We start sewing for all sorts of reasons. Some of us learned in school, were taught by grandmothers, or caught the bug after watching programmes like The Great British Sewing Bee. Perhaps you were tired of high-street options and wanted control over your own wardrobe, or you wanted specifically to move away from the reliance on […]
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 […]
I’ve been excited about this episode of our visible mending series: sashiko has become increasingly popular in the UK over the last few years as a way of mending and decorating our clothes, inspired by the heritage and beauty in this practice. Visible mending generally has become a covetable skill, but this ancient Japanese form […]
The fast fashion industry creates a huge amount of waste and pollution – in fact it’s the second largest polluting industry on the planet. As I wrote in my previous post, we’re thinking more and more about sustainability and how we can avoid waste in our day to day lives. This visible mending series celebrates […]
Many of us are trying to live in a way that is more mindful to our environment, as well as being economical. Though we can’t really avoid creating some waste when we create, we can learn how make the most of our materials. Scrap busting projects are perfect for this. As well as being sustainable, […]
Welcome to the first in our mini-series about visible mending. We’ll be using different methods of darning, Sashiko embroidery, statement patchwork and other decorative mends. Visible mending has become increasingly popular as we look more towards sustainable fashion and crafting. We’re beginning to recognise the joy in caring for much loved garments, while also injecting […]
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 […]
I love making little bits for my home all year around, but I particularly enjoy homemade festive decorations. I was looking through the lovely velvet ribbons that William Gee stocks, and came up with a few fun ideas for working them into your festive projects. Velvet is beautiful and luxurious – whether you’re looking to […]
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 […]
Ric rac braid has become increasingly popular over the last few years, and it’s easy to see why – you can use it on just about everything! It comes in a wonderful array of fun colours, and I’ve seen it used in lots creative ways. First invented in the 1800s, it was often used as […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
I have been teaching pattern cutting for a number of years, but have a particular interest in pattern cutting using simple geometric shapes. One of my students brought in a skirt for me to look at, this is my ‘simple shapes’ version. The basic tools required are a set square or pattern master plus a […]
The Overlay Dress (or Shelf Dress) , is a version of a shift dress that has become very popular on the high street over the past few years. Because it’s such a “new” style there isn’t a history so say. But it could be argued that 2012 was the year for this dress. Many young […]
Next up in the series, the shift dress. The shift dress has a long history. Depending on who you ask, the history will either start in the 1920s as a flipper dress or in the 1960s as Audrey Hepburn’s signature Breakfast at Tiffany’s dress designed by none other than Hubert de Givenchy. I love shift […]
Next on the list, the Maxi dress. When I think 70’s fashion I instantly think of two things: jumpsuits and maxi dresses. As the swinging 60’s drew to a close and a new subculture began it’s rise, the hems of dresses went from mini to maxi! However, it potentially wasn’t the right time for the […]
It’s officially under 4 weeks to the big day, Black Friday madness has been and gone, the weather is getting colder and the Coca Cola advert has been spotted. Yes that’s right it’s the end of November. Where has this month gone? If you want to take shelter from the hustle and bustle on the high street […]
Hi everyone, I’m Andrea and in the run up to the festive season I’m going to show you some quick win dresses that you can make to wear to any social event you have planned in the coming weeks. The dresses will get progressively harder, either the fabric or pattern or both. But I hope […]
I haven’t used bias binding on my cushion projects for a while, so I thought it was time to give it a go when I started working on a set of autumn cushions. You can use it as the stand-out feature of your craft project or as a subtle finishing touch. That little strip of […]
Rouleau Loops are the perfect way to add an elegant finishing touch to special occasion and everyday dressmaking projects, something a bit more special than standard machined buttonholes! I love these versatile little loops and use them all the time as a closure for fabric covered buttons and also when creating dramatic corset backed ballgowns. […]
When I used to look at buying a new sewing machine, the number of stitches per minute was always important to me – well, the quicker the machine stitched, the faster I could make stuff. Or so I thought. I have upgraded my sewing machine twice in the last 3 years and have only just […]
I hate ironing. No, I really hate ironing. The iron spends more time in the cupboard than in use but my OLD iron, the one my husband used for years during his art degree, sits permanently on the side ready for use. Not for ironing use, for pressing use. They’re the same aren’t they? Thankfully not! Everyone […]
Your fabric is cut, your sewing machine is threaded…Now to actually sew with it! But wait – you MUST do a test of your sewing settings before letting yourself loose onto your lovely fabrics, or whatever it is you are sewing may be ruined at step one. Did you save your off-cuts when you cut out […]
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