Simply Sewing issue 21

FS* F O 0 RIC B A 1 F £ AT MY

TRAVEL GIFTS FOR HIM AND HER Make u s!

FRESH IDEAS WITH FABRIC

make it, wear i t ! sew in 1 hour

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ISSUE TWENTY ONE

COTTON + CHALK PATTERNS

WEEKEND

ESSENTIALS IN SIZES 6-20

ORIGAMI DRESS BABY ROMPER

in the bag!

Learn the essential bag-making skills

8 NEW LOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM! ISSUE 21 PRINTED IN THE UK • £6.99

A stylish capsule collection for everyday wear

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HOW TO: Stitch French knots Machine patchwork Sew with denim Make baby shoes

Pinboard

INSPIRATION

ACCESSORIES

WEBSITES

EVENTS

STUFF

Photo: www.cathkidston.com

IDEAS

AUTUMN STROLL

Inspired by English orchards drenched in late-summer amber sunshine, Cath Kidston’s autumn/winter range of clothing and accessories includes apple-and-pear-print totes, block-stripe dresses and flower-sprigged umbrellas, as well as bags, rain macs, pyjama sets and more. From £6 (for cosy Forest Animals socks). www.cathkidston.com

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Pinboard MEET CORA Say hello to Cora,

Joost’s waistcoat, tie and shoes are all made from denim scraps!

A TOUCH OF MAGIC

Little and grown-up girls alike will fall for the Magic collection by Sarah Jane at Michael Miller Fabrics. We’re enamoured with the Sally dress made in Unicorn Parade, and the Ella dress made up in Unicorn Forest. Add a pair of wings and a wand and we’ll be in heaven! Find your stockist at www.michaelmillerfabrics.com

your new sewing best friend. This ingenious iPhone, iPad and iPod app will help fabric fiends stay on top of their stash. Users can log useful info about each piece in their collection, and sort them by weight, type and current length, and even whether it’s been washed or not – so you’ll always know what you have in stock. It makes choosing the perfect fabric for your sewing projects a breeze! £4.99 from www. meetcora.com

Photo: Joost De Cock of www.makemypattern.com

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tips & tricks

REFASHION SCRAPS

T

hink those small and oddly shaped scraps of fabric are no use? Portia Lawrie urges us to think again!

“Take inspiration from this year’s series of The Refashioners and piece them together to make larger pieces of fabric,” she suggests, “or unleash your inner quilter and slash your pattern pieces to create interesting colour and texture blocked garments. You could even use them to make smaller items like the tie and shoes pictured!” www.makery.uk/the-refashioners

FLORAL FANCIES At first glance, Les Fleurs by Anna Bond from Rifle Paper Co is a wonderfully eclectic miscellany, but in fact these vivid designs form a quintet of palettes: Canvas, Rayon, Lawn, Dusk and Dawn. The whimsical illustrations have folksy elements coupled with retro travel doodles and full-on floral vintage dainties.

Our favourites include Carousel, Tapestry and Bon Voyage – perfect for throw cushions, quilts and gorgeous skirts. We love the idea of mixing up a few unlikely combos and seeing what works! Find the range at www.cottonandsteelfabrics.com

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Enjoy variety and vivacity in Anna Bond’s gorgeous fabric designs.

MY SEWING WORLD

by The Fold Line

Kate and Rachel from The Fold Line are getting excited about the trends to watch out for in the new season.

W

ith summer behind us, it’s time to start planning what you are going to sew this autumn. We have looked into the key trends seen on the catwalk for this autumn/winter and selected the best patterns for you to sew this season’s hottest looks.

Be part of o ur online s community ewing at www.thefo ldline.com Give military a twist with the Françoise jacket pattern.

MILITARY Military is back with a bang, as seen on the catwalks of Givenchy, Alexander Wang, Rag & Bone and more. This time it’s polished, sculpted and sophisticated. Doublebreasted jackets and oversized trenches are key pieces.

PATTERN PICKS ■ Named Clothing – Isla Trench Coat

(www.namedclothing.com) This classic trench is a wardrobe staple. Although it’s a labour of love to sew, you won’t be disappointed.

■ Victory Patterns – Hannah Dress (www.victorypatterns.com) This simple utilitarian shape works as a dress or as a tunic worn over trousers, and it has loads of details including pockets and a cross-over style at the back.

■ République Du Chiffon – Françoise Jacket (www.republiqueduchiffon.com) Every girl needs the perfect jacket, and this might be it! It’s bang on trend and has a shape that is timeless.

“Military is back with a bang, as seen on

the catwalks.”

THE 1970S The 1970s style looks set to continue into winter. While you can go head-to-toe with the trend, our favourite way to wear it is one piece complementing an outfit.

PATTERN PICKS ■ BurdaStyle – 6736 (www.burdastyle.co.uk)

We like the relaxed fit of this coat pattern, which has patch pockets and a grown-on collar.

■ Megan Nielsen – Sudley Dress & Blouse (www.megannielsen.com) This can be made as a dress or blouse and has the option to add a contrasting colour. It is also reversible,

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sweet Love Sudley’s e! n keyhole neckli

Go utilitarian with the Hannah dress, or try 70s style with the Sorell trousers.

cal “Make the ruffe the fo point – be dramatic and keep it structured.” with the keyhole opening at the front or back.

■ Pauline Alice – Sorell Trousers

(www.paulinealicepatterns.com) These wide-leg trousers with a zip fly and pleats could be made in a smart fabric for work or dressed down for the weekend.

a ruffle Feeling playful? Add l skirt! to the Charlotte penci

RUFFLES Ruffles are featured heavily by most of the big designers, added to hems, collars, bags and shoes.

The trick to pulling off a flounce is to make the ruffle the focal point – be dramatic and keep it structured.

PATTERN PICKS ■ By Hand London – Charlotte Skirt

(www.byhandlondon.com) This classic pencil skirt has lots of options to change it up, with a ruffle hem as well as a peplum.

■ Papercut Patterns – Moana Dress & Top (www.papercutpatterns.com) This classic shift can be made as a top, too. The simple cut puts the ruffle centre stage.

■ Vogue® Patterns – V1414 (www.sewdirect.com) This loose-fit blouse has a ruffle detail and panelled front (a nod to military styling, too!).

FABRICS Whether you’re raiding your stash or treating yourself to something new, here’s what to look for: ■ Fabrics: It’s all about sequins and velvet!

■ Prints: Large-scale florals and butterflies.

■ Colours: Emerald green, navy and camel.

Get your ruffle on with Vogue and Papercut.

Keeping us inspired...

For more sewing ideas, check out our montly round-up s.

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It sonds really obvios, but Instagram is a huge sorce of inspiratio. When we’re thinking abot purchasing a pattern we always go o there t see what other people have made and what fabric they’ve used. We’re also masive podcast nerds, and love hearing abot other people’s stoies and small busineses. Some of or favorites include Blogtacular, Startup and Samwok Radio.

Say hello to us on Instagram @thefoldline

We love discovering other people’s work and stories through Instagram and podcasts.

work and play

everyday luxe

Must-have accessories with luxurious faux leather details will take you from workdays to weekends.

Designer: REBECCA REID Styling: LISA JONES Photography: PHILIP SOWELS

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FRESH FABRICS

With autumn on its way, we’ve been stocking our stash with fabrics from the Essentials II collection by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics, in rich mustard and navy hues perfect for the new season. We’ve taken inspiration from that back-toschool feeling with these grown-up makes to take you from work meetings to meet-ups with friends, complete with super-soft faux leather trims for a touch of luxury.

LANYARDS Although a work essential, lanyards aren’t the most exciting of accessories, so we’ve stitched our own in fabrics we love. They’re quick to sew up so would make a great last-minute new-job gift, too.

Psst:

Turn to page 3 5 for fabric and style insp iration, and don’t forget to share your fnished Sunda y Set with us using #simply sewingmag

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COVER STAR

THE SUNDAY SET Sew a capsule weekend wardrobe with The Sunday Set pattern from Cotton + Chalk in sizes 6-20, with ontrend dungarees and a pinafore dress for easy layering.

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a good read This magical fern and butterfly print is part of Sarah’s Biology collection for Cloud 9 Fabrics.

THE HOLISTIC CRAFTER

S

arah Watson first came to our attention when we spotted her beautiful book, Pen to Thread. We’ve since become ardent fans of her sketchy illustrations and quirky embroidery designs, which are ideal for adding personal touches to your sewing projects.

Blending textiles and illustration felt like the natural choice for Sarah, growing up in Alabama, USA. “I’ve always drawn,” she says.

“It’s been my hobby since I was little. I used to pick flowers from the garden, sit my pet bird on my shoulder, and draw for hours, or as long as the kitchen table was available!”

Sarah’s love of textiles came later but is no less passionate. It emerged at the Savannah College of Art and Design. “A friend of mine noticed some stitched up shorts I had on one day and suggested that I give the Fibers major a try. The class covered weaving, textile 60 WWW.SIMPLYSEWINGMAG.COM

printing and fine art applications. I loved it instantly, although I must admit, I was never sure exactly what it would lead to!”

EMOTIONAL EMBELLISHMENTS It was a class called Embellished Surfaces that really caught Sarah’s imagination in 2006.

“The Fibers programme was inspiring, and has produced some amazing craftspeople and artisans,” she says. “It taught me the basics of embroidery as a craft, but my professor also pushed ideas such as how to convey an emotion with needle and thread. It was a wonderful learning experience.”

The other winning ingredient for Sarah was the opportunity to play with fabric, and she has since designed her own ranges for Cloud 9 (www.cloud9fabrics.com) and other ethical textiles companies. Her debut fabric was Luxe in Bloom for Art Gallery Fabrics

(www.liveartgalleryfabrics.com).

“As a designer, I’m always thinking about how the fabric will be used,” she says. “I love to draw things that are a bit off the wall, but when I think about how they could be applied in fabric, I tend to let those crazy ideas stay in my personal treasure trove. I’m always looking for a way to impart my designs onto fabric, whether through printed quilting weight fabric, embroidery or something a little more hands-on, such as a stamped textile for a personal project.”

Until taking up fabric design, Sarah hadn’t worked much with motifs in her embroidery, preferring to experiment with typography in her stitch work. “I really adored embroidering ornate script letters," she says. "Then when I started designing quilting fabric I took a break from embroidery for a few years.

When I took it back up, I was interested in

Photos: www.sarahwatsonillustration.com

Embroiderer, fabric designer and illustrator Sarah Watson is making the world a prettier and more eco-friendly place, one design at a time! We fnd out what drives her.

a good read embroidering what I had been drawing lately. It fitted nicely to have an embroidered accent to go along with fabrics I’d designed.”

Sarah had already been in communication with a publisher for some time before her ideas for Pen to Thread began to solidify. “The book meant taking a more serious look at my embroidery,” she says. “I experiment a lot, so much of the work I do in my studio wouldn’t transfer well to a book, because I usually can’t say how I came at a finished product!

Needling down what I adore about embroidery into a motif book was a big decision, and I love the outcome.”

There were some practical challenges, however. “Taking my ideas and forming them into a book meant focusing more on the organisational aspect,” Sarah comments. “The rest of it – working with fabrics, remembering what tips work for me that I wanted to share, and the actual embroidery and drawing – was pure right brain, just let the hand do its job!”

Once an initial drawing is complete, it’s just a matter of choosing colours and stitching over the outlines, Sarah explains. “I love to draw with a black pen, so all my drawings immediately become patterns,” she says.

“My favourite way to stitch an illustration is to figure out creative ways to colour it in. The different stitches – satin stitch, chain stitch, split stitch – they all have so many different capabilities. For a really intricate illustration it can be very refreshing to fill in certain areas, and leave others with a simple outline stitch.”

MAKING FOR PLEASURE When it comes to stitching for fun, she says it’s always hard to choose what to stitch.

“I stitch a lot, and little gets turned away. Usually I choose a motif based on the recipient of the stitched item. It’s always something personal.”

Nature is by far Sarah’s biggest inspiration for subject material. “It’s the most amazing designer...” she explains. “It can be organic and curvy, or rigid and precise.”

Sarah is also a sucker for sewing projects, though she confesses that often it’s the patterns themselves that catch her attention.

“I must admit that for every three patterns I have, I’ve probably only actually made one,” she says. “I have a stack of patterns in progress – two Oliver and S Sketchbook shirts for my nephew and son, an Archer shirt for me, Anna Graham’s Poolside Tote and Carolyn Friedlander’s Nest Egg Tote for gifts.

“MY FAVOURITE WAY TO STITCH AN ILLUSTRATION IS TO FIGURE OUT CREATIVE WAYS TO COLOUR IT IN. THE DIFFERENT STITCHES HAVE SO MANY CAPABILITIES.”

Jazz up a plain case with a pretty motif for a quick stitch fix.

Know an artist? This bright paintbrush motif is an ideal gift!

Photos: www.sarahwatsonillustration.com

Sarah displays wok o her st udio wall t keep her inspired.

Right: One of Sarah’s in-progress pieces of embroidery, and a study of just some of the amazing leaves to be found in Brazil. “I have a lot of sketches in the works and am thinking about developing them into a project-based book. But who knows what it could evolve into?” smiles Sarah. Her young son and the renovations of her home are her priorities right now, but she still fnds time for her nature-inspired sketches and textiles. Watch this space!

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FRESH IDEAS WITH FABRIC

workshop FRENCH KNOTS

Discover a new embroidery project each issue.

This month, weÕre sewing French knots.

TEMPLATE DESIGN: LISA JONES; STITCHING & INSTRUCTIONS: REBECCA REID

Trace your initials from the pull-out pattern sheet and backstitch around the outlines frst.

Fill with closely worked French knots closely using four strands of cotton.

1 Bring your thread up where you want your French knot to be.

Holding the thread with your left hand, twist the needle around the thread twice (do not twist the thread aroud the needle). Insert just the point of the needle back into the fabric, close to where it emerged and slide the knot down the needle to rest on the surface of the fabric.

2 Pull the needle through to the back of the fabric, keeping the thread taut so the thread stays twisted around the needle. You’ve now made your first French knot just sitting on the surface of the fabric.

Practice this until you get neat knots.

You can make a larger knot by increasing the number of times you twist the needle around the thread.

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Personalise a handsewn purse with French knots.

Everything from handbags to homewares are being given the personal touch with embossed and stitched initials thanks to the recent monogram trend – including our own sewing projects! Pretty French knots are ideal for filling in lettering using colourful thread. We’ve sewn an initial onto a handmade purse, but you could use French knots to personalise homewares and other accessories, too.

Learn the technique on page 65, and find the full alphabet ready for you to stitch on the pull-out pattern sheet.

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FRESH IDEAS WITH FABRIC

workshop MACHINE PATCHWORK

Every issue, our sewists present classic projects and techniques.

From vintage novels to the latest bestsellers, cherished children's stories to our beloved sewing books, there's something so pleasing about a shelf neatly stacked with good reads.

Celebrate your love of the printed word (or make a personalised gift for a bookworm) by stitching a colourful strip-pieced patchwork bookshelf. It's a great stash-buster, so raid your fabric basket for prints and plains to mix and match – we've even used our selvedges as the book titles! We made our finished patchwork into a cushion cover, but this bookshelf design would make a beautiful keepsake quilt, too.

Try it yourself with our machine patchwork workshop and strip-pieced project overleaf.

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Jungle kings

This pair from the pride are all set for some roarcous fun and games – and plenty of cuddles, too! Jo Carter shows you how to make your own.

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S The Joni Dress Faux fur snood Denim skirt Gifts for newborns Pattern weights Dragon wings Knit poncho Hedgehog toy Baby sleep sack And more...

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