A Tea Dress in linen - cotton fabric

A #MCBN post 

My Beautiful summer tea dress in Lady McElroy cotton/linen fabric 

This beautiful lady McElroy linen - cotton fabric posed a conundrum. I had decided on a totally different pattern but something was holding me back from getting started

I thought about the garments I wear most often and I realised that I wear simple dresses most of the time especially as it perfectly acceptable to wear a dress with trainers these days.
I wanted to sew a shirt dress with a full skirt but with time running out it had to be a pattern I already had.

 To read the rest of this post follow this link

My beautiful Tea dress details and tutoral

Face coverings - handmade by me

Face coverings handmade just for you 

I am making face coverings in two styles , the curved one and the usual pleated one shown on the right.

The curved one has a pocket for a filter if you want one. You may use a tissue, coffee filter or a piece of a new hoover bag
They both have elastic which I have left loose so that you may tie it to your own requirements

They all have a handshake strip in the nose area to ensure a good fit over the nose

They are packed hygienically and I make them wearing gloves and mask and frequently cleaned equipment.
Your face Coverings need to be washed after every use. They cannot prevent the virus totally but do give some protection

I have plenty of fabric choice

These photographs show some of them. There is more!
I can use your own fabric if you want something special.

Pouch

I can also make you a pouch which will hold your facecover, gloves, hand wipes and a plastic bag.
Design may differ from this one - each will be individual

So why not order one when you order your facecoverings?
The cost again is £5 each.

How to order

The cost is £5 each at the moment

 Plus £2:50 postage and packaging for up to four coverings. UK only.

Please use the contact form at the bottom of this page  to send me your email address or contact me on Instagram, Twitter or through my Facebook group - details for these are in the sidebar.

I look forward to receiving your order

Thank you 

Angela, #sewangelicthreads

Feedback

I can recommend Angela’s masks. Well made and excellent value.


Received very quickly, love them

Ordered more, best I've seen

#facecoverings #facemask #coronovirus #staysafe #handmade #sewing 

How to sew Jeans

This is a Jaycotts.co.uk blog post

How to sew Jeans.

This is perhaps the most daunting yet the most satisfying garment you can ever master. Jeans are  personal and we all have differing views of what the perfect pair should look like.

Get them right and I guarantee that you will love them so much that you will never buy another pair again. I know I won't

This is not a quick project and you have homework to do before we even consider looking at patterns!

First of all, what is your preferred style? I love a high waist, narrow leg Jean which is very well fitted. If that is not your style there is straight leg, flared leg, boot cut, ankle length. And then there are jeans which fit below your waist or on your waist.

 The first thing you need to do therefore is to figure out which style you prefer. You may already own a pair which you love and which fit you well. This is good news because you can use them to refer to when making your own. If not then go along to a clothes store and try on as many pairs as you can and take selfies of those you like. Make a note of the style and if you dare, measure at least the hips and waist.

For your next task take a look at jeans in general and make a note of different top-stitching ideas and ideas for pockets. You can customise your jeans in so many ways so do take time to look for ideas. Pinterest is great for ideas.

I tested a few different Jeans patterns and this is the one I recommend you buy first. It has a large variety of design choices and different sizes. This is the link to purchase it from Jaycotts. B5682 Trouser and Jeans pattern I chose this one because it is not complicated and the instructions are easy to follow.

The first part of the pattern to look at - and you can do this on Jaycotts web site before you order - is the size chart.
Ignore your shop bought size and go by your actual measurements, the sizing is very different in each.
We are going to be sewing with a stretch denim which has " negative ease" ( more about that later ) so if you are between sizes it is likely you will require the smaller size.

Another choice would be this pattern, which again is easy and has alternative style choices .M7547 Jeans and overalls

Sewing on buttons and hemming jeans

A Jaycotts post

We all need some very basic sewing skills so I want to show you how to do two of them - how to sew a button on and how to shorten jeans.

Let's start with buttons.

Usually when you buy a garment there will be a spare button included. If it is a shirt button you need they are readily available , if it's something like a coat button you may need to replace them all of you cannot find the spare.
But how to sew the button on? A lot of people can't do it so you are not alone.
You need buttons. You may have a box full or you may need to buy a new set.
Jaycotts have a great selection Buttons from Jaycotts

Summer Pants and Cheesecloth Tops

I have wanted to make these trousers for a while, I made a wearable toile (or test garment) and I am so glad I did! 

I also wanted to make some Cheesecloth Tops and I hand dyed some of a plain white fabric to make them with . More about that later

This is a fabulous outfit and I absolutely love it, but it was not without its problems!

Problems are just puzzles to be solved in my opinion and I enjoy the creative thinking required to sort them out.

This is the Pietra Trousers by Closet Case Patterns . I have made the Ginger Jeans many times and love them so much that I made five pairs!

How to make NO - SEW face coverings.

Face coverings for people who do not sew.

We are required to wear face coverings more and more but not all of us can sew, so what can we do to make ourselves a face covering - without spending any money.

Disclaimer

• These are not medical grade and can only HELP to contain the virus not prevent us from catching it.
• They must be washed after every use
• Do not touch them when in place
• Wash your hands after removing them.

I made a YouTube video and this is the easiest place to start when finding out how to make your own

My Gorgeous Jumpsuit

This gorgeous Jumpsuit is a MCBN post

This jumpsuit is amazing. I have made one before but found it difficult to get in and out of, not so with this one

It reminds me of a WW2 siren suit. These were all in one garments which everyone wore over their normal clothes to keep them clean as air raid shelters were filthy. They were also quick to put on at night over nightwear. Sir  Winston Churchill wore them, but his were hand made by a Saville Row Tailor!

Do read all about this fabulous pattern and fabric and learn how to make your own Bias Piping too!

Please go to this link My Gorgeous Jumpsuit I would really love it if you made one too

Thank you

Angela 

Pyjamas Forever

All about our favourite clothes to relax in - pyjamas and lounge wear 

I love pyjamas don't you? They are so wonderful for relaxing in after a hard day working at the sewing machine. They are something which, at least in my case, are the garments I spend least on yet I love them so much.

I decided to address this immediately and kit myself out in PJs made only in premium cotton.

The pattern is straightforward and you can choose design features which appeal to you. The tops have optional pockets but I left them off. You have a choice of sleeve length and there are shorts as well as trousers.

These three  fabrics were actually from Seasalt but they are no longer in stock. You will want to choose your own colours anyway so may I suggest either a. Cotton lawn or a cotton Voile.
Cotton Lawn
Cotton Voile
Both of these come in a wide range of colours, designs and prices

A fabulous Summer Dress

A fabulous summer dress by Sew House Seven in a John Kaldor luxurious 100% Linen fabric. 

A MCBN post

This fabulous fabric together with this amazing and very wearable dress pattern makes the most perfect  dress which is just right for summer afternoons. Holidays and anything else you can think of. I just love it.
The fabric is By John Kaldor it's 100% pure linen, breathable,  and worth every penny. The pattern is by Sew House Seven and it can be made in various lengths. It comes in UK sizes 0-20 which is a massive size range!

Want to know more? Yes of course you do!  So hop over to the Minerva Crafts website on this link and find out more on this link A fabulous Summer Dress

Thank you for reading this post

Angela 

Make some super smart Stay At Home wear

Let's make some lovely staying at home clothes to wear 

Maybe like me you never thought about what to wear when staying indoors for long periods of time. I know some people are wearing PJs but really I think it is better for morale to make a clear distinction between day and night. If you are wearing something which you feel good in and which is comfortable you will feel more " normal"

These are some items I have made for myself to wear and I am really happy with them.

I made a pair of trousers in a stretch fabric (another pair is cut out ready to sew)
The top I am wearing is a piece of jersey with a silver sparkle running through it.
The front top I am holding is made from the same fabric as the trousers with the addition of a scrap of fabric taken from a t-shirt I never liked.

The top on the left is made from a more cuddly knit fabric and it has a cowl neckline.