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 […]
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 » […]
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 […]
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. […]
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… […]
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 […]
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. […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
For anyone who has thought about starting to sew, making your own clothes and accessories can seem overwhelming. There’s plenty of help out there – craft bloggers, social media, and even Youtube videos – but if you just don’t know where to start, or you want to learn from a sewing teacher, why not look for a […]
Whether you want to take up sewing as a hobby, or you plan to embark on a new career where sewing will play an important role, there is much to learn and a lot of enjoyment to be taken from this popular craft. So let’s start right at the beginning… Choosing Your Machine Before you […]
This is the final time I will ever have to do any kind of ‘Back To School’ shenanigans. My oldest is heading to University and my younger teen is in her Final Year A Levels, hoping to go to University herself next year. I no longer have to remember to buy uniform and new school […]
If you’re making products in fabrics (be it a dress, a makeup bag, or a simple pouch) – if the product is designed to fit a certain object or serve a certain purpose, it’s important to get into the habit of creating a mock up, more traditionally known as a Toile. Toiles are created from a cheap material […]
With words of warnings from my husband and teens ringing in my ears, I bought a rotary cutter last year. They all cringed and warned me not to – I am clumsy, sometimes don’t concentrate wholly on what I’m doing, and the fear was having to rush me to Casualty needing stitches to stop fingers […]
I have owned a sewing machine of various kinds since buying a hand-cranked Singer at the age of 16. Recently, I twisted my husband’s arm (well, bank account really) to buy an all-singing, all-dancing new one. And I LOVE it! This beauty is computerised and I am starting to learn how to use some of […]
My Grandma used to say to me “measure twice, cut once” and of course I would smile at her, nod, and carry on hastily with my cutting out and sewing. Everyone makes mistakes sewing, no matter how long you’ve been at it. Only last week I sewed a bag together, muttering to myself that it seemed […]
One thing that students of all ages often find difficult is cutting fabric. So here is a short post on how to improve your fabric cutting abilities, because if you cut something out accurately, then it will be a LOT easier to put together accurately. Buy the best quality scissors you can afford. William Gee […]
This simple guide has been built for those who have just bought a new sewing machine, or for those who are looking through your sewing box and thinking, ‘I got this foot with my machine and hey, i have no idea what it actually does’. I’m going to give you a quick run-through to the feet […]
So as promised, here are some top tips for placing and cutting out your pattern. This is possibly one of the most important bits of the dressmaking process – if you cut it out correctly, then the garment will go together well. For part 1, click here. Read the Instructions! It sounds daft, but the […]
A pattern is a tool to enable you to create something, whether it is a bag or a blouse, and contains all the information you need for a successful sewing project. Other tools include your scissor, pins, needles, thread, sewing machines and marking tools. The key to successful sewing is accurately transferring all the marks […]
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