ABOUT ME

I am Angela and I love to sew. I started sewing as a child and by the time I was a teenager I was wearing the very latest fashions to go out in. All me-made. I am passionate about reducing the amount of textiles sent to landfill, and encourage you to repurpose fabrics and clothes I started this blog in order to have a way in which to pass on my gained knowledge, and my professional knowledge to you, Sewing is empowering, you can save money by making items, make money by selling then, You can pass your knowledge on to others. What is there not to love? Interestingly I am a direct descendant of the Flemish weavers who came over to England in the 1300's. I find that fascinating especially as most of my family from as far back as I can trace are somehow involved in the manufacturing of fabric . . I have a degree in tailoring with a special interest in WW2 fashion.

Thursday 13 February 2020

Sewing for Beginners. The Lady in Red - a fab dress or top in Ponte Roma .

This a post for Jaycotts.co.uk


The Lady in Red (Ponte Roma)






Sewing with Moderately stretch knits for beginners .


There are many different fabrics which stretch, some more difficult to sew than others. Some just stretch along the width, others will stretch every way, and it is these we want to avoid .
This fabric is called Ponte Roma and it is a delight to sew. Some knit fabrics can be extremely challenging even for experienced sewers - the edges curl up, it stretches out of shape as you sew it and you need special equipment such as a walking foot and a LOT of patience!

Ponte Roma can be purchased from Minerva.com Ponte Roma there are lots of choices both in colour and price so do take a look
Ponte Roma is a double knit fabric, so it looks the same on both sides. It doesn't have much stretch and this factor alone makes it easy to sew, even for a beginner.
It is easy to care for and it can be tumble dried.
A word of warning though. Although it doesn't shrink very much, a strong colour like this red bleeds,  and if you do not wash it before sewing you will end up with dye stains on just about everything - the ironing board cover, your underwear and even your sewing machine.  Don't say I didn't warn you!






Tuesday 4 February 2020

The perfect wrap front Knit top

A MCBN post


The perfect close fitting wrap top in a beautiful printed Ponte Roma Knit fabric.



It will thankfully soon that time of year when we want to wear a top with sleeves in place of a heavy pullover.
A long sleeved top with an interesting draped wrap front is the perfect transition garment.
The rest of the post can be found on this link  The perfect wrap front top  you will find details of the fabric and pattern used on the post




Thank you to Minerva for this lovely fabric. Do make this top, you won't regret it .

Sewangelicthreads

Monday 3 February 2020

The Tremont Jacket by The Sewing Workshop

This is a MCBN post

The Tremont Jacket by The Sewing Workshop




I love The Sewing Workshop Patterns. They have just enough difficulty about them to make you think, but are not impossibly hard even for beginners. They are edgy and just that bit different. I have made several of their patterns and wear each garment lots of times, I use  the patterns more than once too.

For this design I chose a Boiled Wool Fabric in cerise pink. This fabric is easy to cut and easy to sew and the best news is that as it doesn't fray you do not even have to worry about finishing the seams.






To find out how I made this gorgeous jacket and to view and order fabric and pattern please go to this link. The Tremont Jacket


Thank you for reading my posts. Please go to the bottom of my page and have my latest blogs sent straight to your inbox 

#sewangelicthreads


Sunday 26 January 2020

The BROTHER 3034D Overlocker

 This post is all about my Overlocker - and  rolled hems

The Brother 3034D from Jaycotts






 My overlocker is the  Brother 3034D  from Jaycotts.co.uk.  To look at it on the web site click - Brother 3034D overlocker   There are plenty of other choices and Jaycotts will  be happy to talk about and  demonstrate other models to you if you visit them or telephone them
An overlocker is used to finish most seams very neatly, it can be used as a hem, it can be used instead of a regular sewing machine to stitch stretch fabrics together. It can be in a matching thread or a contrast.


Tuesday 21 January 2020

Embroidery machines do so much more than you can imagine

 In The Hoop Embroidery 

From Sweet Pea Machine Embroideryc

I have talked about machine embroidery before but as I use my machine such a lot, I wanted to share some of my latest projects with you. 

There are more ideas on Machine Embdoidery ideas so do take a look to see what else an embroidery machine can do. 



The designs are far removed from the traditional embroidery designs in that they are dimensional and the entire piece is completed In The Hoop - Backing,  wadding,and zips included!


If you  visit their website from the link above you will be able to view the catalogue of designs available to purchase. They are not at all expensive. They also have a gorgeous range of fabrics and their own range of thread which I am coveting. 



The designs are mostly applique with added Embroidery which are built up gradually starting with wadding and ending with the backing.

Wednesday 8 January 2020

Tropical Flowers Vogue Shirt Dress


Vogue shirt Dress

A Minerva.com Blogger Network post 






This fabric is absolutely perfect to brighten any day. With its vibrant tropical flower digital print it will bring summer into the room whenever you wear it.





I just adore shirt dresses too - without a belt they are cool and easy to wear on a warm summer's day, with a nice belt it can take you out in the evenings too.it is so versatile and fashionable!

To find out more about the fabric and pattern and to order your supplies hop over to this link where you will find my blog post describing how I made this fabulous dress My Tropical print Vogue Shirt Dress

I look forward to seeing your interpretation of this pattern and fabric

Angela
Sewangelicthreads

Wednesday 1 January 2020

Embroidery Machines

A Jaycotts post

What else can I do with an embroidery machine other than embroider clothes?

"An embroidery machine is an investment, so what else can I use an embroidery only machine for" is something I get asked a lot and I know Jaycotts have the answer!

These are a few of the items I make on my Brother embroidery machine.
To view the range , this is the link Embroidery Machine

If at all possible it is well worth a visit to try a few and to discuss options



I have to admit that once my embroidery machine comes out, I never want to put it away, I find it addictive and before I know it I have been sat at it all day long.

So I hope that by sharing some of the things I use it for will make you realise that they are a really good investment. There are so many ways to use it and even when you think you have tried everything you could purchase the software needed to make your own designs!



Fascinating to watch, no matter how many times you have used your machine

Friday 8 November 2019

Dressing in 1940s style

 War time fashion, tutorials on inserting zips , a SewOverIt 1940's tea dress to sew and much much more!

It is as important today as it was in the 1940's to adopt a "Make do and mend" attitude, and I hope to show you that this will make you  re-think your sewing habits. I know it has done for me.

Enjoy! 


The second world war started in 1939 and didn't end until 1945. During this time rationing of almost everything was in place and continued even after the war had ended until supplies started to become available again.
It was in 1941 that the government introduced rationing which greatly influenced clothing and how it was worn. Strict guidelines governed how many buttons were allowable and how many seams were acceptable and so on.




Don't think for one minute that fashion was dull though, far from it. The designs were high quality and the famous CC41 utility label was also  a sign of  excellent value for money and  you knew it was made to last. The CC41 designs were devised by a panel of top designers including Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell no less.

A combination of paying for your clothes with money and coupons meant that the class divide had no impact on what you wore - everyone was entitled to exactly the same.

These are the exact details of what a utility dress should consist of;-

"Examples of details of restriction orders when making Utility dress: it could have no more than two pockets, five buttons, six seams in the skirt, two inverted or box pleats or four knife pleats, and one hundred and sixty inches (four metres) of stitching. No superfluous decoration was allowed. It should be simple, practical, agreeable-looking, inexpensive and made of good material"





It should also be noted that one quarter of the population, women included ,was now in uniform of some sort and with women being ordered to maintain glamour at all times, these uniforms were also beautifully tailored. The most coveted being the Wren's uniform - worn with red lipstick and curled hair of course.
Coty produced lipstick and face powder which was not rationed, as well as producing such things as foot powder for use by the military.

It should be noted that selling these utility garments were a great source of income to the government.


This booklet was produced in the early 40s as supplies were becoming more and more scarce. The wool and cotton fabric, and dark coloured dyes  were needed by the military for uniforms and for blackout curtains .
 We were not receiving imports of cotton and silk because of the high cost of shipping  goods from abroad - China for one, and by that I mean the cost in lives as well as in monetary terms.

To read the rest of the post you need to click underneath on the message below .... ....