Simply Stitchy

Hi there, I wanted to make sure that the fabric choice for this 1960 pattern would work. I decided to do a toile. Also known as a muslin or a mock up.  Toile is a funny word. Way back when I was learning to sew, I used to think it was pronounced toil as in work. Because doing mock ups can add to the work load, turning sewing into a toil rather than a pleasure. But it’s actually pronounced Twal. It’s French and means linen. Toile fabric is a bit pricey so another option is Muslin. A cheaper cotton ideal for making test garments.  Muslin also gets used in cooking for steaming puddings or for straining ingredients. Only not at the same time obviously.  That could get messy. Traditionally, muslin or toile (twal) would have been the go to fabric for all sewing mock ups of cotton and linen garments. However, in today’s modern world of synthetic stretch materials, neither muslin nor toile behave the same way as man made fibers.  It’s more com...

Hi all   Little sewing projects like scrunchies are a great way to welcome in the Spring. Full of colour, they can really brighten up a dull pre-spring day! They are also brilliant for reducing the size of my cabbage patch.  That’s my fabric cabbage rather than the green stuff eaten with a Sunday roast. And it’s not really a patch. It’s more of a plastic bag full of various sized scraps from previous sewing projects. Now I like making scrunchies but, I’m not a fan of faffing about turning fabric tubes the right way out. Especially this time of year when everything is a bit hectic. So I came up with a slightly less patience draining method. Why not join me and stitch up a few of your own scrunchies with this easy tutorial. What you need: Fabric strip measuring 16 inches (41cm) long by 4 inches (10cm) wide Elastic strip measuring – ½ inch (1.2cm) wide by 7 inches (18cm) long Thread Plastic Clips or Pins Safety Pin Iron Ironing board ...

  Hi all, I recently found this vintage sewing pattern, McCalls 5495, on eBay.  Printed in 1960, this pattern is older than I am! It's in pretty good condition considering it's nearly 60 years old. Just look at the waistline on that skirt! Anyway, I got it because of the hem line on the shirt. I love that pointed look. So I'm going to have a go at sewing this up. The pattern has been cut, which is a shame. But - it hasn't been altered, so the pieces are intact and all are present. Which is rare. Most older cut patterns I've picked up, even from the 2000s have something missing. Pattern instructions usually. Or the pieces for the garments the original owner constructed. Talking about pieces. Just look at the detail on these. The markings tell you which direction to sew the seams. There are even instructions telling you how to sew the darts. This is amazing. New patterns don't have this kind of detail on the pieces. The pattern instruction she...

Hi all , I've recently discovered pattern weights.  Easier to use than pins, pattern weights hold the tissue sewing pattern to your fabric without leaving holes or tears in the delicate paper. Or your delicate fingers. It's all thanks to a sewing tutorial I found on YouTube by Claire from Beautiful Things .  I'm not affiliated or linked to Beautiful things in any way. It's just a nice easy sewing tutorial which I really liked. I'm sharing because you might like it to. When I stitched my weights, they reminded me of those little animated critters in the British Children's TV show OOglies... so  naturally, I had to add the googly eyes. Quick and easy to make, you'll have fun sewing up your own set of weights. Googly eyes optional, although highly recommended 👀😊 Bye for now Olly Facebook.com/olwenwhite/ instagram.com/olwenwhitewrites/ Twitter @OlwenWhite Youtube

Hi all While I was browsing through eBay the other day, I found this early 2000s sewing pattern to add to my collection. It's Simplicity Accessories 5308 from 2003. I'd recently purchased a box of fabric from an estate sale and thought, "OO, that corduroy fabric will work well for that hat!" So, it had to come home. I couldn't leave it sitting there on eBay, all alone. Now, I am the first to admit I'm not usually a hat person. There is something about this one though. I'm not sure if it's because it reminds me of a misspent childhood watching The Goodies clobber people with enormous Black Puddings. Or if it's just a throwback to those easier, younger days of youth. Anyway, it was one of those patterns I just had to get started on as soon as it arrived. As you can see from this picture, I am a closet pattern tracer. I trace all my patterns . It's a habit I have had since I first started sewing.  It helps keep the original ...