Simply sewing issue 46

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PLUS QUICK-MAKE SEASIDE SHAPES

HT O BE W G I L DAY IZES T PR

FRESH IDEAS WITH FABRIC

spa style luxury makes for your bathroom

ISSUE FORTY SIX

24 THINGS TO SEW

EXCLUSIVE

BOHO DRESS

IN SIZES 6-20

op t + s s e r D s inside! pat tern

6 NEW LOOKS TO TRY TODAY!

STITCH IT! ✓ 1950s skirt ✓ Cami hack ✓ Snuggly bear

ISSUE 46 PRINTED IN THE UK • £6.99

Feel-good fashion to sew for everyday wear

HOW TO: Tropical purse Tulle petticoat Hexie cushion Circle bag Dog bow tie

SUPER STRAPS We're on a mission ▼

to fill our wardrobes with beautiful memades – and that includes handbags!

IDEAS INSPIRATION ACCESSORIES WEBSITES EVENTS STUFF From totes to purses, mini backpacks to this issue's on-trend circle bag (p57), there are so many styles to stitch, and so much fun hardware to buy to give our bags that professional finish.

The faux leather strap on our circle bag is adjustable, comes complete with a silver buckle, rivets, D-rings and trigger hooks, and is available in ten covetable shades to match your chosen fabric. £9.57 each, www.u-handbag.com Discover the colour and craftsmanship of Vietnam with Tamay & Me’s beautiful handmade jackets, which showcase the skills of the Red Dzao and the Black Tay. They're made from a traditional zerowaste pattern, beautiful indigo fabrics, and vintage embroideries that support low-income families from villages in versatile staple-with-a-twist has angled straps and a minimal Northern Vietnam. Wear one over your shape, and can be made as a top or a dress. Change the look summer frocks now, layer up with longsleeved tees next season, and keep it in your wardrobe for many years to come.

From £85, www.tamayandme.com

ARTISAN MADE

SUMMER LOVING

Bows and buttons and frills, oh my! Tilly And The Buttons’ two new swoon-worthy styles are all about pretty details that are as fun to stitch as they are to show off to your sewing pals. The Seren Dress is a flirty button-up frock with the option to make it as a dress or separates, while the Stevie tunic and top is a simple, speedy make with a sweet tie fastening and cuffs – and we’ll be stitching them both. £12 each, shop.tillyandthebuttons.com Subscribe at www.simplysewingmag.com

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Pinboard Terracotta

It's the colour of the summer – and the autumn! Enjoy these finds this season and the next.

CUTE AS A BUTTON

Don’t be fooled by its name – Closet Case Files’ new Fiona Sundress isn't just for your summer hols. Fiona’s mix-and-match details include a midi or below-knee skirt, cross-over straps, two bodices and a button fastening.

Make yours work for all seasons by wearing over a cosy knit when the weather turns cooler. Visit store.closetcasepatterns.com

Model behaviour

One of the joys of sewing is that we can create bespoke garments that fit us perfectly, so why can’t our fashion illustrations be the same? Cue web app MyBodyModel, which is on a mission to upgrade all of our fashion templates (aka croquis) to our specific body shape!

Simply upload your measurements and download your body model in JPEG and PDF formats to print out, or import it into illustration software to sketch digitally. Visit app.mybodymodel.com

DREAMY DOTS This breezy double gauze is dotted with a constellation of golden spots. Swoon! £16 per metre, www.atelierbrunette.com HIT THE BULLSEYE Beach day, park picnic, garden hang-out – do al fresco lounging in style with this supersize stripe towel. £62, www. amara.com

out & about

SKILLS, SHOWS & EVENTS UNTIL 24 AUGUST Swansea Festival of Stitch. A celebration of all things stitch with workshops, taster sessions and a textile market. www.swanseafestivalofstitch.co.uk

LEAF IT OUT Fill up this retro enamel cup with your fave beverage, a bouquet of bright blooms, stationery – anything goes! £12.95 from www. cuckooland.com

1 SEPTEMBER-12 JANUARY 2019

ORANGE CRUSH You can never have too many throws, especially when they're as cosy as this hand-loomed geometric design.

Approx £226, www. jonathanadler.com

Liberty Art Fabrics & Fashion. Dovecote Studios, Edinburgh. A major retrospective of Liberty design with over 100 garments and fabrics. www.dovecotstudios.com

1-2 SEPTEMBER Cork Craft Show. Cork International Hotel.

A weekend event showcasing the best in Irish craft, including pottery, art, furniture, glass and textiles. www.corkcraftshow.com

27-30 SEPTEMBER

Sketch your ideas with MyBodyModel's madeto-measure croquis.

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The Creative Craft Show. Westpoint Centre, Exeter. Find inspiration, learn new skills and stock up on creative supplies at this show for knitters, stitchers, hobbyists and crafters. www.stitchandhobby.co.uk

CALLING CARD Keep buttons, bobbins and other notions neat and tidy in this handmade box. £19 from www.cambridge imprint.co.uk

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bathroom makes

luxury bathing

Give your bathroom a spa-inspired makeover with set of pampering accessories in tranquil blue tones.

Designer: JESSICA ENTWISTLE Styling: LISA JONES Photography: DAVE CAUDERY

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GECKO DECORATIONS

Dreaming of exotic coastlines, palm trees and hot water spas? These friendly little gecko decorations are guaranteed to bring a few luxury-resort-vibes to your bathroom. Unlike the real thing, these little lizards aren't going to scamper off! Make and display in your own tropical haven, right here at home.

STORAGE PODS

Keeping sponges and flannels at arms reach is essential for hassle-free bathing. These handy storage pods are designed for slinging over door handles, hooks and towel rails, so you'll never be without all your bathing essentials.

What's best, they keep all your bits and bobs out of the way for easy bathroom cleaning, too. Pretty and practical!

PSSTo: r styling

r le a f f t Turn ove and don' t forge ion, inspirat e your fnished to shar s tagged s e r D g g Aislin wingma e s y l p m #si

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COVER STAR

the aisling DRESS

Go boho with The Aisling Dress, a laid-back frock for everyday wear with a gathered skirt, neat collar, V-neckline and full sleeves, in UK sizes 6-20.

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NO PATTERN NEEDED!

✂

in full swing

Get your dancing shoes on – you won't be able to resist doing a twirl in Jennifer Mills' rockabilly skirt.

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PSSTs:ign, follow

ler de l u f a r ge 41 to Fo a p n o l ria our tuto ticoat that you pet th your make a a e n r e d un can pop skirt! d e r i p s 1950s-in

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Handmade

WARDROBE Make your time, money and sewing talents go further by creating everyday essentials.

Photo: © Merchant & Mills

Written by Sarah Gane.

T

he beauty of clothing is that it offers a fantastic tool for creative expression.

What’s more, getting the colour, fit and fabric of a garment right can transform the way we look and feel.

When it comes to wardrobe staples, though, it can be all too tempting to reach for the rails of our favourite retailers rather than our own sewing boxes, ultimately saving our handmade items for special occasions. But it

doesn’t have to be this way. “I think we have a choice to spend our free time wandering around the shops or searching the internet trying to find the perfect wardrobe pieces,” says director of Merchant & Mills (www. merchantandmills.com), Carolyn Denham.

“Some people do that and we are happy for them. But the other option is to make your own in the colours and fabrics you love.”

Aside from the feel-good factor involved in

sewing your own, there are also massive environmental benefits. Research by Wrap (www.wrap.org) shows it takes 2,720 litres of water to make a T-shirt – the same amount we’d normally drink over a three-year period.

What’s more, if that T-shirt is an ill-fitting garment, we’re not even likely to wear it that much, if at all. Creating your own could mean you have a curated collection of clothes that enhance your features and reflect your style.

A GOOD READ SEWING SELF-CONFIDENCE

Sonya Philip set herself a challenge to sew 100 dresses in a year, and now has her own range of patterns (as well as an enviable wardrobe!). stuff I liked and fit well. My body may have changed, but I still wanted to wear things I loved! I decided to stop trying to fit into a mould and just make things that fit me where I was, that day, and every day since.”

SIMPLE BEGINNINGS If you’re relatively new to dressmaking, it’s a good idea to start with a few simple makes to build your confidence. “The Top 64 is a great beginner pattern,” Merchant & Mills’ Carolyn tells us.

“The little in-seam pockets are easy to do and give a great satisfaction.”

Keen sewist and microblogger Hannah Brown (aka @Heritage Ninja) is “a massive fan of Named Clothing (www.namedclothing.com) and their Kielo Wrap Dress pattern. I've made three so far, and it's a proper confidence-boosting pattern to start with that’s so flattering on everyone.”

Trine Schroeder, a seamstress, sewing teacher and shop assistant at the beautiful Danish craft store, MeterMeter (www.meter meter.dk), also loves Finnish pattern brand Named, adding: “I love that they are drafted for taller women.” But when it comes to the process of dressmaking, her advice is to take it slow. “Begin with a very simple project.

No, begin with 5-10 simple projects.

Choose patterns designed for woven fabrics; for a beginner, a cotton lawn or linen is easier to handle than a drapey viscose jersey.”

Aside from the handling aspect, different fabrics can really alter how a piece of clothing sits on the body.

“A fabric choice can make or break

Photos right: © Jessica Waldegar

"a curated collection of clothes that enhance your features and reflect your style."

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Photos: © Sonya Philip

The positive feeling that comes with creating a personal wardrobe was one of the reasons blogger Sonya Philip of 100 Acts of Sewing embarked on making her own clothes.

“It not only allows me to express myself, making garments in whatever colour or print I desire, but I’m also walking around and living in clothes that are a result of my skill. It’s like the making and wearing combine to create a self-confidence that I was missing,” she tells us. “I don’t have to feel bad because things don’t fit me – I can make something to fit. If a sleeve is tight or something is too long, I have the ability to adjust and sew things.”

Her project, also called 100 Acts of Sewing, was a year-long personal challenge to make 100 dresses in a year. She charted her results on her Instagram and blog (www.100actsof sewing.com) and quickly gained a large following inspired by her work. A range of her own patterns followed, encouraging sewists all over the world to get involved. “The idea of making a wardrobe from scratch is superintimidating,” explains Sonya. “But you just get started one piece at a time, and slowly you can start to swap out the store-bought pieces for the ones you have made. Aim to get comfortable with a pattern or two that can become your wardrobe staples.”

While the fashion industry encourages us to assume there’s an ultimate capsule wardrobe you need to own – a white shirt, little black dress, good tailored trousers and so on – wearability is the goal here, so tailor the fit and choice to your own needs.

“I would suggest looking at your laundry basket as a way to take a close inventory of those things that you wear every day,” says Sonya. “Most of the time the clothes that stay hanging in our closets or tucked into the back of a drawer are seldom-worn things – and what’s the point of spending time and effort making those items?”

Jessica Waldegar, aka @kunklebaby, agrees: “My biggest advice would be to create pieces you know you’ll actually wear. Look at your current wardrobe and see what your mostworn items are. Dresses? Activewear? What colours or prints do you find yourself always drawn to? Use that information to start working on your staple pieces.”

Maker, artist, teacher and mother of five, Jessica is a keen creator, and had a business making children’s clothes and accessories, but actually only started making her own clothes a few years ago. “It wasn’t until I had a few kids that I started really sewing much for myself.

After having babies, I had a hard time finding

Jessica Waldegar advises starting out by finding "one really greatfitting pattern.

Then you can play with style lines."

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UPCYCLE xxxxxxxxxx QUICK PROJECT

floral flourish

Play with print-mixing and add a contrasting panel to a classic stripe tee. Jennie Jones shows you how.

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circle bag

trending now

Sew your own version of this season’s must-have bag shape with Debbie von Grabler-Crozier’s circle crossbody design.

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cake tin carrier

take the cake Transport home-baked treats in Anna Alicia’s simple carrier.

It’s a piece of cake to make!

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teddy bear

BUY THIS KIT!

See this demonstrated live on air on

25th August 2018 *

Live on Freeview 73 and Sky 687 * Visit page 15 for special offers and T&Cs

Sleepy ted

With its own quilted bed, this tired teddy is all tucked up and ready for a bedtime story! Make one for your little sleepy head with Jo Carter.

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my favourite thing

jumpsuit joy If at first you don't succeed... take blogger Emmanuelle's try-it-and-see approach to creating the perfect jumpsuit.

"One of my favourite things about sewing a garment is that ideas on how to transform, modify or combine features in different ways inevitably arise during the making process.

The next sewing project is usually an iteration of the previous one, altered to be something new that comes closer to the design I have pictured in my mind. Sometimes I nail it, and other times I need numerous attempts before I can finally say, "this is the one!"

My Tencel culotte jumpsuit definitely belongs in that second group. It began when I made Named’s beautiful Ailakki Jumpsuit pattern (www.namedclothing.com). From there, the modifications began – first with the drafting of different bodices, and then with the pairing of different trouser styles. I made

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up multiple versions of this jumpsuit, and some of them had differences so subtle my husband wouldn't even notice them. "Don't you see?" I would say. "This one has pleats in the front and back!” Eventually, the jumpsuit evolved into the version you see here, with a tie-neck halter top and cropped wide-leg culottes. I love this design. It has the fullness of a skirt with the practicality of pants, perfect for riding my bike. It can be worn as it is, or layered with a shirt underneath. The top can be tied behind the neck, or around the front for a cute bow-tie effect. It has numerous possibilities, which makes this version my favourite ever – for now, anyway. We'll have to see what the next one looks like!"

See more at www.zoubizoubisou.com

S Tie-waist dress Chic kimono Rag doll toy Weekend travel bag Kid's room makes Rufe dress Clever storage Quick-sew gifts And more...

H DRESSIGH-NECK LENGTH WITH TWO OPTIO&N SLEEVE S

3 new +patterns

exclusive to simply sewing!

RUFFL DETAIL JERESEY DRESS

PLUS

BONUS TRAVEL BAG PATTERN!

ON SALE THURSDAY 6 SEPTEMBER WWW.SIMPLYSEWINGMAG.COM

* CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PAPER AND FABRIC GIFTS NOT AVAILABLE WITH DIGITAL EDITIONS.