How to make a quilted panel for a cushion.

I have a chair I absolutely love. A leather captain;'s chair is a superb piece of Steampunk furniture. Whilst this creation of brass and oxblood leather may look superb it is not very well padded. I decided that  instead of just buying a cushion I would make a padded, quilted panel to adorn a pillow case to use as a cushion.

I scavenged my pile of remnants for some suitable steampunk fabrics. Check out this blog on tips for how to store fabrics.  A basic quilt can be made with small squares of fabric. I found a red fabric with a beautiful design about twice the size of my intended quilting squares. I decided this would become the central feature of my panel. 

Each square  of fabric would have a seam allowance of about 1cm. The central panel would have to be 1cm smaller on each side than TWO quilting  squares to make allowances for the fact  that it would not loose fabric to a seam allowance half way along it's length (as it was all in one piece)

The easiest way to sew lots of squares together is to sew them into strips and then to sew these strips together.

Right sides together  pin and sew one square to another, and repeat to make a strip of three squares.

Repeat this until you have 4 stripes of fabric. Press the seams open. 

Now line up one end of the strip to the central panel and right sides together sew along the length of the panel. This SHOULD leave one square not sewn to the central panel.

Now place the next strip along the other edge of the central panel, begin by sewing the end to the square of the first strip that is not sewn to the central panel. Now fold out and right sides together sew this strip to the edge of the panel. 

Repeat for the remaining two strips. You should now have a square or diamond of patchwork. This by it'self can look very attractive, but I wanted to add an extra dimension.  To give the panel a padded effect cat out two pieces of fabric the same size as your patchwork and some nice thick wadding. Sandwich the wadding 

between the patchwork and one piece of the fabric WRONG SIDES together. Pin in place and starting from your central piece top stitch where one square of fabric meets another. 

You should now have a beautiful padded panel. to finish the work place the second fabric piece over your quilted project RIGHT sides together and sew along the edges, leaving a gap to let you turn everything right sides out. Slip stitch this gap shut and you now have a stunning padded panel.

By itself this padded patchwork makes a nice decorative cushion, however the next blog will show you how to make a matching cushion cover opr pillow case to stitch it onto.

Low cost fabrics in our sale!

Everyone in our Colchester and Felixstowe Fabric8 stores have been very busy these last few weeks. Christmas is always a very busy time for us, not just because of the festive rush but also because we start thinking of what we will stock in the year to come. In years gone by we would  also be planing a new year sale. We haven't had one for a while and so we thought it was time to bring it back, with a twist.

In the past our sales were on a selection of fabrics, normally older stock. However these days stock doesn't tend to hang around for years on end. Thus we've decided ALL dressmaking fabric, quilting fabric and furnishing fabric are to be included in the sale.  This includes some very new stock, such as this beautiful "Vintage Balloons fabric". Ideal for curtains this fabric was £25.95 a metre but is now only £18.17.

This Moto Rally fabric was £14.00 but is now only £9.80.

So if you have a furnishing project or dressmaking project you've been putting off now may be an ideal time to look at it again..






It's not just fancy and flashing fabrics in the sale. Basic stock items such as dress lining, poly cotton and plain cottons are also in the sale.  Quite a few people have popped into the shop or placed web orders to stock up on the basic essentials that we all know we will need through the year.

How to make a curtain for a cubby hole or shelves.

As Summer draws to a close more of our customers have been talking about house hold sewing projects that they have been putting off until the nights have drawn in. Many are currently lining their curtains to help stop drafts and to cut down on their  heating bills. Some people spoke of making their rooms look tidier by placing simple curtains over cubby holes or shelves.  These curtains are often held in place with the same wire as net curtains. There are many fabrics  that are suitable for a project like this, from the classic Gingham fabric to cotton prints and satin. I decided to make a satin curtain with an organza over lay to add a little sparkle.

You will need;

Fabric (I used Satin  and organza)
Pins
Thread
Needle
Scissors

Step One. Measure and cut your fabric.

The cuby hole I am covering is 60cm by 135cm. I want my curtains to have a bit of fullness and so I am making two curtains that are 45 cm wide.
I cut out two rectangles of 49cm by 145cm to allow for hems and seams. I then used these as a template to cut out the organza.





Step Two. Hem the satin and the organza panels.

Normally we hem things towards the end of construction, but for this method we need to hem first. A chequered pattern on your ironing board is a real help in making sure your hems are neat and even. To hem fold the edge of the fabric towards the wrong side of the fabric, press and then fold the fabric again. Stitch in place.









Step Three. Baste the organza to the satin.

A basting stitch is a long stitch that is not seen in the final product. Basting stitches are used to reinforce a section of a garment that may get placed under strain, such as an arm hole, or to hold two or more pieces of fabric together as they are manipulated.

Place the WRONG side of the organza (the side which has the hem  folded up on it) on top of the RIGHT side of the satin.  Pin the fabrics together along the long edge and paste with a small seam allowance (I used 5mm). Even though the stitch won't be seen it is still a good idea to make the seam as neat as possible.  Repeat  on the other side and on the second curtain.

Step Three.  Hem the sides.

Hem the sides of the curtains in the same way as the bottom of the curtains but with  narrower hem (in this case I  used 5mm). The hemming is made much easier by basting the two layers of fabric together first. Many people try to skip the basting phase of construction. However basting only takes a few minutes and really makes the future steps of construction easier, quicker and neater.

Step Four.  Make a casing for the wire.

A casing for the wire can be made in exactly the same way as the lower hem. However when folding over the fabric measure the curtains to make sure they are of the right length.

A simple curtain that you can put together very quickly. Whilst I love my books a curtain like this can help make a more cluttered book shelf look neater (such as a shelf full of files or reports).

Have a look around your home and see what other quick sewing projects you can complete to enrich your surroundings.

A thrifty and easy Christmas Bauble

We are now getting into November, from this point I start feeling very Christmasy. Last year I made up a Christmas Tree shaped table decoration following a pattern. I had intended to do the same for some fabric Christmas Baubles. However most commercial patterns required a polystyrene  ball of an exact size, and then limited your choice of fabrics to felts. They also required a lot of spray gluing  Spray glue and me  do not get on. As a result I sat down and created my own template and instructions for a Christmas Bauble.

 You will need:
Fabric (around 20cm by 40cm)
Needles
Pins
Scissors
Thread Snips
Small piece of ribbon
Toy Stuffing
Thread

Print out and cut out the template (click on the image to get a high quality image, and then save and print, MS paint or any other basic paint package can shrink or expand it to the size you want, this one is 15 cm long)

 Cut out 6 pattern pieces per bauble. You can make them all the same or use a mixture of fabrics. A seam allowance of half an inch (1.2cm) has been included
 Place one pattern piece on top of another, right sides together and pin and then sew along one length. Repeat this for the other sections so you have three different sections, each consisting of two of the panel pieces.

Right sides together sew one section to another, and then the final section leaving a gap to turn the bauble right side out. Clip all the seams. You should now have a ball shaped piece of fabric, turn it right side out and begin stuffing.

Close up the bauble with a ladder stitch. A ladder stitch is formed by first anchoring a stitch from within the bauble and popping the needle out at the seam allowance. Then put the needle directly into the fold of seam allowance on the opposite side of the gap. Then on the same side of the gap bring your needle OUT of the seam allowance fold a little further up and sew directly across the gap. Repeat until you are at the top of the bauble and pull the thread tight gently.

Stitch a little loop of ribbon at the top and you have a bauble.
These can be adorned with beading on the fabric or a trail of beads from the bottom, let your imagination go wild.  For me apart from being fun to make these have the advantage of letting you tailor your ornaments to your room decor and make your tree a little more personal.  The basic bauble can be made in 15 minutes or so, and then embellished at your leisure.

Colouring Your World.

Sometimes we have a new customer in the shop who is a little unsure of themselves. This is fine, we all had to start somewhere after all. Sometimes they don't realize that we  sell the whole width of the fabric, and not just cut them out a square the size they want. Other times  they may not realize fabrics come in different widths. And other times they may not understand that cotton and wool can relate to fabrics, as well as thread and knitting supplies. We always take great care to explain how things work and to reassure therm that many people don't know of such things when they  start out.  Without fail these people pick everything up very quickly and before long are even teaching me the odd new trick.

  One thing I try to explain is that it's OK to ask if they have something in a different colour (or in the case of a patterned fabric, a different colourway). Often a fabric will come in many shades and we will try to stock them all, but sometimes we can order some different ones in as well.  These are often in a simuler vein, however sometimes the colourways are markedly different and change the whole feel of the pattern. Seeing as it's raining, and hence nice weather for ducks I'll use the Cock-A-Leekie fabric as an example.

Cock-A-Leekie in Olive. This give the authentic farmhouse feel to a kitchen or indeed living room. The warm muted tonnes make it easy to blend in with traditional wood furniture. 

Cock-A-Leekie in Jewel is another traditionally styled colourway . Slightly bolder than the olive but you could still see it in a traditional farmhouse styled home.  I think already though you can see a difference in  how each bird look with the different colours. I think of this as a slightly more modern styled fabric to the olive.

 Cock-A-Leekie in Kiwi now the same pattern is starting to look very  different. Limited to   Black and lighter shades of yellow/green the fabric  has a modern but not harsh edge to it, recognizable as the same pattern as the olive but suitable for totally different surroundings.

Cock-A-Leekie in Duckegg with shades of cold light blues and greys has a distinct urban feel. It reminds me of a modern but lush mansion I was fortunate to spend time in whilst visiting Whitby. A more modern take on a traditonal look, these colours work wonderfully with wide open spaces.

Cock-A-Leekie in Denim an almost photo negative version of the duckegg. Again very modern, more suited to an urban apartment than a farmhouse styled home. Slightly warmer looking than the duckegg but still a very clean look.

Cock-A-Leekie in Cinnamon is the final colourway of this fabric. The addition of hit and spice reds are highlighted next to the more traditionally coloured  ducks. I find this pattern a fascinating  example of how just changing the colours a little, or a lot can totally change how you'd use a fabric. I'ts not just in furniture fabrics, check out the different colourways in craft and fashion fabrics. next time you see a fabric you like, but unsure of the colour don't be afraid to ask, The staff are always there to help and inspire you. And don't be afraid to pick up a colour you normally don't wear, take it to the mirror and drape it over yourself. As these examples show, even a few shades difference can totally alter how a textile looks in it's surroundings.

More of my greatest mistakes- Weddings

I have had more requests for blogs where I give advise based on my mistakes. I don't know if this is because they're useful to people OR if people just like reading about what an idiot I am. So today I'll run through some practical and not so  practical  lessons I've learnt from Bridal Dressmaking.

Whether you make cakes, have an interest in photography, done a flower arranging course once, sew, or like magic as a hobby someone somewhere will ask you to donate your time and sometimes materials for a wedding. Often (as in my case) people were willing to pay the going rate for a frock, however often people will be asked by friends or family to make something for free. This is fine if you wish to donate your efforts as part of a wedding gift, however there are pitfalls. Friends of friends will often be very nit picky about your work, even if it's better than that in a shop, they will stare at seams for hours, whilst totally ignoring skipped stitches in a commercial dress.  So this is how to ensure your work will truly dazzle.

 Step 1: Ensure the bride truly understands what you'r making, use diagrams, pictures, fabric samples, and  keep it all in a folder. Always take everything with you when you see the bride so they can see how things progress. Make sure to give yourself PLENTY or time to make the dress, have the deadline well before the wedding to stop the bride becoming nervous.

Step 2: Before you start sewing spend a day or two giving your studio or sewing place a proper deep clean. Pulls out everything that can be moved, vacuum, dust, get it spotless, and make an inventory of your tools. This may sound extreme but the less you have to handle your fabric the better. Bridal fabric can be a pain to clean so you don't want to accidently place it on a dusty surface and give yourself a lot more work.
Have a good idea of your available tools is always a good idea. but ensure you have a good supply of sharp Needles and Pins .

Other tool considerations include your scissors, are they up to the task? don't rick ruining your fabric which can cost many hundreds of pounds with a blunt pair. You are saving the bridal party a LOT of money, it's not unreasonable to include fresh scissors, needles and other tools of your trade in with he cost of materials. Just make it clear from the start if you are working for just the  cost of the fabric that you may  have other requirements as well. One lovely couple who I made a dress for actually showed up right before I was about to begin sewing with a new sewing machine for me! So new snips isn't much to ask.

Other tools that many people try to live without but which are amazingly useful include Pressing Cloths and Point turners. I've seen people use the end of their scissors only to punch a hole into the fabric. All that for trying to save £1.80! Pressing clothes give a wonderful finish especially to pleats.

  Step 3: when you get your fabric buy extra. Allow at least half a meter to check on how the fabric presses (does it leave a mark?) and how easily your chalk of choice is removed. You may also find you need more fabric to replace a damaged panel, make sure to ask the shop staff how easily you can get hold of more fabric. If it is unlucky that they can get extra then consider getting a meter or two extra, just in case.

Step4: Pressing can make or break a dress. Make sure your ironing board is clean. Consider making up a cover or two in white cotton, one for bridal pressing, another for using fusible interfacing on.



So there are a few basic pitfalls I've fallen prey to. The most important advice I can give is to take your time, enjoy the process of making something that's not just a dress, but a wish fulfilled, one that has been held for a very long time.

We have a new Website

After a long time in development we are very proud to unveil out new Website.  If you pop  along to http://www.fabric8online.co.uk  You will find what we believe is a clear and easy to follow web-shop. I thought I'd give you  a brief tour here.

Along the top are the basic categories , So if you want fabric for dressmaking the just click Fashion Fabrics , for quilt making  and other crafts then click the Craft Fabrics section and so on. There are also sections with free patterns and a Clearance section where you can pick up a bargain. All this is pretty much self explanatory, However, if for an example you were to click on Fashion Fabrics you will find we have made it easier to find the fabrics you want. Clicking on Fashion Fabrics brings up a list of all the different groups of Dress Making fabrics we have.

Cotton,  Dress Linings and Nets, Fleece and Furs,
Jersey , Lace & Tulle , Linen , Organza & Chiffon
Polycotton,  Sequin and Lamé,  Silks and Satins, Velours and Lycras,   Wool as well as a section for special events labeled  Celebration Fabric a section for those fabrics that never quite fit in, Other and  Sew Magazine Features for fabrics that have made it into this fine magazine.

Let us assume you have decided you want to make a wonderful creation in Cotton. On clicking Cotton you find your final options.Here you can quickly narrow down your browsing to Plain Cottons, Patterned Cottons, Canvas, and Seersucker & Lawn. There are of course search boxes through out the site should you know exactly what you want. However we like the site also to be set up so you can browse through our stock in a quick and logical way. Please have fun on our website and let us know how you find it. Happy Sewing!

The Retromancers

Craft and sewing tins and cases 

Retro is huge. Ironically retro has been huge all through history. We've often looked back to the past for inspiration and sometimes accidentally (or not so accidentally) re-write it to give us a specific emotion, be it a sense of happy nostalgia, pride or hope. In the last century and a bit we saw this stepped up by the Victorian antiquarians. This group of middle classed gentlemen  would to to rekindle costumes and traditions from the past, for example Christmas day. Many of the traditions we hold dear to  for Christmas were actual re-inventions of Tudor and dark age traditions, given a Victorian twist. These enterprising gents also re-invented the role of Town Crier. When making a costume for a Town Crier I was told to remember this isn't a medieval costume, it's a Victorians idea of a medieval costume.

Retro and Modern fabrics

  Ok maybe it's time to quite the waffle and talk about WHY i'm talking about this. In recent time we've had a lot more retro. I've already blogged about polka dot weddings,  Cos play of 80's and earlier sci fi and have been to my fair share of ballroom parties where the theme was World War 2. We've selling a lot more retro fabric in the shop and have just  received some retro sewing tins. Colchester just hosted a wonderful Retro Fair . And I think I finally understand the spiritual appeal of these things. The aesthetic appeal was obvious, they're pretty! But there's a deeper meaning. The Victorians looked back because they felt a sense of achievement, proud of how far they had come with their industrial age.  We are looking back at trying times, such as the blitz and the years following the war when basic necessities were hard to time. We're not looking back at the times of excess when there were bountiful resources. In these tough days of economic gloom we're reminding ourselves, we have been through a lot worse as a country,a nd indeed as a species. We've been through hard-ship before, and yet we triumphed.