Happy Sunday gang! We are still coming down from all the build-up and excitement of the Sewing Weekender. Thank you so much to everyone involved and who virtually attended the event at the weekend.
If you were inspired by episode 5 of the Sewing Bee, we have rounded up our pattern picks in a video for you to enjoy. We’ve added an excellent batch of new things to the shop, including new designs from Marilla Walker and Sew Liberated. We’ve also topped up on some of your favourite paper patterns so there is plenty to browse!
Kids week saw the lovely contestants sewing a sailor suit, turning school uniforms into a child’s outfit, and creating a spooky Halloween fancy dress costume. All under the watchful eyes of the judges (insert cauldron and cackling!).
For episode five we have put our detective hats on to discover the sewing patterns from independent designers and commercial pattern houses used in the Sewing Bee TV show. The patterns we found are all matches or inspired by the designs they used. We also have a coordinating video to chat through the fifth episode and the patterns for you to enjoy!
Images: (C) BBC/Love Productions
If you haven’t already seen our ultimate guide to the Sewing Bee do take a look.
The Sewing Weekender has wrapped up for another year and what a weekend it was! Attendees from 27 countries joined in with the sewing fun and £1300 was raised from ticket sales which will be split between two charities – Missing People and The British Red Cross appeal.
We want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and joined in on all the fun. We loved seeing you all chatting in the zoom rooms, sharing for sewing progress and hearing what tutorials you found helpful. Another massive thank you to all the contributors who shared inspiring tutorials and talks with us all.
Remember, if you bought a ticket for the Sewing Weekender 2022 you have a year to watch the videos so you can enjoy them at your leisure and revisit those helpful tutorials as many times as you like!
@josewhappy’s dreamy Sewing Weekender set-up is pictured.
We love a simple hack, and Tara (of Paper Theory Patterns) has nailed it with this clever use of a surprising pattern. Tara used the Paper Theory Agnes Pyjama Set top to create this cool dress. The bodice is cropped and Tara added some gathered rectangles for the skirt. It’s a genius make and just shows how versatile a pyjama pattern can be!
We love seeing how sewers use two patterns from a designer to make a top-to-toe me-made outfit and this is a fabulous example of that! Pauline – aka sewuthinkucan – used the Chalk and Notch Max Tee and Evelyn Skirt to sew this stripey ensemble. We love the way Pauline has played with the direction of the stripes, it’s stunning!
We’ve added some lovely newness to the shop this week, with patterns from Marilla Walker, Sew Liberated, Sew to Grow and more!
Do you already have a specific design in mind? Or do you need some help finding the perfect pattern for your fabric? You can search all the patterns in our database using our newly updated sewing-specific search tool.
A brand new Marilla Walker pattern has landed and we are smitten! The Anning Shirtdress is a loose-fitting dress with a vintage smock feel and contemporary fit and optional statement collar. The pattern also comes with a bonus larger sailor-style collar which we just love!
Sizing: UK 6 – 22 or UK 16/18 – 36
Format: PDF
We have a selection of paper sewing patterns that are reduced to clear in our sale archive section. Have a browse and maybe grab a bargain!
We spotted this interesting interview with Joana Choumali, an Ivorian photographer who lives and works in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on the V&A blog. Her body of work centres on conceptual portraits, mixed media and documentary photography. It’s an interesting read.
We know how versatile a sewing machine is and for sewists, there is no calmer noise than that of a whirring sewing machine. In the latest episode of the Dressed: The History of Fashion podcast, they are chatting with LA-based artist Nicole Cooke who employs sewing machines as instruments and the theme of clothing in her musical work. Fascinating stuff!
IMAGE: Ad for Singer’s Patent Sewing Machine, 1899, photo by The Montague Studio, Brooklyn, New-York Historical Society/ Getty Images
We spotted this drop-in event that is part of the Great Exhibition Road Festival in London and thought it might be of interest to some of you. From natural dying to repurposing, reconstruction and customisation, learn the upcycling techniques that could green your clothing habits in this exploration of sustainable fashion. This free event allows attendees to try out creative mending techniques, natural dye sampling and tips on understanding and modifying fabrics, and simple reconstruction ideas with a huge impact.
Fashion surgery: Redesign your unloved clothes – Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 June 2022 12.00-18.00 @ Tea Room, Royal Geographical Society
You might also like this workshop which is also part of the festival: Drop-in Design: Stitching Borders – Sunday 19 June 2022 11.00-17.00 @ the V&A
You can find the full programme for the Great Exhibition Road Festival here!
Come and join our sewing Facebook group where we are chatting about sewing plans, new patterns and helping each other out with projects.
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