General sewing class starting in October!

On Wednesday the 7th of October our "General Sewing class" starts. Between 6 pm - 8 pm you can bring along that sewing pattern you are having trouble getting on with at home or those alterations you mean to do but need a hand pinning. A great opportunity for those with some sewing experience. It is £120 for 6 weeks and each session will be a mixture of teacher lead and student lead learning. So that you can also pick up some new skills, learning different details and techniques.

If you haven't got a pattern we stock a large range of sewing patterns as well as fabric and when you book on to a course with us you get 10% off your purchase in the shop.

Here is a photo of some sewers in our workshop in action.

We've still got places left so go on! Book online, give us a ring 0117 9041498 or pop in to the shop to secure a space. We can't wait to see what you will make!

New in! Wool!

We've got some new fantastic wool in bright and happy colors, both contain a mix of 80% wool and 20% Polyester. At 150 cm wide you can easily fit a jacket pattern in over a couple of meters.

Lovely and soft, perfect for the new season!

 Depending on your personal style; we've got this stylish Sewaholic pattern for a fitted jacket with a peplum detail for £12. Merchant & Mills Baby bow scissors £7 and glass headed pins £5.50 would make a lovely gift for any home sewer!

We also stock Colette patterns from £14. You could make a short wrap coat or a classic double breasted jacket. I think the blue wool would look really nice made up into an Ansie jacket. What do you think?

Sewing workshops in September

We are getting very close to the start of our September sewing classes, how quickly time flies! On Saturday the 5th of September you can join our "Let's get Sewing" workshop from 10-1 pm. This is a great introduction for beginners, learning how to use a sewing machine and start sewing!

 On Tuesday the 8th of September, 6.30-9 pm we start the 5 week workshop for "Beginners dressmaking" where we are making the wonderful shift dress Laurel, see pattern below. The dress features 3/4 sleeves, a zip fastener in the back, darts and different optional details.

 Colette pattern "Laurel" can be bought in our shop for £14 as well as the backdrop material with roses £6.50 per meter.

Here are a couple of photos of the Laurel dress pattern made up in a striking bird print by Freespirit. It's £14 per meter and you can find it in our shop or here on our website. For more information about workshops you can give us a ring, pop in and have a chat with us in the shop or book online! Click here for more workshops.

New dressmaking patterns in stock!

This week we have a selection of new dress making patterns in stock.

The Eliza M patterns offer a Vintage inspired collection of beautiful dresses, a perfect pencil skirt and an on trend Gypsy top. Made in the UK, working with Janome, they are suitable for beginners, those returning to sewing or the more advanced. The have clear instructions with simple diagrams to follow.

Eliza M patterns 'are especially designed with you in mind, to make stitching accessible to everybody who has the desire to create.'

Eliza M patterns £14 each.

The Tilly and the Buttons patterns are a perfect addition to anyone's sewing basket.

With their user-friendly instructions, colour photos of each step and jargon buster. They make sewing a breeze, even for new dressmakers. With a touch of retro flare, these patterns will make fantastic staples in everyone's wardrobe...and they are fun and fulfilling to make yourself! What more could you ask for?

Tilly and the Buttons Patterns £13 each.

So pop into the shop to buy our new patterns or shop online for our Colette, Sewaholic and Merchant and Mills patterns here.

We look forward to seeing your creations soon! Happy stitching! Enjoy your weekend! xxx

New arrivals...

This week in the shop we've been able to add a few new floral brights to our fantastic new shelves.

 Their summery tones, ditsy prints or bold patterns, are making this very rainy Friday seem a little brighter! My favourite is the Kaffe Fasset print.

You can shop in store or online here.

What are you doing on this very soggy Friday?

What are you getting up to this weekend? We'd love to hear from you.

Glow by Amy Butler for Rowan- Peace flower £!4 per metre

Rustique by Emily Herrick for Michael Miller- Shark Tooth £14 per metre

Kaffe Fasset for Rowan- Lotus Leaf £14 per metre

Diary of a Geisha by Pippa Moon for Studio E Fabrics £14 per metre

Olivia by Emily Hayes for Penny Rose Fabric £14 per metre

SUMMER SALE

Our new shelves have been fitted and are looking fabulously full with all our fabrics. What's even better is that 2 of these shelves are full of SALE FABRIC, now available for £9 per metre. Selected fabrics are marked with an orange star. 

Can you spot something you like below? There's lots to choose from, so come down while it lasts and see what might take your fancy and get sewing on this sunny afternoon!

Teddy In A Tin Travel Bear

Hi I'm Esther and I'm doing work experience at Flo-Jo.
I chose a thing from the shop to make and review and I choose Teddy in a tin. It comes with all the things you need to make it.
 The tin includes :

• Stuffing
• Thread
• Unsharp needle
• Unstuffed teddy
• Pillow felt pieces
• Bag felt pieces
• Scarf
• Blanket
• Map
• Birth Certificate

It's incredibly easy to make and is a very enjoyable activity. The instructions are simple to follow and have clear pictures to help you. Not much reading is required to follow them. I think it would be suitable for children over the age of 6 as all the holes for the sewing you have to do are pre-punched and the needle isn't at all sharp. There is also plenty of thread if you go wrong. I'm sure children will have fun stuffing and sewing their own teddy. 

The only thing that was a bit of a struggle was trying to find the holes at the back of the teddy to sew it together but once you've found them then you're good to go. Making the bag and the pillow

also aren't very hard to do but children may struggle with tying the knots.

 

Once you've finished the teddy and all its accessories, you can then name him on their birth certificate that comes with it and write it on the white tag on the teddy's chest. It is a small teddy and so can be carried around easily.

I enjoyed making Teddy in a tin and I hope you will too. It's the perfect thing to take on holiday and is a nice present to give to someone. It's good value for only £11.50.