Today I wanted to share with you a few recent stitchy discoveries and recommendations!
My first recommendation is Tilly Walnes's book Love At First Stitch, which I treated myself to last week and today I have made the Brigitte scarf, which is the first project in the book.
I'm no seamstress- Although I spend my time immersed in all things knitting, at the back of my mind I have always wanted to sew clothes too, but a few less than brilliant attempts have deterred me. I do own several "Learn to make your own clothes" type books, but have found them too technical and not really geared to the beginner. So, having read and enjoyed the Tilly and the Buttons blog for some time now, I was so pleased to discover Tilly was writing this book! It's bright, fun and jargon free, which is perfect for the beginner, yet appealing to the more advanced dressmaker too. The uncomplicated style of the book, guiding you through projects with step by step photographs has given me confidence and having enjoyed making the scarf I'm intending to make my way through the projects in the book. Next up it's pyjama trousers! There are several full sized patterns included in the book too, so no photocopying or printing out hundreds of sheets of paper, which is a real bonus! I'd definitely recommend grabbing yourself a copy if you're keen to make your own clothes.
You could wear the Brigitte scarf in a variety of ways, but you'll find me wearing mine wrapped around my messy bun!
Something that has held me back when it comes to dressmaking and machine stitching in general is that I find it hard to accurately measure and stitch the seam allowance. Some machines come with seam allowances inscribed on the plate under the presser foot, but mine doesn't have this detail, but a lovely friend recommended I try one of these magnetic stitch guides- you measure your seam allowance from the needle and the magnetic guide marks this measurement and also helps you stitch straight seams, as you butt your fabric up against it as you sew. So simple but so effective! I would definitely recommend getting one, find them in good craft shops.
Another genius sewing aid I've recently discovered is the Frixion pen! In the past I have used the fabric markers that fade after use, however I've found them a bit hit and miss- more often than not they don't fade, leaving lines over your fabric, which completely defeats the object. Handily though, I was recently introduced to the brilliant Frixion pens- you can use them to write on paper and then rub the lines out using the other end of the pen, or you can use them to mark your fabric and then remove the lines by hovering over them with a hot iron. Magic! A great addition to your sewing kit, you can find Frixion pens in craft shops and supermarkets
What are your crafty recommendations? Share them in the comments below!
Happy Sunday and happy stitching everyone!
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