How-To Tips
Self Covered Buttons Made Easy
We saw the contestants of the Great British Sewing Bee tackling these nifty buttons, some of whom had a little difficulty. So here are my tips for simple success. I just love self covered buttons, they come in various sizes and mean that you can match a button to your latest project without having to…
Read MoreGreat British Sewing Bee – Top Tips For Choosing and Sewing Specialist Fabrics
Things are hotting up in the Great British Sewing Bee Studio as contestants tackled another set of patterns testing their skills and fabric choices. Below are some of my top tips for sewing similar projects using specialist fabrics requiring extra care. If you choose transparent but crisp fabrics such as organza or a…
Read MoreSewing Bias-Cut Lingerie
This week on the Great British Sewing Bee, we saw the majority of contestants making their sleep sets from bias cut fabrics. Bias cut garments will follow your curves beautifully and are comfortable to wear, but sewing on the bias can have some tricky issues to contend with. I’ve put my top tips below. …
Read MoreTen Tip Tips for sewing Stretch Fabrics aka Great British Sewing Bee
Last night we saw the contestants make a Rugby top from cotton jersey and then the final challenge of making a tennis outfit with Lycra. Here are my ten top tips for success. 1. When sewing with cotton jersey fabrics, use a ball point needle which will help prevent skipped stitches. 2. If you are…
Read MorePerfect Self-Lined Patch Pockets – aka The Great British Sewing Bee
Make your own perfect self-lined patch pockets to add to your shirt – aka The Great British Sewing Bee. This method is the easiest I know. BY WENDY GARDINER Make a self lined pocket quickly and easily and create a fabulous Hawaiian shirt for him indoors just like the contestants of the Great British…
Read MorePerfectly Concealed Invisible Zip Insertion – aka The Great British Sewing Bee
Last night we saw the contestants of the Great British Sewing Bee inserting invisible zips into the Palazzo trousers. This is my favourite type of zip insertion because there is no visible stitching on the right side of the fabric and actually I think it is the easiest to do – if you have an…
Read MoreTop Ten Tips to Improve Your Sewing
No matter how experienced at sewing, there is always something new to learn. Here are my Top Ten Tips to Improve Your Sewing and to make it all as stress free as possible! 1. Choose the right pattern size Firstly, remember the right pattern size might NOT be the same size as you’d buy ready-to-wear…
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