Lengthening a dressmaking pattern piece is an easy way to improve the fit of your handmade clothes. Here’s how…. Firstly decide how much you need to lengthen your pattern by Find the lengthen / shorten line on your pattern which is usually a double line If your pattern doesn’t have one, you can create your own by drawing a line which is perpendicular to the grainline in an area which doesn’t have any other style lines like darts or pleats Cut across the lengthen / shorten li

As the summer holidays approach, thoughts turn towards how those long weeks can be filled and little ones kept occupied! Sewing is such a great option for a number of reasons. Sewing develops fine motor skills Sewing helps children improve hand strength, dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Threading needles, pinning fabric and using scissors all build the small muscle movements needed for handwriting and other everyday tasks. Builds confidence and resilience Completing a s

Make your own cute pincushion with some small pieces of felt, embroidery thread and some stuffing! You'll need some felt, embroidery thread, scissors, pencil, a needle and some wadding or toy stuffing. 1 - Cut out two rectangles - mine are about 4 inches by 2.5 inches. 2 - Draw two flowers on different colour felts - one small and one larger one. 3 - Cut them out. 4 - Cut a length of embroidery thread, separate out two strands and tie a knot in one end. 5 - Thread your needle