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.

Friday 19 February 2021

McCalls Siella in Navy Crepe. A version of the BUFFET DRESS featured in the GBSB 2021

  This style of dress, the Buffet Dress was featured in the Great British Sewing Bee episode 1 2021



This post shows alternative ways to style it 
Video at the end of the post 




Tuesday 9 February 2021

Sew Over It Zoe Dress with The Ultimate Trousers

 I was gifted this fabric from minerva and I knew instantly what I wanted to make with it.





Update.
I love these pants so much that I have recently made three more pairs.  Once you get the fit right these pants can be made in a flash.
If you have never made pants before do try these. Choose a heavy fabric with some stretch and you will be amazed.







Sunday 3 January 2021

Sewing Seams and Sewing in Straight lines

This is a tutorial about working seams,finishing seams, and sewing straight  seams

A Jaycotts.co.uk blog post


Recently I have had people tell me that it is years since they  last used a sewing machine  and could not sew in a straight line.

I remember when I was learning to sew my seams were never straight either. Like everything else it only comes with practice.  Luckily there are now lots of gadgets to help.


                                            A spot of hand sewing


What is a seam?


A seam is much more than joining two pieces of fabric together. A seam can provide subtle shaping to a garment and when correctly made can be almost invisible. Decorative seams add design and interest to a garment.
So what are the rules in sewing a seam?
  • Pin the seam together right sides of the fabric together normally, but there are exceptions which we will come to later
  • Pin the seam edges together matching the ends, notches and any other markings
  • Hand tack the seam. You can omit this if your fabric is easy to handle and if you are experienced at sewing.
  • Stitch the seam with thread which exactly matches your fabric and buy the best quality thread you can afford
  • Finish the seam edge appropriately
  • Trim loose threads
  • Press every seam every time. Pressing gives a crisp edge and makes the thread sink into the fabric making the stitches invisible.
NB Please note that in order to show you the different seam finishes  more clearly I am using a contrast thread. The only time you should sew a seam with a contrast thread is when it is a design feature for example top stitching.

How to sew a straight seam - some tips 





Seam allowances are usually 5/8" wide, there are occasions when 1/4" or 1/2" seams are used so do check your pattern.
Why is this important? 
Quite simply if your seam is too wide or to narrow, your garment will not fit. 
There are lots of ways to ensure your seam is the correct width and straight(ish) The simplest method of all and is what I do is to quite simply attach a piece of tape ,masking tape will do, positioned 5/8" away from the needle. Then when you are sewing align the edge of your fabric with the side of the tape nearest your machine. And there you have it! Straight seams at exactly 5/8" from the edge.


Thursday 26 November 2020

BUTTON LEG TROUSERS

 This is a post which you will find on Minerva.com website

These trousers are amazing - I have in fact made a second  pair since. The design feature on .the legs makes them special and the fabric  is oh so comfortable.



The detail on the legs is outstanding 

.....for the trouser legs, leave an opening on the lower leg at the large dot, or at your own marking, finish the seams and press, cut out the facings and attach a medium weight iron on interfacing.

The front should fold over the back.

Measure the hems and press. Press the facings and mark the position of the three buttonholes. Then finish the hem work a button hole at the waistband too

Do a little bit of hand sewing now, just to sew the buttons on. I also like to add a hook and eye to the top of the zip underneath the facings to stop any gaping.

The buttons on the legs make these a really different pair of trousers and there are other suggestions in the pattern too. By the way each size has its own pattern piece making this a really good value pattern. Simplicity patterns come with excellent instructions too, so you can't go wrong.
These trousers took a few days to make as there are a few components to sew in place - pockets, fly, buttons etc so this is not a very quick make. It is worth while taking time to get the fit right 

Think you Minerva for this great fabric, I shall be wearing these for months (as well as making another pair 

Fabric and pattern. Details  on this link 

gorgeous Trousers




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Monday 23 November 2020

Handmade Totes, Bags, laundry bucket and much more. Perfecf for giving or keeping


My Handmade Gifts 


I like to give handmade gifts and I have some to share with you.


This is a set of gifts for a friend. Some of which can be found on my previous blog post -  just click on this link  Lovely Warm Christmas Gifts 

My Bathroom 

I have been decorating my bathroom and want to share the decor ideas and also show you how to sew a laundry bucket. The laundry tub pattern is from this book, you can purchase it from Amazon by clicking this link. There are lots of fabulous things to make in this book and I recommend it either for yourself or as a gift  

That Handmade Touch


There are such a lot of makes in this book , it is one I use a lot and in fact two of the items, my laundry bucket and a pouch to hold make up,  sewing supplies etc is shown below 



The instructions are clear and simple to follow with templates where needed.

I used some furnishing fabric in a nautical design and lined it with calico. I used a stiff interfacing for the base, removing the seam allowance before ironing it in place


Click to read more

Monday 9 November 2020

A Classic Skirt in Derbyshire Tartan


My very special Derbyshire Tartan Skirt



I would like to show you how to work with difficult fabrics. In this case a Tweed which needs careful pattern matching.The thickness of the fabric also requires a lovely finish to the waistband - a faced waistband, which is a couture technique. The waistband also has an  abutted closure at the back. All this makes for a beautiful elegant skirt.

Saturday 7 November 2020

Easy to sew Lounge wear

 More loungewear to sew, easy for beginners 


I have shown you how to sew loungewear before but I don't know about you but I need some more.

This is a post for beginners and those not used to sewing stretch fabrics. Use the search tool in the sidebar to find mote posts for "sewing Newbies "

I have a disability as you know, I have Parkinsons, so please never give up on doing what you love, its just a question of finding different ways to do things. 


I have been raiding my stash and finding any fabric with stretch, from Ponte Roma to a wool melange knit and this is my result.

 


I have had a strange sort of year,  I don't know about you but I expect many of us have struggled.
I think that it is mood boosting to have smart but comfortable clothes to wear indoors , preferably something stretchy to encourage  a little exercise - yes  I am exercising indoors. ( smug face )

Wednesday 21 October 2020

Sewing stretch Fabrics the easy way

Sewing for Beginners

An easy to sew dress in fabulous Stretch Velour




I have had such a lot of good feedback from my previous post for Jaycotts about sewing stretch fabrics that I decided to show you a very easy to make and extremely easy to wear stretch dress.
If you think that stretch fabrics are not for you then think again


ain. A figure hugging garment in the correct size looks great on most figures.
This is how to wear a stretch dress

  • Don't make it too clingy or it will show up the lumps and bumps we all have.
  • Choose a thicker fabric with just a small amount of stretch 
  • Choose a darker colour and possibly a print
  • Wear the correct underwear - there is a lot of very good shapewear and it will help you to feel confident
  • Don't be frightened of accentuating your waist with a wide belt





The pattern I chose is McCall's 6886 it can be ordered from Jaycotts on this link.
It is a pattern which uses a medium weight, moderate stretch jersey knit fabric, so it is perfect for what we want.