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William Gee's Haberdashery

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William Gee's Haberdashery

Welcome back to William Gee.
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6 inspiring sewing podcasts to listen to in 2024 (and beyond!)

I love having something on in the background while I’m sewing or cutting out a new project. Podcasts are great – depending on which one it is, it can either be incredibly educational, or feel like having a chat with sewing friend while working on a project together. I’ve collated a list of my favourite […]

Beginner Quilting: Bind a quilt with mitred corners

Welcome back to our beginner series on quilting. We’ve covered how to make a classic ‘Ohio Star’ quilt block and how to attach wadding and lining. This next step explains how to bind the edges of your quilt, and how to get a neat mitred corner. There are a few ways to bind the edges […]

Beginner Quilting: attaching quilt wadding and backing

Welcome back to our mini-series on learning how to quilt. Quilting is becoming more popular again, and I’m so pleased about it. It’s a wonderful hobby, and a great way to use up scrap fabrics. We all need a bit of extra cosiness, and it can help you build your confidence with sewing. You can […]

Sewing Your Own Underwear: Is It Worth It?!

I love figuring out how to make things that I thought I’d always have to buy. I’ve been sewing for a while, but I had put things like swimwear and underwear out of my head, thinking it would be too technical. It’s not true! Sewing your own underwear can be great fun, and is a […]

Vilene Interfacings at William Gee UK

The Art of Interfacing Fabric: Elevating Your Sewing Projects

When it comes to creating beautiful and professional-looking sewing projects, the key lies not only in choosing the right fabric but also in using the appropriate interfacing. Interfacing fabric is a hidden hero in the world of sewing, providing structure, support, and stability to your creations. In this post, we’ll explore what interfacing fabric is, […]

Sewing Machine Needles Guide - Everything you need to know - William Gee UK

The Ultimate Guide to Sewing Machine Needles: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re a sewing enthusiast, you understand the importance of using the right tools for the job. One of the most critical components of your sewing machine setup is the needle. Although it may seem like a small and straightforward element, choosing the correct sewing machine needle can significantly impact the success of your sewing […]

Great British Sewing Bee with William Gee's Haberdashery

Great British Sewing Bee: Apply Now for 2024

The Sewing Bee is back on our screens in May 2023, broadcast on BBC1. Are you nifty with a needle or handy with a hem? Put your skills to the test! We’re looking for more talented home sewers to take part in the next series of The Great British Sewing Bee. If you or someone […]

It’s nearly time for The Great British Sewing Bee 2023!

The Great British Sewing Bee is one of the highlights of our year at William Gee’s Online Haberdashery! It should return to our screens any week now, and we can’t wait. The challenges, creations and friendships we enjoy throughout each season have charmed the nation, and it’s something to look forward to whether you sew […]

Tutorial: DIY detachable oversized collar

Oversized, ruffled collars are all the rage at the moment, and look beautiful in a range of fabrics. If you like the look of them but aren’t sure if you’d like to invest in a big-collared shirt or dress, this tutorial is for you! A detachable collar is such a fun way to add interest […]

Sew Invisible Zips with confidence!

Sew invisible zips with confidence

If I’m honest, I always used to avoid sewing invisible zips – it looked fiddly and I wasn’t sure I’d ever get it looking neat enough to be worth it! Over the years I’ve seen lots of tutorials and learned a few tips for how to get them looking lovely and neat. It turns out […]

Turn scraps into scrunchies, two ways!

I love making use out of something that would otherwise be thrown away. As makers, we’re often left with odd bits and bobs lying around and, if you’re anything like me, that means lots of awkwardly small offcuts of fabric. One fantastic way to make the most of these is to sew some scrunchies! You […]

WG Studio: Welcome to our new online sewing space!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our previous posts and reading about William Gee’s history. We love connecting with our customers and sharing topics we think you’ll find interesting. We’re excited to let you know we’re launching our new online sewing workshop: William Gee Studio. It’ll be full of fun and useful ideas to inspire your crafting […]

Your guide to the best independent sewing pattern companies

A guide to the best independent sewing pattern companies

The past few years has seen a rise in smaller sewing companies and now there seems to be patterns to suit everyone, whatever their style. From French style to vintage inspired, here are a few of the best independent sewing pattern companies out there and the pick of my favourite makes. If you know of […]

Sewing Bee Part 3: Interfacing

Sewing Bee Part 3: Interfacing

Part 1: Tools of the Trade | Part 2: Pattern Hacking | Part 3: Interfacing | | Part 4: Fastenings It’s what’s on the inside that counts… It’s an old adage that it is what is on the inside that counts, and when it comes to constructing a professional garment, it makes a huge difference to collars, […]

Sewing Bee part 2 - Pattern Hacking

Sewing Bee Part 2: Pattern Hacking

Part 1: Tools of the Trade | Part 2: Pattern Hacking | Part 3: Interfacing | | Part 4: Fastenings After part 1, your sewing studio should be fully equipped and we are ready to move on to the interesting part – designing and making clothes! To make clothes there are two ways of starting: draping on a […]

Great British Sewing Bee with William Gee's Haberdashery

Sewing Bee Part 1: Tools of the Trade

Part 1: Tools of the Trade | Part 2: Pattern Hacking | Part 3: Interfacing | Part 4: Fastenings Ever wondered what goes on in a professional sewing studio? Has the Sewing Bee inspired you to give it a go yourself? Here are some useful tips and insider secrets on how to take your projects from amateur home […]

William Gee Giveaway

Win a William Gee Sewing Kit in our Winter Giveaway!

Beat the January blues in our fantastic Winter giveaway! We want to give 1 lucky person the chance to win a STYLISH Sewing Kit, sponsored by William Gee! What’s more, we have some fantastic runners-up prizes too! » Prize Breakdown Winner: William Gee Sewing Kit! Runners Up: William Gee’s Pot Luck Moon Threads x 10 reels » […]

Great British Sewing Bee set to return to our screens in 2018

HUGE NEWS! Great British Sewing Bee is set to return in 2019!

That’s right, you heard correctly, our favourite TV Programme is back! Though one person will be missing from the mix…We can confirm that Claudia Winkleman will NOT be presenting the show, which as of yet does not have a broadcasting date.  Head to William Gee Online for professional sewing, dressmaking & fashion design tools with FAST […]

Win a Janome J3-18 Sewing Machine - William Gee UK

PRIZE GIVEAWAY…Win a Janome J3-18 Sewing Machine!

To celebrate William Gee’s 112th birthday, we are giving you the chance to win a Janome J3-18 Sewing Machine in our prize giveaway, as well as some fantastic runners-up prizes too! We are proud to partner with Tysew, a leading supplier of high quality sewing machines (and another UK family-run business), for this fantastic prize. […]

A Guide to the Best Sewing Blogs to follow in the UK

A Guide to the Best Sewing Blogs to Follow

William Gee are proud to present to you A Guide to the Best Sewing Blogs to Follow! We’ve been on a mission to find the top sewing bloggers in the UK (as well as a few international bloggers) and now, after months of speculation, we’re ready to reveal the winners of William Gee’s Sewing Blog Awards… […]

The Ultimate Wedding Season Survival Guide

The Ultimate Wedding Season Survival Guide

Yes, that time has arrived again. Straw hats the size of a small planet are fished out from the back of the airing cupboard and plucked into shape. Formal suits are donned in the hopes that the moths have not been dining on it. Will the waistband fasten? Love them or hate them, matrimony has been an […]

The William Gee Top 10 essential tools for budding tailors

Top 10 Essential Tools for Budding Tailors

Tailoring is a garment construction process with unique parameters. If it was a winter sport, I imagine it would be professional slalom skiing. Each calculated step and process may appear rather unnecessary, but omit it or approach it with a carefree manner, and it will be your undoing. Traditional tailoring is about precision and calculation. […]

Sewing Bee Part 4 - Fastenings

Sewing Bee Part 4: Fastenings

Part 1: Tools of the Trade | Part 2: Pattern Hacking | Part 3: Interfacing | Part 4: Fastenings Unless your garment is super stretchy you are going to need some kind of fastening to be able to get into it and keep it closed. Keep it Zipped! The most obvious thing to use is a zip. […]

Structure of a zip

The Structure of a Zipper

As we know, a zip is not just a zip… SLIDER The slider joins or separates the elements when the zipper is opened or closed. Various types of sliders are available depending on use. ELEMENTS The teeth, also known as elements, are the parts on each side of a zipper that mesh, or engage, with […]

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