~tricks of the trade: easy french seams~

March 18, 2010.Reading time 2 minutes.

French seams are used on fine and sheer fabrics, and they give a more attractive finish than simply overlocking. However they can be a bit fiddly and many sewers give up on them, but here is a way to get perfect seams even with the wigglyest of fabrics! Here my total seam allowance is 10mm, […]

Tricks of the Trade: Mitre a Double Fold Hem

March 17, 2010.Reading time 3 minutes.

For some designs you need to hem a corner of fabric, and following are step-by-step instructions on how to neatly mitre the corner. This is my favourite method of finishing hems on fine or drapy fabrics, particularly viscose. It gives a quality finish inside and out, with no ugly overlocking to be seen! Lay the corner that […]

~rediscovered project~

March 15, 2010.Reading time 2 minutes.

I thought I might sew a skirt, so I rummaged through my rather large stash of fabric and found this viscose georgette with a cute optical print – a piece of unused sampling from quite-a-few years ago! It is charcoal and denim blue – two of my favourite colours. However, unfolding the bundle I found […]

~quilt in progress~

January 12, 2010.Reading time 3 minutes.

The initial quilt I was intending to make was a multicoloured scrappy quilt, designed to use up all your little bits and pieces of fabric. Since I have only just begun collecting patchwork fabrics and my stash is fairly small, the credit card alarm bells soon rang loud and clear. So what to do? Make […]

~cushla’s village fabrics~

January 4, 2010.Reading time 4 minutes.

Here in Auckland it is summer, and humid, and it feels kind of incongruous to pick up those knitting needles and start knitting with wool. A part of me wants it to be snowing outside like it is in many parts of the world, just so I can snuggle up on the sofa with my […]