The easiest gifts to make...

...are square cushion covers with zips.  They are very versatile and if you pick a cushion pad 40cm x 40cm like I did, you can make a set of 4 from 1 metre of fabric.  Here is how to go about it...

Materials: 

1. Cushion pads (mine are 40cm x 40cm or 16 inch square);
2. Fabric of your choice:
• Make sure you know the size of the cushion pads when you buy the material - calculate how many squares the same size as your cushion could be cut from 1 metre of fabric.  From there work out how many metres you need in total;
• Do not buy a really thin fabric because it will need replacing quickly.
3. Zips (mine are 12 inches long):
• The length of zip should be less than the length of the cushion pad but not too small that the opening it would give would not be large enough to fit the cushion into.
4. Matching thread;
5. Scissors;
6. Ruler;
7. Dressmakers chalk;
8. Sewing machine and zipper foot. 

Method: 

Step 1:  Fold the fabric in half (right sides facing inwards) so that the selvages line up (the frayed edge on the right hand side of the fabric pictured below). 

Step 2:  Measure your cushion pad.  Mine is 40cm x 40cm or 16inch square. 

Step 3:  Subtract 5cm or 2 inches from the size of your cushion pad.  In my case this gives a measurement of 35cm x 35cm or 14 inch square.  You want to make the cushion cover as if it were for this reduced size of cushion pad.  This will ensure that the cushion remains extra plump in its cover.

Step 4:  Now that we have the size of the cushion pad we need to add on the seam allowances.  Seam allowances should be 1.5cm.  So you want to draw onto the fabric a square which is 38cm x 38cm.  Measure the shape from the selvage and the edge of the cut side of the fabric.  Cut out from both layers to give you 2 matching squares.

Step 5:  The zip will be inserted into the two edges where the selvage is.  Calculate the length of the fabric minus the length of the zip (36.5 - 30.5 = 6cm).  This means that when the zip is centred along the length of the cover, there will be 3cm of material left at each end.  So we need to keep the squares right sides together and sew through both layers a 3cm seam from the top of the pieces and a 3cm seam from the bottom of the pieces (in the direction of the centre of the fabric).  Remember that you need to start sewing these 3cm seams from a 1.5cm distance from the selvage of the pieces. 

Step 6:  Iron a 1.5cm seam onto the wrong side of the fabric along both selvage edges.

Step 7:  Place both pieces together, selvages at the top, right sides facing.  Pin together with 3 - 4 pins.  Now open the zip and pin it into place along the selvages.  You want to line up the teeth of the zip with each ironed edge and make sure the zipper is facing inwards towards the right sides of the fabric.  Tack into place. 

Step 8:  Using your machines zipper foot, sew the zip into place.  Remove tackings. 

Step 9:  With the zip open and right sides facing, pin the 3 sides of the square pieces together.  Sew each edge at 1.5cm. 

Step 10:  Iron the seams open flat.  Turn cushion covers the right way out and insert cushion pad.  Plump up and you’re done!

Liberty Loveliness

Everyone has experienced the feeling that something is just not destined to happen and for myself I felt like this on my Lancaster trip!

I was so excited to finally visit the elusive fabric shop which I had imagined to be a Liberty haven.  So after a late Thursday evening I speedily got into a taxi on Friday afternoon to Standfast and Barracks.  You can imagine my disappointment as the staff shut the shop door in my face leaving me with an unsatisfied tantalising glimpse of the inside.   Unfortunately for me, the shop had changed its opening times from closing at 3pm on weekdays till 1pm.

M6 Junction 34.  When exiting motorway follow signs for Lancaster City centre.  The shop will be on your right next to the Shell garage.  Car park is on the left hand side of the road opposite the shop.

Perseverance won out in the end though as I walked there in the rain the following day.  FINALLY I got to go inside!  What I found was a pleasant variety of silks and heavyweight cottons.  Unfortunately I could not find a printed silk for pattern V8727 as the patterns on offer were all too large for the dress; ideally I need a small print that will repeat several times on the dress, so the search continues!

The Liberty section was not as large as I expected, nevertheless I could not be disappointed with the limited choice at only £5 per metre! 

I bought a traditional Liberty print which I plan on using to make a women’s scarf or a man’s tie – I cannot decide which at the moment!  Please comment with your suggestions!

I also bought this not so distinctive Liberty fabric which will eventually be turned into a cropped fitted jacket.  I had picked up the pattern the previous day in Fabrix, which is located next to Marcos restaurant and where I bought the English Rose fabric from. 

Not so unusually for me I have plenty to be getting on with and I would say that a trip to Standfast and Barracks is a must for any crafter; dressmaker or soft furnishings maker.  Hopefully after reading this post you will avoid any disappointment with opening hours! 

Make your own bunting!

For the past few weeks I have been responsible for organising a bingo and raffle night at the College of Law in Manchester which is where I spend my days, training to be a solicitor.

I wanted to decorate the room we were using for the event and I thought that bunting would do the trick.  I used 3 different fabrics that I already had and I bought a ½ metre of 4 other patterned fabrics which set me back £9.  Not a bad start on the money side of things. 

I calculated that  double sided triangles using the template I made and the amount of fabric I had would make 12 metres of bunting.  I decided to make a 5 metre length and a 7 metre length using complementary colours.  I bought a 25 metre reel of white bias binding and got to work!

I made the bunting using the method below and I would estimate that it took 2 full days to complete.  This is quite a lengthy process but if you enjoy sewing and making things then time doesn’t seem to matter. 

So for anyone keen to try something new, why not make your own bunting for the Queen’s Jubilee or for a family birthday?  It’s a great way to use up old fabric and experiment with themed colour choices.  Best of all, it's easy to do and perfect for beginners to machine sewing.

Equipment:

·         Selection of fabrics;

·         Triangle template;

·         Tailors chalk;

·         Pinking shears;

·         Sewing machine and thread; and

·         Bias binding in colour and width of your choice (length depends on how much bunting you want to make).

Method:

Step 1:  Make a template.  I used Microsoft word and inserted a triangle from their range of shapes into a document.  The triangle I used measured 20cm wide x 25cm height.   I then printed it and cut it out for use as a template.  If you want a slightly stronger template then simply stick the paper template to thick card and cut out the shape from the card.

Step 2:  Place your template in the left hand corner of your fabric.  Using tailors chalk draw around the template.  Then flip the template over and position it so that the tip of the template is in line with the base of the first triangle drawn.

Step 3:  From ½ metre of fabric I could draw out 18 triangles in 2 rows of 9.  Once you have drawn all of your triangles cut them out using pinking shears (to prevent fraying).

Step 4:  Pin 2 triangles together, right sides facing in, and position the material under the foot of the sewing machine with the needle on the right of the base with the tip of the triangle pointing in your direction.  Sew with straight stitch using the foot of the machine as your seam allowance guide.  When you reach the tip of the triangle, with the needle in the fabric, lift the foot and rotate the triangle 180 degrees anti-clockwise.  Now sew down the other side of the triangle.  Repeat for all of your triangles.

Step 5:  To turn the triangles the right way out first snip the tip of the triangle off being sure to cut as close to the stitching as possible without actually cutting the stitches.  Then trim the seam allowance down on both edges near the tip to reduce the bulk of fabric.

Step 6:  Keep your finger positioned on the blunt tip and use you other hand to turn the triangle inside out.  To make the point more defined roll the tip of the triangle in your hands and wiggle the 2 layers of fabric to try and ease it out.  This will work but may take some time.  Do this for all triangles.

Step 7:  Press all triangles and trim off any seam which is on show at the base of the triangle as a result of turning inside out.

Step 8:  Take your bias binding, measure 30cm in and make a mark at this point.  Fold the bias binding in half horizontally, pinning where necessary but only up to the 30cm mark.  Now sew the bias binding in half horizontally using a straight stitch, from the beginning of the bias binding up to the mark.  When you reach the mark, stop sewing. 

Step 9:  Place a triangle in between the folded layers of bias binding at the mark and pin in place.  Now continue to sew until approx 5cm from the end of the base of the triangle.  Repeat this step until you have sewn all triangles into place. 

Step 10:  Continue to sew bias binding in half for a further 30cm (to match the beginning of your bunting).  The ends of the bunting are to help you pin the bunting up.  You could leave them as they are or sew the end back on itself with a few tacking stitches to create a loop. 

English Rose - Part 2

I’ve been busy working on my English Rose dress today and I am happy with the way the zip has turned out.  Instead of tacking the back opening together and pushing the teeth of the zip through the gap (as it said to do on the instructions) I followed my tutors advice and tacked each side of the zip to the back opening making sure the teeth lined up with the edge of the fabric.  The result is the teeth of the zip are perfectly covered by the fabric.  The stitching is nice and straight because I could move the zipper up/down whilst sewing so that the stitches did not have to curve around the zipper (which they would have done if I followed the instructions as the zipper would have been stuck in one place). 

To complete the back section of the dress I tacked and sewn 2 godets into place.  I’m really happy with how professional these ones look after having built up my confidence on the front godets.  So now it was time for the straightforward task of sewing the front and back pieces together and ta-dah...no longer lots of odd pieces, but 1 garment!  A further 2 godets were sewn into place on the side seams to complete the fullness of the skirt (which is very, very full)! 

After trying the dress on, it is a little big on the top half so it’s going to need taking in a little.  I’m not an expert on this so I’m going to wait until my class next Thursday for my tutor’s help.  But for now it's off to Lancaster!

I do like a fabric shop...

This weekend I visited Leon’s Fabric Superstore (http://www.leonsfabrics.co.uk/) on a recommendation from a woman at my evening class.  Armed with my Google maps directions I set off in the direction of Chorlton and found the store quite easily, only a short distance out from Manchester City centre.  When I got inside I thought to myself what a true Aladdin’s cave it was...floor to ceiling there is every type of fabric you could want!  Despite the impressive range of carnival and wool fabrics that were tempting me, I managed to stay on the straight and narrow and look for what I went in for!

I had recently joined a trial subscription of Sew Today magazine (http://sewtoday.co.uk/) and fell in love with several of the patterns from February’s (2012) issue.  The patterns are half price when you’re a member so I went a bit mad and bought four.  When they arrived I was quite surprised they were the patterns I had ordered as the pictures on the front of some of them look very old fashioned! 

This is the cover image on V8727 and opposite
is how Sew Today showed the pattern
in February's issue

Nevertheless I found some lovely fabric at Leon’s for two of my dresses.  The first is a lovely lace for McCalls M6505 and the second is a duchess satin for McCalls M6508.  If you live in the Manchester area (Birmingham also has a Leon’s store) I would highly recommend a visit to Leon’s as they have a wider variety of fabrics than Abakhan and the staff are wonderfully helpful.

Next week I am taking a rest from day to day goings on and venturing further north for a reunion with my University house mates.  I have been looking forward to it for a few weeks now, not just to catch up with my friends (it’s been 9 months since we all graduated from Lancaster University), but also for the fabric shops! 

Hidden away in a quiet part of the City is a Liberty of London factory shop where they print the fabrics ready for transporting to the capital.  I discovered the factory shop when my University time was drawing to a close but I never actually got to go in.  From memory this was due to the shop shutting quite early on the weekend so this time I am prepared for the early morning spee!  I will be going armed with pattern V8727 (pictured above) to try and find a printed silk charmeuse.

I also plan on visiting the fabric shop where I bought the ‘English Rose’ dress fabric.  No doubt there will be lots of other gorgeous prints to tempt me.

There will be plenty of pictures to follow of my Lancaster trip and the Liberty shop so watch this space!

English Rose - Part 1

Well since Valentine’s Day I have been busy doing non-craft related things including sitting several painstakingly long exams.  Now though, it’s back to sewing and I have been busy today on my latest project, which is my very first handmade dress.

About a year ago whilst walking through Lancaster I came across a gorgeous little fabric shop and completely fell in love with the dress in the window.  Not being one to shy away from new things, I asked the shop owner to help me pick out the right amount of a gorgeous cream cotton with blue roses with the plan of making it for myself.  However, when I looked closely at the pattern I thought that it might be a little too complicated to ‘give it a go’ and so I enrolled on a dressmaking course near my home which I attend weekly...

...and thank god I did!  There is definitely a lot of skill in dressmaking and my tutor is a fantastically skilled and admirable woman (she makes all her own clothes and costumes for the Bolton Octagon Theatre).  I also make good use of the over locker which of course I would not have at home (although my birthday is coming up, so maybe something worth dropping a few hints over!)

So, onto my progress...I have just sewn the godets into place on the front piece.  This was quite tricky for a novice because I felt like I might accidentally sew the godet in half!  Despite my worrying they look quite good now they are in place and the next step is to get the zip into place on the back section.

I am going to update the blog from now on with the progress of the dress; for myself it will be a diary of my progress and I will offer all the little tips I learn along the way.  Hopefully it will be an interesting read!

The tip I picked up is to sew down one side first and then up the other side so that both lines of stitching meet at the tailors tack (red cross in my pic).

P.S. For anyone living in Manchester next to the Abakhan store is a shop let by dressmaker Danielle Ferguson.  Her work is lovely and her blog is worth checking out at t http://danielleferguson1986.blogspot.com/

Heart Embroidered Card

Just in case you need reminding, Valentine’s Day is only 3 days away!  Singles often dread the apparent pressure to be in a relationship and many couples try to avoid a commercialised event which seemingly dictates how and when to show that you love someone.  

Well I am all for showing someone that you love them on any day of the year, so whether man or woman, single or taken, crafter or non-crafter, I have a little gift card idea which I think you will love.  

This little beauty will set you back only an hour of your day and is guaranteed to put a smile on someone’s face.  There’s no special skill involved and for those of you new to crafting let me tell you that handmade gifts are appreciated for the time, effort and thought that goes into them. 

Speaking of time, there is still plenty of it left to whip up this card for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday.  Pass it on to say ‘I love you’ to someone special or send it to a close friend in celebration of being single and happy!  Alternatively, why not enjoy making the card and saving it for another occasion, such as a birthday or engagement?  There are endless possibilities to explore through adapting the design, some of which I have included in my ‘Adaption’ section, so unleash your creative side!  I also feature ‘Why not try...?’, a section on alternative ways of showcasing your hard work other than a gift card.  What can I say, there really is something for everyone.

So what are you waiting for?!

Equipment

1. Sewing machine and cotton.
2. Tomato puree tube:   Cut off the ends, cut down one side and open flat.  Clean.
3. 1 scrap  of fabric and (optional) 1 scrap of a net style fabric, both 5x5 inches:  Colours of your choosing.
4. Interfacing, 5x5inches. 
5. Scissors:   You may wish to have a separate pair for cutting the tomato puree tube and for cutting your fabric.
6. Double sided tape.
7. Card and envelope:    Utilise what you have – A4 card cut down would do fine.
8. Self  adhesive stickers e.g. ‘I Love you’; ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’; ‘To Someone Special’ OR rubber stamp and ink, again with a simple greeting.  

Method:

• Free draw a heart onto paper.  Cut out and use a small amount of blue tack to stick onto the shiny side of the tomato puree tube i.e. what was the inside of the tube.  Cut out around your template using kitchen scissors.  Alternatively if you have a marker pen you may want to draw the heart directly onto the outside of the tube and cut out.
• Use a small amount of PVA to glue your heart cut out onto the interfacing.  If you have an embroidery hoop I would recommend placing the interfacing in it so that the heart is in the deep well of the hoop rather than on the outside (this is because we will be placing the hoop under the machine needle). 
• Thread up your machine with the cotton; I choose a metallic thread to compliment the gold colour of the heart. 
• Either put a darning foot on your machine or if you don’t have one just leave the machine without any foot on it.  Then drop the feed dogs (usually a little switch near the bottom bobbin but see your instruction manual if you are not sure how to do this).  Make sure the presser foot lever is in the down position. 
• These steps will allow you to free machine embroider, which essentially means to stitch wherever you want without having to go in straight lines.  Select the straight stitch on your machine and turn the stitch length to 0 (this will allow you to be in control of how long each individual stitch is).
• Raise the needle and lower the design into place.  Wind the needle down into place so that it pierces the heart at any point.

• Embroider in any pattern you wish. Essentially you want to secure the heart and create a decorative pattern; don’t overdo the stitching – you do not want a dense mass.
• When you are happy, raise the needle and cut the thread, trim loose ends.
• Cut the interfacing down to the heart shape.  Select the fabric that you want to mount the heart onto and secure the heart in place with a small amount of PVA.
• If using a net fabric also, then place this on top of the heart cut out so that you have sandwiched the heart in between a solid layer of fabric on the bottom and a see through fabric on the top.  Then use a few pins to secure this top layer to the bottom layer near the edge of the fabric pieces.
• Adjust your machine back to normal stitching and machine embroider around the edge of the heart to secure it to the fabric(s).

• Trim the design to you preference.  Place double sided tape onto the back of the design.  Centre onto your card and secure.
• Use any adhesive stickers or rubber stamps you have to add a personalised message to your card.
• Admire your work!

Adaptation:

• You could cut out other shapes from the tube – from basic shapes such as diamonds and circles to the more adventurous stars and flowers.  Get creative with fabric and cotton colour choices.
• Don’t cut out a shape from the tube to begin with.  Instead embroider the whole piece of tube and then cut out strips in different widths.  Use the strips to make beads (simply roll a strip and glue the end) or to use in collage work.

Why not try?

• Using a larger piece of fabric and making a small cushion cover with your design.
• Placing 3 hearts in a horizontal line onto a canvas and hanging on the wall.