The other day I was talking to a group of women about shopping. They all chorused that they saw no point in sewing because they could buy garments very cheaply ready made. I asked them if they had ever learnt to sew and each one said they once made all their clothes. Then I came back with what I think is the key question about the benefits of sewing. I asked them whether they found that shop clothes fitted them perfectly. And each one had to concede that getting things to fit was a major problem and they had to end up compromising somewhere along the line. After several more minutes of discussion one of the ladies started to describe some of the gorgeous clothes she had made herself. She finished our conversation by saying that maybe it was time to dust off that machine and get creative.

If there is one area that homemade garments score off shop ones it is regarding a perfect fit. Having something that sits right on your shoulder line, is the perfect length...

When I first started sewing in my early teens my mother let me loose on her old treadle. She had an electric machine but it was strictly out of bounds to a thirteen-year-old. My mum was a dab hand at sewing and knitting. She could create Fairisle and Aran sweaters without a pattern and if I caught her in a good mood she would whip me up a dress for a forthcoming dance. So, you can understand why she didn’t want me jamming up her precious and expensive model. When I became proficient on the treadle I then graduated to a Singer hand machine (this was acquired at a local jumble sale). And finally, at the age of sixteen and under strict supervision I was allowed the electric version. Over the years I have acquired a number of sewing machines of my own and today I work with a Read more

Here they come the dreaded school holidays. Not for youngsters that is but for parents who after week two are looking for a response to that worn out phrase, ‘I’m bored!’ I was reminding my husband the other day that when I was shipped off to my aunts (my mother was working in London) I was frequently banished to the garden along with my younger sister and cousin. There was precisely nothing to do in the garden because most of it was being cultivated as a vegetable patch and we stepped on that ground at our peril. So we amused ourselves by trying to catch butterflies or build a race track for my cousin’s pet tortoise – all very tame by today’s standards. No blackberry’s (well only those we picked to eat) and no internet.

In order to give this particular aunt a much needed break my sister and I were occasionally sent to another aunt who lived in the depths of the countryside. She obviously loved children because...

In these days of austerity some commercial patterns might be considered a bit of a luxury. Flick through a catalogue and a designer one will set you back something in the region of £15 for one garment! If you use it several times then it probably is money well spent, but if you change your mind, once you’ve studied the pattern pieces, it is cash you could have put towards fabric. An alternative to buying a commercial pattern is to create your own – for nothing.

You can actually make a pattern from a ready-to-wear garment. Obviously the said item needs to be thoroughly worn, but if you love the shape then it can live on in a different cloth.

If this is your first homemade pattern it’s a good idea to work with a very simple shape. An A-line or straight...

There was a time, in fact only a couple of years ago, when smocks and voluminous clothes were high fashion. But now, to ensure that their order books stay full, we are encouraged by designers to support more shapely garments. If you think of Kate and Pippa who are currently the darlings of high street chains you’ll understand what I mean. Those simple sheath dresses in plain colours look stunningly attractive.

However, because shapely styles are back in fashion it isn’t necessary to spend out on a whole new wardrobe of clothes. The one thing you need to add some curves to your clothes is to sew in some contour darts. The thing about darts is that they sound complicated and time consuming, whereas in fact the reverse is true. They are a simple way of transforming the look of a boxy garment.

You can start...

It’s the Wimbledon fortnight and it’s raining so it must be our British summer! After the appalling winter we all hope for a great summer envisaging ourselves wheeling out the barbecue, taking the kids on a picnic or simply sunbathing in the garden. But currently it seems those pleasures are being denied us. It’s no wonder that families scrimp and save to go abroad. For my husband’s birthday I arranged for him to fly to Sicily and stay with some old friends. He loved it. He sat by their olive grove drinking coffee in the mornings and wine in the evenings. However, before he left our home he asked me if there was anything I would like bought back. And being the obsessive sewer that I am I immediately requested a length of fabric. The poor man then had to locate a local market and without my supervision select something he thought I might like. Well I have to say he was very successful. He presented me with two metres...

Everyone likes being invited to a party, whether it’s your type of event or not. It’s all about the stiff card invitation coming through the door. It’s not nearly so exciting when it comes via email. What I’m discovering today is that the word party definitely does mean different things to different people. At one time of day I thought things were fairly clear cut. You had the kids’ party which was once jelly and ice-cream but now is more likely to be burgers at McDonald’s. You had the great-the-parents-are-away event in someone’s home when you were about fourteen. You then graduated to the evening through to morning chaos at university and finally the more intimate and sophisticated dinner party with a few chosen friends for those in their thirties and above. And that was pretty much it. But today you can have a pottery party, a pampering party, a baking fairy cakes party and naturally, a sewing party.

For all...

I have come to identify with that old adage that it’s the little things that can make a big difference. So often we are suffering from the; can’t see the wood for the trees syndrome. Always wanting over and above rather than taking pleasure in what we have to hand. And as this is a sewing blog my mind naturally turns to that domain. For so long I have been creating garments (and, I have to say, really enjoying the process) leading me to make coats and jackets and all aspects of tailoring. While this process has been rewarding it has been incredibly time consuming, especially when you are also working as a writer.

However, the other day I needed to make some small flowers for a hat I had just completed. Having found some relaxing (rather than weird) music on You Tube I started to create. Using small quantities of felt I cut and rolled and stitched until I had a collection of small fabric flowers. I think it was the most pleasurable and relaxing...

In the last blog I finished on a note of nostalgia. Recalling the days when the women in my family would happily spend afternoons knitting. They didn’t appear to be too worried about collagen, cholesterol or having their teeth whitened. I think they were simply glad to have some adult conversation even if it meant their offspring were creating a path of destruction through my Uncle Frank’s vegetable plot!

But I’m beginning to notice that I am now being quite heavily drawn into the current vintage trend. At first I thought this latest phenomena was just a piece of brilliant marketing designed to get us spending more money. And that if someone designed some fabric that reminds us of our bedroom curtains when we were five we had to have it. And while I understand there is a place to look back with fondness on the good times in the past, this doesn’t necessarily include wanting my nursery curtains. I do want to enjoy today even with...

Whether you are a fan of the monarchy or not pretty much everyone loves a wedding. And the newspapers that are usually filled with stories of doom and gloom now devote page after page to Kate’s hair, make-up, shoes, diet and clothes. If nothing else this whole event has generated a great feel-good-factor which in the middle of a national financial downturn must be a plus. I think many people are organising tea parties and street events because they want something to celebrate.

And one of the key ingredients to this happy day will be the dress. Discussed at length it will be scrutinised by every fashion pundit across the land. What a great opportunity to celebrate all the people who have been involved in its creation. From the designer, to the fabric suppliers, the cutters and those that have spent hours embellishing. It’s so wonderful to see what talented sewers can do, and everyone will rightly applaud them.

Too...