Innehållsförteckning för 62 från Simply Sewing

Say hello to the most joyous season of the year! It’s almost the holidays and we can’t think of a better time of year to show off your sewing skills. From handmade advent calendars and decorations, to glamorous vintage-inspired party dresses and glitzy skirts (perfect for dancing the night away on New Year’s Eve) – your friends will be so impressed when you say “I made it!” Get your whole family in the festive spirit with embellished jumpers, personalised stockings, a totally irresistible pudding doorstop and giant fabric holly leaves. Because bigger is always better at Christmas, right? #simplysewingmag WWW.SIMPLYSEWINGMAG.COM #SIMPLYSEWINGMAG facebook.com/simplysewingmagazine twitter.com/simplysewing_ pinterest.com/simplysewingmag instagram.com/simplysewingmag…

STATE OF PLAY Papercut Patterns’ Rubix collection is all about getting playful with patterns: designed to be mixed, matched and customised – and some even worn back-to-front – they’re versatile wardrobe-building pieces that can be styled together, with different construction details for a different look every time. Find them at www.papercutpatterns.com DREAMY DAHLIA Sewn a few tricky projects and feeling ready to stretch your skills? Sew Over It’s Dahlia Coat is a chic wrap style for intermediate makers looking to boost their dressmaking repertoire. You’ll learn how to handle wool fabrics, sew a lining and add welt pockets for a pro finish. Visit www.sewoverit.co.uk QUIRKY CHRISTMAS Nothing gets us feeling festive quite like a visit to Liberty’s beautiful London store, and they’ve captured the magic of Liberty at Christmas in…

WIN: NEW MIFFY FABRIC BUNDLE Win an exclusive bundle of Miffy fabrics, wadding and threads worth over £120 Who’s the cutest bunny in the world? Why, it’s Miffy of course! She’s back with the ‘Miffy Holiday’ fabric collection featuring five brand new designs from The Craft Cotton company (www.craftcotton.com). We’ve teamed-up with them to bring you this stunning quilt kit worth £123 as a prize this month. One lucky reader will win 2 Miffy Holiday Fat Quarter packs, a 120x120cm piece of Heritage Cotton Wadding, a 24-piece matching thread box and a 2m length of Miffy Holiday fabric for the backing – just what you need to sew a beautiful heirloom quilt just in time for Christmas. These gorgeous designs are all 100% cotton and available to buy in metres…

Keep cosy – and chic – in bottle green faux fur, £95, www. oliverbonas.com When it comes to party dressing, more is more – so pile on the matching beads, www. oliverbonas.com Add a splash of colour with bright gems, www.oliverbonas.com With its shiny gold finish, this mini bag makes a big impact, www. marksandspencer.com Throwback to the 70s in glam-rock glitter platforms, www. marksandspencer.com Sparkly kitten heels are made for dancing all night in, www. marksandspencer.com…

Sew not one, but four staple garments to mix and match with your me-made tops with this issue's Trouser Set by Athina Kakou (www.athinakakou. com), a wearable wide-leg design with options to make as a pair of trousers or a jumpsuit – plus a cropped culottes length for summer. YOU WILL NEED ■ Fabric: Trousers: UK sizes 4-16: 2.25mx150cm (2¾ydx59in) UK sizes 18-28: 2.7mx150cm (3ydx59in) Jumpsuit: UK sizes 4-16: 2.6mx150cm (3ydx59in) UK sizes 18-28: 3.4mx150cm (3¾ydx59in) ■ Iron-on interfacing: 10x50cm (4x20in) ■ Invisible zip: 20cm (9in) ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit NOTES ■ Use a 1.5cm (5/8in) seam allowance unless otherwise stated. ■ Making a toile before sewing the final garment is recommended. FABRICS USED ■ Maru from the Wild collection by Leah Duncan for Cloud9 Fabrics. For…

I enjo› go›ng to m› favourite thrift shops and finding retro clothes, duvet covers or tablecloths to make new stuff from. This su,mer m› daughters and I have been living ›n t›ered dresses made of upcycled scarves. ›condhand fabric ›s also a great wa› to tr› styles ›n a cheap and sustainable ›a›. I love the moment ›n a thrift shop ›hen y› spot a vintage set of curtains or a tableclot› ›t› a c›› retro print. It feels like suc› a gift. Prints make me so ha››, especia›l› ›f the› have a st››.…

YOU WILL NEED ■ Faux fur fabric: 50cm (20in) ■ Zip: 25cm (10in) (length dependant on your desired pouch size) ■ Bag chain ■ 2 x metal D-rings: 2.5cm (1in) width ■ Zip presser foot ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit NOTE ■ Use a 1.5cm (5/8in) seam allowance unless otherwise stated. FABRIC USED Vintage Lilac Faux Fur Backed Suedette from www.samanthaclaridgestudio.com MAKING THE PATTERN Step one The first step is to make a pattern for the bag. We used a piece of A4 paper for our template as our zip is 25cm (10in) so this makes a perfect A4-size bag. Simply round off the corners on the bottom of the paper to make a curved bag pattern; you can use a small plate or a similar as a…

1 Make a catalogue of your fabric swatches to remember what pieces you have. 2 Attend a fabric swap-shop to get rid of unwanted patterns instead of them collecting dust. 3 Wash your fabric as soon as you buy it – that way when you come to sew, it will be washed, ready and waiting. 4 Be savvy by cutting up projects in advance and storing them in zip lock bags so they are easily accessible when you feel a sewing session coming on. 5 Keep a running list of supplies you need to purchase so you’ll have it to hand when you hit the shops.…

Venture into the back of your wardrobe, and chances are you've got a well-worn pair of jeans that are so comfy you just can't bear to throw them away. And you don't have to! Instead, get your needle, threads and scraps at the ready and give them a new lease of life, as with this borostitched pair from Clare Youngs' book, The Mindful Maker. All about slowing down and relishing the simple joys of making, inside the book are 35 creative projects to soothe your soul, from these simple jeans to macramé. And, relax... This jeans project is from The Mindful Maker by Clare Youngs, published by CICO Books (£12.99). Photos by Joanna Henderson © CICO Books. Visit www.makeetc.com…

YOU WILL NEED ■ Wool fabric: 50x150cm (20x60in) ■ Pouring cream fabric: 35x70cm (14x28in) ■ Holly fabric: 25x30cm (10x12in) ■ Berry fabric: 10x20cm (4x8in), ■ Linen tag fabric: 12x24cm (5x10in) ■ Hanging loop fabric: 24x6cm (9½x23/8in) ■ Filling bag: 60x40cm (24x16in) ■ Polyester fibrefill ■ Doorstop filling, eg: plastic pellets, sand, rice: 1kg ■ Eyelet (optional for tag) ■ String: 20cm (8in), for tag ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit FABRIC USED The wool fabric is Marton Mills Exclusive Sewing Quarter Fabric Brown Ground with Blue Check. Ref: MDLS98. From www.sewingquarter.com NOTES ■ Use a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance unless otherwise stated. ■ Download the templates from www. simplysewingmag.com/downloads CUTTING OUT Step one Download and print and cut out the templates for the top, base, sides, pouring cream, holly,…

Thank you for making these projects from Simply Sewing. The copyright for these templates belongs to the designer of the project. They work hard to create projects for you to enjoy, so please don’t re-sell or distribute their work without permission. Please do not make any part of the templates or instructions available to others through your website or a third party, or copy it multiple times without our permission. Copyright law protects creative work and unauthorised copying is illegal. We appreciate your help.…

HOW TO MEASURE YOURSELF ACCURATELY ALWAYS MEASURE YOURSELF BEFORE you choose a pattern size to cut out. The sizes do vary greatly from pattern to pattern, so it’s always best to measure yourself accurately and then refer to the pattern’s size chart to find your size. The chart will usually be printed on the pattern envelope or on the instructions inside. Measure yourself in your underwear and preferably in the bra you’ll be wearing underneath your garment as this can alter the measurements slightly. Use a fabric tape measure as it’ll curve around your body well for accuracy. You can measure on your own if you stand in front of a mirror, but, for best results, ask a friend to help so they can check the tape measure is sitting…

ATHINA KAKOU Athina started sewing on her grandmother’s machine as a way to de-stress. She now hopes to help sewists create the handmade wardrobe of their dreams with her simple patterns. Make her staple trousers and jumpsuit pattern on page 40. JENNIFER CARDENAS RIGGS Jennifer is a graphic designer and textile artist known on Instagram as @threadhoney. Her new book, Embroidery Now, includes 30 modern stitching projects for your home and wardrobe. Try her French knot sweater project on page 63. JULIET UZOR Winner of The Great British Sewing Bee 2019, Juliet has been sewing since 2013. She now hopes to inspire and educate with her blog posts, YouTube channel and tips and tricks on Instagram. See her statement sleeve pattern hack on page 98. KAROLINE HUGHES Karoline, aka Skandimama,…

Shirts Sew a classic button-up with Production Editor Michelle’s shirt pattern picks. ROSA BY TILLY AND THE BUTTONS Optional piping or topstitching, gently curved princess seams, a pointed back yoke, button-tab sleeves, a cute curved hem…if you’re looking for a classic shirt with cute details, Tilly’s Rosa is packed with them! Find the pattern at shop.tillyandthebuttons.com CLOSET CASE FILES’ KALLE Kalle’s flattering loose fit is one of my favourite shapes to wear, and with lots of mix-and-match options this is a great-value pattern for your stash: included are three looks to make, with different collar, pleat and placket options. Visit store. closetcasepatterns.com HARRISON SHIRT BY CASHMERETTE This staple shirt has clever double princess seams for a perfect fit, and you’ll boost your skills with techniques such as sewing a two-piece…

ADVENT CALENDAR How many sleeps until Christmas? We'll be counting down to the big day the eco-friendly way with a personalised advent calendar we can bring out every year to fill up with mini treats. We're hoping for haberdashery goodies in ours... HOLLY HANGING It's time to deck the halls with boughs of holly – handmade holly, that is! This holly hanging is so simple to sew, we might just have to make one one for every door in the house. You could easily scale it down for a matching tree decoration, too. GIFT SACKS Nothing says 'Santa's been!' like waking up to a gift sack filled to the brim with pressies on Christmas morning – and it's even better when it's got your initial on it! Luckily, these oversized…

Spend the party season feeling like a Hollywood starlet in this issue’s cover star, The Party Dress. With its fitted waist, pretty cap sleeves and lace overlay skirt, it's all about the flattering, vintage-inspired details. The sweetheart neckline enhances curves, giving the illusion of an hourglass silhouette. The neckline is designed to be the focus of the garment and so it’s important that it is neat and symmetrical for a polished finish. Follow this guide to sewing curves to create a professional-looking sweetheart neckline. YOU WILL NEED ■ Vlieseline bias tape or 50cm (20in) interfacing, matching the weight of your fabric ■ Calico or other inexpensive fabric similar to your chosen fabric to make a toile ■ Sharp needle and pins ■ Contrasting thread for tacking ■ Pressing cloth ■…

YOU WILL NEED ■ Stretch fabric: 2mx140cm (2¼ydx55in) ■ Glitter elastic: 38mm (1½in) wide ■ An elastic tube skirt or a similar fitted skirt ■ Tailor's chalk ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit NOTES ■ Use a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance unless otherwise stated. ■ Pre-wash fabric before sewing to eliminate the risk of shrinkage. ■ You will need more fabric to make the skirt longer, or to make a skirt larger than a UK 16. MATERIALS USED Glitter stretch fabric and elastic tape from www.stoffstil.co.uk CUTTING OUT The skirt is made up of the main panel and the ruffle at the hem. This makes it easy to adjust the length as you go along. Step one Fold the fabric in half with selvedges aligned. Fold your existing skirt…

YOU WILL NEED ■ Mediumweight wool fabric: 2mx150cm (2¼ydx59in) ■ Bias binding: 5m (5½in) ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit FABRICS USED Pure English wool from Minerva Crafts. Visit www.minervacrafts.com CUTTING OUT Step one From the wool fabric cut: Stole: 70x200cm (28x80in). Fold the stole half along the length and round off the corners.01 Pockets: 20x28cm (8x11in) each. PREPARING THE PIECES Step one Finish all raw edges of the pocket rectangles using an overlocker or zigzag stitch. Step two Using a long stitch length, sew temporary stitching lines 5mm (¼in) in from the short sides and long bottom edges, and 3cm (1¼in) down from the long top edge.02 ATTACHING THE POCKETS Step one Press all edges over to the wrong side (WS) along the temporary stitching lines. Topstitch along…

YOU WILL NEED ■ Wool sweater ■ 1 x ball of spice red aran (worsted) weight yarn ■ Steel yarn needle: 5cm (2in) ■ Embroidery hoop: 10cm (4in) (optional) ■ Embroidery hoop: 20cm (8in) (optional) ■ Basic sewing kit FRENCH KNOTS Choose a point on the sweater where you would like to begin. Pull your needle through, starting from the back of the hoop, so that the knot is at the back of your fabric and your needle has been pulled through to the front. Step one Hold your needle in one hand in front of your hoop and hold your thread taut in your other hand. Having the thread held firmly is important – this will help your knot stay in the place you want it to go.01 Step…

With work, life admin and socialising taking up so much of our time, hobbies can often end up taking a back seat in our busy lives; to-do lists take precedent over passions, and we find ourselves lamenting to friends that we simply don’t have the time to indulge in evening classes, as much as we’d love to. Luckily for us, the ever-inventive sewing community has come up with a way to help us fit our love of sewing into our everyday lives: with virtual learning. Rather than using the internet to mindlessly scroll (yes, we’re all guilty of it!), there are myriad online courses to help us level up our skills without even setting foot outside the front door. Far from the tedious instructional learning videos we remember from school,…

"I’m passionate about teaching sewing and I knew how many people were taking it up across the globe,” says The Thrifty Stitcher, aka Claire-Louise Hardie. “Without an online course I couldn’t help someone stuck on sewing their first ever zip in Australia whilst I was based in the UK.” “Many educational videos are shot as a piece to camera, or talking directly into the camera. We use a less formal shooting style, which is used as standard on reality TV, ie. talking to a person at the side of the camera,” Claire-Louise explains. “This creates a less intense experience for the viewer. We also chose to make the shots more active, so I moved around in shot, as I would when I teach in real life. “ Skill level: The…

YOU WILL NEED ■ Cream-coloured wool blanket ■ Dylon hand dye and salt (optional) ■ White double knitting wool ■ Tapestry needle ■ Erasable fabric marker ■ Pom pom maker ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit NOTES ■ Use a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance unless otherwise stated. ■ Download the template from www.simplysewingmag.com/ downloads MATERIALS USED This is a great way to recycle old woollen blankets, or you can use woollen fabric. You can use tapestry wool for the embroidery but we used a leftover ball of white double knitting wool. CUTTING OUT Step one From the wool blanket cut: Stocking outer: two using the template. DYEING THE FABRIC If you don’t like the colour of your original wool blanket, you can dye it. We cut out our stocking…

1 SEWING KINGDOM When it comes to Christmas, here at Sewing Kingdom we believe you can never have to many craft projects on the go. 100% cotton, polycotton and gorgeous wired ribbon, you’ll always find what you need. sewing-kingdom.com  • hslclaire@outlook.com 2 SEW FABRICS Delivering quality fabrics and haberdashery items guaranteed to make you smile. Use code Simply10 for 10% off your first website order. sew-fabrics.com • instagram.com/sew_fabrics 3 CRAFTNUTTER SUPPLIES Christmas stockings and Advent calendar panels, and beautiful cotton fabrics from Lewis & Irene, Makower and lots more for your sewing craft projects. Code XMAS for 10% off orders over £25 during November. craftnuttersupplies.co.uk  • 01939 768 008 4 THE STITCHING POST Friendly and fast service offering a range of Makower fabrics. Stunning Christmas cottons now in…

ONCE YOU HAVE FINISHED stitching your seam, it’s best to press it open on the wrong side so it lies flat. Sometimes it’s better to press it to one side to reduce bulk but the pattern instructions will tell you this. Usually the seam allowances are left as they are as they help to strengthen the seam, but sometimes they cause too much bulk so they are trimmed to half their original width. If your fabric has a tendency to fray you should neaten the raw edges after you have worked the seam. There are several ways of doing this. To machine-finish them, set your sewing machine to the zigzag stitch then stitch close to the raw edge all the way along. The zigzag must be small enough to stop…

50 FAT QUARTER TOYS Ame Verso (£16.99, David & Charles) This celebration of handmade toys features adorable animals, handmade baby gifts and more, all sewn up using fat quarter cuts of fabric. Included are inspiring styled photographs, diagrams and templates for over 50 toys designed by the likes of Ayda Algin of Café Nohut, Mollie Johanson of Wild Olive, author Emma Hardy and founder of #GreatBritishQuilter, Sarah Ashford. www.davidandcharles.com COSTUME AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE Aoife Monks (£24.99, National Theatre) Take a peek behind the scenes at what goes into designing and creating the unique costumes seen in National Theatre productions. Over 10,000 costumes are produced every year by the in-house team, and this beautiful book takes you through the creative process, from crafting costumes to how they are used once…

When we think of glamour, we think of full 1950s dresses – so where better to find inspiration for party-season sewing than vintage fit-and-flare silhouettes? We've designed our own version, The Party Dress, with an elegant sweetheart neckline, princess-seam bodice, two sleeve options and a lace skirt overlay detail for a luxe finish. YOU WILL NEED ■ Main fabric: Dress A: 2.4mx115cm (2¾ydx45in), 2.4mx140cm (2¾ydx55in) Dress B: 2.4mx115cm (2¾ydx45in), 2.4mx140cm (2¾ydx55in) ■ Lining fabric: Dress A: 1mx115cm (11/8ydx45in), 1mx140cm (11/8ydx55in) Dress B: 1mx115cm (11/8ydx45in), 1mx140cm (11/8ydx55in) ■ Non-stretch lace fabric: Dress B: 1.5mx115cm (1¾ydx45in), 1.5mx140cm (1¾ydx55in) ■ Invisible zip: 41cm (16in) ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit NOTES ■ Use a 1.5cm (5/8in) seam allowance throughout unless otherwise stated. ■ Make a toile to check the fit before cutting…

1 When cutting out delicate lace, satin or other slippery fabrics, ensure you use sharp scissors as blunt scissors will drag the fabric as you cut. 2 If you are struggling to achieve a neat curve, edit the neckline to create a smoother curve. A neat, shallow curve will look better than a deep heart- shaped curve that is asymmetrical. 3 Avoid unpicking; however, if you do need to, work slowly so you don’t catch the fabric in the unpicker. 4 Use a 3mm (1/8in) stitch length. Any shorter will be hard to unpick should you go wrong and any longer will be a looser stitch that could pull apart. 5 Use a pressing cloth to avoid scorching your fabric and always press from the wrong side. 6 Pins have…

"Making nice things for yourself or others is such a gift." When I was at design school, I learned the skills of pattern-making the correct tailor's way, but I still always came back to my own method of using clothes I already had as pattern pieces – it has always been a fun and quick way to work for me. I don't think I've ever stopped sewing clothes, and mostly I use this fast and easy method to make them. I love that I can have a new piece of clothing ready to wear in a jiffy. I want to inspire and make it possible for everybody to make their own clothes – even those who think it is too difficult and time-consuming. I have been making my own clothes…

One of the many things we love about making our own clothes? Being able to pick and choose from the trends and sew them our own way. Trend Patterns takes inspiration from the runways of New York, Paris, London and Milan for their edgy pattern collections, with high-end designs for us to recreate at home to suit our style (and our budget). Its three latest patterns use simple shapes in creative ways, such as the midi Square Skirt made from a square of fabric for an asymmetric drape. Find the patterns at www.trendpatterns.co.uk…

1 If you make sure the colours in your closet work together it will be so much easier to create a mix-and-match casual wardrobe. 2 Creating moodboards is a great way to decide which direction your wardrobe should take. 3 When searching through your stash, make a mental note of fabrics that go together well as this may inspire a whole outfit look. 4 You need a sewing schedule to ensure you are crafting for the right season – those jumpers will be no good in the summer, will they? 5 Don’t rush your sewing – making the perfect wardrobe takes time!…

YOU WILL NEED ■ 2 T-shirts ■ Ruler ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit NOTE ■ Use a 1.5cm (5/8in) seam allowance unless otherwise stated. CUTTING OUT Step one Lay out one of the T-shirts flat and fold in half vertically. Step two Cut along the bottom, squaring it off. Step three Cut off the sides of the T-shirt, squaring off again to create a square bag. Step four Cut off the sleeves and neckline, making the neckline curve quite deep as this will be the top of the bag.01 Step five Repeat with the second T-shirt, using the first as a template. Step six Cut the shoulder seams open on both T-shirts so you have four separate layers. Step seven Cut a square away from bottom corner of…

YOU WILL NEED ■ Linen fabric: 30x30cm (12x12in) ■ Quilting cotton in a solid colour: 60x60cm (24x24in) ■ Quilting cotton in a festive print: 60x60cm (24x24in) ■ Stranded cotton in festive shades ■ Small ric rac braid: 11cm (43/8in) ■ Matching thread ■ Basic sewing kit NOTES ■ Use a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance unless otherwise stated. ■ Download the templates from www.simplysewingmag.com/ downloads HEAVY CHAIN STITCH Step one Make a short straight stitch on the line you are stitching. Come up a short distance below the first stitch and slide your needle under the straight stitch. Go back down in the same place you came up. This makes one chain.01 Step two Come up a short distance below the last chain. Slide your needle under the first straight stitch…

"In my early home-sewing days, this element of sewing gave me sleepless nights! In my plight to figure out how to smoothly set them in with the perfect curve, without any gathers or puckers, I mastered how they worked. Yes, I'm talking about sleeves! They're now my favourite way to transform the silhouette of any sewing pattern design. It started after I ‘hacked’ the Coco pattern by Tilly and the Buttons by adding dramatic bell sleeves lined with some wax fabric. When I embark on a new project now, the first thing I think about are the sleeves. Would they look good fitted or with extra fullness? Would they be better long, short or mid-length, and with a cuffed, elasticated or simple hemline? When a decision is made, the original…