Sewing pattern tutorials
How to pattern match and adjust the Dorothy pattern for a border print.
I have recently been collaborating with Makower UK fabrics, showcasing their beautiful craft weight cotton fabrics being made into some of the styles from my sewing pattern range. Most of the Makower UK collections feature a border print design which is just asking to be used on the Dorothy dress. The Dorothy dress skirt is…
Decorative upside down stitching tutorial.
Decorative upside down stitching on the Mary dress pocket. This is a fun technique to try. In this tutorial I am showing this upside down stitching technique on the pocket of the Mary dress. I have included the pattern for this design if you wanted to use the same design on a Mary dress or…
Special occasion dress hack for the Dorothy pattern.
This is a tutorial to show how to add a circular skirt to the Dorothy pattern. Adding a circular skirt gives this simple style that extra swish and twirl power, making it perfect for a special occasion dress. It could easily be transformed to pretty bridesmaid dresses, a party dress or a dress for any…
How to line straps for dungarees – tutorial.
How to line straps for dungarees. In this tutorial I am going to show you how to line straps for dungarees. I am using the Mary pattern to show the technique. This technique might be useful to line dungaree straps if you are using a bulky fabric such as heavy weight denim, corduroy or any…
How to apply a perfect curved patch pocket.
How to apply a perfect curved patch pocket. In this tutorial I am going to show you how to sew a lovely neat curved patch pocket. I am using the Mary dress pattern to demonstrate. This style has the option of curved pockets positioned at the back or front of the dress. The dress has…
How to sew a flat fell seam.
A flat fell seam is the seam you often find on the inside leg seam of a pair of jeans. It has two rows of visible stitching on the outside and on the inside all the raw edges are encased, making it a neat and super strong seam. It is one of those style details…
How to insert a lapped zip – tutorial.
This is a tutorial to show how to insert a lapped zip. I’ve just launched my third dressmaking pattern, a little girls sleeveless dress with a gathered skirt, that zips at the back. Zips are one of those things that people sometimes prefer to avoid because they seem a bit tricky. However with a little…
How to measure a child for making their clothes.
Measuring up before starting to make a garment is one of those tasks that can sometimes gets ignored, its tempting to just get stuck into sewing, picking a size closest to what you buy off the peg from the shops. However just like sizes vary from shop to shop, sizes also vary between pattern brands.…
How to add heart shape pockets to your Rosie dress-tutorial.
As the theme of the week is a romantic one, I thought I would share this fun tutorial for how to add heart shaped pockets to your Rosie pinafore dress. Materials: Fabric – 2 x 20cm square for outer 2 x 20cm square for lining. Templates: heart shaped pocket placement heart shaped pockets pattern…
How to lengthen or shorten a dress or top pattern.
It’s easy to think if you want to add length to a dress or top that you can just add a few centimetres down from the hem, in some cases this does work. However if you have a shaped hem or have a hem facing, adding length to the bottom edge of your garment may…
