Mini Project - Christmas Stockings

In amongst trying to get on with some other bigger sewing projects last weekend I couldn't resist getting into the Christmas spirit early and doing some Christmas crafting. I was inspired during a visit to Hobby Craft and promptly came home and whipped up these festive stockings for me and my boyfriend. I was going to keep them as a surprise until we put the decorations up but I couldn't resist showing him straight away!

They were very simple and quick to make as felt is so easy to work with. There are plenty of tutorials and templates online but I simply drew up my stocking shape on a piece of greaseproof paper and used that as a pattern to cut out two of the shapes in each colour. I then used a long machine stitch to join the pieces leaving the stitching to show as decoration (good practice for sewing curves neatly on the machine!). I hand stitched on all the trimmings, including the cheated ready made pompoms!

To make the tags I cut the letters out of the wide tartan ribbon I used for the cuffs and then blanket stitched them in a contrasting colour thread onto spare squares of felt. It was my first attempt at blanket stitch and by the second letter I had it down and up to speed!

Suppliers Part 1 - Haberdasheries

Over the last couple of weekends I have been out and about hunting for particular things I need to complete certain projects and it occurred to me how useful it would be to have an idea of where was good for what all written down in one place. So I thought I'd start a little series of blog posts about my favourite places to shop to pass on some of my contacts I've collected over the years and also see if anyone has got any other brilliant additions. Most of the places will be in London, although most now have shop online options for others elsewhere.

So first in line are Haberdasheries, I think the most important places to know (and also a word I can never spell correctly first time!). Here's a selection of my favourites.

Barnett Lawson - 16-17 Little Portland Street, Oxford Circus
One of the biggest haberdasheries I know of. They have a HUGE supply of all different trimmings; ribbons, braids, fringes, buttons, cords, tassels, you name it they've got it. They also have a very good selection of examples of their stock to browse on their website, although I think you are not able to order from there as yet. Obviously being in the centre of London they are not the cheapest but definitely worth a trip for something special.

MacCulloch and Wallis - 25-26 Derring Street, Bond Street
Again another giant. THE place to go if you really don't know where to get what you need, they have everything. Fabrics on the first floor, all you can need haberdashery on the second, and a further treasure trove of trimmings along with patterns to purchase on the third. They can be a little pricey as they are central again but I am always surprised by the reasonable prices of the fabric. And they now have an online shop!

Kleins - 5 Noel Street, Soho
A much smaller shop than the previous two but actually one of my favourites and the first haberdashery I ever visited in London. Situated just off Berwick Street it's perfect for getting trimmings after you've been fabric shopping and a small but brilliant selection of trimmings it does have. Really good for threads, great selection of ribbons out the back and there is a selection of more unusual crafty items downstairs such as fabric paints, dyes, felts and polystyrene balls! They also have an online shop which I have used.

Button Queen - 19 Marylebone Lane, Bond Street
The name says it all really; buttons, buttons, buttons! Of all kinds, colours, sizes and shapes. No online store but i think it's much more fun to rummage through the buttons anyway!

VV Rouleaux - 261 Pavillion Road, Sloane Square or 102 Marylebone Lane
Supplies all kinds of trimmings but are mainly fantastic for their ribbons, beautiful, beautiful ribbons which you can't get anywhere else. It's such a treat to visit one of their shops as they are all about style and can help you with trimmings for anything, from clothing to furnishings.

Wimbledon Sewing Machine Co. - 214-216 Merton High Street, South Wimbledon
A little local gem for me which I only discovered yesterday on the hunt for a particular foot for my sewing machine. As well as machines they have a FANTASTIC haberdashery selection and really can't help you enough. They also have a nice selection of fabric at very reasonable prices and a very wide choice of buttons and beads. There are affiliated with another store in Tooting, The Sewing and Craft Superstore which I am yet to check out but I'll keep you posted! Be warned their website(s) are slightly confusing!

Hobby Craft - Drury Crescent, Croydon
Very good for some creative inspiration and although their haberdashery selection is quite limited they generally have a version of what you need and I particularly like them for their ribbons. The Croydon one is closest to me but they have stores all over the country.

There are various department stores that also have a good selection of basic haberdashery (my favourites are of course John Lewis and Morleys in Brixton) but if I'm looking for something special I'd always prefer to go to an individual supplier. Department stores can be pricey and busy as they are generally the first thought for most people and there's always a wider choice with a specialist (which is not always a good thing time-wise!). It's of course always worth checking out a market too.

Ultimate Sewing Bible - Marie Clayton

I've read many reviews of books about sewing techniques and dressmaking on other blogs but as yet I have not come across anyone mentioning this little gem. Admittedly I don't have many other books covering similar topics to compare it to but I really think this has all you need. It is a fantastic book for a beginner as it guides you from the very basics, such as which equipment is essential to begin with and what it is useful for. But I think it is going to be equally useful to me over the years as a reference for new (or perhaps coming back to brush up old) stitches and techniques. There's an excellent glossary (very useful for those 'huh?' moments when following an unusually worded pattern!) and a detailed index at the back which makes it easy reference when you just need to confirm a few details about a particular technique.

It makes an interesting and coherent read from the basics and through the following sections of step by step projects; it's divided into basic techniques, dressmaking, advanced tailoring, home furnishings and care and repair so gives a brilliant overview of all things that may be useful to a seamstress in training. The diagrams of products coming together are very clear, simple linear drawings, the only thing which I do find slightly confusing are the diagrams of stitches as although the stages are lettered they can just appear as an undecipherable squiggle. But then has anyone ever managed to do a coherent drawing of all the ins and out of a needle for something like chain stitch?!

Marie Clayton doesn't race off into technical speak a few pages in but explains every project and technique in basic terms so you're not left wondering 'baste?! what's basting?!' if you decide to pick projects at random. So far the book has been invaluable to me in explaining how to lay out a pattern on fabric and how to create your own piping (for a cushion project which there'll be more about later!). During my first dips into sewing I've often found myself bewildered by a technique like this which causes huge problems if done wrong but yet looks like it should be common sense, particularly when there seems to be no explanation of how to do things right out there! This book solves those problems, with step by step guidelines and an explanation of why it needs to be done that way.

All in all I'd very much like to have this book on hand throughout all my future sewing projects, it's very easy to dip in and out of as well as providing a good overall training for a novice sewer if you follow through all the projects in the book.

Do you have a favourite sewing book?

Discoveries

So today I discovered a couple of interesting/exciting things that I thought I would share/make a note of to remind myself to do something about!

The first is a fantastic charity project to help little girls all over the world to feel a little bit happier - Dress A Girl Around The World. I often wish I could help charitable organisations in some way other than dishing out money; there are so many it is difficult to know where to direct your spare pennies first and this is a brilliant idea. A quick and easy way to help, making the most of your sewing skills and giving you a bit of fun in the process. What could be more satisfying than making something and for the benefit of others who need it?! It's deffo on my to do list to make my contribution to the project over the next couple of weeks.

Photo from http://sewscrumptious.blogspot.com

The second is the upcoming Leonardo Da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan exhibition opening at the National Gallery early in November. A fantastic and rare opportunity to see over half of the master painter's existing paintings in one place, on loan from galleries all over the world. The exhibition will include the two versions of Madonna on the Rocks side by side so you can make up your own mind on the legitimacy of the later London painting and a full size copy of The Last Supper as the feasibility of transporting the real thing is obviously a problem (although it would probably be easier to transport that wall than get the Louvre to let Mona Lisa loose...) It's only on for three months and it's bound to be a sell out so get your tickets quick!

First Dressmaking Project!

One thing that has spurred me on in my sewing and to start my blog is that my nan recently gave me her old patterns which she had kept from the 1960s/70s. Firstly these are just amazing to look at from a historical perspective (not sure if she'd like me describing her possessions as 'historical' but i couldn't think of a better word!). Secondly there are many of them i want to make and wear. I'll post some pictures of my favourite patterns which I want to work up to making later on but for now I've chosen quite a simple skirt pattern to tackle to begin with, Style 1033.

I've already spent a whole evening trying to decipher the pattern but I think I've finally got to grips with it! I'm toying with either view 3 or 4 as I want to be able to wear the skirt through the winter with my opaques so I'm thinking of using quite a robust fabric. I've had a look through the bits and pieces I've got at home and I think there's two possible options though I'm off out to the fabric shops on Berwick Street today to see what they have in the way of jerseys for another project so may well spot something there.

Of the two I think i'm swaying towards the thicker grey wool which is suggested for view 3 and 4 rather than the cotton, mainly as I think dealing with lining up the stripes may be throwing too many challenges into the mix for my first attempt! Anyone got any other suggestions fabric wise?