Why not expand your skills with our selection of great sewing projects and craft ideas. With easy-to-use instructions for beautiful home decor tasks, why not get inspired and create simple (but effective!) DIY projects for yourself or a friend. Whether you have off cuts of material, are a sewing novice, or just want to make simple creations, we have lots of great sewing ideas to get your creative juices flowing, with step-by-step instructions that everyone can enjoy!
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
It’s a new year and I felt like treating myself to a new dress! I had a gorgeous navy synthetic fabric, gifted to me by my mum from her fabric stash, and knew it would make a lovely Tea Dress. Instead of choosing an original vintage pattern, on this occasion I decided to go for […]
Make your own personalised Christmas stocking, an ideal gift or an heirloom to treasure for years to come! This is an easy festive project suitable for adults and children, and a perfect way to boost your sewing skills. What materials do you need? – 50 x 50cm red felt & 30 x 30cm green felt – Christmas […]
Ahoy There! I saw this beautiful Ralph Lauren fabric in my local fabric merchants & completely fell in love with it! I knew it would be perfect for this Retro Butterick 1951 pattern I had at home, & using it would also give me the opportunity to embark on my #vintagepledge to use vintage patterns […]
Tutus are super easy to make and a great fancy dress item. I’ve made this one as part of a Halloween witch outfit, but you could definitely swap the colours and make it as part of any fancy dress outfit. Green and red for Christmas would be lovely! I chose dress net to make mine […]
With the start of school upon us again, why not make your little one a drawstring backpack for their PE kit? These fully-lined backpacks are quick and easy to make, and can be personalised based on your fabric choices. They’re a great way to use up some fabric off-cuts and would make a lovely gift! […]
What materials do you need? – Fabric (light-weight upholstery, cotton, linen, ticking, velvet) – Ribbon (we used double sided satin ribbon; Width: 5mm, Length: 15cm) – Polyester Stuffing – Lavender (optional) – Thread – Template (download from website: Click Here) What equipment do you require? – Sewing Machine – Scissors – Pins – Needle – Removable […]
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