Essex, CM77 6SH 01376 346 532 www.andsewonfabrics.com info@andsewonfabrics.com

CHELTHENHAM

GRIMSBY

GRIMSBY

Fabric, Wools and Haberdashery Buttons, Ribbons and Patterns Weekly Make Space Group 39 Parsonage Street Dursley, Glos, GL11 5RG www.inchesfabrics.co.uk

HALIFAX

DABhandLaserCraft Bernina - Janome - Horn Cabinets - Juki sewing machines and overlockers - Habedashery, threads etc All on display at Internet Prices 11 Henrietta Street, Cheltenham, GL50 4AA

From Fabrics and Haberdashery, to Wool, Knitting and Crochet Accessories, we have it all here at Friary Stitch.

Come on in and take a look around!

2-4 Bethlehem Street Grimsby, DN31 1JU

Fun & Cute Wood Buttons, more available from www.dabhandlaser.co.uk Check out our other engraved craft supplies and gifts!

Unit 10 Waltham Windmill Brigsley Road Grimsby N.E. Lincs DN37 0JZ

Fabulous Fabrics, Beautiful Buttons and Truly Scrumptious Trimmings.

Craft Workshops Every Week!

01472 357800

hello@thefabbadashery.com www.thefabbadashery.com 01422 647574

www.westendsewing.co.uk

www.friarystitch.co.uk

10-12 Clare Road, Halifax, HX1 2HX

HAMPSHIRE

HAMPSHIRE

01242 244025 info@westendsewing.co.uk

HAMPSHIRE

Suppliers of sewing machines.

Janome, Elna, Bernina, Toyota, Jaguar Both new and reconditioned.

Many machines on display demonstrations available.

Sales service repair haberdashery supplies

Tel 01962 850950 1st Floor, 62 High Street, Winchester, SO23 9BX Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm

W W W.SEWNOWM AG.CO.UK

HEREFORD Badder Fabrics of Hereford

Reads of Winchester

48

The Fabbadashery

14 High Street, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 1BN T: 01420 544033 E: hello@stitchedbyyou.co.uk www.stitchedbyyou.co.uk Stocking fabrics, haberdashery, dressmaking patterns, and kits!

We also ofer a sewing machine repair service and hold craft workshops.

Do pop in and say hello!

One stop shop for all your dressmaking needs Patterns, fashion and bridal fabrics, dressmakingand alterations service Husqvarna sewing machine sales and repairs on all models Taking part in the Shop local giveaway campaign 36a Aubrey Street, Hereford HR4 0BU Tel 01432 379137 Email: badderfabric@gmail.com

support your local sewing shop LINCOLNSHIRE

A gathering place for friends, fabric and inspiration Fabrics . Haberdashery . Sewing classes Leanne's new sewing shop Lots of exciting plans Pop in to say 'Hi'!

Unit 8, Crown Walk, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9NE 01778 420464 www.gathernsew.co.uk

NEWPORT

LONDON

LONDON

Extensive range of Fabrics, Wool, Haberdashery, Craft Kits & Workshops.

Including: Liberty, Kafe Fassett,Micheal Miller, Riley Blake, Fabric Freedom, Rowan, King Cole, Stylecraft

15 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London, SE22 8EW 02035810909 maria@sammur.com www.reallymaria.com

KINGS LYNN

Sewing workshops

NORTHALLERTON

The Fent Shop Everything for dress and curtain making, knitting, needlework, and much more!

Workshops and lessons for all abilities.

41 Broad Street, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1DP

Singer dealer and machine servicing and repairs.

01553 768613 www.thefentshopkingslynn.co.uk

PRESTON

SCOTLAND

Open 9.00am - 5.30pm Monday to Saturday

TAMWORTH 80 Watling St, Wilnecote Tamworth, Stafs, B77 5BJ

Helen Rhiannon runs the All Sewn Up Workshops in Swansea, South Wales.

Call Helen on 07867 915993 Helen's expertise and enthusiasm shine through at the All Sewn Up Wales workshops! You can learn to make your own clothes, gifts or soft furnishings in these friendly and sociable workshops. The kettle is always on!

SOMERSET

01225 482413 27 Charles Street, Bath, BA1 1HU www.sewingstudiobath.com m.pickles1@btintetrnet.com www.facebook.com/ sewingstudiobath/

68 Berry Lane, Longridge, Preston, PR3 3WH 01772 780 883 www.itsofsewcrafty.com

www.allsewnupwales.co.uk

1 The Fairway, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8AY 01609 531 399 info@sewnew.co.uk www.sewnew.co.uk

• Sewing classes • Sewing patterns • Large range of fabrics • Machine sales • Machine service/repairs • Haberdashery

Welcome to my lovely craft emporium!

We have lots of crafty goodies for sale however support, inspiration and the service with a smile are free!

SOUTH WALES

Our family business offers a warm welcome, great quality fabrics, haberdashery and patterns for dressmakers, quilters, and crafters.

Ofering a warm friendly welcome, supplying quality fabrics for dressmaking and quilting.

Weekly sewing sessions Weekend workshops Elna/Janome stockist Machine servicing and repairs Bespoke commissions undertaken

thesewcialstudio.co.uk

TEWKESBURY

LONDON

Let us teach you the Art of Sewing.

With a variety of Bespoke Tailoring, Pattern Cutting and Garment Making courses, we can help tailor your sewing future Telephone 07399249471 Facebook SKB Tailoring and Training Centre Email skbtailoring@gmail.com We make learning easy

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Oficial Silver Sewing Machine stockist Full range of accessories, needles, pins, scissors, name tape/pens, fabrics, elastics, ribbons, buttons etc Sewing Workshops, popular with all ages from 9 years old upwards.

Alterations Service for Clothing and Soft Furnishings.

01280 308721 maryclarestaples@hotmail.co.uk

SOMERSET

Stockists of: • Gorgeous dressmaking fabrics & accessories • Fabulous yarns • Knit & crochet patterns • Knitpro and Brittany accessories • DMC threads • Classes for beginners Tuesday - Friday 10 - 5, Saturday 10 - 2

thesewingcorner26@gmail.com 18b Silver Street, Ilminster TA19 0DJ 01460 391803

YORKSHIRE

Sheield’s newest independent sewing store. We stock a wide range of fabrics, including Michael Miller, Riley Blake and Tula Pink. We also ofer classes in a variety of crafts.

1a Arundel Road Sheield S35 2RB 0114 2455996 handmadehappyhare @yahoo.co.uk

www.handmadehappyhare.com

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Shine like a

DIAMOND

This simple colour-pop cushion features beautiful ombré metallic fabric and is a great way to learn patchworking Project CAT ASHTON RYAN Photography RENATA STOYNTE

SKILL LEVEL: MATERIALS: • fat eighth pink (Fabric A) • fat eighth yellow (Fabric B) • fat eighth green (Fabric C) • 1 yard solid white (Fabric D) CUTTING: From Fabric C, cut: 2 4½x8” pieces From Fabric D, cut: 2 4½x8” pieces 2 2½x10” pieces From Fabric E, cut: 2 4½x8” pieces 2 2½x10” pieces From Fabric F, cut: 6 4½x8” pieces 2 8½x13½” pieces 2 18½x5½” pieces NOTES: HST – half square triangle

50

W W W.SEWNOWM AG.CO.UK

When cutting the fabric for the cushion, it’s important to keep track of the colour pairings. As this is ombré fabric, colour changes across the width of the fabric are quite noticeable, so when cutting the fabric make sure you keep the pairs together and facing the same way.

5

HOW TO MAKE: Take two pieces (one set of pairs) of Fabric A, B and C, and six pieces of Fabric D. Split the pairs into two piles so that you have one of each colour pairing and one white piece on each.

6

1

2

When sewing these pieces together, note that they do not align in the same way as HST. The wide bases need to pair with the narrow points. Place the pieces together so that there is an ofset at the corners and that the sewing line will start with both pieces. (See Pic C.) Once you have all the unmatched pairs sewn together. Press all the seams open and carefully trim them to 7x4” so that the corners align. (See Pic D.)

7

After trimming they should line up to give diamonds with colour changes across.

Making sure that you have your piles of fabric all lined up with all the colour changes in the same direction, cut one pile on the diagonal from bottom left to top right and the other from the bottom right to top left. (See Pic A.)

8

3 4

9 10

Lay out the pieces in sewing order.

(See Pic B.) When sewing together you will have a coloured triangle and a white triangle.

Sew the unmatched pairs together as diamonds, tops together, bottoms together, then a whole diamond. Press all these seams open.

Join the three diamonds together and press open the seams.

Make a quilting sandwich with one of the muslin or scrap fabric

HOME

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

LAYPLANS

pieces, wadding and the cushion top. Quilt in your desired pattern.

Fabric A

11

Sew a securing line around the edge of the top at ¼” from the edge.

12

Trim the cushion top to 13½x21½”. Set this to one side.

Fabric B & C

Fabric D

We used Ombre Confetti Metallic by V and Co. for Moda is available from www.fatquartershop.com The full non-metallic collection is available at www.pinitandstitch.co.uk

BACKING For the construction use ½” seams.

17

Press and sew a double-folded ½” hem on one side of the back panel. The cushion is ready for construction.

CONSTRUCTION Use ½”. Press and sew a doublefolded ½” hem on the side measuring 13½” of the remaining pieces of Fabric F (8½x13½” pieces). (See pics G and H.)

18

13 14

19

15

20 21

Take the two 2½x10” strips of Fabric B and C. With the long sides together, sew one yellow to one green with the colour changing in the same direction. Repeat this with both pieces. Press the seams closed to the green side.

Sew these two units together along the centre with the lightest parts together. Press this seam open. (See Pic E.)

16

Sew this unit between the two 18½x5½” Fabric F pieces.

(See Pic F.) Press this seam closed towards the centre block.

Layer the cushion parts together, starting with the trimmed cushion top on the bottom, facing the right way, then the outer part of the backing, with the wrong side of the fabric facing you, and the under part of the envelope on top also with the wrong side of the fabric facing you.

Sew around the edge, using a ½” seam.

Trim the corners carefully so that the bulk is taken out of the corners and turn the right way out. You may need to use a small point tool to get sharp corners – a chopstick is ideal for this. Add the cushion pad to inish.

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Discounts giveaways Lovely sewing goodies and patterns to win, plus generous discounts to help ill your fabric stash WIN A BUNDLE OF VLIESELINE TAPES Four lucky readers will win a bundle of Vlieseline dressmaking tapes that will help you structure and shape your garments with ease. Among the bundle of goodies will be Vlieseline’s Hot Spots – a thermoplastic adhesive that can be used for transferring designs on textiles and constructing soft hems. You’ll also win a bundle of Framilastic tape which is ideal for shape retention on parts of stretch fabric, and the really useful Perfect Hem tape. To ind out more about Vlieseline products and for how-to instructions and demonstrations, please visit www.vlieseline.com. For stockist information, contact Lady Sew and Sew on 01491 572 528 or visit www.ladysewandsew.co.uk

OVER

WIN A THREAD PACK FROM GÜTERMANN

£55 OF PRIZES!

It’s important to use the best-quality threads for your projects and these 100% mercerised premium Egyptian cotton reels are sure to give your garments a high-quality inish. We’re giving away two 20 packs of 100m reel thread packs, each encompassing a glorious catalogue of colours that will harmonise nicely with a range of fabric. The thread is resilient with a natural sheen and a pleasantly soft grip that ensures beautifully smooth seams.

Gütermann products are available nationwide in fabric, craft and hobby shops. For stockist information contact Gutermann@ stockistenquiries.co.uk or telephone 01453 883581

OVER

£60

OF PRIZES!

WIN A SEWING BAG BUNDLE Store and transport your precious sewing items in style and comfort with these durable sewing bags from Hobby Gift. One lucky reader will win a stylish sewing bag duo that includes a spacious, PVC sewing bag with sturdy handles and a pretty sewing box for storing all your haberdashery in. Both bags feature an adorable dog design and are sure to brighten up your sewing space. For stockist information contact: groves@stockistenquiries.co.uk or telephone 01453 883581

52

W W W.SEWNOWM AG.CO.UK

DISCOUNTS & GIVEAWAYS

WORTH OVER

£35

WIN A RAINBOW RITA DOLL KIT With her thick rainbow hair and kaleidoscopic outit, Rainbow Rita is sure to brighten up your day. We’re giving away one Really Rainbow Rita Doll sewing kit which includes the pattern with templates and all the materials you need to create your colourful doll. Rita is really easy to make with no iddly darts, gussets, embroidery and buttonholes to contend with, so it’s perfect if you need to whip up a last-minute gift or want to give the kit away to a crafty friend. To see more fabulous products from Really Maria, including fabric, haberdashery and kits, visit www.reallymaria.com

WIN A BUNDLE OF ITEMS FROM PRYM We’ve partnered up with the wonderful team at Prym to ofer one lucky reader an incredible bundle of sewing goodies!

You’ll win a storage box that has three tiers so you can keep all your sewing tools organised and stored away safely. You’ll also win a mini steam iron complete with a silicone iron rest and ironing cloth to protect your clothes while pressing. To see more of the fabulous craft products from Prym, visit www.prym.com.

WIN A COPY OF TINY STITCHES

BY IREM YAZICI

6

TO WIN! Add some fun embellishments to your garments with this new project book from hand embroiderer and designer Irem Yazici. We have six copies of Tiny Stitches (Search Press, £12.99), which incorporates embroidered buttons, patches and pins to help you jazz up your clothing and expand your creative horizons. Every project is accompanied by clear photography and instructions as well as templates in a range of sizes. This is a great reference book that will inspire you for years to come. Find out more about this title and others by visiting www.searchpress.com

£80

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Exclusive discounts!

SAVE 20% on fabric at Cotton Reel Studio with the code SN20.

Ofer valid until10th January on full-priced items only. www.cottonreelstudio.co.uk SAVE 20% on fabric at Girl Charlee with the code SEWNOW20. Ofer valid until 10th January on fabric (excludes patterns, sale items and bargains lots). Visit www.girlcharlee.co.uk and stock up on some new fabric today!

WIN AN AGF COLORMASTER HALF YARD COLLECTORS SET You can never have too much pretty fabric in your sewing room and we just adore these collectors' sets from AGF. One lucky reader will win a collection of 10 carefully curated half-yard fabric pieces from the Emerald Stone range. These gorgeous prints are great for a variety of quick and easy makes, and are composed of high-quality fabric, which is a delight to sew with. To browse the full Color Master range and to ind a stockist near you, visit www.hantexonline.co.uk

WORTH OVER

WORTH OVER

£80

SAVE 10% on everything at Empress Mills with the code SN10.

Ofer valid until 26th December.

Visit www.empressmills.co.uk

To enter, go to www.ppjump.com/sewnow28 Closing date: 10th January 2019. Only one entry per person. Open to UK residents only. We promise we’ll always keep your data safe and will never share it with or sell it to other companies for marketing purposes. Our full privacy policy is available at www.practicalpublishing.co.uk/privacy W W W.S E W N OWMAG.CO.U K

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Tartan

WRAP SKIRT A classic modern tartan skirt, with a slight asymmetric wrap and kilt buckle fastening means no tricky zips, making it super simple to put together Project MARILLA WALKER Photography ALEX WRIGHT Teneight

Use your template download

Marilla

STYLE

A

B

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D

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SKILL LEVEL: MATERIALS: • 1.5m 140cm-wide fabric • 2 kilt buckles • 1 button for inside fastening (approximately 2cm diameter) • 10cm 1cm-wide grosgrain ribbon • 75cm of interfacing • co-ordinating thread • templates downloaded from www.sewnowmag.co.uk

SIZE

BUST (CM)

WAIST (CM)

HIPS (CM)

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82

64

88

2

88

70

94

3

94

76

100

4

100

82

106

5

106

88

112

6

112

94

118

7

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100

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Lay the skirt back down on your workspace. With RST, pin the skirt wrap piece to the left-hand side of the skirt back along the side seam. Sew the side seam with 1.5cm allowance. (See Pic B.)

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With RST, pin the skirt front to the right-hand side of the skirt back along the side seam and sew in place.

Press the side seams open and inish the raw edges with a zigzag stitch.

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CUTTING 35CM 105CM

FOLD

NOTES: Standard seam allowance throughout is 1.5cm Seam allowance for hems this is 2cm

FRONT FACINGS

FOLD EDGE

3

BACK FRONT WRAP

105CM

SIZING: Please select the size that most closely corresponds to your body measurements.

HOW TO MAKE: Trace and cut out your selected size from the pattern sheet. Following the cutting diagram, cut all the pieces from your main fabric. Mark the notches and placement markers with tailor’s chalk or hand-sewn tacks. Apply interfacing to the WS of the appropriate pieces as indicated.

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Pin and sew the darts on the front and back skirt pieces. For accuracy when sewing, mark the sewing lines with chalk from the top of the dart to the bottom point. Once sewn, press lat towards the skirt sides. (See Pic A.)

It’s best to take extra care when assembling the facings. Pin the short side seam of the front wrap facing to the right-hand side of the back facing, with RST, then sew. Next, pin the front facing to the left-hand side of the back facing with RST and sew. Press seams open and zigzag stitch along the inside edge (indicated on pattern pieces).

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Make a button loop. Fold the grosgrain ribbon in half lengthways and sew along edge to make a narrow strip. Put your button inside the loop to gauge how large it needs to be. Place a pin underneath the button to mark the loop size. Next, cut of the ends 1.5cm below the pin marker and pin loop to the left-hand side of the skirt front (right side of fabric) between the loop placement notches. (See pics C and D.)

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Pin and sew the facings to the skirt with RST, aligning the notches with

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the short edge of the front skirt facing. Go over the seam with the belt loop several times to ensure it is strongly secured. Trim the corners, turn back through and press.

(See Pic E.)

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The bottom short edge of the facing on the skirt wrap can be machined too. Turn the facing back out so it is against the front wrap with RST and sew a 2cm allowance along this bottom edge (this is the hem allowance). Trim the corner and the facing seam allowance down on this area to reduce bulk and turn back round again. (See Pic F.)

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Press a 2cm hem across the bottom of the skirt and a 1.5cm turning on the left-hand edge of the skirt front. Zigzag these edges and pin in place. Top-stitch the left-hand skirt front edge down, sewing from the waistband to hem. (See Pic G.)

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The straps of the buckle fastenings used in this project are a soft PVC and can be hand-sewn or machine-sewn as they are, but for a neat inish we chose to punch the holes irst prior to sewing.

We did this with an awl and a scrap of wood by simply pushing through to make stitch holes.

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Position your straps on the front wrap and sew in place. If they try and move around as you work, a little bit of tape can help stick things in place for long enough to sew. The straps need to sit in line with the horizontal grain of the fabric and the centre of the buckles in line with the edge of the wrap. This is so the stripes of the plaid match when you scan your eyes across the front. (See Pic I.)

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Pin the wrap skirt closed at the front aligning the tailor’s tacks Anchor the facing down to the which mark out where the top of the skirt at the waist by hand sewing a wrap should sit. Make sure the edge of few backstitches at the side seams. Your the wrap is lying parallel with the straight stitches can pass through to the seam grain on the skirt front and sew the notallowances of the facings and skirt without yet-attached straps to the skirt front. going through to the RS of the skirt.

Again, you can use tape to hold things in place while you quickly sew the buckles.

With the skirt inside out, wrap it closed (See Pic J.) around you and line up the edge of the skirt front with the side seam of the skirt The last thing to do is hand-sew back. The button loop will help determine the hem. Use a herringbone stitch the position of your button. Sew the button as it is secure, invisible from the RS and to the facing only and not though to the RS won’t pull easily. Give the hem a quick inal of the skirt. (See Pic H.) press and you’ve inished!

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Tutorial A herringbone stitch is a stitch that zigzags across a hem.

Every other stitch catches a small amount of fabric of either the skirt front or the hem turning.

Remove pins as you work across with your sewing.

Get the look

Wool Blend Plaid Check fabric Available in ive colourways, £12.99 per metre

Kilt straps with silver buckles £3.79 per pack of two

Both from www.minervacrafts.com

N Th m o.1 e U ag se K a z w i ’s in ng e

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wardrobe winner Don’t miss!

FAB GIFTS WORTH OVER *

£30

ISSUE 61

ON SALE

NOW

Contents and gift subject to change

Our 2019 calendar is here!

Order your copy today at www.moremags.com/ls61

www.purecollection.com READER OFFER

MERRY & BRIGHT

Combine comfort and style this season by treating yourself to some knit fabric from Girl Charlee

Metallic Copper Matte Faux Vegan Leather fabric, £16.96 per metre

Jolly Holiday Sparkle Triangle Stag Cotton Spandex Knit fabric, £17.95 per metre

Ivory Pin Dot Snowlakes on Black Cotton Jersey Blend Knit fabric, £8.95 per metre

Metallic Silver Faux Vegan Leather fabric, £16.96 per metre

Wine Burgundy Solid French Terry Blend Knit fabric, £10.96 per metre

Green Pink Two Tone Solid French Terry Knit fabric, £10.96 per metre

True Red Solid Ponte de Roma fabric, £9.95 per metre

White Stars on Blue Cotton Spandex Knit fabric, £12.95 per metre

SAVE 20% on fabric at Girl Charlee 6th December –10th January using the code SEWNOW20.

Visit www.girlcharlee.co.uk and enter the code at checkout to save!

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Discount excludes patterns, sale items and bargains lots.

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Atelier Saint Clare

Tambour Beading Embroidery Workshops Manchester - Liverpool

www.ateliersaintclare.com

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Sewing

WORKSHOPS Book yourself into one of this month's top workshops and expand your sewing horizons Fabricate West Yorkshire This modern fabric and haberdashery shop sells high-quality designer fabric and ofers workshops to suit everyone, from the complete beginner to the more experienced sewist.

01924 676 329 info@fabricateshop.co.uk www.fabricateshop.co.uk

16TH, 23RD, 30TH JANUARY & 6TH FEBRUARY Pattern drafting During this course, you will make your own pattern blocks for a bodice, sleeve and skirt or trousers to give you a good framework for creating your own designs. Unleash your inner fashion designer!

Cost: £75-£90 19TH & 26TH JANUARY Beginner's dressmaking In this workshop you will learn basic dressmaking skills and go away with a Tilly and the Buttons Cleo dungaree dress or Stevie tunic/top. Everything is included, even a choice of gorgeous fabric!

Cost: £80 9TH & 23RD FEBRUARY Intermediate dressmaking Choose from a range of indie sewing patterns to create your own shirt,

Ministry of Craft Manchester

Ministry of Craft runs a variety of workshops in venues across Manchester, which include the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, the Craft Café in Chorlton and Cass Art Manchester.

07740 860390 info@ministryofcraft.co.uk www.ministryofcraft.co.uk 5TH JANUARY Clothing alterations at Bamber Sewing Machines Learn to sew two diferent types of hem, create darts and make your own alterations.

Practise hems and alter lengths on a trouser leg and width of shirts, tops and dresses by adding darts. You’ll discover how to take perfect measurements and pick up some tricks of the trade from our seasoned alterations professional Sam Moylan.

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5TH JANUARY Clone your closet at Bamber Sewing Machines You know that item in your wardrobe – the one you wear every day that is so comfortable, but it has seen better days and you’re feeling anxious about its inevitable demise? Well now you can clone that clothing!

Cost: £49.50

shirtdress or *gasp* pair of jeans and advance your sewing skills. Everything is included, even a choice of fabric.

Cost: £125 20TH & 27TH FEBRUARY Overlocking for beginners Dust of that overlocker you’ve never taken out of the box and come and learn the basics of overlocking, which includes making your own jersey skirt.

You might arrive scared, but you’ll leave happy!

Cost: £60

12TH JANUARY Pattern cutting: introduction to bodice itting at Bamber Sewing Machines Do you have a classic hourglass igure? Are you the same dress size in every shop?

Nope, nor us. Now you can save time (and money) in the shops and make your own bodice pattern itted to your very own measurements. We’ll show you how to adapt your bodice block to create a sewing pattern for a head turning top.

Cost: £59 16TH FEBRUARY Master zips and buttonholes at Bamber Sewing Machines You’ll start by learning how to insert both a regular and invisible zip, and the tools to make it as simple as possible. Learn how to inish your projects and garments with a one-step automatic buttonhole. Leave the session with samples and ready to put your sewing machine into action!

Cost: £29.50

Use your template download

Snoozy fox

DRAUGHT EXCLUDER We love this snoozy fox. She will efortlessly block draughts on chilly days and is sure to impress your guests Project SARAH EVES The Sherbert Patch Photography NATALIE GARFORTH

We used

Vintage rose cotton in grey £7.99 per metre Find similar at www.edenhousefabrics.co.uk

It’s best to avoid fabric with a grid design as it can be difficult to match up at the seams A

B

C

D

Pin along the base and round of the ends to make a sausage shape. (See Pic B.) You can draw directly onto the fabric with a pencil, using it as a guideline for cutting. When using thin cotton it can help to include an additional layer of cotton to the body for added strength – an old bed sheet is ideal for this.

Firmly stuf, then stitch the gap closed by hand, using an overstitch. Attach the tail to the base of the fox’s body by hand, again using an overstitch. (See Pic G.)

Sam SKILL LEVEL: MATERIALS: • 110x75cm cotton fabric • 30cm-square cream wool fabric • 4cm-square black wool • black embroidery thread • co-ordinating thread • toy stuing (approximately 700g) • template downloaded from www.sewnowmag.co.uk CUTTING LIST: For the main body, cut: 95x44cm long rectangle of cotton fabric 95x44cm long rectangle of cotton as lining fabric For the tail, cut: 2 tails from the cotton using the template 2 accent tail pieces from cream wool using the template For the head, cut: 2 heads from the cotton using the template 2 accent head pieces from cream wool using the template 1 nose from black wool using the template HOW TO MAKE: Begin by cutting out the main body of the fox. (See Pic A.) To make the main body, lay the fabric lat on the table, RS up. Fold over the length of the fabric to a depth of 22cm, and cut along the base to a width of 95cm.

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Cut out the remaining pattern pieces.

(See Pic C.) Wool fabric adds a lovely texture to the accent pieces. The nose is also made from wool, although felt could also be used.

4

Stitch around the fox body, leaving a 12cm gap at the bottom for stuing.

(See Pic D.) Use a 1.4cm seam allowance and double-stitch the seam for strength.

Firmly stuf the body of the fox, taking care to get right up to the seams to avoid the fabric puckering. (See Pic E.)

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Stitch the opening closed by hand, using an overstitch. (See Pic F.)

Sew the cream accents on to both sides of the fox’s tail pieces. With RST, machine-stitch around the fox’s tail using a 1cm seam allowance, leaving a 7.5cm gap at the base of the tail for stuing.

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Attach the end of the tail to the body, using an overstitch. It works best if you place the fox on a hard surface to position the tip of the tail before stitching. This is to ensure the fox is stable and will not topple over when the tail is added. Stitch until you’re sure the tail is secure. (See Pic H.)

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Sew the cream accents on to the fox’s head. (See Pic I.) The large cream accents will overlap into the nose area.

Sew the nose to the face. The nose will look quite large at this stage, but this is to allow for the 0.6cm seam allowance.

10

Embroider the eyelashes on to the head. Again, you can use a pencil to draw a semicircle using a cotton reel as a template. (See Pic J.) Embroider on top of the pencil line using a simple backstitch. Add the eyelashes and embroider in the same way.

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Placing the two head pieces with RST, machine-stitch around the fox’s head, leaving a 6cm gap at the top,

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between the ears. Firmly stuf, taking care to get right up into the tips of the ears and nose. (See Pic K.) Stitch the opening closed by hand using an overstitch.

Position the head at the end of the fox’s body and attach. As with the tail, it is easier to ind the correct position by placing the fox onto a hard surface.

The head should not touch the base of the body and should be slightly tilted to the side.

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When you are happy with the position of the head, stitch it in place using a backstitch, this can be tricky. Attach the thread to the back of the head, 3cm of centre, and around 3cm down from the top. Stitch the head to the body, starting at the top and slowly working down the sides. Overlap the backstitch three or four times until the head feels secure. Turn the fox onto her side.

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Secure the head to the body further down each side, using overlapping layers of backstitch.

(See Pic L.)

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The fox is now complete!

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Behind the SEAMS Whatever your level of expertise, step up your skills with our handy guide to seam inishes

Simple seam inishes

FRENCH SEAMS

This construction technique and seam inish is perfect for lightweight or sheer fabric.

PINKING SHEARS Simply trim your seam allowance edges with pinking shears after the seam has been sewn. Do not trim before sewing the seam unless you have marked the stitching line.

The zigzag edge will prevent fabric from fraying.

(WS)

How to make:

pinking shears finish TOP-STITCHED EDGES Start with a sewn seam that has been pressed open. Press each seam allowance under by 8" to the WS and top-stitch each seam allowance edge to secure the raw edge underneath.

(WS)

Place fabrics WST. Sew a 8" seam allowance from the raw edge and trim to 8".

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topstitched finish ZIGZAG FINISH This can be used before or after a seam has been sewn. Sew through the seam allowance only, close to each raw edge with a zigzag stitch and press to set the stitches. The stitch should neatly fall at or just of the edge.

(WS)

2

Press open the seam and press over with RST. Sew a second seam Âź" from the edge. This will trap the seam allowance edges behind the second line of stitching.

zigzag finish HONG KONG SEAMS Also known as bound seams, these feature the application of double-fold bias tape after every seam is sewn, before moving onto the next construction step.

How to make:

1

Sew a straight seam and press open. Press one side of the bias tape open and pin it along the edge of one seam allowance with RST. Sew along the crease to attach the seam allowance and bias tape together.

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2

Wrap the bias tape around the edge of the seam allowance and pin in place so the tape sits just over the sewn stitching line.

3

Secure by stitching in the ditch or just to the inside of the original stitching to catch the folded bias tape on the back of the seam.

4

Sew only through the bias tape and seam allowance, not garment. Repeat on remaining seam allowance to inish.

INTERVIEW

5 minutes with…

Lauren Guthrie Guthrie & Ghani is a veritable treasure trove of sewing supplies. It stocks a fantastic selection of fabric, haberdashery and patterns and runs regular workshops. We spoke to the founder Lauren to ind out more Hi Lauren, how are you today? Can you tell us what’s currently on your sewing table?

I’m great thanks! My sewing table usually looks quite busy with a few things on the Lauren go, but right now the project I’m focusing most on is a new pair of Closet Case Patterns Sasha Trousers in a lovely deep maroon stretch cotton. I’m a trouser lover and like pairing them with jumpers and nice blouses, so it’s a wardrobe staple for me.

What is a typical day for you at Guthrie & Ghani?

I'm busy three full days a week with childcare so they can be pretty packed out with meetings with my team and suppliers. I usually spend time working on a blog post or YouTube video and always have the usual admin of emails and paperwork to it in too. On the days when I’m looking after my daughter I usually have to it a few things around her nap or I work in the evening.

Which fabric is proving the most popular at the moment?

Jersey and sweatshirt fabric is always really

“Helping people get the same sense of achievement, wellbeing and sense of community that I do is something I want to continue to promote and share” popular at this time of year, especially the leece back ones. We have recently started stocking Liberty sweatshirting fabric, which is so beautiful and means you can make something super cosy and stylish!

What are your favourite items to sew for winter?

I love sewing coats! I really enjoy the challenge and that you get to wear and use the coat all the time, although, I have quite a few coats now so I have to keep them on rotation! My most recent one was the Grainline Patterns Cascade Dule Coat and my all-time favourite is my Kelly Anorak Closet Case Patterns.

Do you have any sewing/business resolutions for 2019?

In 2019, I want to focus on the ‘less is more’ mantra and help my customers and social media followers develop their knowledge and skills to create and make amazing garments that will stand the test of time in style and construction.

Are there any exciting plans on the horizon for Guthrie & Ghani?

Although I’ve made sewing my career and job, I still love it and feel as enthusiastic about it as ever. It’s brought so much to my

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life, from new friends, conidence and of course lots of lovely well-itting garments.

Helping people get the same sense of achievement, wellbeing and sense of community that I do is something I want to continue to promote and share through the new G&G sewing retreats. We are launching brand-new residential and non-residential retreats that not only let you focus on your sewing hobby, but help you relax and have some well-deserved ‘me time’.

Shop the range at Guthrie & Ghani Ltd 169 Alcester Road Birmingham B13 8JR 0121 449 8419 info@guthrie-ghani.co.uk www.guthrie-ghani.co.uk