Boiled Wool Hearts

Is it still too early to mention Christmas decorations? Our handmade boiled wool hearts available from Gorgeous Gerties.

Homemaker Magazine Feature

Several of our fabrics were selected for a feature on furoshiki in this month's issue of Homemaker Magazine. Furoshiki is the traditional Japanese method of wrapping gifts and other goods in cloth. 

Pretty Nostalgic Magazine Feature

A selection of our fabrics were used for a patchwork feature in this month's issue of Pretty Nostalgic Magazine. Pretty Nostalgic is a beautiful home and lifestyle magazine celebrating vintage, traditional and sustainable ways of living.

 

Pincushion Sundaes

Our yummy handmade Pincushion Sundaes, delivered to Gorgeous Gerties this morning!

Hints and tips for making your own knickers

Over the last few weeks I have been very busy sewing knickers for my display at Gorgeous Gerties. 

The knicker pattern I used is by Trixie Lixie. It's a multi-size pattern with size lines in three different sizes: Small (8-10); Medium (12-14) and Large (16-18). There are diagrams to accompany the pattern instructions, which are pretty straightfoward. However, if like me you prefer visual instruction, there's a very good How To video here.

Below I am sharing a few tips you may also find useful when making up your own pair of knickers.

Firstly, if your fabric is not square, square it off by folding in half making sure the pattern is aligned. This makes it easier to gauge whether or not your pattern is straight. 

Cut out your pattern and place it diagonally across your fabric. This will give your knickers a bit of stretch. To ensure your pattern is straight, measure the grain line against your straight edge. Cut around the pattern using sharp scissors. Don't fret, but at this point your un-sewn knickers will look surprisingly huge!

Next cut out your gusset from a piece of jersey fabric. 

When sewing your knickers together I would recommend using a polyester thread to give you that extra bit of stretch. In the pattern instructions it says to place the knicker back and front (with right sides together) and lay the gusset over the top, remembering to allow a 1cm overlap. However, I found it easier to flip the knickers over and place the knicker front and back (right sides together) on top of the gusset. Once I was happy that the gusset overlap was straight I pinned all three layers together and sewed across the stitch line. 

Next fold the gusset overlap over. To create a neat seam I found it helpful to iron the gusset overlap before stitching.

 

Once I had sewn the gusset overlap I found I was left with a triangle of excess fabric either end of the seam. Just snip these off.

Using a zig zag stitch sew both sides of the gusset to the fabric. If like me, after stitching the first side of your gusset you find that the jersey fabric has stretched a little then just cut the excess fabric away so that the opposite side edge of your gusset is aligned to your fabric. I found it easier to do this bit using a rotary cutter but a good pair of sharp dressmaking shears will do.

Using a zigzag stitch sew the elastic to the back, front and sides of your knickers.  Ensure the elastic is facing the right way around with the frilly edge facing upwards. When sewing the elastic on to your knickers don’t be afraid to pull the elastic taut as this will give you knickers that nice gathered effect. More importantly, you don’t want to end up with a pair of baggy knickers!

Note: If you are using a contrasting trim for your knickers it’s worth matching your top and bottom threads to create a nice seam both on the inside and outside.

Pin your seams together, matching up the bottom and top edges of the elastic trim. If you are having trouble getting your edges to line up insert a couple of holding stitches in a contrasting thread to hold the seams together while you sew them.

To finish, add a small satin bow to the front of your knickers.

Amy Butler's Sun Surf Halter

So, I finally got around to making my Amy Butler Sun Surf Halter and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. The pattern was really straightforward. I wasn't keen on the keyhole opening detail on the front, so decided to leave this out. I ended up taking out the lining too, as I found it bunched up too much around the neckline. The fabric used was Petite Nosegays from the Sweet Shoppe collection by Benartex. All in all I think it makes a great summer top and the back isn't too low either. This is definitely one pattern I will be using again. In fact number 2 is already cut and waiting to be sewn...

Sasparilla from Riley Blake Designs

Just arrived in the shop this week is this fabulous wild west themed collection, designed by October Afternoon for Riley Blake Designs.