Suzie’s had sewing a swimsuit on her bucket list for a while now. And this summer, after being stuck in a rut of making the same old things, she decided to take the plunge and tackle something new. The result is Suzie’s reversible swimsuit. Suzie shares her technique and tips. Gathering materials Suzie got the …
Marie Lawlor on Ergonomic sewing
Sewing with a disability and chronic pain is no mean feat! Often we have to be creative about reducing the physical impact of sewing on our bodies so that there is no lasting negative impact. Marie shares her insights on how to combine, healthy sewing habits with ergonomic sewing spaces. What’s wrong with this photo? …
Making a crossover pinafore dress
Gathering the materials When Emily was pregnant with our first grandchild, I decided it was time to try making baby clothes. We knew it would be a girl. This reversible crossover pinafore dress pattern caught my eye. Then I found a wonderful Wizard of Oz fabric line called Dorothy’s Journey by Jill Howarth for Riley …
Hogg Hacks: Blue pinstripe wool trousers
One of the best things about the Great British Sewing Bee is that, even after the series ends, the contestants keep on giving. Jen from GBSB series 5, put together a selection of Hogg Hacks that she used while sewing these blue pinstripe wool trousers. We’re posting them on our Instagram, and we thought it …
Stitching Bunny Baskets
We’ve been stitching bunny baskets. It all started with Jen’s super cute bunnies for mini stitchers. I made a bunch of bunnies and thought that they needed a little basket to keep them from hopping away. Then I thought that the basket could be a hidden-in-plain-sight surprise on the back of a child’s quilt. These …
Tools for pinning
Claudia @retroclaude has some suggestions about pinning. Use the right kind of pins Glass or flower headed pins are easier to pick up and see. They come in a variety of lengths and thicknesses. Samantha @purplesewingcloud likes these Prym Easy Grasp Pins. Taylor Seville do something similar called Magic Pins. Ball point pins When pinning stretch …
Automatic Thread Trimmer
Over 50 years ago in February 1969, JUKI released an industrial sewing machine equipped with the very first automatic thread trimmer. Everyone loved it! Operators could get into a work flow without the needing to constantly stop the sewing operation to pick up a scissors and trim the thread manually. 1969-Juki designs the first automatic …
Meet Marie Lawlor
I’m a tea drinking, cake loving, disabled stay at home mum based in Bedfordshire. I went to university in London to study Law and unfortunately my career was de-railed early on by my medical condition, Osteogenesis Imperfecta. I started sewing in 2017 as a therapeutic outlet from life with a chronic condition. The irony is not …
Janet Poole on Buttonholes
Sometimes when the pace of sewing slows down, it’s a good opportunity to do the non dressmaking jobs around the sewing room. One such job I have been considering is a review of the 16 different buttonholes available on my Juki DX7 sewing machine. This stitch selection is specific to the DX7. But other machines …
Mark Francis on Dr Who
My style icon Who’s your style icon? Do you think you even have a style icon? I didn’t think I did. But as I got into my 40’s, (yes I know, I couldn’t possible be that old!) I began to feel comfortable enough to express myself through my clothes and wear what makes me happy. …