Autumn classes

I am teaching a shirt class, wednesdays for 6 weeks and make a skirt in a day class at Lady Sew and Sew in Henley-on-thames. Check out the classes page at the top of my blog under the title for dates and further info.

How to insert a zip

I used to think zips where a bit souffle - a thing to be dreaded and certain of disaster but so long as you tack neatly in place all will be well!

First pin your zip in place by lining up the pressed edges of your, for example, skirt so they meet down the centre of the zip. Then tack in a contrasting colour to hold the zip firmly in place. Take your time to get it perfectly lined up.

With the zip foot in your machine, lower the zip a few centimeters and start stitching, a little back and forth at the top to secure.

After a couple of centimeters, lower the needle to hold the fabric in place, lift the sewing machine foot and carefully pull the zip up to the top of the skirt under the zip foot.

Lower the foot again and continue to the bottom of the zip, quater turn at the bottom with needle down, foot up and go back and forth at the bottom of the zip a couple of times to reinforce it. Then needle down, foot up, quater turn and wizz up the other side. A few centimetres from the top, needle down, foot up and wriggle the zip down. Now lower the foot and stitch to the top of the skirt, go back and forth a little to finish!

Finally remove the tacking stitches with a seam ripper and give a little press with an iron. Voila a perfect zip!

Print your own shopper bag

I am holding another 'print your own shopper bag' class on Friday 10 October 9.30 - 12.30. Its £30 to include all materials  - all you need to bring is a top you don't mind getting inky and a few ideas of what to print. Don't worry if you can't draw lots of help given as well as chatter and homemade cake! For more info go to my classes page.

Beachy day

Off to the beach today for a bit of sketching and sandcastle making. Its a fab beach down at Studland, Dorset - very old fashioned with beach huts, soft sand and shrimps to be caught. This is my lino cut ' stripes' - think will do a few more rowing boat prints.

Shirt and Skirt classes at Lady Sew and Sew

Ever wanted to make your own clothes? I am so excited to be teaching classes at Lady Sew and Sew in Henley on Thames. There is 'make a skirt in a day' for adults as well as a half term one for children and on wednesdays a six week 'man shirt' class.  To book and for more info go to lady sew and sew

How to make a pie frill collar

I found a couple of pie frill shirts in a charity shop and just love the whole 80's Lady Diana thing about them . As I was not too sure about the summer dress( previous post) I reused the fabric to make this shirt.

For the frill take a 4cm wide x 3 times the length of your collar stand piece of fabric, fold along the length, pattern on outside and press.

Press interfacing to one collar stand.

Pin the frill to the interfaced side of the collar stand, pattern to pattern- use lots of pins! pleating as you go, fiddle about with it a bit to get even pleats. I found about 0.5cm per pleat worked well. The open edge of the pleated fabric is facing out. When you have finished pinning tack/baste the frill in place then lay the other collar stand on top to make a sandwich with the frill hidden in the middle.

 Stitch a 1.5cm seam , I have done this in green so it shows up, then clip the curves as below

 Turn the right way out and press, tah dah!

Pin the back of your collar stand to the back on your shirt, right sides facing, tack then stitch in place with a 1.5cm seam

For the inside of the collar, press a 1.5cm seam on the collar stand , you may need slightly less/ more of a seam so that the collar lies flat, pin and use a hand stitch to attach, ladder stitch works well.

 Finished shirt - perfect to keep the sunburn off the back of your neck and for those vintage moments.

Another A line skirt pattern 6128

A lines are so this season! so made another, not with pockets but with a deep pleat at the front.  I love this fabric Parson Gray Seven Wonders, Westminster Fibres from Lady Sew and Sew. I am going to be doing A line skirt classes at Lady Sew and Sew... more info soon.

To make the box pleat at the front I moved the front panel pattern back from the fabric fold when cut it out  to include the extra bit( see below) This was then stitched and pressed to form the box pleat. For a deeper pleat just move the pattern back a bit more. Although I cut out a tie belt I did not use it prefering a more simple look to the skirt.