Guide to Sewing

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PROGUIDETO

24MUST-MAKE

PROJECTS

+15 ADVANCEDTECHNIQUES

TO TRY

24MUST-MAKE

PROJECTS

+15 ADVANCEDTECHNIQUES

TO TRY

DIGITAL EDITION


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W o r l d M a g s . n e t W o r l d M a g s . n e t

W o r l d M a g s . n e t
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One of the joys of sewing is its infinite

variety. With all the possible

combinations of fabric and trims, the

only limit to what you can create is your

imagination! But sometimes, you might

need some expert advice to try new

techniques thats where our Pro Guide

to Sewingcomes in. Weve gathered a wealth of expertise onsubjects as diverse as piping, zips, interfacing and seam

finishing to help you take your projects to the next level.

Youll find our step-by-step guides clear and easy to follow,

with illustrations to show you just what to do. And so that

you can hone your new-found skills, weve selected a range

of patterns from the very best books, blogs and industry

insiders. Created by some of the most talented names in

stitching, each beautifully designed sewing project will give

you hours of crafting pleasure.

Happy sewing!

CONTACT US

Pro Guide to Sewing,Future, 30 Monmouth Street, BathBA1 2BW; el: 01225 442244 Fax: 01225 788183

MEET THE TEAM

Editor:Alice Blackledge

Art Editor:Rob EyresProduction Editor:Rhian DrinkwaterDesigner: Rob SpeedContributors:Charlotte Martyn, Zoe WilliamsGroup Senior Editor:Julie aylorHead of General Craft: Liz aylorHead of Womens Creative:Kerry LawrenceManaging Director,Future Women:Jo Morrell

ADVE RT IS IN G

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CIRCULATION

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International Licensing and Syndication Manager:Regina Erak, [email protected]: + 44 (0)1225 732359 Fax: + 44 (0)1225 788105

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UK hotline: 0844 848 2852International hotline:+44 (0) 1604 251045Email:[email protected]

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We are committed to only using magazinepaper which is derived from well-managed,certified forestry and chlorine-freemanufacture. Future Publishing and its papersuppliers have been independently certified inaccordance with the rules of the FSC (ForestStewardship Council).

Alice BlackledgeEditor

ProGuideto Sewing 3

Future Publishing Limited 2014. All rights reserved. No part of thismagazine may be used or reproduced without the writtenpermission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (companynumber 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Te registeredoffice of Future Publishing Limited is at Beauford Court, 30Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW. All information contained in thismagazine is for information only and is, as far as we are aware,correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept anyresponsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. Readersare advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly withregard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine.If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grantFuture a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in alleditions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide andin any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any materialyou submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken,neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall beliable for loss or damage.

Future produces carefully targeted magazines,websites and events for people with a passion. Our

portfolio includes more than 180 magazines,websites and events and we export or license our

publications to 90 countries around the world.

Future plc is a publiccompany quoted onthe London StockExchange (symbol:FUR).www.futureplc.com

Chief ExecutiveMark WoodNon-executive ChairmanPeter Allen

Chief Financial OfficerZillah Byng-Maddick

el +44 (0)207 042 4000 (London)el +44 (0)1225 442244 (Bath)

Pick upyour needle!

Our clear step-by-step illustrationswill make stitching simple.

Show off your favourite fabricswith our designer projects.




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ProGuideto Sewing4

Essentials10 SEAMS Brush up your skillswith our expert guide

12 PATTERNBIRCH TOTE BAGShow off your favourite printswith a stylish everyday bag

16 PIPING CORD Everythingyou need to know for neatborders and edgings

18 PATTERNQUILTED SEWINGMACHINE COVER Patchworkprotection for your machine

22 PATTERNCROSSROADSPILLOW Use a fabric collectionfor a co-ordinated look

25 GET THE LOOK: BRIGHT

FLORALS Hyperreal Gardenprints from Art Gallery Fabrics

26 FRILLS & PLEATS Add aprofessional finish to your work

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28 PATTERNVINTAGE FRILLCUSHION Make these quick andsimple cushions for a rustic look

31 GET THE LOOK: FRENCH CHICAdd continental style to your

projects with Moda fabrics32 BUTTONS & BUTTONHOLESPerfect your techniques andensure secure, stylish fastenings

35 PATTERN MACARON COINPURSE We just cant resist theseadorable mini purses they reallyare good enough to eat

38ELASTIC Add smocking,stretch and gathered effects toyour sewing projects

40 PATTERNCOTTON BATHHAT

This cheery bath hat is quickto make and fun to use

42 INTERFACING All you need toknow about this essential tool

44 PATTERNFABRIC BASKETSOrganise your fabric stash withthese stylish patchwork baskets

48 INSERTING ZIPS Dont bedaunted zips are easy with our

expert tips and techniques50 PATTERNMAYFAIR WASHBAG Pretty and practical designto finish in a weekend

Hand Sewing56 EMBROIDERY TECHNIQUESGuarantee a perfect start andfinish to your stitches, every time

58 PATTERNTABLET SLEEVEEmbroider a stunning satin stitchfeather to bring a homely feelto the latest technology

62 PATTERNABC SAMPLERAdd a handmade touch to thenursery with this sampler design

68 HAND APPLIQU We look ata range of techniques to addfabric designs to any project

70 PATTERN CARRIED AWAYTOTE BAG Give your bag a splash

of colour with our teardrop design75 GET THE LOOK: MODERNBRIGHTS Love by Amy Butler forRowan is a stunning floral andarchitectural fabric range

76 PATTERN OVER THERAINBOW Stitch a beautiful quiltthats bursting with colour

80 PATTERNAPPLIQU HOOPSTry reverse appliqu for a stylishtwist on a classic technique

82 HAND QUILTING Learnclassic English paper piecing

84 PATTERNTRADITIONAL COTQUILT Create an heirloom fromclassic Liberty fabrics

PROGUIDETO


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ProGuideto Sewing 5

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Machine Sewing90 MACHINE EMBROIDERYCreate fun, modern designs

92 PATTERNBRIGHT AND

BEAUTIFUL Colourful lampshade95 GET THE LOOK: VINTAGEPASTELS Prints by Jeni Baker

96 BAG MAKING Master experttechniques for a perfect finish

100 PATTERN EVERYDAYSHOULDER BAG Classic design

104 PATTERN CLASP PURSEIndulge with linen and lace

107 GET THE LOOK: FRESH &FUNKY Japanese prints by Kokka

108 MACHINE QUILTINGFoundation piecing and more110 PATTERN MAIL WALLPOCKET Organise your family

114 PATTERN LONDONSCALLING Show off sixties style

118 GET THE LOOK: SWINGINGSIXTIES Groovy fabric collection

120 PATTERNBIG BOLDBLOCKS! Eclectic log cabin design

124 MACHINE APPLIQUIts easy when you know how

126 GET THE LOOK: DOTS &SPOTSFavourite dotty fabrics

127 PATTERN DRESDEN PLATERUG Classic block with a twist

130 SEWING FILLED SHAPESCraft stuffed toys and homewares

132 PATTERN PINK PIGGIESIrresistible fleecy piglets

138 PATTERN LIBBY DOLL Everylittle girl needs a Liberty-print doll

144 PATTERN UP, UP ANDAWAY Vibrant nursery mobile

Know How150 ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENTEverything you need to fill yoursewing box

153 WASHING Take care of yourfabrics and finished projects toguarantee designs that will last

154 FABRICFrom wovencottons to knit jersey , velvetand vintage fabrics

156 BASIC STITCHESTackingstitches, slip stitch and more

158 YOUR SEWING MACHINEMake sure you know how to getthe best from your machine

160 STOCKISTSAll the shops

and suppliers you need for afabric stash to be proud of

162 FABRIC FANTASTIC Pickthe right lining for your project

Stepbystep

illustrations

walkyouthrough

techniques

Contents




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Introduction

E

ven the most accomplished

sewist is always looking for new

projects to make and new

challenges to try well, youre in luck!The Pro Guide to Sewingis packed with

stylish sewing patterns that are sure to

keep you busy with needle and thread.

The Pro Guide to Sewingis split into

four main sections. The Essentials

section covers sewing basics such as

seams, piping, buttons and more,

giving professional tips to achieve a

perfect finish every time. Each

technique covered is accompanied by

one or more projects, to help test out

Pro Guide to SewingWhether youre looking for a new challenge ora chance to improve your techniques, thePro Guide to Sewing has everything you need

your new skills while creating something

stylish and practical. The Hand Sewing

section looks at a range of techniques, from

hand appliqu to embroidery, and isperfect for those of us who like to relax on

the sofa with our work. The Machine

Sewing section includes bag making,

quilting, machine embroidery and more,

while finally our Info section contains

everything you need to know, from fabric

types to washing instructions, as well as a

stockist listing. Again, each technique in

the sewing sections is illustrated by at least

one classic project to show it off.

Happy sewing!

P96Bag MakingGet a profinish everytime with ourexpert tips.

P80Appliqu HoopsTry reverse appliquand craft these

arty hangings.

P32Buttons andButtonholesEnsure a flawless finish.

P110Mail Wall PocketCreate a fun wallhanging to storeall your familys

post safely.




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Introduction

ProGuideto Sewing 7

P132 Pink PiggiesOur adorable stuffed toypiglets, made withsuper-soft fleece, are

impossible to resist!

P108 Machine QuiltingFrom straight line to free-motion quilting, we guide you

through the techniques.

P68Hand AppliquAdd beautiful designson to any project.

P26 Frills & PleatsStep-by-step techniques.

P40 Cotton Bath HatCheery cotton bath caps willbrighten up your bathroom.

P56Embroidery TechniquesGet started withour simple stitchdiagrams.

P44Fabric BasketsOrganise yourfabric stash today.

P35Macaron Coin Purse

Use self-cover buttonsfor these oh-sew-

pretty purses.




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EssentialsThese stylish projects are perfect for

brushing up on your basic sewing skills.

Quilted SewingMachine CoverShow off yourfavourite fabrics.

P18




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CottonBathHatCombineawater-resistantlining

withfun

brightprintsforabathcapyoulllove.P40

CrossroadsPillowWorkwithpatchworkandpipingtocreatethisstylishthrowpillow.

P22

MacaronCoinPurseCuteandpractical!

P35

BrightFlorals

Getthelookwith

electrifyingfabrics.P25

VintageFrillCushionAdorablefabricbuttons.

P28FrenchChic

StunningModaprints.P31

FabricBaskets

Usestiffinterfacingforthesesturdyboxes.P44 MayfairWashBagBrightenupyourbathroom!

P50

BirchToteBag

Practiseyourseams.P12




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ExpertGUIDEGUIDE

ProGuideto Sewing10

several fabrics, then you need to reduce

the bulk of fabric in the seam allowance.This is done by trimming the raw edges ofeach fabric by different amounts after theseam has been stitched. Always trim theseam allowances of piping as otherwisethey will be particularly bulky.

TOP STITCHINGTopstitching is worked to hold the fabricin place and it also looks decorative. It isstitched on the right side of the fabricparallel with a seam or pressed edge,usually very close to the edge. Its reallyimportant that topstitching is neat and

straight as it will be clearly seen. You can

use contrast coloured or thick topstitching

thread to accentuate the stitching.

SEW AN INNER CURVE

1 Place right sides of fabric together.

2 Sew a seam, ensuring the sewing linefollows the curve at the distance from theedge that was set as the seam allowance inthe project instructions.

3 Youll need to reduce the bulk so thecurve lies flat. Clip the seam as shown(fig 1) to reduce the amount of fabric. Onextreme curves and angles you can cutsmall notches out of the seam allowance toreduce bulk further.

4 Turn right sides out and press.

SEAM ALLOWANCES

Its really important to always check theseam allowance for each project before youstart. Sometimes seam allowances changewithin a project for different stages, so domake sure you follow this accurately.

REINFORCING SEAMSSome seams such as bag seams can bereinforced to make them stronger. To dothis, after you have worked the usual seam,work another one 3mm (in) in towardsthe raw fabric edges from the first one.

LAYERING SEAMS

If you are stitching thick fabric together, or

SEAMSBrush up on your skills and learn a few new tricks

to improve the foundations of your sewing.

fig 1 fig 2 fig 3a

fig 3b fig 3c fig 4a




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Seams

ProGuideto Sewing 11

SEW AN OUTER CURVE

1 Place right sides of fabric together andstitch the seam.

2 Ensure the sewing line follows thecurve at the distance from the edge that

was set as the seam allowance in theproject instructions.

3 Cut notches in the seam allowance toreduce the bulk (fig 2).

4 Turn right sides out and press.

OTHER SEAMSFlat Felled SeamThe raw edges of this seam are neatlyhidden within it. It is often used whereboth sides of the fabric will be seen, forexample to make joins in a tablecloth. Usea 1.6cm (in) seam allowance.

1 Place the two edges wrong sides

together and match up raw edges. Stitch1.6cm (in) in from the edge (fig 3a).

2 Trim one seam allowance to 6mm(in) (fig 3b).

3 Open out the fabric and press the seamso the wider seam allowance lies on top ofthe trimmed one. Tuck the wider seamallowance over the trimmed edge andpress. Stitch close to the pressed fold toenclose the trimmed seam allowance (fig 3c).

Narrow seamThis seam is ideal for sheer or more delicatefabrics as it is a little neater and stands out

less than a flat seam.

1 Stitch a flat seam in the usual way thentrim both seam allowances to half theiroriginal width. Zig zag stitch the two rawseam allowance edges (fig 4a).

2 Press the edges of the seam allowance

into the middle of the seam (to conceal)and press. Stitch the two folded edgestogether by hand (fig 4b).

French SeamThis is a narrow seam that looks like a flatseam on the right side but forms a ridge onthe wrong side. Its perfect for fabrics thatfray as all the edges are enclosed.

1 Place your fabric wrong sides togetherand tack along the seam line (fig 5a). Workyour first row of stitching 6mm (in)from the seam line. Remove the tackingstitches and press the seam allowances

open on the right side.2 On the right side press the seamallowances together then trim bothallowances to within 3mm (in) of thestitching (fig 5b).

3 Open out the fabric and fold it so thatthe right sides are together. Roll the seamso that the join is right on the edges andtack together near this edge. Press.

4 Stitch beside the row of tacking (fig 5c),then remove tacking stitches and press theseam towards the back of your item.

Bound Seam

A bound seam has each of the raw edges of

its seam allowances enclosed in a strip ofbias binding tape this stops the fabricfrom fraying and strengthens the seam.

Work a flat seam in the usual way, thenpin bias binding round each of the twoedges of the fabric individually and stitch

into place. Press the seams open.

A NARROWSEAM IS IDEALFOR SHEER ORMORE DELICATE

FABRICS, AS IT ISA LITTLE NEATERAND STANDSOUT LESS THANA FLAT SEAM

fig 4b

fig 5b fig 5c

fig 5a




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This stylish bag is quick to make, greatfor showing off favourite prints and packedwith pockets to hold everything you need.

Birch Tote Bag




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INNER POCKET PIECES

1Pin a length of piping across the longside of one pocket piece, matching up theraw edges. Baste in place.

2Once piping is basted, lay the secondpocket piece on top (right sides togetherwith the first piece) sandwiching yourpiping in between (fig 1). Sew this in placewith the row of basting stitching showingto use as a guide. You will position your newline of stitching just to the left of the basting

stitches. This ensures your piping will befirmly sewn in place.

3Once sewn, flip your pocket piecewrong sides together and press along thetop seam. You should have a neat line ofpiping across the top and three raw edges.

4Sew a line of stitching beneath yourpiping to secure your seam. Theres noexact seam allowance here, just sew withyour presser foot against the line of piping.

5Repeat these steps for the secondpocket assembly.

LINING PANELS6Start by laying one inner (contrast) piecedown with right side up. Lay yourassembled pocket piece on top, right sidefacing up, matching up your raw edgesalong the sides and bottom. Baste in placearound all edges except the top.

7Repeat these steps with the oppositeinner panel and pocket pieces.

8Once both your pockets are basted inplace, youll need to decide on pocket

sizes. Here, we have chosen to do differentsizes on each side of the pockets. For thefirst side, measure 28cm (11in) across thewidth of the pocket and mark the linewith chalk (fig 2).

9Next, topstitch along the chalk linefrom just under the piping down to thebasting stitches to form the pocket. (Youmay want to add a second row of stitching6mm (in) from the first for decorationand added durability.)

For the second pocket side, fold thepiece in half to find the centre and mark itwith a chalk line. Stitch along this line to

form your second set of pockets. You caneasily change these pockets sizes to suityour own needs.

BOTTOM OF BAGMeasure 6.5cm (2in) from the bottom

of your lining pieces and mark a horizontalline in chalk. You will stitch along this lineto form the pocket bottom. Repeat withyour second inner panel/pocket piece aswell (fig 3). This eliminates the dead spacethat would be at the bottom of each pocketonce the sides are formed.

WHAT BETTER WAYto show off anamazing fabric than with a tote bag?Bright, bold prints can really shine, andthis reversible pattern is sure to becomea firm favourite. With a few fun featureslike piping and an iPad pocket, this isnt

just an ordinary tote, and will give youplenty of opportunities to practise yourseaming techniques.

Many parts of the tote can be customisedto suit your needs. Its designed with longstraps to be worn crossways, but they canbe lengthened or shortened as needed. Thepockets are sized to hold a tablet and phone,but again these can easily be adjusted.

YOU WILL NEED1.14m (1yds) main fabric0.9m (1yd) contrast fabricTwo 43cm (17in) pieces

piping46cm (18in) iron-on

interfacing

CUTTING OUTFrom main fabric:

For stockist details, see page 160

Two 7 x 71cm (2 x 28in)pieces for straps (cut first)Two 36 x 43cm (14 x 17in)pieces for upper outer bodyFour 28 x 43cm (11 x 17in)pieces for inner pockets

From contrast fabric:Two 18 x 43cm (7 x 17in)pieces for lower outer body

Two 43 x 51cm (17 x 20in)pieces for inner lining

From interfacing:

Two 2.5 x 71cm (1 x 28in)strips for straps

All seam allowances are1.5cm (in) unlessotherwise stated.


fig 1

fig 2 fig 3




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Repeat these steps for the second corner.OUTER BODY PANELS

With right sides together, sew one outerbody upper piece to one outer body lowerpiece. Make sure to orient them correctly sothey dont end up upside down! Repeat thesesteps for both sets of outer panel pieces.

Press seam toward the contrast side.Topstitch this in place 0.5cm (in) from theseam on the contrast side. The finishedpieces should measure 51cm (20in) long.

With RS together, pin outer panel piecestogether leaving top edge open. Be sure tomatch up your seams. Repeat the steps aboveto box out the corners. You should have twoformed bags with raw edges at the top.

STRAPS

Fold each of the long sides of your straps0.5cm (in) toward the wrong side andpress. Do this down the entire length of thestrap (fig 6). Now press the strips in half andcreate a centre crease.

Lay your 2.5cm (1in) strip of interfacingon the inside of the strip, under one of the0.5cm (in) flaps. Iron in place. Using a

0.5cm (in) seam, topstitch the long edgeshut on each strip. If you want, topstitchalong both edges for a more finished look.Repeat these steps for both strap pieces.

ASSEMBLY

With your outer bag inside out and yourlining bag RS out, put the lining downinside the outer bag so RS are together.Match up your side seams and pin in place.

Before you stitch them in place, youneed to put in your strap pieces. Decidewhere you want the straps to be and makea mark to line them up. Here, we measured5cm (2in) from the side seam and made apencil marking.

Line up your straps with your markingsand insert them between the bag layers,making sure to not twist them. Pin them inplace with about 1cm (in) showing abovethe bag edge.

Mark a start and stop point for yourstitching between the straps on one side ofthe bag. This will be your turning gap. (Besure to reinforce your stitching on eitherside of the gap so that your stitches do notpull loose when turning the bag right sideout.) Stitch around the top making sure tocatch and secure all four straps. Turn yourbag right side out. Once flipped, press thetop seam making sure to fold under theedges of your open turning hole.

Using a 0.5cm (in) seam, topstitcharound the top of the bag. Add a secondline of topstitching if you wish.

INNER BAG

With the lining panels RS together, pinthe left, right and bottom edges makingsure to match up the tops of your pocketson each side. Sew along those three edgesleaving the top edge open. The piping mightbe a little bulky on the side, so stitch slowlyover the spot where the two pockets meet.

Snip both corners making sure to not cutthrough your stitching.

To box out the bottom of the bag, pinchthe corners so that the side seams match up.(It will form a triangle point.) You should beable to nest your side seams together so thatthey match up exactly for this step. Becauseof the snipped corner, you can make theseams lay in opposite directions to fit

together better. Once your seams arematched, pin them in place.

Repeat this on the opposite side of the bag.

Using a ruler, measure 5cm (2in) from thepoint and mark a chalk line. You can use theside seam stitching as a straight edge to lineup the ruler. Sew this line in place (fig 4).

Trim the point about 0.5cm (in) fromyour stitch line (fig 5).

BOLD PRINTS CANREALLY SHINE, ANDTHIS REVERSIBLEPATTERN IS SURETO BECOME A FIRMFAVOURITE

Birch Tote Bag

BIRCH FABRICS

This pretty tote bag was designed by Christina McKinney for BirchFabrics, a Californian company which sells 100% organic cotton

prints. The company is passionate about sustainability, usinglow-impact dyes, and specialises in a retro style mixed withwhimsical accents.www.birchfabrics.com

ProGuideto Sewing14

fig 4 fig 5 fig 6




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PINCH THE

CORNERS SO

THAT THE SIDE

SEAMS MATCH

UP, FORMING A

TRIANGLE POINT




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ExpertGUIDE

CUTTING OUT1 Using these measurements cut your

fabric strip to the length and widthrequired for your pattern.Note:Its important to cut the strips onthe bias, which means diagonally, acrossyour piece of fabric. This is because fabriccut this way has more stretch so will goround curves or corners more easily andlook neater.

2 You will probably have to join strips to

get the correct length. Remember to add8cm (3in) to each strip as some will be lost

when you join them3 You need to cut your strips at 45 tothe selvedge and the length of these stripswill depend on the size of your fabric. Tofind the fabric bias fold the raw edge of thefabric diagonally so it lies along theselvedge edge. Press along this diagonalfold to make the bias of the fabric. Nowunfold the fabric and measure the stripseither side of this crease.

4 Draw the cutting lines for the strips onto the wrong side of the fabric then cutthem out.

JOINING STRIPS1 You should always join strips togetherat right angles so that the seam isnt asbulky and is less visible.

2 Take two strips and place them rightsides together at right angles.

3 Draw a line in pencil across the top

Covered piping adds the perfectfinishing touch to the edges of a

cushion cover or soft furnishingitem. The beauty of it is that you can useany fabric to either match your cushionexactly, or choose to highlight the pipededge with a contrasting or complementaryfabric. Follow these simple steps formaking perfect piping to give a neatprofessional finish and really show offyour finished stitching.

MEASURING UP1 To calculate how much fabric and cordyou need, firstly measure all round yourcushion and add 15cm (6in) to this

measurement. This is the length of fabricstrip and also the length of piping cordyou will need.

2 To calculate the width of the fabricstrip youll need, measure thecircumference of the piping cord and add3cm (1in) to this to give you two 1.5cm(in) seam allowances.

PIPING CORDFollow our simple steps to give your homeware

projects a professional finishing touch.

fig 1

fig 3

NEATER CORNERS

For a neater corner with less fabric bulkand puckering you can cut the corner intoa curve. Before you attach your piping

strip draw a small curve (use an egg cupor small teacup) on each corner of thecushion front and cut round it. This wontreally affect the shape of the cushion butmake the piping ease round the cornermore neatly. Snip the piping at intervalsround the corner to help it lie flat.

ProGuideto Sewing16

fig 4

fig 2




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Piping Cord

strip from the top left corner to the rightside where the two strips meet.

4 Now stitch along this drawn line (fig 1).

5 Trim the seam to 6mm (in) and pressthe seam open (fig 2).

6 Repeat this process with all your stripsto form one long strip.

INSERTING THE PIPING CORD1 Fold your joined fabric strip in halflengthways with wrong sides togetherthen place the piping cord inside right upto the fold.

2 Machine stitch the strip together 6mm(in) from the raw edges to hold the cordin place. These stitches wont be seen oncethe strip is attached to the cushion (fig 3).

ATTACHING THE COVERED CORD

TO YOUR CUSHION FRONT1 Mark, with a pin, the centre of thebottom edge of the cushion front.

2 Pin one end of the covered cord to thispoint, matching the raw edges of thepiping strip to the cushion front.

3 Starting 10cm (4in) away from thispoint tack your piping strip to the cushionfront close to the machine stitching.

4 When you reach a corner, snip thepiping strip almost down to the cord,then turn it round the corner and tackthis corner firmly in place right up to thecord (fig 4).

5 Now continue tacking the piping stripall the way round your cushion front inthe same way unti l you reach 10cm (4in)from the other side of the centre pin.

JOINING THE ENDS1 Overlap one end of the fabric over the

CHOOSING YOUR SEWING

MACHINE FOOT

ORDINARY SEWING FOOT

If you use an ordinary sewing machine

foot you wont be able to get as close tothe cord and the fabric strip will hangaround it making it look messy.

ZIPPER FOOT

This will allow your needle to get closer tothe cord. If you have a setting on yourmachine to alter needle position, move itso its as close to the cord as possible.

PIPING FOOT

This is the best machine foot for attachingpiping. It has a ridge in it which sits on topof the cord. This allows the needle to

stitch right next to the cord and holds itfirmly in place as youre stitching.

CHOOSING YOUR

PIPING CORD

Piping cord comes in a range ofthicknesses try numbers 3-5. Thesmaller the item, the thinner the pipingyou should use. You can buy cotton twistcord or synthetic either works well soexperiment to see which you prefer.

PREPARING YOUR CORD

Its important that you use preshrunkcotton cord or it may pucker whenwashed. Some cord comes preshrunk sodo check. To shrink cord, place it in asaucepan, cover with water then boil for5 minutes. Make sure its completely dry.It can shrink by up to 10% so buy extracord to allow for this.


other and mark where they cross at thecentral pin with pencil on the wrong sideof both fabric strips (fig 5).

2 Place the two ends right sidestogether and machine stitch along these

pencil lines. Trim the seam and pressopen (fig 6).

3 To join the piping cord, trim the cordso that it overlaps by 2.5cm (1in)

4 Just for the length the cords overlap,remove half of the strands from eachcord by snipping them and pulling themout (fig 7).

5 Twist the two ends together and theywill have the same number of strandscombined as the rest of the cord.Take a strip of microporous tape andwrap this round the join to seal andsecure it (fig 8).

6 Now place the joined cord inside thefold of the joined fabric strip and tack inplace and to the cushion front.

STITCHING THE COVERED PIPINGTO YOUR CUSHION FRONT1 Insert the zip into your cushion backthen place it right sides together on top ofthe cushion front and covered piping andpin into place.

2 You need to stitch as close up to thepiping cord as possible to achieve a neatand tight finish.

3 Stitch slowly and carefully around

the cushion. When you reach the cornersensure the piping cord is pushed to theinside of the cushion so you dont stitchthrough it at all.

4 Turn your cushion cover right sidesout and remove any visible tackingstitches to complete.

fig 5

fig 7

fig 6

fig 8




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Quilted SewingMachine Cover

Protect your machine with a perfectlyfitting, pretty-as-a-picture quilted cover.




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PREPARE THE PATCHWORK

1Begin by cutting your print fabrics intosquares measuring 10.8 x 10.8cm (4 x4in). For the average sewing machine,youll need nine to twelve squares of thisdimension. Repeat with the same number

of squares in white fabric (or a colour orprint to match the body of the cover).Pair one print square with one solid

square and make a half-square triangle (seebelow). Cut the two halves apart on the cutline to divide your HSTs. Press seamallowances to one side. Repeat until all yoursquares have been paired (fig 1).

2Mix and match your prints until theyrepleasing to the eye, and then pair your HSTs

YOU WILL NEED

0.91m (1yd) of solid fabric for the bodyof the cover

0.91m (1yd) of cotton batting, can befusible

Scraps of cotton prints at least 11.5cm(4in) square for the patchwork

Thread to match the body fabric1.8m (2yds) of piping filler cord, 4.5mm(in) or smaller

Contrasting fabric made into bias tape,4.6m (5yds) total, 0.46m (yd) willmake enough


up to make QSTs (see overleaf). Cut the twohalves apart on the cut line to divide yourQSTs. Press seam allowances to one side.Repeat until all your HSTs have been pairedinto QSTs (fig 2).

3Stack your QSTs one above the other tomake a column, arranging them untilyoure happy with how the prints relate toone another not too many of the samefabric right up next to one another, a goodbalance of light and dark, that kind of thing.

4Sew each square to the next one in thecolumn until you have one long strip ofpatchwork. Press your seam allowancesopen. Your finished patchwork strip shouldmeasure 8.9cm (3in) wide, with each QSTsquare measuring 7.6cm (3in) high (if not, nobiggie were about to pop this patchworkstrip into another piece of fabric, so youllhave plenty of time to customise the fit).

ASSEMBLE CENTRAL PANEL

5Start by measuring the front of yourmachine. Measure the width (from side toside, taking into account any little bits thatstick out like a cord or spool holder) and theheight from base to top, again taking intoaccount anything that might stick up.

6Turn to the side of the machine andmeasure the depth from front to back at itswidest point.Then measure the length overthe top of the machine, from the lower frontup over the top then back down to the baseat the back. Note down these measurements.

Now, to each of the measurements aboveadd 3.8cm (1in) thats 1.3cm (in) foreach side, for a total of total of 1.3cm (in)and 2.5cm (1in) for ease. Ease is that little

fig 3

fig 1

fig 2

fig 4

HALFSQUARE TRIANGLESTo make half-square triangles, or HSTs, welluse a little trick that will make things muchsimpler, and is easier than it looks.

1 Begin with the squares cut to size. Takeone square of your background fabric andanother of your print, then place them rightsides together.

2 Draw a line from corner to corner,diagonally across the wrong side of one

square it doesnt matter which, but wegenerally use the solid.

3 With the fabrics clutched together

(pressing and steaming them slightly canhold them well), take your squares to thesewing machine. Stitch a seam 6mm (in)from the line you drew place the line atthe edge of your 6mm (in) presser footas a guide.

4 Now, stitch a second seam to theopposite side of the drawn line (fig 3).

5 Back at the cutting mat, cut along thedrawn line between the two rows of stitching

so you have two squares each composed of asolid triangle and a print triangle. Press yourseam allowances (fig 4). And there you go perfect HSTs, without the effort!

YOUR SEWING MACHINE is probablyone of your best loved and most usedpieces of equipment, but chances areyoure not taking care of it the way youshould. Dont be offended most peopledont find the time to really look aftertheir machine.

Its easy for dust and dirt to get stuckamongst the machines mechanisms,slowing it down, and eventually to a halt.The simplest way to keep your machinein its best working order is to cover it upto protect it when youre not sewing.This quilted sewing machine cover iscustom-made for your machine, so itsguaranteed to fit. Adding a touch ofpatchwork from fabric you really loveallows you to have something super pretty,that also does something super important.Its the best combination when makingthings, and one your sewing machine issure to appreciate.

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Your panel is now substantially larger, sotrim it back down to ensure both centrepanel pieces are the same size. Take theother centre panel piece that you cut (instep 3) and lay it on top of the patchworkpanel youve just finished Using the second,smaller piece as a template, adjust theplacement of the patchwork strip until itswhere you like it best. Then simply trim theexcess off the edges of the larger piece sothat both panel pieces are the same size.

QUILTING

Begin by cutting your batting. Youllneed one piece cut the same size as yourcentre panel pieces (width x over-the-topmeasurements) and two pieces the samesize as your side panel pieces (height xdepth measurements).

Make a quilt sandwich using the solidpiece of fabric (the backing), the batting,and the patchwork (the quilt top). Pinbaste together. Repeat this step with thetwo side panels. Set all three pieces aside.

To mark your quilting lines, place thecentre patchwork panel right-side up on aflat surface. Using a ruler, mark a line acrossthe body of the panel near the centre that

runs parallel to one of the diagonalseamlines in the QSTs. Make sure the lineruns all the way from side to side across thecentre(ish) of the panel well be workingtoward the edges from this line.

extra bit of room that will allow you to getyour cover on and off your machine. Make anote of these new measurements, and besure to differentiate them from the oneswithout seam allowances!

7From your solid (or main) fabric, cut outthe following pieces using themeasurements youve noted (shown inbrackets): two large pieces for the centrepanel (width x over the top); four smallerpieces for the side panels (depth x height).Set these aside.

Take one of the centre panel pieces andcut it in half so you can add the patchworkstrip to it. Determine where along the panelyou want to place the patchwork. Withyour ruler, mark a line from bottom to topof the solid fabric. Cut along this line todivide the fabric into two pieces.

8You will find that your patchwork striphas little ears from all those seams. Lay itflat on your cutting surface and trim thoseedges so theyre clean and straight.

9With the centre panel fabric pieces RSup, place the patchwork strip on one panelpiece, right sides together and raw edgeseven. Pin along the raw edge; stitch a

6.4mm (in) seam. Repeat with the otherpanel piece on the opposite long raw edge ofthe patchwork. When finished, you shouldhave a panel that looks as ours does. Pressboth long seam allowances open (fig 5).

fig 6

fig 7

CHAIN STITCHINGChain stitching is a handy trick thatcan speed up your piecing andpatchwork by allowing you to avoidcutting threads and lifting yourpresser foot in between seams.

To chain piece, begin by sewing aseam. Then, instead of taking thesewing off the machine, allow it to gopast the needle and slip the next pieceto be stitched under the toes of thepresser foot, taking care to avoidletting the two pieces overlap. Nowsew the next seam. Youll find thatthe air between the two pieces isinvisible to the machineyourneedle goes right over it as thoughthere is no gap at all! Now the twopieces are connected by a shortpiece of thread, just three or fourstitches worth. You can keep addingseams, all connected by a bit ofthread, until youre done. Thenremove them from the machine andsnip the threads easy.

If youre making a lot of half-squaretriangles using our technique on theprevious page, try stitching all theseams on one side of the centre,

diagonal line with chain stitches, thenturn it all around and stitch all theseams on the other side of the line thesame way. Fast and easy!

fig 5

Quilted Sewing Machine Cover

ProGuideto Sewing20

QUARTERSQUARE TRIANGLESQuarter-square triangles (or QSTs), theexperienced older cousin of the HST, are madefrom two HSTs sewn together.

1Begin with two HSTs (that is, a square piece offabric made up of two HSTs), and place that pieceright sides together with another square of HSTs,with their seams directly on top of one another. Besure to arrange them so that the solid is touching aprint each side of the seam. Draw a diagonal linefrom corner to corner perpendicular to the seam it should cross the seam at the centre, not beparallel to it.

2Sew 6mm (in) seams to either side of thisline, as with the HST. Then cut along the line you

drew. Youll end up with two squares made up offour triangles, each of which has one small triangleof each of the fabrics in your HSTs (figs 6 and 7).


http://worldmags.net/http://worldmags.net/http://worldmags.net/


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With the toes of your walking foot oneither side of the line youve marked, stitchyour first row of quilting stitches. Stitches atthe very edge of the quilt sandwich will behidden in the binding later, so be sure tostart as close to the edge as you reasonablycan to ensure that you dont have chunksunquilted later.

Then, using the guidebar on your walkingfoot, continue to stitch rows of quiltingstitches parallel to the first line, workingyour way across the panel sewing each lineof quilting in the opposite direction of theprevious one. The distance between lines iscompletely up to you here, the guidebarhas been set to about 3.2cm (1in) becausethe designer loves the narrow look of theparallel lines, but you could set it to ameasurement you prefer.

After a few rows of this, youll begin tofind that the shape of the centre panel isawkward to continue to push under the armof the sewing machine thats fine, becausewe want to leave a corner section withoutstraight-line quilting so we can go back andadd a free-motion quilted detail. Stopmaking straight lines when youre ready(its probably best if you keep going untilyouve stitched straight lines past all the

QSTs on one end of the QST strip, just forcontinuity).Remove the panel from the machine, flip

it 180 degrees, and begin again at the centreline, working your way across the panel

with your walking foot and guidebar, untilyouve reached the opposite end, againleaving a corner unquilted for later.

Once all the straight rows are quilted,were ready to complete the two sectionsyou set aside to be free-motion quilted.Work across the unquilted section of thecentre panel until youve covered all of it.Quilt the entire section, then repeat on theopposite side.

ADD THE PIPING

17 Trim the seam allowance of the piping to6.4mm (in). Lay one side panel flat onyour work surface. Beginning at the bottomedge, pin piping in place with raw edgestogether and the piping cording toward thecentre of the side panel. At each corner, snip6.4mm (in) from the edge, up to thestitches but not through them, and breakthe piping to neatly turn the corner (fig 8).

18Baste the piping in place, sewing as closeto the cording as the machine will allow,using your longest straight stitch. Repeat onthe other side panel.

19Take your centre panel and place itpatchwork side up and raw edges together

with one piped side panel. (Pin themtogether if you like, but you dont need to.)At your sewing machine, stitch a 6.4mm(in) seam right up against the pipingcording all the way around, matching the

fig 8

raw edges and manipulating the centrepanel as you go, to create a boxed endwith the side panel. Repeat with the otherside panel. Do not clip corners. Removeany visible basting stitches once the pipingis installed.

BIND THE SEAMS

20Open the double-fold bias tape and lay itright sides together with the centre panel atthe seam it shares with the side panel.Beginning at the lower edge, pin all alongthe seam allowance, raw edges even, fromlower front to lower back. Stitch in the fold.Repeat on the opposite side.

21 Fold the bias tape over the seamallowance, catching it inside theclamshell when the opposite, folded edgeof the bias tape lands outside the seam line.Pin in place, then topstitch all along thelength of bias tape to bind the seamallowances inside your pretty bias tape.Repeat on the opposite side.

22 To finish off the lower edge of the cover,repeat the above steps to bind the raw edge.At the beginning, leave 7.6cm10.2cm(34in) unstitched. When you come backaround to where you began, fold the

unstitched end under, then lay the oppositeend on top. As you wrap the bias tapearound to the opposite side, this willprevent any raw edges from peeking out.Topstitch in place and youre done!

AS YOU WRAP THE BIASTAPE AROUND, THIS

PREVENTS ANY RAW EDGESFROM PEEKING OUT

STITCH SAVVYA collection of 25

projects bydesigner DeborahMoebes, designedto take your sewingto the next level.Stitch Savvy

(Krause Publications, 19.99) is aimedat intermediate stitchers who arelooking to improve. The book worksthrough five categories (home decor,handbags, childrens, quilting andclothing), while focusing on differenttechniques. A bonus CD includes PDFpatterns for 13 additional projects.

Quilted SewingMachine Cover




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This elegant cushion uses matching stripsand piping for a co-ordinated look.Crossroads Pillow




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CUTTING DIRECTIONS

FOR ALL BLOCKS CUT (8 blocks total):Four 27.5 x 6.5cm (10 x 2in) strips fromfabric B.Four 27.5 x 6.5cm (10 x 2in) strips fromfabric C.Four 27.5 x 6.5cm (10 x 2in) strips fromfabric G.Four 27.5 x 6.5cm (10 x 2in) strips fromfabric H.

Eight 29 x 2cm (11 x in) strips fromfabric E.One 62 x 32cm (24 x 12in) rectanglefrom fabric E.Two 10cm (3in) squares from fabric A(cut them once diagonally to get fourtriangles).Two 10cm (3in) squares from fabric D(cut them once diagonally to get fourtriangles).Two 10cm (3in) squares from fabric F(cut them once diagonally to get fourtriangles).

YOU WILL NEED

Art Gallery Fabrics, Hyperreal Garden byPat Bravo. Fabric is 114cm (45in) wide.Fabric A HG-8403 23 x 56cm (9 x 22in)Fabric B HG-7401 23 x 56cm (9 x 22in)Fabric C HG-7400 23 x 56cm (9 x 22in)Fabric D HG-7405 23 x 56cm (9 x 22in)Fabric E HG-7408 23cm (yd)Fabric F HG-7403 23 x 56cm (9 x 22in)

Fabric G HG-7402 23 x 56cm (9 x 22in)Fabric H HG-7404 23 x 56cm (9 x 22in)Fabric I HG-8407 34cm (yd)Pillow form 30.5 x 61cm (12 x 24in)1m (1yd) piping cord, 6mm (in) thick

FINISHED SIZE

30.5 x 61cm (12 x 24in)


Two 10cm (3in) squares from fabric I (cutthem once diagonally to get four triangles).

FOR PIPING CUT

One 203 x 4cm (80 x 1in) strip fromfabric E*.* In order to get this long strip you will needto join two or more strips together.

BLOCKS CONSTRUCTION

All eight blocks are constructed the sameway. Sew all fabrics right sides together.

FOR ALL BLOCKS

1The secret to all the blocks is to make acrease on the centre half (lengthwise) onevery strip and triangle. You can do thiswith your finger or an iron (fig 1).

Combination 1:

2Position one fabric D triangle on top ofone fabric C strip, right sides facing and rawedges aligned. Match both creases and pin.Sew along the entire edge with a 6mm (in)seam allowance (fig 2). Press open (fig 3).Note:You will notice that the strip is longerthan the triangle. Dont worry; just matchthe creases. You will trim the excess fabriclater to get a square block.

3Repeat this step with one fabric E stripon top of the fabric C strip.

4Repeat with a fabric B strip on top of thefabric E strip.

5Position one fabric A triangle on top offabric B strip, right sides facing and rawedges aligned. Match both creases and pin.Sew along the entire edge with a 6mm (in)seam allowance (fig 4).

6Make three more blocks the same way.

fig 4fig 3fig 2fig 1

BRING A TOUCH of elegance and a hugesplash of colour to your home with thispatchwork throw pillow from Art GalleryFabrics. Using their intense HyperrealGarden range of fabrics, its sure to bea talking point.

The pillow has a patchwork front andplain back thats finished off beautifullywith matching piping, carefully covered ina delicately striped fabric. Its a greatchance to practise a variety of your sewingskills, from patchwork to piping. Andthough the version seen here is fully sewnup when complete, you could always addin a zip to make it easy to wash later idealif you have small children! Turn to page 48for more information on inserting zips ifyoure unsure.




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Wrap the fabric around the cording asyou work. Using your zipper foot, bastedown the entire length of the strip roughly3mm (in) from the cording. Trim the seamallowance to 6mm (in).

ATTACH PIPING CORD

Place the front RS up. Pin piping piece allaround sides, with raw edges aligning.

With your piping or zipper foot, stitchthe piping piece to the fabric 6mm (in)from the edge. Begin stitching on themiddle of one pillow side leaving a loose tailon the piping of about 2.5cm (1in).

When you get close to a corner, stopstitching and make two slits on the pipingfabric (exactly on the corner) with a pair ofscissors a bit less than 6mm (in) deep (becareful not to cut into the stitching line).

Stitch all the way around and stop 2.5cm(1in) before the meeting point. Unwrap thefabric covering the cord. Overlap theending tail over the starting tail and cut theexcess where they meet. Wrap the fabricback again and cut it 1cm (in) passing thecord. Fold the end 6mm (in) inwards andwrap over the starting tail. Make sure thefabric covers the cord. Stitch the opensection and backstitch ends to secure (fig 8).

Keep this unit right side up, place thefabric I square on top (RS down). With rawedges aligned, start sewing with 6mm (in)seam, sandwiching the piping. Sew all theway around, starting from one of the sides,and leaving a 10cm (4in) opening to insertthe pillow form (fig 9).

Turn the pillow right side out and insertthe pillow form, then close by hand.

Combination 2:

7Follow same steps using the fabricsshown (fig 5). Make a total of four blocks.

TRIMMING THE BLOCKS

8Position a 16.5cm (6in) square rulerover one block. Be sure that the corners ofthe ruler meet the corners of the twotriangles of the block.

9Holding the ruler firmly in place, trimborders with a rotary cutter to a 16.5cm(6in) finished size block (fig 6). Thentrim, in the same way, all eight blocks.

ASSEMBLING PILLOW FRONT

Begin sewing the first row. Rotate andalternate the blocks as shown (fig 7). Sewfour blocks for the first row. Make theremaining row in the same way.

Sew the rows together. Take care tomatch seam intersections between eachblock (lock them with pins if necessary).

Press all seams in the same direction.Press the whole top with a hot steam iron.

MAKE PIPING PIECE

Lay the long strip flat, right side down.

Place the cording piece along the centre,aligning the beginning of both.

fig 6 fig 7

ART GALLERY FABRICS

A fabric brand thats packed with vibrant coloursand designs, Art Gallery Fabrics strives for acontemporary elegant style and has certainlysucceeded. This pillow design uses prints from PatBravos Hyperreal Garden range, an electrifyingcollection thats packed with surreal flowers andhypnotic colours. Be inspired!

www.artgalleryfabrics.com

fig 5

fig 8 fig 9

Crossroads Pillow

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getthelook

Euphoria:Boysenberry

Radiant Bouquet:Emerald

Labyrinth:Candy Lush Foliage:Plum

Fantasy Roads:Pink

Euphoria:Juneberry

Flowershock:Apricot

Illusion:Warm

Op Art:Intense

Mirage:Rose

Bright floralsHyperreal Garden by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics

is inspired by electrifying flowers and colours.




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3 Turn the top edge of the frill over 6mm(in) to the wrong side, then the same

again, and stitch down to hem.4 To make a row of gathering stitches, setyour sewing machine straight stitch to itslongest length and stitch all along theunhemmed edge, 6mm (in) in from theraw edge. If the fabric strip is quite longthen its generally best to stitch anothergathering line, this time 1cm (in) fromthe raw edges (fig 1).

5 Divide the fabric you are going to beattaching your frill on to into two or four,depending on its length, then divide thefrill fabric in the same way and mark thesepoints with pins.

6 Now pull up your gathering thread andadjust the gathers until the frill fabric fits

exactly along your main fabric (fig 2).

7 Pin the frill into place on the main

fabric right sides together and matchingraw edges (fig 3).

8 Using a 1.5cm (in) seam allowancestitch the frill to the fabric to complete.

DOUBLE FRILL

1 You need to cut your frill fabric todouble the width you want the finishedfrill to be plus 1.5cm (in) seam allowance.

2 Fold your frill fabric in half lengthwayswith wrong sides together and press.

3 Stitch gathering stitches along thelength through both layers of fabric, pullup the gathers and stitch to your main

fabric in exactly the same way as for thesingle frill.

Frills can be made either from a singleor double layer of fabric. First you

will need to calculate how muchfabric you need to cut for your frill itshould be about 1 -2 times the length ofthe edge to be trimmed (for example, thecircumference of a cushion) plus a 1.5cm(in) seam allowance at either end.

SINGLE FRILL

1 Decide how wide you want your frillto be then add 1.5cm (in) for the hemand 1.5cm (in) for the seam allowance.Now cut a strip of your chosen fabric tothe width and length measurements youhave calculated.

2 Join the strip of fabric right sidestogether at the short ends.

FRILLS & PLEATSFrills and pleats add a professional finishing touch. They can

take a little time, so just work slowly and methodically.

fig 3

ProGuideto Sewing26

fig 2

fig 4

fig 1

ExpertGUIDEGUIDE




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PLEATSAnother way of adding fullness to fabric isto pleat it instead of gathering it. Pleats areideal for soft furnishings where you wantto add a little fullness round the bottom of

a chair cover, for example. You can eitherleave pleats unpressed or press each pleatindividually for a more formal look.

KNIFE PLEATSKnife pleats have folds that all lie in onedirection and are the simplest to make

How to make a knife pleat:

1 Decide how deep you want your pleatto be then double this to calculate howmuch extra fabric to add. For example ifyou want your pleat to be 4cm (1in) widethen add 8cm (3in) to the fabric width you

are using to make your finished item.Obviously you will need to also decide howmany pleats you want to include and addextra on for all of them.

2 If the bottom edge of the fabric you arepleating is to be hemmed, then do this firstbefore you pleat the fabric.

3 Measure and mark both sides of thedepth of the fabric you want to pleat with apin then fold one pin over to the other andpin into place.

4 Repeat this across your fabric as manytimes as you want pleats. Remember thatall the pleats should lie in the same

direction and be the same depth.5 You can now tack your pleats across the

TOP TIPS

For a quicker frill, use a length of ribbon insteadof fabric. Stitch gathering stitches along it in thesame way as the single frill, adjust the gathersand sew it to your main fabric. As both edgesare already finished, this frill can easily beinserted into a seam on a cushion cover orsewn on top of an item for a pretty effect.


top edge then stitch the pleated fabric toyour main fabric (fig 4).

BOX PLEATSBox Pleats are made by having two pleats

facing away from each other. These areideal for putting at the corners of seatcovers or bed valances to allow enoughfabric to go round the corners neatly.Inverted box pleats are more commonlyused than Box Pleats, but the onlydifference is that with Inverted Box Pleatsthe pleat is on the outside and with boxpleats the pleat is on the inside.

How to make an Inverted Box Pleat:

1 Calculate how deep you want yourpleats to be and allow four times this depthfor each corner or pleat.

2 As with the knife pleats, hem the loweredge of your fabric before you pleat the topedge. You now need to mark you fabricbefore you pleat. Each pleat has two outerfold lines, two inner fold lines and aplacement line. Mark these lines in pencilonto the wrong side of your fabric. Nowtack along these lines, using red thread forthe fold lines and blue thread for theplacement lines to help distinguishbetween them.

3 Fold the fabric right sides togetheralong the placement line, matching innerfold lines and outer fold lines (fig 5).

4 Tack the outer fold lines together thenpress the pleat flat so the tacked outer fold

lines match up with the placement line andthe inner fold lines become the outer edgesof the pleat. Tack the pleat down across thetop before you machine stitch in place tocomplete (fig 6).

How to make a Box Pleat:These are made in exactly the same ways asthe Inverted Box Pleat but in step 3, fold thefabric wrong sides together instead.

PIN TUCKSPin tucks are parallel folds of fabric,which can either be used to providefullness in a garment or as a decorativefinish to a cushion cover or other softfurnishing items.

1 Pin tucks only have a few millimetresof fabric in them so you will need to allow

a little extra fabric to the finished piece toallow for this. Mark the centre of all yourtucks on the wrong side of the fabric inpencil, making sure they are parallel.

2 To make one tuck, tack along themarked lines so you can see the tuck centreline form the front. Now fold the fabricwrong sides together with the tackingstitches on the fold. Tack the fabric about3mm (in) away from the fold and press tohold it in place.

3 Tack the fabric about 3mm (in) awayfrom the fold and press to hold it in place.Stitch the fabric together on the fold to

make your tiny pin tuck. Repeat for the restof the tucks marked on your fabric (fig 7).

fig 7

fig 5

fig 6

Frills & Pleats




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Whip up these pretty frilledcushions to give your home the

handmade vintage look.

VintageFrill Cushion




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PREPARING FABRICS

1Cut one piece from roller towelling orlinen 40.5 x 120.5cm (16 x 47in).Cut one piece from lining fabric 11.5 x40.5cm (4 x 16in).Cut one piece from print fabric for the frill6.5 x 106.5cm (2in x 42in).

MAKING UP

2Take the cut piece of roller towellingand mark it as follows (fig 1).

YOU WILL NEED

Roller towelling or linen, 40.5 x 127cm(16 x 50in)

Print fabric for frill, buttonholerectangles and buttons, 23cm (yd)

Lining fabric, 11.5 x 40.5cm (4in x16in) (can be the same print as frill)

Ball of perle No. 8 threadFive self-cover buttonsFeather cushion pad 51cm (20in) square(will be folded)

FINISHED SIZE38 x 51cm (15 x 20in)


Measure along from the left-hand side34.5cm (13in) and put in a pin. Measurealong 20in and put in another pin thiswill be the back shape. This will leave35.5cm (14in) of fabric remaining. Markthis section with pins at 23cm (9in), 10cm(4in) and 2.5cm (1in). Press light creases atall the points marked with pins and thenremove pins.

3On the right-hand side turn the2.5cm (1in) under and press to crease. Onthe left-hand side of the fabric, fold overthe 34.5cm (13in) piece on the firstcrease (fig 2).

4To make the frill, take the long piece offrill fabric and iron a 0.6cm (in) hemtwice on the right-hand side and sew underwith matching thread (fig 3a).

To create the gathers, take a ball of perle No.8 thread, hold one end down 0.6cm (in) infrom the left-hand side edge of the fabric.Now zigzag stitch over the thread with yourmachine from A to B, being careful not tocatch the thread (fig 3b). This is a mucheasier way to gather a piece of fabric thanthe usual two parallel rows of stitching,which can break just at the crucial moment.

THESE HOMELYCUSHIONS GIVE ARUSTIC, COUNTRYFARM LOOK THATSPERFECTLY IN KEEPINGWITH CURRENTVINTAGE TRENDS

fig 1

fig 2

fig 3a fig 3b

SOMETIMES ALL THATS needed to turna plain cushion into something special is asingle stand-out feature so why not trythis simple frilled cushion for a quickproject thats sure to impress?

These homely cushions give a rustic lookthats in keeping with current vintagetrends. The fabric used here is simple butsmart and also practical as it washes well always an important consideration! Thesubtle reds and blues co-ordinateperfectly, and the frill adds an elegant look.

Here, weve made a feature of the tinydot print and dark edge on the frill fabric.The self-cover buttons use the same fabricand add a decorative finishing touch, butyou can use any buttons you wish.




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Note: Using a wider seam means you do nothave to remove the gathering thread,although you could pull it out if you prefer.

7Turn the lining to the back of thecushion piece and finger press in place; thiswill encase the frill neatly.

8Lay the back of the cushion cover on atable and fold in each side (fig 5). Mark thefive buttonhole positions on the left-handside and the five button positions on theright-hand side.

9Prepare the buttonholes we usedbound buttonholes made with rectangles ofthe print fabric for a really polished look.Set the sewing machine for 1in longbuttonholes or slightly longer than yourbuttons. Use the bound buttonholefunction on your machine if you have it.

5Pull on the perle thread to gather thefrill so that it fits the left-hand side of thecushion front fabric. Lay the frill downright sides together with the cushionfabric and with the pleats pointing to theleft (fig 4), and then machine tack (baste)into position.

6Take the 11.5 x 40.5cm (4 x 16in) pieceof lining fabric and neaten one edge byturning a 0.6cm (in) hem twice on theright-hand side. Lay this lining fabric pieceon top of the frill, raw edges matching andsew together with a slightly generous0.6cm (in) seam.

CUSHIONS & QUILTSFill your home with quilted treats using this delightful book by Jo Colwill(David & Charles, 16.99). Cushions & Quiltscontains 15 beautiful projectsinspired by the Cornish countryside where Jo lives and works. Combinepatchwork with appliqu and embroidery for results that are sure to makeyou smile. Buy now from www.stitchcraftcreate.co.ukfor the specialprice of 10.99 or call 0844 880 5851 to place your order.

fig 4 fig 5

fig 6

Sew the buttonholes and cut the slits. Pushthe rectangle fabric through the holes andneaten with small stitches.

Cover the buttons (if using this sort)using the same fabric as the frill.Note: Turn to page 32 for more informationon using self-cover buttons.

Button up the cushion cover and put itright sides together. Sew a generous 0.6cm(in) seam down each side (fig 6).

Stitch twice where the frill is enclosed toreinforce that area. Clip the corners, openthe buttons, turn through to the right sideand press. Take the square cushion pad androll the top down towards the back andinsert into the cover it should fill thecushion snugly. (You could buy arectangular cushion if you prefer.)

Vintage Frill Cushion


http://page//32http://worldmags.net/http://worldmags.net/http://worldmags.net/http://page//32


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getthelook

13601-12

13620-1413621-11

13624-14

13621-13

13525-28 13625-18

13620-11

13622-15

12552-11

French ChicEnjoy country style with Rouenneries Deux

and Chateau Rouge by French General for Moda




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ProGuideto Sewing32

There are two ways of sewing these on:

Attaching a flat button to thinner fabricUse an ordinary sewing thread doubled up.Cut twice the length of thread you needthen fold it in half. Thread the two endsthrough the eye of your needle, leaving youwith a loop at the other end. Push theneedle down through the fabric exactly inthe centre of where you want your button

to be, without pulling the thread all theway through. Now push back up, thenthread the point of your needle throughthe loop and pull. Your thread is tightlysecured to the fabric. Work a few small

stitches on top of each other where theloop lies and it will be even more secure.

Pass your needle up through one hole ofthe button and down through the other,into the fabric and repeat (fig 1).

If your button has two holes repeat thisabout six times until your button feels niceand secure. If your button has four holesthen there are different ways to sew it ondepending on the pattern you want on the

top of the button.When you have finished, remember towork a few small stitches on top of eachother on the back of the fabric to secure theend, then snip the remaining thread.

One of the basic sewing skillseveryone should know or learn ishow to sew on a button. Obviouslythis is essential simply for sewing buttonsback on after theyve fallen off shop-bought items, but its important to sewthem on securely. When buttons are sewnon to high street garments they are sewnon by machine. If the beginning or the endof the thread is not secured tightly then the

button will easily fall off.

SEWING ON A FLAT BUTTONFlat buttons usually have two or four holes,and sit flat on the fabric with no shank.

BUTTONS ANDBUTTONHOLESGive your projects a professional finish with our

guide to flawless fastenings

fig 1

fig 3

fig 2a fig 2b

ExpertGUIDEGUIDE




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the buttonhole, take the button diameter,and add the button height plus 3mm (1/8in).Decide where you want your finishedbutton to lie, then carefully draw thebuttonhole line onto your fabric.

HANDSTITCHED BUTTONHOLESCut along your drawn buttonhole lineusing small sharp scissors.

Attach your thread securely on the backof your fabric at one end of the cut line.Work Buttonhole Stitch all along one sidemaking sure the looped end of the stitch ison the raw edge of the fabric (figs 4a and 4b).

At the ends work a semi-circle ofButtonhole stitch then continue down theother side (fig 4c).

When you reach the end work a bar ofshort stitches all lying close together to

strengthen the end then fasten off yourthread (fig 4d).

Once you have stitched your buttonhole,use a seam ripper or a pair of very sharpscissors to cut the fabric inside thebuttonhole. Be careful not to cut throughany of your stitches.

Always practise making buttonholesa few times on a spare scrap of fabric first,to make sure they are neat and that thebutton fits snugly through.

SELFCOVERED BUTTONSSelf-covered buttons are a great way toco-ordinate your buttons with a project, asyou can use left-over scraps of fabric fromyour sewing. Self-cover buttons can bebought in either plastic or metal, and comein a range of diameters from 11mm to45mm (1in). These buttons are easy tocover without the need for any tools, just a

small scrap of fabric.First cut the fabric into a circle with adiameter 1.5cm (in) bigger than thebutton diameter.

Sew a gathering thread all around theedge of the fabric making sure it is securelyfastened off at the beginning.

Place the top part of the self-coverbutton in the centre of the back of thefabric then pull the gathering thread uptightly round the button and work a fewstitches over each other to secure.

Finally, press the back of the button overthe gathered fabric to complete.

Many of these buttons can be boughtwith a tool that will help you do this thiscan save a lot of time as you dont need touse a gathering thread, but you will get thesame finish with or without the tool.

Attaching a flat button to thicker fabricIf the buttonhole that the button is going togo through is on quite thick fabric, thenyou will need to create a shank for thebutton. This makes sure that it sits slightly

away from the fabric it is attached to,giving it a little movement and allowing itto be pushed through the buttonhole,while not rubbing the fabric too much. Thisis important with larger flat buttons too.

Sew the button on as before, but thistime slide a needle or cocktail stickunderneath the thread, as shown, so thebutton is sewn on loosely (fig 2a).

When youre done, wrap your threadthree or four times around the loosethread underneath the button, take theneedle down through the fabric, thenfasten off (fig 2b).

ATTACHING A SHANK BUTTONA shank button has a protruding shank atthe back of the button which keeps thebutton away from the fabric this way thelayer of fabric sits flat when the button ispushed through the buttonhole.

Attach your thread to the fabric in thecentre of where the button is to be placed,in the same way as with a flat button. Stitchthrough the shank and into the fabric six orseven times until it feels nice and secure,then finish off the thread securely on thewrong side of the fabric (fig 3).

MAKING BUTTONHOLESYou can make a buttonhole either by handor machine, depending on the finishedeffect you want. To work out the length of

fig 4a

fig 4b

fig 4c fig 4d

Find self cover

buttons atBlooming Felt

www.bloomingfelt.co.uk

MACHINESTITCHEDBUTTONHOLESIf your machine has a buttonhole foot and

setting then you can easily makebuttonholes by machine. Your machinehandbook will explain exactly how to dothis as settings do differ slightly from onemachine to another.

TOP TIP

Buttonhole stitch is worked in exactlythe same way as Blanket Stitch. The onlydifference is that you work the stitchesclose together and a little shorter. Turnto p156 to find out how.

Buttons and Buttonholes




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The team behind Mollie Makesmagazine brings you 132 pagesof ideas for an artful family life. Be inspired by current trends,DIY projects and homestyle features that will help you chooseor create your own gifts, accessories and clothes for children.We chat with parents in the creative industry who offer advice

on ways to encourage creative play and craft amongst a busyschedule. Plus, take a peek at our favourite colourful family homes.

Available from WH Smith, newsagents and supermarketsor order online at

www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

oNAEOw!

FAMILY SPACES top trends party planning craft projects




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These adorable mini purses,created from self-cover buttons,

really do look good enough to eat!

Macaron

Coin Purse




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YOU WILL NEED

Two self-cover buttons, diameter4cm (1in)Outer fabric 14 x 7.5cm (5 x 3in)Lining fabric 14 x 7.5cm (5 x 3in), plus4cm (1in) square (for zip binding)Batting 10 x 5cm (4 x 2in)Zip, 12.5cm (5in) longRibbon, 5cm (2in) long, 1cm (3/8in) wide

FINISHED SIZE

4.5cm (1in) diameter, 3cm (1in) high


fig 1 fig 2

fig 3afig 3b

fig 4

fig 5fig 6

ITS AMAZING WHAT you can createwith simple sewing tools, simply bythinking outside the box. Thesecute-enough-to-eat purses are a brilliantexample of this, made by combining a zipwith two self-cover buttons and somepretty scraps of fabric.

You can choose either a nylon or a metalzip for your purse a nylon zip will beeasier to sew and open, but a metal ziplooks particularly adorable. Once youvegot the hang of it, we think you wont beable to stop sewing these little coin purses theyd make great presents, and arealways useful to stash in your handbag or

car with a bit of loose change.

PREPARE THE ZIP

1Sew to join the zip tape together abovethe top stops. Fold the ribbon in half andsew it onto the bottom stop with raw endsfacing the end of the zip tape (fig 1).

2Fold the zip right side together and sewto join it into a ring (fig 2).

3Neatly trim the zip ends to a 1.5cm(in) seam allowance from the stops.Fold the 4cm (1in) square of lining fabricinto half then fold each of the raw fabricedges under by 0.5cm (in). Encase theseam allowance from joining the ends ofthe zip into the fold of the fabric and sewin place (fig 3a).

4Fold the piece of lining fabric over theseam you just sewed, onto the zip (coveringthe end stopper) and sew in place. Turn thezip right side out (fig 3b).

5Make small running stitches along theedges of the zip. Pull to gather. Repeat onthe other side. Set aside (fig 4).

CREATE THE MACARON

6Carefully cut away and discard thebutton shanks from the back plates of the

self-cover buttons.

7Trace circles on to the fabrics with pencilor fabric marker. You will need two 7cm(2in) circles from the outer fabric and twofrom the lining fabric. From the batting cutout two 5cm (2in) circles.

8Apply a thin layer of glue to the selfcover button and attach it to the batting.Set aside to dry.

9Make small running stitches along theedge of the fabric. Place the cover onto thefabric. Pull the thread and gather the fabriconto the cover snugly. Knot thread.

Repeat with the other button cover, andto cover both back plates with lining fabric.

Slip stitch the cover to the zip, 1cm (3/8in)from the centre line of the zip (fig 5).Note: The further you sew from the zip, thebigger the coin purse space is.

Repeat with the other button cover, onthe other side of the zip.

Open the zip and place the fabric-covered back plate on to the button cover.Slip stitch neatly into place. Repeat on theother side (fig 6).




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FOR CRAFTS

Craft Passion is acraft website with

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offers many tutorials on how to recycleunwanted materials into handmade gems.All patterns and tutorials on Craft Passion

come with easy to follow step-by-stepphotos. www.craftpassion.com




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find this knot looks too bulky so youshould overlap the ends and stitch them

together either by hand or machine (fig 2).

SEWING WITH ELASTICSewing with elastic is called gathering if

you only stitch one row, and called shirringif you stitch more than one.First you will need to mark the line on

your fabric where you want the elastic tobe sewn. Make sure you use tailors chalkor an air erasable pen so the line wontshow afterwards.

Use ordinary sewing thread for the topthread in your sewing machine, andshirring elastic on the bobbin. You mustwind the elastic on to the bobbin by handto make sure it is the correct tension. Youneed to pull the elastic slightly so it doesntlie loosely round the bobbin but dont pull

it too much or it will be overstretched.This wont take too long to do as youllsoon get into a rhythm of pulling it to justthe right tension so it winds neatly aroundthe bobbin.

Now set your sewing machine to itslongest stitch length as this will allow alonger length of elastic for each stitch,giving the fabric more stretch and pullwhen its finished.

Stitch along the marked line as youwould normally (going backwards at thebeginning to secure the thread and elastic).

Elastic is a really useful sewingmaterial both for dressmaking and

for household and craft projects. Itallows you to give fabric fullness and canbe threaded through a hem or stitcheddirectly to the fabric itself. Stitching withelastic in your sewing machine is knownas shirring or gathering, and produces amore gathered effect.

MAKING A CASING FOR ELASTICIf you want to sew a hem or casing forelastic to go through, then you will needto make sure that the elastic can moveeasily through it or it wont gather thefabric properly.

1Measure your elastic width then add6mm (in) for ease and twice thethickness of the elastic.

2Turn the fabric over 1.5cm (in) thenover again to the width you calculated instep 1. Stitch the hem down close to thefolded over edge (fig 1).

JOINING THE ENDS OF ELASTICWhen you have threaded the elasticthrough the casing or hem and adjusted itso it is the correct length you can just knotthe ends. However for some items you may

ELASTICCreate gathered effects as well as smocking

and stretch by using elastic in your projects.

THREADING ELASTIC

The easiest way to thread elastic througha casing is to attach one end to a safetypin and thread this through. You can alsobuy elastic threaders or bodkins whichkeep the elastic taut whilst threading itthrough as well as stopping if fromtwisting. To stop the elastic coming all theway through the casing, hold it in place atthe far end with a safety pin.

ATTACHING ELASTIC TO FABRICIf you want to stitch elastic straight to yourpiece of fabric rather than adding a casingyou first need to divide the fabric intoquarters and mark with a pin.

Now cut your elastic to size, then dividethis into quarters and mark with a pin.

Match each pin on the fabric and elasticand pin the two together in these places.

To join the elastic to the fabric use awide, long zig zag stitch, stretching theelastic out between each of the pin markersas you sew (fig 3).

ProGuideto Sewing38

fig 2

ExpertGUIDEGUIDE

fig 1




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Make sure the fabric remains flat as you arestitching you may need to hold it in placeas you stitch. When you come to the end ofthe line, reverse stitch again to secure theends of your thread and elastic

If you are stitching more than one row ofelastic (shirring) then the fabric willobviously already be gathered afterstitching the first row. Make sure you holdthe fabric in front of and behind the needleto keep it flat, taking care not tooverstretch it (fig 4).

You can adjust the space between yourrows of shirring depending on the effectyou want to create. For a tightly gatheredpiece of fabric, stitch the rows of elastic6mm (in) apart or for a looser effect,space the rows 1.5cm (in) apart.

Some computerised sewing machines

have a shirring stitch, also called an elasticzig zag stitch. This stitch will set yourmachine to the correct tension but youmay still need to experiment with thestitch length and width a little.

When you have finished stitching allyour rows of shirring, the best way totighten the elastic thread is to press itgently with a steam iron. Place a thin cleancloth on top of your stitched fabric andhold the iron gently over it to allow tosteam to flow through.

fig 4

WHICH NEEDLE TO USEFOR ELASTIC?The best needle for stitching elasticdirectly to fabric is a stretch needle.These needles have rounded points thatpenetrate between the fabric threadsrather than pierce them. The point ofa stretch needle is slightly less roundedthan the point of a ballpoint needle so itworks better when stitching on elastic, asballpoint needles (used for sewing knitfabric) can sometimes skip stitches.


fig 3

Elastic

These pretty cotton bathhats use a channel ofelastic to ensure a tight fit.




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Sew this pretty elasticised bath hat withwater-resistant lining and contrast bound

edge, taken from And Sew To Bed.

Cotton Bath Hat

Photography Emma Mitchell




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1Cut a circle out of paper, 47.5cm (19in)in diameter. Use as a pattern to cut onecircle in cotton print and one in water-resistant lining. Place the two circles WStogether and pin around the edges tosecure. Stitch around the entire circle2.5cm (1in) from the edge (fig 1).

2Open out the pre-folded binding andfold one end over by 2cm (in) to neaten.

Place the binding RS down on the lining.Stitch around the hat, using the fold of thebinding as a guide for the seam allowance.Halfway round the circle, stop and securethe stitching, making sure to leave a 5cm(2in) gap to allow for threading the elastic.Complete the stitching of the circle,overlapping the raw end of the binding overthe folded end by 2cm (in), and trim offany excess binding (fig 2).

YOU WILL NEED50 x 50cm (20 x 20in) lightweightcotton print

50 x 50cm (20 x 20in) lightweightwater-resistant lining fabric

1.5m (1yd) of 2.5cm (1in) widepre-folded bias binding

50cm (20in) of 1cm (in) wide elastic


3Fold the binding over to the outside ofthe hat and edge stitch along the edge on theRS. Leave a 10cm (4in) gap in the stitching,so that it extends 2.5cm (1in) beyond eachside of the 5cm (2in) opening left in step 2.

4Steam the elastic and cut to 45cm (18in).Attach a safety pin at one end for threadingand another at the other end to anchor theelastic to a section of the binding, to avoidlosing it inside the channel. Thread theelastic through the channel (fig 3).

5Pull out the ends, making sure the elasticis not twisted, and overlap them by 3cm(1in). Zig-zag stitch along the overlappedsection to secure the ends together (fig 4).

7Stretch out the shower cap so that theelastic pulls back inside the channel evenly.Arrange the unstitched section of thebinding so that it lies flat. On the inside,stitch the original 5cm (2in) gap first. Onthe outside, edge stitch along the final 10cm

(4in) gap to close.

BRING A STYLISHSPLASH OF COLOUR TOYOUR BATHROOM

fig 2

AND SEW TO BED

And Sew to Bedby Caro London is published by CICO Books at 12.99,paperback. Its packed with 30 beautiful projects for nightwear andaccessories, from a delicate nightdress with lace trims to a cute and quirkyowl pyjamas case, and everything comes with illustrated step-by-stepinstructions. Call 01256 302699 quoting GLR 8AT to purchase a copy at t

Guide to Sewing

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