Edition 22 – June 2022
Modern sewing starts here..
go
LARGE
Tips and advice for sewing with large prints
Find out
MORE
We chat with Swedish pattern designer Josefine Hultén from Ploen Patterns
MOOD BOOSTING FABRIC The coolest fabrics and patterns to inspire your summer sewing!
ON TREND Bag styles for this season
Fringe from Chalk & Notch
www.modernsewingstartshere.co.uk
Pattern Finder
www.hantex.co.uk/patternfinder
Find the perfect pattern for your next project … search by brand, garment type, fabric type, skill level or even season Pattern Finder
Use the find a stockist facility to support independent retailers and designers
Editor’s Letter We don’t know about you, but we love this time of year, as it’s a time when lots of lovely print fabrics are launched for the forthcoming season. But as a sewer these can be a little challenging to sew with, as they can need extra planning before cutting and care in garment construction. This edition, we showcase some of the latest gorgeous print fabrics that will definitely lift your mood, discuss sewing with larger prints and look at three patterns that are perfect for working with them! We chat with Swedish pattern designer Josefine Hultén from Ploen Patterns who has just released her patterns in print! Is it too early to talk about Christmas and other celebrations? We don’t think so! There’s nothing quite like being prepared so get your sewing preparations underway for the festive and spooky seasons ahead! Last but not least, we’d like to thank everyone who
entered the Pure Solids Challenge. The winner (shown above) created this beautiful mini quilt ‘Sea Flake’ using Ocean Fog, Tile Blue, Night Sea, Mirage and White Linen from the Pure Solids range. She took her inspiration from the sea and her love of different shades of blue to create this unique quilt, which looks fantastic. Congratulations to Kerry! She’s won the complete collection of Pure Solids in fat quarters plus a colour card, all worth over £400. Happy sewing!
Hantex team
www.hantex.co.uk www.modernsewingstartshere.co.uk Subscribe free to get your copy – click here
#modernsewingstartshere
New apparel pattern releases for you to make!
JALIE
These spandex shorts are great for swimming, an afternoon at the splash pool with the kids or a day at the amusement park where you can get wet but don’t want to walk around in a bikini bottom. They will stay put in the water, won’t float like a swim skirt would and are very comfortable for running or playing tennis too. The shorts have a wide waistband, attached briefs and a practical pocket in the side panel. This pattern comes in a wide range of 27 sizes and is perfect for making in swimwear fabric with a 60% stretch in the length and across the grain. To view this new pattern and more from Jalie Patterns – click here
MADE BY RAE
The Rose Pants pattern is now available in print. The highwaisted pants and shorts have slash pockets and a pleated or gathered front. The front waist is flat while the back waist is elasticated for additional comfort. Choose from three lengths – long, cropped, or shorts. This lovely pattern includes a complete instructions booklet and full-sized pattern pages packaged in a beautiful full-colour envelope for easy storage. This intermediate pattern can be made in woven fabrics like cotton, sateen, rayon, linen or similar. To find you nearest stockist of Made By Rae patterns – click here
Check out the free-to-use resource listing of the very best Indie patterns and filter by fabric, garment, brand or skill level by visiting www.hantex.co.uk
NAMED
Named Clothing has just added two more new patterns to its Balance collection. The Sisko Interlace Dress & Top has two lovely variations. Choose from either an elasticated waist dress or crop top. This pattern has a unique layered and interlaced wrap bodice with ties. Both are sleeveless and have a scoop neck and a keyhole detail at front. The dress features a midilength skirt, gathered with elastic at the waist. The pattern comes in sizes 4-28 (UK) and is perfect for making in light to medium weight knit fabric with 40-50% stretch. The Ilma Smock Dress & Top has an airy off-the-shoulder mini dress, and a cute A-line top. Both variations have a wavy, tiered hemline and an elasticated neckline and are ideal for light to medium weight fabric like linen or an organic cotton, or a more drapey fabric, like Tencel or rayon. The dress variation has wrist-length puff sleeves with gathered sleeve openings. The top comes with ruffle shoulder straps. You can also make a sleeveless dress with shoulder straps, or sew the top with puff sleeves and off-the-shoulder neckline. Both patterns are maternity friendly and come in sizes XS-XXL. To see more from Named Patterns - click here
Check out the free-to-use resource listing of the very best Indie patterns and filter by fabric, garment, brand or skill level by visiting www.hantex.co.uk
N E O L P
now in print We chat with Josefine Hultén from Ploen Patterns who has just released her patterns in print!
Tell us a little about yourself and how you became interested in fashion? My name is Josefine and I love pattern making! I live in Stockholm in Sweden and I started Ploen Patterns in 2017. I started sewing my own clothes at a young age and I haven’t stopped since. From a young age, I’ve wanted to be a fashion designer because it was the only career in fashion I knew! Once I started studying sewing and textile design I realised that there are so many more careers in the industry. The technical
side of fashion had always been the most interesting part for me so I decided to study technical pattern cutting, digital pattern design and production. I now work as a garment technician and production manager at a small sustainable brand in Stockholm and can be found in my sewing room creating the pattern range for Ploen Patterns in the evenings and weekends and whenever I can find time!
Why did you decide to start Ploen Patterns and how did you come up with the name? My vision is to create fun patterns that we all need in our wardrobes, and teach more people how to make their own clothes so they don’t have to rely on fast fashion. It’s a great creative outlet and I love coming up with new designs! The name comes from my mother’s side of the family, she’s half German and Ploen is her last name. Ploen is a small town in northern Germany that’s spelled Plön, and Ploen is the simplified old spelling. Why my grandfather had that name I have no idea, but I inherited my dad’s last name, which is Hultén.
What does sustainability in sewing mean to you? Sustainability is at the core for a lot of things that I do and I think it’s very important to think about. I try to inspire my customers to sew sustainably. For example to sew things that fit and will be worn for years to come or use recycled materials. I often make clothes from vintage bed sheets and I encourage others to make new things with old materials too. Sewing is a great skill to have because you can mend and alter clothes and give them longer life.
How many patterns do you have in the collection so far? I now have six patterns. The Freja dress was the first one I ever released, it’s a free pattern and only available in pdf format. I have five other patterns – Vera, Idun, Eira, Tyra and I’ve recently launched Jorun. The Jorun leggings pattern will soon be available in paper format as well. It’s also the first of my patterns to be available in the new sizing, which is really exciting.
What are your patterns like to work with? My patterns are fun and have great instructions. Some of them are more challenging but a more inexperienced sewer can follow the steps and learn new skills along the way. I also have a video tutorial for each of my patterns on my YouTube channel ‘Ploen Patterns’ for further guidance. All of my patterns include at least two different views to choose from so are very versatile. The Vera pattern for example has five different views - so you get lots of choices in one pattern!
What are the essential steps to designing a pattern from start to finish? A lot goes in to making a pattern and it often takes longer to get a pattern ready for launch than expected! The first step is the actual design idea. This is the easiest for me because I have so many ideas and many, many designs lined up. The next step is developing the pattern. I use Padsystem software for pattern drafting. I start with a draft in my own size and work on the fit. I then make a toile, make changes and update the pattern file. Then I make another sample and make more changes. Sometimes I get the fit how I want it on a few tries, other times it takes longer. During this process, I have ideas for different views to add to the pattern. When I have finalised the different views and I’m satisfied with the fit, I then create the same pattern draft in the base size for the other size ranges and test the fit on a model. Then it’s time for grading. I used to do all grading myself but I have recently hired a grader. Now that I have two different size ranges (20 sizes in total) it takes a lot of time and I must admit it’s not my favourite part. As the grader works on all the sizes I can get on with the instructions. There are illustrations for each step and I try to make the instructions as beginnerfriendly as possible. When I receive the graded patterns I create PDF versions that can be printed at home with all that goes in to that. Then I usually have a group of testers (one or a few people in each size) making the pattern. They leave their feedback on fit and instructions and I take it in to consideration before I finalise the files. A lot more goes in to it too such as taking photos, creating the listing and description on the website etc. I make the necessary files for the paper patterns and send them to print. There are many steps before a pattern is ready to release but the process is very fun.
Where do you draw your inspiration from when creating a pattern and how much do you follow the trends? I get inspiration from a lot of things. I particularly like vintage design from the ’40s to ’90s and sometimes I just see a nice dress on someone walking in front of me. Other times, I design something that I would like to have in my wardrobe that I can’t find, whilst having a mix of different styles and type of garments so I don’t just release one type of garment. I don’t follow the trends that much but I think, subconsciously, you can’t help but be influenced by them. I also think about what garments are fun to sew and will be easy to explain. I have had ideas for patterns that would be too complicated to explain how to make so I try to simplify the design or choose a different design to move forward with.
Tell us why you have recently produced your patterns in a printed format?
Are there any new ones currently in design for release in the near future?
I’ve wanted to offer a print version since I started in 2017. There’s something special about being able to actually touch the products you design and I love the idea of seeing my patterns along side the fabric in the shops! Not everyone enjoys taping pages together of PDF patterns so I think it’s great that my designs can be offered to a larger audience of sewers now.
I have just released the Jorun, which is a leggings pattern with three different versions. It will soon be available in paper format as well. As for the future, I have a lot of ideas and sketches so I’m sure there will be new patterns coming. However as each pattern takes a long time to develop there might be a while to wait before the next release!
To view all of the patterns available from Ploen Patterns – click here
go
LARGE
Julie Bonnar from The Pattern Pages discusses sewing with large print fabrics
I love large print fabrics as they’re stunning to look at and empowering to wear but these can be a little challenging to sew with, as they can need more planning before cutting and constructing of the garment.
Fringe from Chalk & Notch
Fabric types Large print designs can be found on lots of different fabrics these days including cotton, rayon, silk, linen and knit jersey.
Choosing a pattern A pattern with simple design lines work well, such as dresses, blouses, skirts and trousers with larger pattern pieces. Darts, pleats and any other tucks of fabric used for shaping can interfere with larger prints so it is best to limit these. Princess seams and tiers can also be lost in the print.
Pattern layout and positioning prints The thought of mismatched patterns on your final garment may send you into a blind panic but spending more time at the layout stage will avoid this from happening.
Half-drop directional shown on Wind Song Eight, from Path of Discovery, a forthcoming collection from AGF
Straight directional repeat shown on Gleaming Sun Copper Rayon from AGF’s Gloria Collection
What is a repeat pattern? The interval at which a decorative motif or pattern is duplicated along the width is either horizontal or vertical and known as the repeat patterns. In general, large print fabrics are usually categorised with a design that repeats every 15cm (6in).
There are different types of repeat patterns such as straight in directional and non-directional. Non-directional means the pattern is the same which ever way up you view it. With a straight directional repeat, some of the motifs may be upside down in one direction. Half-drop repeat patterns that are non-directional are where the motifs are off-set. Half-drop directional repeat patterns need more fabric and can be more challenging to pattern match.
First steps Start by spending some time draping the fabric over your body to try different placements for the larger motifs. Try to avoid them falling directly on the bust, stomach or bottom. Having said that placing large prints in certain places can add to the drama like the cap of a sleeve or on a hem. Large floral prints and one-way designs do require more fabric, so always work with the ‘with nap’ layout in the pattern instructions sheet.
Prepare your pattern pieces Draw in the seam allowances on the paper pattern pieces and press them under to create a good crease. Because you’ll need to arrange motifs for each pattern piece, I would recommend cutting every pattern piece on a single layer of fabric rather than on the fold.
Try this foolproof method: 1.
2.
3.
4.
Whether you are making a dress, top or skirt, centrefront and centre back seams need to be perfect as this area will show the most if there are any mismatched motifs. Cut out one side of the pattern first. Place the pattern piece, right side up, onto the fabric and move the pattern piece around until you’re satisfied with the motif positioning. When happy pin and cut out using a rotary cutter so you don’t lift the fabric. You can now use this piece to align and cut out your second side. Remember to fold under the seam allowance on your paper pattern piece and flip it over. Lay it down on the fabric so that the folded edge lines up with the folded edge of your cut fabric pattern piece. Once you are sure that the pattern design lines up, remove the cut pattern piece and fold back the seam allowance and re-pin in place and cut the second side out with the rotary cutter.
Sewing Re-press the seam allowance on the fabric pieces making sure that the pattern lines up perfectly. Now sew seams together on the pre-creased line. Fork pins are very useful at this stage to keep every thing together.
Extra Tips for Success • •
•
Always pick simple closures for large print fabrics. Use a walking foot so both layers of your seam feed underneath the foot at the same speed and your fabric stays aligned! Be brave – Different size prints can look great together but don’t mix too many patterns. Use a common colour, same weight and drape to keep it all together.
love a PRINT
3 patterns that are perfect for starting to sew with larger print fabrics Simple & Stylish
The Saltwater Slip is a simple slip dress and will be an easy pattern match for beginners. The dress has adjustable straps, two length options, can be layered or worn on its own and comes in sizes XS-7X. Saltwater Slip from Friday Pattern Company To view the full pattern range from Friday Pattern Company – click here
A Wardrobe Staple
This swing shape top has two views including an easy scoop front neckline that’s ideal for making a statement with fabric! The other view has more complex V-shaped straps on the front neckline and a V-shaped cut out in the back with a slightly cropped length. This pattern comes in sizes 0-30, with 2 bust cup options Victory Tank from Chalk & Notch For more sewing patterns from Chalk & Notch – click here
Wide Leg Trouser Trend
Create two different looks with this pattern! Make floor-length Palazzo pants or a shorter Culotte - both will be the perfect addition to your wardrobe. This pattern is ideal for beginners and comes in sizes 32-50 (EU) Tyra Trousers from Ploen Patterns To view the full pattern range from this pattern company – click here
Woven Fibers
Dancing Leaflets
Periwinkles Everlasting
PERIWINKLE This 100% premium cotton range from AGF Studio will send you into a dreamlike state. The Periwinkle collection embodies an ethereal mood within every brushstroke and colour palette of soft pinks, blues, and lavenders that will make you look back on happy nostalgic memories.
n o s u c o F FABRICS Fabrics to be cheerful!
Minikin Friends Ecru in flannel
Charming Abloom
All Art Fabrics Gallery colle contain ctions 100% premiu m cotto ns but ma ny rayon, fl also have an knit op nel and tions to o.
Prairie Sky
Dainty Posies
TAILS & THREADS This fabric range by Patty Basemi tells the story of a cat and mouse becoming friends as they sew a lovely garden, looking ahead to growing and living better times together. The collection features sweet drawings of ditsy florals and joyful mice sewing away in soft pink hues making it ideal for clothing, accessories and toys for children.
To find your nearest stockist of the current Art Gallery Fabrics collections - click here
Cloud9 Fabrics has three new organic cotton ranges out now!
THE EASY LIFE This sweet collection is about finding beauty and joy in the simple things. It will transport you to the imaginary countryside filled with magical plants and flowers, colourful houses, and friendly animals. It’s a place where busy thoughts quiet down and you can get immersed in the delights of the natural world that surrounds us. Di Ujdi is an illustrator and surface pattern designer living in Belgrade, Serbia and she loves all things natural. Known for her stylised illustrations and bold floral patterns, in this range, she depicts the world in a colourful, fun, and naive way with cute stripy cats, farmyard animals, idyllic countryside and pretty blooms Foliage Green Roaming Free Multi
Take Flight Blue
JUNGLE DREAMS
Cheetah Print Blue
Surface designer, Beck NG loves creating patterns and making things. Her designs are stylised, colour driven and inspired from her travels, nature and life around Melbourne. This nature inspired collection is full of prints that Beck envisioned during the many months of lockdowns during the pandemic in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia. Escaping to an imaginary place of exotic jungles and wide open spaces to explore, were a world away from the four walls of home that she spent most of her time in.
COMFORTS OF HOME
Inspired by the simple things that can soothe one’s soul, this fabric line boasts pets and greenery, vibrant citrus scents and healthy foods. This collection is a celebration of creating a calming space for self care. Designed by Tara Reed, an illustrator and surface designer based in Raleigh, North Carolina, she combines vibrant and bold colour pairings with simple yet satisfying illustrations. Her goal is to spread positivity and lift others up through art. As an insomniac, much of her work is created in the late hours of the night, on the couch, binging old episodes of Murder She Wrote.
To fin stock d a is all Cl t of oud9 colle ct - clic ions k her e
EVERYDAY JERSEY With 25 colours, this jersey collection from Modelo has every colour you could imagine! It’s also great quality with OEKOTEX certification and is perfect for lots of sewing projects that need 30% stretch. To view more knit and jersey fabrics from Modelo – click here
Art Gallery Fabrics has just revealed the new Season of Tribute ranges for the rest of the year and it’s a tribute to its cherished designers. Designers have their own chapter containing a colour palette true to the designer. Chapters within The Season of Tribute: • Garden of Opulence from Bari J (August) • La Vie en Rose from Pat Bravo (August) • Crafting Magic by Maureen Cracknell (September) • Eclectic Intuition by Katarina Roccella (September) • Roots of Nature from Bonnie Christine (September) • Listen To Your Heart from Sharon Holland (October) • Path to Discovery by Jessica Swift (October) • The Softer Side from Amy Sinibaldi (October) To take a sneak peek and view more from these forthcoming collections from Art Gallery Fabrics – click here Bird of Night Five, Crafting Magic
WELL WORN Modelo has just released a new collection of vintage cotton that has a washed effect finish that gives the fabric a lovely worn look. This Nantucket range will be a perfect fabric for shirts, shorts, trousers and anything that requires a summery feel. To view this new collection and more from Modelo Fabrics - click here
Meadow One, La Vie en Rose
Flowerpop Two Garden of Opulence
TRENDSETTER 3 bag styles for summer from Noodlehead 1. PINT-SIZE
Yarrow Wristlet & Pouch Pattern
You’ll love this versatile pattern. It’s a satisfying sew and has fun details, and makes a great gift! The pouch is great for a smaller wallet or to keep small items organised! This little bag has an interior zippered pocket, and a pocket and one card slot to keep everything tidy and easy to find. Make in canvas or medium weight cotton or cotton/linen.
2. SLOUCH
Runaround Bag Pattern
Meet the Runaround bag! It’s called this because it’s the perfect size for running errands and regular day-to-day stuff. It’ll hold all your goodies but not so many that your shoulder will feel like it’s breaking off! Make this hold-all bag in canvas, denim, twill or cotton.
3. ROOMY TOTE
Fika Tote
Fika is a Swedish word, meaning ‘to have coffee’. The classic clean lines of this mid-sized tote gives a nod to Scandinavian heritage. The tote has plenty of features you’ll love such as front pockets, back lapped zipper pocket, recessed zipper closure and padded pockets. Take this tote on your next visit with friends or its great to take to work!
To view more bag patterns for your summer sewing – click here
Bobbin Ring and Magnetic Pincushion from Prym Love This slick and practical organiser can multi-task! The organiser holds 30 bobbins, so you can be ready with any colour thread you need. In the middle is an integrated yet removable magnetic pincushion. In addition, there’s also a removable storage box for needles (ideal for half-used ones) that’s located on the bottom side.
“
A magnetic pincushion makes picking up pins a cinch! Just wave it over the pins and by magic, the pincushion picks them up!
” 3 SEWING
notions every dressmaker should have!
“
This makes getting the tape measure in the right spot easy and taking accurate measurements by yourself a breeze!
Self Measuring Tape By Sew to Grow It’s tricky measuring yourself when you’re home alone but now this little gadget makes it easier. The Self Measuring Tape simply wraps around your body, and you fasten the end of the tape into the opposite side of the device, push the button so the tape retracts to let it contour to the shape of your body.
”
Sew Hot Iron Rest This is such a handy piece of equipment for resting your iron quickly and safely in between seam pressing and sewing. It’s made from heavy duty silicone and allows you to place your iron’s hot plate directly flat on the surface so you don’t have to worry about the iron tipping over.
“
No more going back and forth from sewing table to the ironing board. Keep this mat close to where you are sewing!
To view these products and more handy sewing notions – click here
”
start the
CELEBRATIONS Get your sewing preparations underway for the festive and spooky seasons! CHRISTMAS PAST This wonderful collection brings together memories of Christmas past. It’s homage to designer Lori Rudolph’s Grandmother who loved Christmas. She displayed her vintage glass ornaments on a rather kitschy tree and decorated her home with her own unique flair. It’s because of her that Lori fell in love with Christmas baubles and now collects vintage ones herself. Surface pattern design and illustration now fill her days (and sometimes very late nights) with both colour and pattern, and she’s never been happier! To view this 100% Organic Quilters Weight Cotton from Cloud9 or find a stockist near you – click here
FELT ORNAMENT KITS These lovely little felt kits make great gifts and are perfect to adorn any Christmas tree. Each of the kits contains enough wool felt, embroidery floss and gold string plus precise patterns and illustrated instructions to make six ornaments with. Choose from Merry Mugs, Charcoal Mittens, Gift Bags and Christmas Critters. The opening at the top of each design is perfectly sized for gift cards or other treasures. To find more Felt Ornament Kits – click here
early
Wicked Blooms
SWEET ‘N SPOOKIER In the final tale of the spookiest of seasons, this favourite little witch Peppermint, and her squad of ghoulish friends are back to set out on one more night of All Hallows’ Eve adventure. Through star and bat filled skies, to hidden potions and book of spells, Peppermint and friends enjoy the very spookiest of Halloween nights.
Mister No Body Blaze
Winging It Midnight
Gift of Giving
COZY & MAGICAL
Cheerful Antlers
Maureen Cracknell brings in festive cheer with this collection! Celebrating cherished traditions like decorating the tree with twinkling ornaments, wrapping presents, and cosy sweaters, these whimsical prints have everything you need to make holiday sewing magical.
Let it Glow
Down the
CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY Christmas has arrived in the city, and Santa is here to spread merry and cheer! This is a fresh and youthful take on the most wonderful time of the year. With friends and family gathering together to celebrate this joyous season with funky ice skates, freshly decorated trees, and of course, everyone’s favourite Christmas cookies! This collection has a lovely vintage feel to it and is perfect for making tablecloths and napkins to adorn the Christmas table of sweet gifts like wine bottle covers and stockings to hang on the mantelpiece!
Winter Wishes
Dear Santa To find your nearest stockist of the current Art Gallery Fabrics collections - click here
Chimney
modelo fabrics Carlow Washed Linen
Perfect summer fabric available in 14 popular colours www.modelofabrics.co.uk/linen
