The 10th and final dress of this series is a self-drafted high neck dress, inspired by the ever growing, sports-lux fashion trend. Unlike the other posts in this series I won’t take you through each step of the construction (as it isn’t a pattern you can purchase yourself, so I am unsure how helpful going through each step […]
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10 Dresses: Cold Shoulder Dress
The 9th dress in the series is a cold shoulder dress, using a pattern from Prima magazine. I chose to do this as the penultimate pattern as it is a construct-it-yourself pattern. Similar to PDF patterns you can download online, Prima patterns need a bit of work before you can get down to sewing. I am […]
10 Dresses: Long Sleeve Dress
The 8th dress in the series is option D of Vogue pattern, V8849. I wanted to leave a dress (with a full sleeve insert) close to the end because as a beginner sleeves are quite difficult to insert. Although I won’t class myself as a ‘beginner’ anymore I still find it hard to get a smooth […]
10 Dresses: Strapless Dress
The seventh dress in the series is a strapless, princess seam dress. I used Vogue pattern, V8849 (option A), and made a slight amendment to the peplum detail. This pattern is from their Custom Fit range, which means the bodice pattern pieces come in different cup sizes, as well as different dress sizes. Therefore it […]
10 Dresses: One Shoulder Dress
The next dress in the series is the One Shoulder Dress. The history of this style of dress can be traced back many, many years- all the way back to the Ancient Greeks and even as far back as the Ancient Egyptians. It is a style of dress that has proven longevity and a style […]
10 Dresses: Overlay Dress
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 […]
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. […]
10 Dresses: Shift Dress
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 […]
How I Made This Gorgeous Gertie Dress
My dear friends Anna and Andy got married this summer, and I knew they were planning a vintage theme for the day, so I had the perfect excuse for making myself a new dress! I bought Butterick pattern B6094 by Gertie some time ago, drawn to the gorgoeus back detail, but had not found the […]
10 Dresses: Maxi Dress
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 […]
10 Dresses: Slip Dress
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 […]
10 Dresses: Bardot Dress
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 […]
The Heritage of British Design
British fashion has been an unlimited source of style and inspiration for more than 300 years. Many strides within menswear today is influenced by the British men who have pushed fashion forward for generations; from the upper-class gentlemen to the aspiring youth, the British have shaped the sartorial world. British business wear experts have navigated the […]
Versus: Gorgeous Lined – or – Great Unlined Dresses?
A couple of years ago, I made an unlined dress to wear to a summer wedding – just as a guest, so think cocktail length and fairly formal. I had fallen in love with a dress on Pinterest and was determined to make something similar, which meant scouring every pattern binder and fabric roll in […]
An Open Letter from the Director
William Gee set up this haberdashery shop in 1906. At that time, there were hundreds of clothing factories in the area, and someone had to supply them with the goods they needed- such as sewing threads and fastenings. This was at a time when the UK was a thriving textiles workshop. People forget that companies […]
Versus: Ready to use – or – Homemade Bias Binding?
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 […]
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 […]
Versus Series: Hand Dye vs Machine Dye
After finishing a run of batik projects, I had packed away my salt and Dylon sachets in favour of other makes. But then fresh inspiration popped up on my Pinterest feed in the form of galaxy prints, cute vintage textile revamps and vibrant ombres. I’m back on the Dylon trail and I can’t wait to […]
Versus: Fluffy Toy Filling – or – Puffy Wadding?
Certain projects call for a nice, big square of cotton or polyester wadding. Others, like cuddly dolls or comfy cushions, will see you adding polyester toy filling to your shopping basket without a second thought. If you’re charting your own course with a home-designed make, though, you might find the decision isn’t so clear cut. […]
A Summer’s Day Wedding Dress
When my cousin Emma called to say she was getting married, asking my two lovely daughters to be her flower girls, I was absolutely thrilled! The wedding was to be held in the beautiful Doxford Hall, Northumberland, and being a special wedding, it called for a special outfit. I usually struggle to find something I’m […]
Rouleau Loops – not as tricky as you might think!
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. […]
Sewing Bee 2016 Flash Sale – 48 HOURS ONLY!
To celebrate the series finale of the Great British Sewing Bee, we are having a FLASH SALE! From the moment the Sewing Bee winner is announced, we’ll be reducing our online prices by a further 10%! But hurry, our flash sale is only on for 48 hours! Get ready to save on sewing tools, fashion design […]
5 of the Best Sewing Blogs to Follow in 2016
Sewing bloggers are a great source of inspiration and if you’re a newbie seamstress, you can pick up some fab ideas from them. Here’s my pick of the best sewing bloggers that you should follow – if you don’t already. If you have any other suggestions, add them in the comments below! Why not read about our […]
How I made a beautiful Kim Dress!
On reading an earlier post Best Independent Sewing Pattern Companies, I was drawn to the indie company By Hand London – particularly the Kim dress – which had a vintage look with its fitted bodice and gathered skirt. So I decided to make myself a summer dress using this pattern- see below for how I get on! When […]