Bags of style!

A  post all about bags and what you need  to make them.

Fabulous gift idea

There's a youtube video showing all sorts of bags and other interesting things to make 

Labels

Bags
Decovil
Fleece interlining

It's not difficult to make your own bags, in fact they are one of my favourite things to make. I use them myself and give them as gifts. Quite often I am out with one and I end up giving it away and then I have to go home and make myself a replacement!
I sometimes make one to match an outfit or for a specific purpose, such as a beach bag,and I have shopping bags everywhere!
The other great thing is that once you have a few basic supplies you can use up odds and ends of fabrics which you would otherwise not have a use for. It's all win-win!

This is one I finished last night, it's a saddle bag and I made it from remnants of tweed fabrics.

This is a special bag which I made for my school bestie Margaret for her birthday. I was in such a rush to finish it and post it that I didn't take many photographs of it before it went off to Devon!

Please note that in addition to Jaycotts and MinervaCrafts, bag making supplies are available from Crafter's Companion. They sell absolutely everything for any sort of craft from papercraft to sewing and quilting fabrics, they are amazing! Do look Crafter's companion

Bag supplies from Crafter's companion  click on the link to take you  directly to their vast selection of bag making equipment. But do look at the rest of their site.

How to sew a Blind Hem

This is a Jaycotts post talking about the Blind Hem Foot

I have been asked to show you how to sew a Blind hem using the Blind Hem foot. If you have a Brother Sewing machine it is foot R
This is a great way to stitch the bottom of skirts, trousers, blouses etc the effect is almost  invsible.
Once you master the technique you will find it quick and easy every time.

This is the blind hem foot.
This presser foot has a guide which is positioned against the fold of the hem to keep the stitching the same width all the way round the hem.

The simplicity New Look Denim Coat and Tote bag

The Simplicity New Look Denim Coat A MinervaCrafts Blogger Network Post

Label
Hong Kong Seam

I was watching the Royal Wedding and looking closely at what people were wearing. What struck me was that the best dressed and most elegant women wore simple A-line coats over a dress. The look is understated but very classy. That got me thinking that I don't actually own a summer coat and how useful one would be.

This is one of my most favourite makes ever. It goes well with trousers, jeans or a shift dress. The pattern comes with trousers top and skirt too and the outfit can be made very smart for a wedding or more casual for everyday wear. I love how the coat has an Indian feel to it with the stand collar and slits up the side. It really is a very useful and wearable garment which I never knew I needed.

Do make one and have fun with the inside, see the post fo how to make the seams.
It looks and feels so special with the Hong Kong (bound) seams and the matching bag is pure inspiration in my opinion!

I guess you have realised that I LOVE my new summer coat! PS there is a tote bag to make too.

NB if this particular fabric is not to your taste then take a look at these alternatives, starting at under £5 A metre. Denim, plain and patterned

The rest of the post is here My Simplicity New Look Denim Coat Do read it and leave a comment


Thank you
Angela

#simplicity #NewLook #denim #coat #sewing #sewingblog #tutorial

I would love to see your version.

My review of Prym Pressing tools from Jaycotts.co.uk

A Jaycotts.co.uk blog post all about pressing 

What is your most important sewing tool? You might be surprised!

In this post I am going to demonstrate some of the pressing equipment by Prym which you can obtain from Jaycotts and I will show you why they are as necessary as your sewing machine when undertaking any sewing project.

What do you imagine the number one rule of sewing to be? Would you be surprised to learn that THE top rule for any sewing project is to press as you go. That's every seam, every time.
You would be amazed at the difference it makes to your finished garment, it makes all your garments look Handmade (Bespoke) not the dreaded " homemade"
And what is the number one rule in pressing? Its simple, don't rush.
Notice too that I used the word pressing not ironing.When you are ironing your iron is moving back and forth over the fabric constantly, with pressing the iron is set down and then lifted up before moving to the next spot.
Every time you sit down to sew get your pressing equipment set up before you start sewing so that it is easily available.  If you leave pressing until after you have finished sewing you will not produce a quality look to your garment.

So, let's discuss which products you need, and I do mean need. The basics are

• A good quality heavy steam iron
• An ironing board with a padded cover. Avoid the teflon coated covers as they reflect heat into the back of fabrics and can cause shine and problems with interfacings
• A pressing cloth 
• A Tailors ham and/or sleeve roll
• A sleeve board

My collection of pressing tools 

The Brother Adjustable Bias Binding Foot

A mini blog all about this incredibly useful and easy to use foot.

The Brother adjustable Bias Binder Foot

Labeks

Bias binding foot

Hong Kong Seams 

This is my favourite foot at the moment, I love the way it makes adding a binding to an edge so incredibly simple. I have had a binder foot before, but nothing so easy to use as this one, so if you want to treat yourself I really recommend ordering one.  The Brother adjustable Bias Binder Foot   is available from Jaycotts, the current price is £24.99.

If you are making your own bindings as I normally do then ensure that the finished width is between 5 to 20 mm. Any wider and it will not fit into the foot.

Once you have made or purchased your binding simply press it in half.

Feed the tape through the guide with the folded edge to the right. Then turn the screw on the foot and align the edge of the tape with the left side of the guage. You may also want to adjust your needle position so that the stitches are as close to the edge of the binding as possible. Don't forget to tighten the screw.

When you are happy then pull an inch or so of the binding through to the back .