Diary of a Chain Stitcher

So it's the end of January already and time for the first of my posts rounding up the news from our favourite Independent Pattern Companies from the past few weeks. New Pattern Companies! Lena from The Sewing Space  has just launched her 'Iconic Patterns' line with the  FREE Sami Cami pattern  and Jess Jeans - could this finally be the skinny jeans pattern that wins our hearts?! Based in London, and using beautiful illustrations,  Gather  have just launched their first two 'Gather Kits', the  Mortmain Dress  and  Tallis Collar New Patterns Named released their  Spring/Summer 2014 collection ! I'm completely in love with all of it, especially the  Kielo wrap dress  and  Vanamo two-piece cocktail dress , and the pattern testers are raving. Which is your favourite? Deer & Doe  released the  FREE Plantain t-shirt pattern  and is running a competition for the cutest version - voted for by the Deer...

I mentioned in the post about my La Sylphide Dress that I'd had trouble perfecting my rolled hem at the points where you need to hem across the side seam. Reading the comments on this post I noticed that a fair few of you also suffer from similar issues when using this wonderful but at times tricky and frustrating sewing machine foot. I've been doing a bit of detective work on the internet to see if I could find any tips to improve my rolled hems and thought it might be interested in what I found. I uncovered a few different tips and approaches. One of which was just to accept that those areas of your hem were never going to be perfect and move on! Well, this may just be me, but I'm way too much of a perfectionist to go with that technique! Click image for source  I found the Threads Magazine tutorial the most thorough and useful, it can be found here in parts one , two and three . Part three shares some really interesting information about the fiddly aspects of...

My post raving about independent sewing pattern companies is one of the most popular on the blog and I've found myself constantly updating the list of pattern companies on there. So I though it might be worthwhile me turning this post into a more easily accessible page. I know, I know, as if you all needed the list of temptation to be easier to find! Well now you can find it by selecting the Indie Pattern Designers tab under the blog header. I've done a good bit of looking around to make sure this list is as up to date as possible but I'm sure I've missed/not heard of some. So if a company you love is missing then let me know in the comments and I'll add it on! I've also been considering starting a new series of posts in which, once a month, I round up what's been happening in the Indie Pattern Company world. Letting you know about new companies on the block, new pattern releases, upcoming sew-alongs and some of my favourite indie pattern makes spotte...

Completed make number two of 2014 was actually intended to be the final make of 2013...but what with all those Christmas presents and making the most of every scrap of festive free time to see family I just didn't get it done. I probably could have just about done it but this fabric needed proper care and attention, as did all the lovely little details of this pattern so I got to the point of partially assembled bodice and partially assembled skirt then decided to put the sewing machine away until the new year. I'd been scheming up this project for a long long while and I didn't want it to be shoddily constructed just because I rushed it to wear on Christmas Day. It's the La Sylphide Dress from Papercut Patterns , which I made the blouse version of early last year. Looking at the picture on the pattern envelope I wasn't sure how wearable for me this would be in dress form; it looked very VERY short. However seeing a few gorgeous versions about the inter...

Just a quick post today to let you all know that after a little twitter chat the other day myself and some of the London Spoolettes have arranged a bit of an impromptu meet up next weekend. The plan is for Saturday 18th January and involves some fabric shopping (or browsing for those who are on a strict 'no adding to the stash' diet!) on the wonderful Goldhawk Road and a chat over some coffee and/or lunch. Short notice I know but if any of you readers are in London and available it would be very lovely to see you there! If you haven't been to Goldhawk Road before you'll be in for a treat I promise. In my opinion it's one of the best, if not THE best place in London to buy fabrics. There's a huge variety and all for a great price! I once found the same fabric I'd seen the day before on Berwick Street at a tenth of the cost. No exaggeration. If you do fancy joining us let me know your email address in the comments and I'll send the details o...

First up I'd just like to say a big thank you for all your helpful overlocking tips on my last post. I'm really pleased with my Coppelia Cardigan and it's had a fair bit of wear already but I've definitely got a lot to learn about knits so any tips to make that process a bit easier are being warmly welcomed! For my next stretch project I'm tempted to make another Coppelia because I love it so much, or I've also got the Sewaholic Renfrew calling me which, if Tasia's instructions are anything like her other patterns, should help my knit skills no end. Anyway, today I thought I'd show you what I had my head down sewing in the lead up to Christmas. I chose to make quite a few gifts this year and after the chaos of last year started nice and early too! I made my Mum a knitting needle roll, the same style as  my Nan's last year. Mum uses one of the bags I made her last year to keep her 'knitting projects-in-progress' in so I thought it wo...

My first make of 2014 is complete and it's a cracker! Not only is it my very first make on my shiny new overlocker, it completes a UFO listed on my Top 5 Misses of 2013 , plus gets me off to a good start on route to completing my goal of conquering knit fabrics this year! It is of course the Coppelia Cardigan from Papercut Patterns . I bought this pattern around a year ago when I first discovered Papercut . I'd got bored of the unflattering cardigans I could find in the shops and fell in love with ballet wrap style of the Coppelia, especially after seeing Lauren's four ! It's an actual wrap around design too, with long ties that thread through a gap in the side seam and can tie at the back or front. I like either! The instructions are great, especially the diagrams. I found them very easy to follow even as a knit newbie and I think even without an overlocker you could achieve a really neat clean finish. It was so quick to put together too, not including the finish...