Spring Knitting and Stitching Show Tickets Giveaway 2019

January 21, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Spring Knitting and Stitching Show Tickets Giveaway 2019

The Spring Knitting and Stitching Show is returning to Olympia, London from 28th February to the 3rd March 2019, and you could win one of 5 pairs of tickets in a tickets giveaway!

It’s the UK’s biggest textile craft event with workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions and specialist retailers.

This year there’s a special focus on dressmaking. Included is a dressmaking competition and the Spring Sewing School with top tutors hosting full and half-day dressmaking technique and upcycling workshops.

There will be live dressmaking competitions too and a show theatre featuring handmade fashion.

There’s also going to be a taster of a forthcoming exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum celebrating Zandra Rhode’s 50th anniversary.

The show will also be offering an extensive programme of workshops and demonstrations, gallery exhibitions by leading textile artists and drop-in knitting and crochet lessons.

There will be a display of the latest sewing and knitting equipment, a Bag4Life competition and an display entitled The Enchanted Wood which is entirely knitted!

If you’re thirsty while you’re there, there will be a prosecco bar (I’m hoping they’ll be serving tea as well!), and over 150 specialist retailers.

For the second year running, the show will be hosting the National Needlecraft Awards with Sew and So.

More information about the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show 2019 can be found here on their website.

If you fancy going along too, I have 5 pairs of tickets to give away! The tickets giveaway will run from today (20th January 2019) until 11.59 pm on Sunday 10th February 2019. The winners will be notified by email.

***Please note that the tickets are only redeemable on the 28th February and the 1st and 3rd March 2019. You won’t be able to use them on Saturday 2nd March, so you would need to be free to go on one of those days.***

The tickets usually cost £14 for advance bookings and £13 for concessions plus £1.75 booking fee.

If you don’t win the giveaway, or if you want to go on the Saturday, you can get £2 off the full adult price and £1 off concessions by using the code TEAANDSEW19 at the checkout.

If you’d like to enter the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show 2019 tickets giveaway, please enter your email address in the form below.

Please be aware that by doing this, you will be added to the Tea and a Sewing Machine email list. This means that you will receive emails from me, usually on a Saturday. These contain links to things I think you might like, updates and the occasional freebie. Your email address will not be shared with anyone else.

30 Minute Storage Basket

January 11, 2019 · Leave a Comment

30 Minute Storage Basket

One of the things I’ve discovered since I began home educating my 3 younger boys a few months ago is just how much more stuff there is!

A while ago I posted this photo in a home ed Facebook group.

Obviously the boys had been very busy, but unfortunately we also use that table for eating! Quite aside from the fact that I don’t especially want to eat my dinner with Barnabas’ eyeball for company, the stuff takes up so much space, there was hardly any room for the plates!

In December I cleared all the stuff off the sideboard and rehomed things. This was so that I had a decent space to put out the Lego Christmas village.

Since Christmas, the Lego has gone away but I haven’t got round to collecting up all the stuff that used to live there and putting it back.

So I decided to make some storage baskets that can live on the sideboard. Hopefully they will help to keep the table clear enough so that we can eat there without eyeballs and science projects.

Whatever stage of life you are at, a storage basket is always useful. There’s always stuff that needs a home, especially after Christmas!

About The Storage Basket

Size. The baskets can be made whatever size you like. I cut the outer sections of the 2 larger baskets so that they were about the same size as a tea towel. I made the third storage basket smaller because the piece of fabric was smaller.

Fabric. I used ticking and a cotton/ linen blend that I had left over from another project. Medium weight fabrics will work well. Cotton or polycotton is fine too as long as you use interfacing.

Storage baskets are a great way of using up bits and pieces from your fabric hoard, so just see what you have. You could even use actual tea towels!

Interfacing. I made one basket with fusible synthetic buckram, and 2 with firm interfacing. Both worked, but I think on balance that the interfacing was better.

The fusible buckram was great, nice and stiff, and the basket holds its shape well. The problem was that synthetic buckram has no give at all. If your lining is not exactly the right size, you can’t stretch it to make it fit. It was also difficult to press the seams properly.

The interfacing made a storage basket that was less rigid but it was much easier to sew.

Lining. Cotton or polycotton is fine for lining the baskets. Just see what you have already!

To cut the lining, use the outer piece as a template. Find the longer edge and add about 8-10 cm (3-4 inches). You need enough to fold it over the edge of the outer then tuck the raw edge underneath.

Timing. I’ve called this a 30 minute storage basket. To be honest, I didn’t time myself making them. I usually do a bit, then sort kids out/ make dinner/ drink tea etc, so I don’t actually know how long it took me.

The point is that they didn’t take me very long! It might even have been less than half an hour. I have made storage baskets like this before, and things often take a bit longer the first time you do them. Once you’ve made a couple, you’ll be knocking them out like nobody’s business!

How To Make 30 Minute Storage Baskets

You Will Need

Fabric for the outer (cotton, polycotton, canvas, ticking, oilcloth will all work well).
Fabric for the lining (Cotton, polycotton or something else lightish, although medium weight fabrics might work too. Try it and see!).
Firm interfacing, fusible buckram or similar.
A teatowel for measurements.
Usual sewing supplies.

Cutting Out

Using the teatowel as a guide, cut a piece the same size from the outer and the interfacing.

For the lining, use the teatowel as a guide again. Find one of the longer edges and instead of cutting along the edge of the teatowel, move 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) away, then cut it. You should end up with a piece that is as long as the tea towel, but a little bit wider.

Sewing the Storage Boxes

If you are using fusible interfacing, fuse it to the wrong side of the outer.

Fold the outer in half lengthways with the right sides together. Pin the short edges together, then sew. Trim the seams and press them open.

Take one of the corners. Open the box out then squish the corner flat so that the side seam is next to the fold at the bottom.

Measure about 8 cm (3 inches) up from the corner. Pin so that the pins are at right angles to the side seam. Pin the other corner in the same way.

Sew across where you have pinned. Cut the corner off. Do the same with the other corner.

Repeat steps 1-5 with the lining.

Turn the basket outer the right way out. Pop the lining inside the outer so that the wrong sides are together. You might find it helpful to pin the corners.

Fold the lining over the outer. Tuck the raw edge of the lining underneath. Pin, then sew around the outside of the basket, keeping close to the folded edge.

Tips For Making Several Storage Baskets At The Same Time

Choose fabrics that go well together. Try stripes or spots for the outer with a neutral lining, or quilting cottons from the same collection.

Batch the jobs. Do all your cutting out, then all your interfacing fusing, then all the side seams. As well as being more efficient than making each basket separately, it also means that if you have to move your sewing machine so that people can eat dinner, you’re more likely to get a whole stage done. This also works better for those of us with short attention spans!

Use a rotary cutter and pattern weights for cutting out. There’s a tutorial for pattern weights here if you need one! Doing it this way is much quicker because you don’t have to faff about pinning everything and you can cut out several bits at once.

If you make some I’d love to see! Please share them on social media, or you can email me :). And let me know how long they took you!

DIY Embroidered Christmas Star

December 19, 2018 · 2 Comments

DIY Embroidered Christmas Star

When I was younger, I did a lot of Christmas crafting. I used to make cards and decorations and bake stuff.

Then I had kids and everything changed! I’d plan to make lots of things, then feel frustrated and annoyed that I hadn’t managed to get them done.

One year I tried to get round the fact that I had several tiny children by starting early. I was making stuff from August onwards. But because I’d been thinking about Christmas for so long, by the time it eventually came round I was sick of it!

So a couple of years ago, I made the decision to not worry too much. I’d do a bit if I had time and if I felt like it, and not attempt anything too ambitious. There is a limit to how many decorations I can hang off the tree anyway and I don’t send that many Christmas cards.

This year has been different again. Home educating my younger three means that I have boys at home in the day again. As they were showing signs of needing a break from the academic stuff, we spent most of last week doing Christmas crafts while listening to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It was lovely!

One “grown up” thing that I’ve been working on recently is an diy embroidered Christmas star.

It’s made from felt with a snowflake design embroidered in the centre. The stars are sewn together using blanket stitch.

It’s a perfect project for a busy person who’s left things a bit late! It doesn’t take long to make. You can do a bit when you have a minute. You can make one, or a few and string them together. And to make things easier, you can download a template with the snowflake design at the bottom of the post.

How To Make a DIY Embroidered Star

You Will Need

Felt
Embroidery thread
Ribbon for hanging
Star shape
Snowflake design

Making the Star

1.Cut 2 stars from felt.

2. Embroider the snowflake design onto one of the stars.

3. Sew the 2 stars together. I used blanket stitch, but you could use back stitch or running stitch if you prefer.

4. Attach some ribbon or twine for hanging.

If you would like the template I used, please enter your email address in the form below. Please note that by doing this, you will be added to the Tea and a Sewing Machine email list. I never send spam, only a weekly email containing updates, links, and other things that you might like. You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time. For more information about why I do this, please click here.

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How to Turn a Jumper Into a Cushion Cover

December 7, 2018 · 2 Comments

How to Turn a Jumper Into a Cushion Cover

My husband turned 40 earlier this year, and among the presents he was given was this.

Bearing in mind that his birthday is in May, and that he never wears anything like this (he’s 40, not 80!) it was a case of politely saying thank you and then wondering what to do with it.

He was never going to wear it, but giving it away or throwing it out seemed wrong. After all, the present giver had remembered that it was his birthday and had gone to the trouble of getting him a present. They probably meant well. It was probably not a joke.

So as an alternative to offloading it onto a charity shop and then feeling guilty, I decided to turn the jumper into a cushion cover.

It was very quick and easy to do, and is a solution not only for unloved birthday presents, but also for old clothes once worn by people who were very much loved.

Keeping clothes in one’s wardrobe that used to belong to people who have since died can cause space issues. Turning a favourite jumper into a cushion cover is a way of keeping memories and little bit of that person still in your life. It could work equally well with old shirts too.

There are lots of ways to turn a jumper into a cushion cover, but I wanted to keep things as simple as possible. I also wanted to keep its jumperiness. The buttons have stayed, as have the pockets. Actually, the buttons made things easier because they serve as the opening for the cushion pad, and the pockets are useful for keeping things, like ear buds or sweets for later!

Instructions

You Will Need

A jumper
A cushion pad (you could upcycle an old cushion or synthetic pillow. Instructions for doing this can be found here.)
Usual sewing supplies

How To

1. Cut the top part of the jumper off, underneath the arms.

2. If you need to, pin the button bands so that the button holes are not pulling on the buttons.

3. Turn the jumper section inside out.

4. Decide where the seams will be. I wanted the cushion cover to be squareish, so I decided to resew the side seams about 4-5 cm away from the original seams. This was as close as I could get and keep the pockets as they were. Sew the seams and trim them if necessary.

5. Sort out your cushion pad. You might have one already that you could use. Alternatively, an old pad or a synthetic pillow can be given a new lease of life if it’s washed, dried, and then pulled apart and fluffed up. There are instructions for doing this here.

6. Turn the cushion cover the right way out. Put your cushion pad inside its cover and enjoy your new cushion!

In the interests of being real, here’s a picture of my new cushion with its cushion friends and some mess. The pad of the reindeer one went weird in the wash and I haven’t sorted it out yet!

Winter Circle Skirt Tutorial

November 24, 2018 · 2 Comments

Winter Circle Skirt Tutorial

After successfully managing to lose some weight, I’ve ended up with a wardrobe full of clothes that don’t fit, and the perfect excuse to make some new clothes for myself!

Over the summer I made several new things, and by the end of August, I could manage a week of pretty vintage style dresses and skirts.

Unfortunately, the end of summer meant putting the pretty things away and going back into things that were decidedly baggy and, in some cases, actually falling off.

So I’m now in the process of making some winter outfits for myself. I now have a lovely blue dress with appliqued flowers on it, and a couple of weeks ago I made myself a winter circle skirt.

I love circle skirts and the last one I made was from a duvet cover! This one I’ve made from some lovely wool plaid as cotton duvet covers aren’t warm enough for winter!

Circle skirts are fab, and here’s why:

They’re easy to make. Although there is a zip which I know might give some of you the heebie jeebies, there is an easy way to put them in. If you’re still terrified, you could use a button or ties instead.

They are quick to make. Once you’ve made one or two, you’ll be able to knock one out in an evening easily. You could even make several at once as there’s nothing especially complicated about them and apart from the waistband, the bits are all the same.

Fitting is easy. As long as it fits around your middle and it’s the length you want, you don’t need to worry! And if it turns out to be too long or too short, that’s easy to fix. Either cut a bit off or add an extra bit of fabric, a frill or some broderie anglaise.

They look lovely on most people, regardless of body shape. There’s no gathering, so no extra bulk around areas you might not want to draw attention to.

They’re lovely and swirly to wear, and if you’re in a foofy kind of mood, you could wear a petticoat or add some circles of net underneath.

They’re the kind of thing that will work equally well whatever fabric you use. Personally I’d avoid stripes and big prints, but I can imagine them working if you match the patterns. I’ve made them in cotton prints, jersey, plain fabric, duvet covers, taffeta, chiffon, tulle and now wool plaid.

You can wear pretty much anything with them! A t shirt, cardigan, blouse, jumper, or a vest will all go.

So given that I love circle skirts and that I knew I could make one in the limited time I had, a winter circle skirt was an obvious choice!

How to Make a Winter Circle Skirt

You Will Need:

Warm fabric for the skirt, like a wool blend. Depending on your measurements and on the width of the fabric, you might need a couple of metres, or it might be 3 or 4. So check your measurements first!

Fabric for the lining

A 20 cm zip

Bias binding

1. Take Your Measurements

First of all you’ll need to measure your waist and decide how long you want the skirt to be.

When measuring yourself, let the tape measure rest gently where the skirt will sit. Don’t be tempted to pull it too tight! We’d all like those numbers to be a bit smaller, but being able to breathe is more important!

Jot down your waist measurement, then add 10 cm for seam allowance and ease. If you are planning on cutting 2 half circles instead of 4 quarter circles, you’ll only need to add 6 cm.

When it comes to length, 62 cm is a good length for most people. A skirt of this length will come to just below your knee if you are of average height. If you are either very tall or very small, or if you want a skirt that is longer or shorter, you’ll need to measure yourself.

The easiest way to do this is to dangle the tape measure upside down. When the the end is where you’d want the hem to be, make a note of the number at your waist.

2. Working Out the Squares

You’re going to be cutting the skirt pieces out from squares, so the next job is to work out how big the squares need to be.

You already have some of the information because you’ll have worked out how long you want the skirt to be in the previous step. What you need to work out now is the distance from your waist to what will be the centre of the circle.

The easiest way to do this is to take your waist measurement plus the extra cm for seams and ease, and divide it by 3. Then divide the answer by 2.

Add this to your desired skirt length and this will tell you how big the square will need to be.

3. Cutting Out

The Skirt

Now you can cut the bits out! If you prefer, you can make a pattern piece which might make things a bit quicker if you decide to make another winter circle skirt. I don’t usually bother, partly because I know I’ll forget where I put it!

Cut 4 squares of fabric with each side being the same length as your desired skirt length plus waist divided by 3 divided by 2.

If you are fairly slim, you might be able to cut out half a circle by folding the fabric in half widthways.

The thing to remember is that for your winter circle skirt to hang properly, the grain needs to be running up and down the centre front and back.

Choose which corner will be the top of your skirt. Using pins and a tape measure, start at one side and mark off your desired skirt length plus waist divided by 3 divided by 2. Measure across the skirt to the other side, keeping one end of the tape measure at the top corner.

Go back to the top corner and one side, and this time mark off your waist measurement divided by 3 divided by 2.

Now cut out where you have pinned. You should have what looks like a quarter of a doughnut.

You’ll need 4 of these!

With cotton fabric, it’s possible to cut out all 4 quarter circles together, but if you’ve chosen something thicker for your winter circle skirt, it’s probably safer to cut them out 2 at a time.

The Lining

Cut the lining out in the same way. Just make your overall length 10 cm shorter.

Cutting Out the Waistband

Cut a piece of fabric the same length as your waist plus a bit extra, and 10 cm wide. You might have to cut 2 pieces and join them.

4. Sewing the Skirt Pieces

If you’ve ended up with 4 quarters, sew the front and back sections. If you cut 2 half circles, you can skip this step!

Take 2 of the quarters and pin them, right sides together, along one of the straight edges. These straight edges should have the grain running up and down.

Sew, then trim the seam. Press it open.

Repeat with the other 2 pieces.

5. Sewing the Side Seams

If you have some safety pins handy, you might like to use those instead of pins. This is a tip from Julie of Sum of Their Stories and it definitely beats jabbing yourself with a pin!

Pin one of the side seams near the waist. Put the skirt round you and pin the other side. You might need to adjust the pins a bit so that the seams on each side are the same.

On one side, mark where you have pinned with a pencil or tailors’ chalk, then unpin it. Take the skirt off and repin the side seams. Sew both seams. Trim and press the seams open.

6. Making the Lining

If your lining sections are in quarters, sew them together to get a front piece and a back piece.

Pin the front and back sections together, using the skirt as a guide for the side seams. Sew the seams, trim and press.

7. Installing the Zip

Sewing the zip to your winter circle skirt is much easier if you sew the lining to the skirt first!

Make sure that the side seams are matched up, then sew the lining to the skirt a cm (1/4 inch) or so from the waist. You can do this either by hand or on the sewing machine.

I decided to sew the zip on top of the lining because it’s easiest. If you’d like a neater finish, you could sandwich the zip between the lining and the skirt instead.

Using the zip as a guide, unpick some of the side seam of the lining.

Pin the lining to the skirt at the bottom of the bit you unpicked. Check that the unpicked bit of side seam of the lining is matched up with the side seam of the skirt.

Now pin the zip over the unpicked lining seam and the skirt seam. Tack the zip in place, checking that the teeth of the zip are over the seam.

Sew the zip. This is easiest with a zip foot, but you can still do this if you don’t have one.

Now unpick the part of the skirt seam that’s covering the teeth of the zip.

When sewing the zip, it’s easiest to start some way down from the zip pull. When you’ve unpicked the seam, move the zip pull down into the bit you’ve sewn already, then sew the top of the zip.

8. Making the Waistband

If you need to join the pieces of your waistband, do that now.

Fold the waistband in half lengthways and press. Your finger will probably do! If not then use the iron.

Open it out, then fold the long raw edges into the centre. Fold it in half lengthways again and press, with your finger or with the iron.

Unfold the waistband. Pin one of the long edges to the waist of the skirt on the wrong side. The waistband needs to be face down, so that once you have sewn it to the wrong side, you can fold it over the raw edges using the creases you pressed into the waistband earlier.

Sew the waistband to the skirt, keeping close to the folded edge. Leave a couple of cm either side of the zip.

Now fold the waistband over to waist of the skirt. Tuck the raw edge of the waistband underneath so that all the messy bits are enclosed.

Topstitch around the waistband.

When you get to the zip, tuck the ends in and sew.

9. Finish the Hems

The easiest way to finish the hem on your winter circle skirt is with bias binding.

As it’s going to take quite a lot, it’s best to leave it on the roll. Starting somewhere inconspicuous (A side seam is a good place), pin one end of the bias binding to the skirt on the right side, so that the right sides are together.

Sew the bias binding to the skirt, keeping close to the folded edge.

When you get back to where you started, overlap the ends of the bias binding by a cm or two and sew over them.

Fold the bias binding over so that it’s all on the underneath of the skirt. Press it, then sew the bias binding to the wrong side of the skirt, keeping close to the other folded edge.

Finish the hem on the lining in the same way.

Trim away any stray threads, run the iron over it and your winter circle skirt is ready to wear!