Simply Sewing issue 20

AT ITCH C I ABR DID ST F F OF PLEN S THE

Mak e me!

FRESH IDEAS WITH FABRIC 25 PROJECTS TO MAKE

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ISSUE 20

8 baking essenti a ls to sew today

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INSPIRATION

ACCESSORIES

WEBSITES

EVENTS

STUFF

Photo: www.mayamiko.com

IDEAS

ETHICAL EVERYDAY

We love filling our wardrobes with stunning fabrics, be it with our own handmade garments or independent brands – especially those with ethical credentials, like Mayamiko. Launched in 2003 by Paola Masperi, Mayamiko fuses contemporary design with traditional African techniques. Every piece in its bold Kukonda collection is washed, cut and sewn in an ethical ZeroWaste workshop in Malawi. Martina Jumpsuit, £75. www.mayamiko.com Subscribe at www.simplysewingmag.com

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BEACHY KEEN Summer holidays ▼

DOTTY FOR DOTTIE

We love the quirky, homespun style of crafter Tif Fussell (aka dottie angel), so we can’t wait to add her latest collaboration with Simplicity to our sewing pattern collection. The Simplicity 8153 includes a sweet sundress and top with contrast bibs and lace edging, and a patch-pocket skirt. £5.65 from www.simplicitynewlook.com

mean more time to sew up hot-weather wardrobe essentials, like this flattering beach kaftan by The Maker’s Atelier. This new pattern can be made as a pull-on style with an elastic waist or with an open, tie-up front. Make in a lightweight fabric to keep you cool while you relax by the pool, or use a cotton lawn print for a breezy summer tunic dress that will take you from beach to bar. £22.50 from www. makersatelier.com

tips & tricks

SEWING COLLARS

S

ewing a neat, precise collar will give your Overture dress or blouse (p30) a professional finish. Use interfacing that suits your fabric and its drape – for example, if you’re using a lightweight fabric, choose interfacing in a similar weight. Before sewing the pieces together, mark the stitching lines and pivot points on your fabric for accuracy (but always test on a scrap piece first). Trim and grade the seam allowances and clip corners to reduce bulk, and press well for a crisp collar.

PATTERN & TEXTURE Designer April Rhodes took inspiration from simple elements when creating her new fabric collection, Observer, featuring cotton, voile, knit and canvas prints. As its name suggests, Observer was influenced by textures and patterns in everyday life, both natural and manmade, from garden stones to chipped paint. These seemingly mundane details have been transformed

by April into striking duotone designs that are far from ordinary. Our observation?

You won’t be able to resist adding at least one of these prints to your fabric stash! www.artgalleryfabrics.com

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Find beauty in the everyday with April Rhodes’ latest fabric collection.

MY SEWING WORLD

by Tilly Walnes

Tilly Walnes gives us an insight into the making of her latest pattern, from the initial concept to the fnal design.

A

s I write this column, Tilly and the Buttons’ next sewing pattern, the Marigold jumpsuit and trousers, is at the printer ready to launch – yay!

But launching the final pattern is the fun part after a six-month production period.

The first step is to come up with the idea!

I decide the design based on various factors – the techniques makers will learn from the instructions, ease of both sewing and fitting (we aim for a balance of both simple and more advanced patterns in our collection), a wearable style that fits our brand, the availability of suitable fabrics and notions, and if we love it and think our customers will love it, too!

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Checking, checking and more checking! We spend months perfecting our patterns.

“Launching is the fun part after a six-month

production period.”

Model photos by Fanni Williams; Other photos by Tilly and the Buttons

PATTERN DEVELOPMENT Once we’ve got a design in mind, our pattern cutter Vanessa drafts the pattern onto paper, adapting our basic block to create the style lines and fit we’re after.

She then makes a series of toiles, or mock-ups, of the garment in fabric so we can see how it looks and feels on our fit model. It’s a process of iteration, tweaking the pattern, creating a new toile and so on, until we’re happy with the fit and overall look.

It then goes through an internal testing phase, with team members making the garment to see how they get on with sewing and wearing it. At the same time, I write the instructions, which go through various drafts before printing. I put myself in the shoes of a beginner – learning a new skill can be intimidating, so it’s important not to assume any knowledge.

Once we’re happy with the pattern, we send it off to a fashion industry grader who adds eight different sizes.

It takes about a week to then check and tweak each size and piece to ensure the seams match up and to format it into something that looks like a sewing pattern. We also create technical illustrations, cutting layout diagrams and finished measurements charts. Next, volunteers with different levels of sewing experience test the pattern so we can get their feedback on the style, fit, instructions and anything they get stuck on. This helps us perfect the pattern for a wide range of people.

Find our se wing pa www.tillyan ttern collection at dthebuttons .com

Once we’ve decided on the style, it’s time for our pattern cutter Vanessa to head to the pattern-drafting table.

nded “It’s a fun day surrou by clothes, shoes, make up and hair spray.”

CREATING THE PACKAGING AND IMAGERY Then it’s the fun part – photo shoots! For the instructions, we hire a fab photographer to take pictures of my hands making the garment, so you can see what it looks like at each step. Of course, this means I have to get a manicure the night before – life is tough sometimes! Our tradition is to have ‘The Spread’ at lunchtime – cheese, salami, sun-blush tomatoes and posh bread – which we always look forward to!

On another date we photograph the finished garments on a model. It’s a fun day surrounded by clothes, shoes, make up and hair spray. The model for Marigold was a customer at the Knitting and Stitching Show – Rosabella came up to our stand to buy some patterns, and she just looked so perfect in her handmade clothes! We photographed our autumn pattern at the same time – but you’ll have to wait until September for that one…

Our designer then creates the pattern packaging using the instructions and step photos, and we go back and forth with proofs until we’re sure there are no mistakes – it’s so nerve-wracking! Finally, the pattern gets sent to our UK-based printer, and there are high fives all round. We can then look forward to holding the finished product, and seeing the gorgeous things our customers make with it.

Tilly Walnes, from Tilly and the Buttons, creates gorgeous, easy-to-use sewing patterns available at shop.tillyandthebuttons.com. You can check out her new online video sewing workshops too at www.tillyandthebuttonsworkshops.com

lourful I treat myself to a co shoots! manicure before our

Here she is! After six months, the Marigold pattern is ready to be added to your stash.

Keeping me inspired...

Blogger Rosabella jumps fo joy at our Marigold shoot.r Subscribe at www.simplysewingmag.com

Our Marigold model Rosabella has a vlog where she shares her sewng projects. Take a lok at fancyfrugality.blogspot.co. uk. I went t a wokshop this week run by I Am Acrylic at Te Turpentine in Brixto.

After a cople of hors sawng and fling, I was the prod owner of an acrylic ice cream necklace! I’m also slightly obsesed wth Oliver Boas. I own for of their necklaces already and am woried it’s an adictio.

I gave jewellery making a try and loved it!

I accessorise my me-mades with one of my many Oliver Bonas necklaces!

Kitsch kitchen

sundae afternoon

Add a sprinkling of retro style to your kitchen with accessories in delicious ice-cream colours. Yum! Designer: REBECCA REID Styling: LISA JONES Photography: SIMON LEES

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TEA TOWELS

When it comes to making home accessories, we like to go all out for a fully coordinated scheme, so even our tea towels get a handmade flourish!

To make your own, simply cut a strip of fabric and appliquÊ it onto a tea towel – or add a shape or letter for a last-minute gift.

NAPKINS Add the finishing touch to an afternoon tea (and magic away any rogue sprinkles and icing!) with stash-busting handmade napkins, with neat contrasting bound and topstitched edges.

Pss3t3: for fabric

ge Turn to pa t forget ’ n o d d n a inspiration ur fnished o to share y se or dress u o l b e r u t r Ove ewingmag s y l p m i s # using

COVER STAR

the overture set

This summery debut design by Storybook Patterns can be made as either a floaty dress or blouse. Based on a trapeze silhouette, it features a fitted bodice, back pleat, dropped hem and classic collar.

WWW.STORYBOOKPATTERNS.COM

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THE STORY OF A PATTERN

Ever wondered how a pattern arrives on the pages of a sewing magazine? We chat to The Overture Set designer Cassandra Macindoe to fnd out what happens behind the scenes.

W

e were already fans of designer Cassandra Macindoe (www. thestitcherystudio.com) when she approached us with an idea for a pattern. Her proposal included sketches of the design’s silhouette, a mood board with a colour palette and the inspirations that prompted the design, plus an explanation of what she hoped the design would achieve. But, as Cassandra points out, every design idea, and every designer, is different. The one thing that all patterns have in common is that initial, crucial prompt that gets a designer’s imagination buzzing.

CREATIVE IDEAS When designing a pattern for her pattern company, Cassandra has to provide her own brief and commission. “The design often comes from a desire to offer something different from what is currently on the market,” she says. “It not only makes business

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sense to do this, but it really is quite a core personality trait of mine. I like to be different, not necessarily to stand out, but to be able to express myself creatively in my own way. I feel most like myself when I do this well.”

The first stage is inspiration gathering.

“Most designers do start in the same place: with what inspires them,” says Cassandra.

“Where this inspiration comes from is where designers differ. I am not a trend follower, but I do definitely have certain preferences for specific colours and textures at certain points of the year, which can influence a design. I also find a lot of inspiration in both historical garments and in contemporary designers that are pioneering sustainability.”

An idea for a garment can also come from a gap in Cassandra’s own wardrobe, “or a gap in what is currently on the market for home sewists.” From here, Cassandra begins putting together a mood board. “This often helps me to simplify my thoughts and to clarify a colour

theme,” she says. “I’ll have a general idea of what I am planning to make when I start searching for inspiration, but the mood board is a bit of a palette-cleanser in that it clears my mind of all the unnecessary imagery and presents me with something that offers me a clear direction for starting the sketching, pattern cutting and toile-making.”

Simply Sewing editor Charlie Moorby and Cassandra had a discussion about the style of dress pattern that Charlie was hoping to commission for the magazine. “It’s been quite a collective process in that we have shared ideas to come up with something we are both happy with,” says Cassandra. “The only specific detail that I needed to base the design on was that it must include a dress.”

FROM INSPIRATION TO PAGE As an idea begins to take shape in Cassandra’s mind, she needs to consider the practicalities of the design, and the requirements of the

Photos: www.thestitcherystudio.com

Cassandra designs and teaches at her light and airy studio in Glasgow.

a good read To find out how to make the most of her commission. “First of all, I need to take into design opportunities to raise the profile of this account the parameters in which I have to Got a yearning to work with your other issue, Cassandra has attended a number of work, as Simply Sewing has outlined for me,” half? Our duos offer their top tips for masterclasses with Zero Waste Scotland, “an she says. “There’s a certain size of paper success.

For Cassandra, it isn’t enough amazing organisation that exists to create pattern that can be printed in to thecreate magazine, sustainable sewing patterns she looks a society were resources are valued and and a particular pattern skill –level, suitable “Be honest with each other – it’s key to for sustainable fabrics to make them nothing is wasted. My fabrics for the sample ensuring an enjoyable ride.

Planning with, too. she chose fabricisfor eyes have been and alsoHere’s for thehow maker, important, but being openSet to new this The Overture pattern. opened to my and,issue’s of course, all of opportunities also helps you succeed. responsibility as this work needs to be Set yourself challenges but keep them a designer to people doneI started to a deadline.”

“When thinking about the fabric, realistic and flexible!” and to the planet.”

In lineawith herof things to consider. there were couple Matt and Gemma Chapple, Sew What’s Cassandra’s passion ethos, was to find a textile My sustainable first consideration New, www.sewwhatsnew.co.uk for zero-waste design Cassandra plans company thatalso cares about sustainability makes perfect sense. In general, with each take a zero-waste approach to model. pattern andtointegrates it into their business “Be aware of the fine line between work pattern cut out, around 15% of the fabric is cutting in future.

“Sustainability is very And, secondly, I needed to find a fabric and family business, and think carefully thrown away – a shocking quantity when you to me” she(www.the explains, “so caring for thatimportant The Splendid Stitch about where your strengths lie and consider this is across the entire fashion people and the planet must be taken into splendidstitch.co.uk) could stock, as we’ve figure out how to combine them for industry! But with designers like Cassandra consideration in everything I do. It’s really at partnered with them for the fabric.“ maximum effect.” purposefully creating designs that minimise the centreisn’t of my design I want Cassandra willing toprocess. forgo style forto Elis and Dermot O’Grady, Crafty Kooka, and eliminate the waste through clever create patterns that will notasonly make sustainability’s sake, though, “it isn’t of you www.craftykooka.etsy.com pattern cutting that uses every scrap of feel good about yourself, but that will make utmost importance that a completely material, there’s a significant positive shift a difference, or atchain leastistofully startrealized, conversations sustainable supply “Have at least one day off each week to occurring. “My zero-waste design journey lead positive change.” butthat thatcan it was atto least considered in their completely rest so you don’t burn out. design and manufacturing process.”

Learn to dream together by allowing This is due to the fact that “at this point each other to openly, and without in time there aren’t many fully sustainable Above: Once Cassandra has created a design she’s happy with, she makes a toile to check criticism, think out loud and brainstorm textile brands and I don’t believe in the fit. Here The Overture Set pattern is having a test run before being sewn up in Maker’s ideas.” compromising aesthetic or quality for the Atelier fabric – Cassandra shares how she chose the final fabric in the column on the left.

Cass Belanger and Matthew Macindoe, purpose of sustainability.” For her, it’s the The Stitchery, www.thestitcherystudio. lengthwise grain of the fabric, which can be longevity of the finished garment that started with Zero Waste Scotland and has com somewhat unusual for standard pattern really counts, as “I don’t actually believe been encouraged and educated by the likes layouts. If I’m designing a zero-waste pattern, that something that is unpleasing or of of Holly McQuillan, a pioneer in the world of “Whatever you think something will then the first thing I need to think about is the poor quality can be truly sustainable.” zero-waste pattern cutting,” says Cassandra. cost, double it, then double it again. And fabric width, which is not where I start with She points out that “we need to also be “It’s not only important, it’s imperative that we give it a try! We can only know how a traditionally designed pattern.” realistic if we want to encourage design responsibly.” This doesn’t mean that rewarding it is to work with each other, sustainability from a designer’s point of there aren’t challenges to this approach, inside of our own relationship, but for us RELISHING RESTRICTIONS view. So I did some research around some however. “Wow, where do I start?” exclaims it’s the ideal work situation.”

Every design experience is different, which of the textile companies that Amy at The Cassandra. “Trying something new is great, Abigail and Ryan Bell, abigail*ryan, means that designers are constantly Splendid Stitch stocks. I knew about the but on a commercial level, in the end it has to www.abigailryan.com stretching their Atelier Brunette brand and have made actually work – people Right: Cassandra’s with a mood need to want it, not imaginations and something using theirdesigns fabric instart the past board that pulls together the styles and //caption info// skills. “It can vary andcolours was really happy with it, so I contacted just find it interesting. that inspire this beautiful In The Stitchery studioher, pics,like Cass made board her initial ideas for TheinOverture So it’s risky and can greatly depending on them andwith asked some hard questions herSet. dress and Matthew’s shirt. look at those delicious pastel hues! challenge my the type of garment order toJust determine their considerations “Matthew’s shirt is made from Burda I am designing and towards sustainability.” confidence.”

Style 6874 and my dress is my own who or what I am Cassandra adds: “I was really happy with Equally important to pattern company’s design, due to launch designing it for,” their willingness to be transparent and felt making something 2016.”

Cassandra enthuses. assured that they are making socially and beautiful that meets In The Stitchery wedding pic, Cass made “If I have to work to a brief, as in the case of my environmentally friendly textiles to the the zero-waste demands is ensuring that her own dress from Timorous Beasties design for Simply Sewing, than I have more best of their ability at this point in time. other people can makes sense of it, too. fabric// restrictions, which can sometimes be helpful.”

The reason I tell my fabric-sourcing Cassandra admits that it is far from simple to In fact, limitations imposed by clients or by story in such detail is because I really want “communicate this in an understandable, techniques can help creativity to flourish, as to encourage home sewists to ask these easy-to-follow manner. Zero-waste patterns the designer has to think around boundaries hard questions about the fabrics they can be complicated!” and find new ways to accomplish both the choose. The more we ask, the more Choosing the right fabric to make the garment in their head and the brief they have companies will see the importance of zero-waste garment in is also a consideration, been set. In the case of Cassandra’s zerotransparency in their supply chain. This, “as it has to be a non-directional, even weave waste pattern cutting, the greatest task is to I believe, will affect positive change.” fabric in order to work with the complexity of figure out strategies to devise a design that the zero-waste pattern. There are pattern works within the restrictions while producing pieces cut on both the crosswise and MAKING IT WORK

FABRIC CHOICES

Photos: www.thestitcherystudio.com

“CARING FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET MUST BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN EVERYTHING I DO. IT’S REALLY AT THE CENTRE OF MY DESIGN PROCESS.”

Photos: www.thestitcherystudio.com

“TRYING SOMETHING NEW IS GREAT, BUT ON A COMMERCIAL LEVEL, IN THE END IT HAS TO ACTUALLY WORK – PEOPLE NEED TO WANT IT, NOT JUST FIND IT INTERESTING.”

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FRESH IDEAS WITH FABRIC

workshop CROSS STITCH

Discover a new embroidery project each issue.

This month, we’re mastering cross stitch.

CROSS STITCH CHART DESIGN: ABIGAIL BARKER; STITCHING & INSTRUCTIONS: REBECCA REID

Use two strands of stranded cotton and stitch the design on 28 HPI natural linen.

Follow the chart on page 89 to stitch the design, and repeat the pattern to fll your hoop.

2 1

1 Each symbol on the chart represents one cross stitch on the fabric. Work the first part of the stitch by making a diagonal stitch from bottom left to top right. Bring the needle up at 1 and back down at 2.

2 To finish the first

4 3

cross stitch, work another diagonal stitch but this time go from the bottom right to the top left, crossing over your previous stitch.

Bring the needle up at 3 and back down at 4, so the stitch lies flat.

3 Continue working all the stitches in the same way (with your stitches facing the same way each time). To finish, pass your needle through the back of your stitches a few times to secure it, then snip the thread end.

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Cross-stitch a bracelet to finish off your summer look.

We love accessorising our handmade summer frocks by stacking up colourful bangles and bracelets. Small-scale cross stitch designs are a simple way to add a personal touch to bags, purses and jewellery, like this festival-ready bracelet cross-stitched with a geometric design.

Make your own bracelet from fabric, or buy one with pre-punched holes (we got ours from www.sewcraftyonline.co.uk) for you to stitch through. To get started, master cross stitch with our handy stitch workshop on page 69.

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FRESH IDEAS WITH FABRIC

workshop POM POMS

Every issue, our sewists present classic projects and techniques.

From mini pom pom trims to giant pom pom garlands in rainbow hues – we love pom poms in all their forms! These bright balls of joy will bring an instant hit of fun and colour to a room scheme or craft project, and it's so simple to make your own. We have fond memories of using yarn and cardboard to make pom poms as children, and it's still a technique we use today. Don't limit yourself to just using wool, though, as pom poms can be made from just about any material that can be cut into strips, so they're a great stash-buster. Our workshop overleaf covers all the different methods and materials, as well as how to create your own Pinterest-worthy tulle pom pom garland.

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mermaid magic

Your little one will love dreaming up under-the-sea stories and aquatic adventures with Jo Carter’s mermaid softies. Let’s dive in!

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S Do’t miss th e third pa ttern in o r new Co tto + Chalk collecti o!

Dungarees set Weekend tote bag Baby romper set Japanese wrap dress T-shirt baby skirt Denim kimono Marbled cushions Lion plushie toy And more...

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2 patterns tO COLLECt! Don’t miss our Cotton + Chalk dungarees set - and bonus weekend tote bag pattern!

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