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.

Tuesday 1 September 2020

Vogue Nightwear in fabulous Art Gallery fabrics

A #MCBN post

Vogue Nightwear in fabulous Art Gallery fabrics






I saw a  pattern when I was browsing and although it is nothing like I have ever worn I wanted to make it.
One of my favourite fabric Brands is Art Gallery Fabrics and it took me no time at all to decide to use this combination of print and plain to make the garments

I was not disappointed!
This is an absolutely gorgeous outfit and I love it so much.  It is extremely comfortable to wear, it is fun and so different to what is available ready made.



There is also a camisole which I made with the leftovers.

To read this post and find out more about the fabric and pattern please click on this link
Vogue Nightwear in fabulous Art Gallery fabric


I do hope that you follow this link and read my post.
Thank you MinervaCrafts for the beautiful fabric

Angela





Thursday 20 August 2020

The Blue Dress

The Blue Dress 

A MinervaCrafts Blogger Network post 



We all need a special dress in our wardobe, something which makes us feel and look fabulous but which is easy to wear.







This stunning blue dress is perfect for parties and I can't wait to wear it. 
The fabric and pattern are as follows....

But wait! I do want you to read the whole post so head on over to MinervaCrafts website and all will be revealed The Blue Dress

Not only will you find out what the fabric and patterns are you will learn about negative ease and lengthening a pattern and much more! 


Thank you for reading this post, it is appreciated

#sewangelicthreads

Wednesday 5 August 2020

Get the fit right! The denim pencil skirt with exposed zipper


Why go to the trouble of making a beautiful garment if it does not fit you perfectly?


Labels

Exposed zipper
Fitting
Top stitching 


I don't know about you but I read a lot of blogs and I see a lot of people showing themselves wearing lovely hand made clothes which quite frankly just do not fit.
What's the point? Why go to all that trouble and expense only to end up with a garment which is either too big, or worse far too small?





I bought some stretch denim Stretch Denim from MinervaCrafts as I wanted to make a skirt. Some stretch fabrics - as this one does, just stretch across the width, some stretch in all directions. You need to ensure that with a two way stretch fabric the stretch goes across the garment.


Thursday 16 July 2020

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





Thursday 18 June 2020

HOW TO SEW AN ALL IN ONE FACING ON A 1960's SHIFT DRESS AND MAKE A MATCHING JACKET

Vintage sewing, the late 1960's. 

This is a post from  three years ago but I want you to see it as the technique of finishing the neckline is so very useful







This is an iconic style of the 1960s, it was the first time in history that teenagers had their own style and the shift dress was certainly one of them. Made in heavy fabric so that it hung straight on the body it was short  bright and fun to wear.
For fabrics look at MinervaCrafts Cotton dress fabrics as they have an almost endless choice 









Perhaps one of the most daunting challenges is when you choose a pattern only to find that it has an all in one facing which encloses the neck and armhole edges both at the same time. But don't worry, it's simple when you know how. I am using New look patterns. Both available from Jaycotts.co.uk. But there are plenty of similar patterns, just look for a sleeveless shift dress








There are many methods but this one is in my opinion the neatest and the easiest. So, choose a pattern for either a shell top or a sleeveless dress which includes an all in one facing.

Saturday 30 May 2020

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 

Saturday 23 May 2020

Sew a Beautiful Lingerie Bag

A pretty lingerie bag to give or keep 

I have made a lot of lingerie recently and I thought that it would be really nice to have a lingerie bag to keep them in. It is nice to put your night slip in during the day and they are useful to take on holiday too, they look really pretty sat on your bed.

They are not difficult to make and take very little fabric. They can be made any size you want and you could even make a small one for handkerchiefs. They make wonderful gifts too.


This is my lingerie case sat on my bed. I only ever buy or make Egyptian cotton bedding and always in white. I add lace trimmings to sheets and pillowcases and always add my initial. I therefore get the quality I enjoy at a good price  and can personalise it to suit my own taste.



Thursday 21 May 2020

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.



It's Sew Easy to Sew Lingerie, My Collection in Pink.

Sewing Lingerie

There are many Lingerie patterns around and lots of people seem to be wanting to try them but are scared to even start. The problem is they look fiddly and the list of haberdashery seems daunting. However if you look again at the instructions you will reconsider . It really is not that difficult to achieve amazing results.


 This is my collection in Pink. I made a slip out of Viscose cut on the bias, a Bra and two pairs of pants.
The fabric requirements are as follows,
Viscose fabric for the slip,
The viscose fabric and the cotton jersey for the pants were from MinervaCrafts Viscose dress fabric  and Cotton jersey fabric
The stretch laces, elastics  powernet and stretch mesh were from my own stash, but they are widely available. Minerva Crafts stock them too.
The bra findings are from Jaycotts.co.uk or MinervaCrafts
Bra underwires
Bra fasteners
Bra accessories
Shoulder strap elastic
Simplicity Underwired Bra and panties pattern
Butterick slip and panties pattern





Thursday 23 April 2020

Vogue 8825 in Lady McElroy "Bolton" stretch jersey knit.



A Minerva Crafts Blogger Network post 

How to sew Stretch fabrics.


Lady McElroy Fabrics are very high quality and are superb to work with. This one, named Bolton, is a 96% viscose 4% spandex Jersey Fabric. It is fluid and drapes well and the print is just stunning. 
To complement the fabric I chose Vogue V8825. There are two choices of outfits to sew in this pattern, a dress and a tunic and trousers.
I had intended to make the tunic but when I looked at the fabric I realised that I had just about enough to make the dress if I was inventive with cutting out........



..... Please do read the rest of the post, the link to this and other Lady McElroy fabrics is on the post, together with a pattern review and tutorial.

Lady McElroy is one of my favourite fabric brands and I hope you will love them too
The post is here. The lady McElroy Bolton dress


 There are lots of other photos on the post too. 



Stretch fabrics - used for sportswear in the program - are featured in the GBSB 2019

I would love your comments

Angela





Do watch my YouTube video all about other dresses on my blog