#getsetsewjanuary - Sew Tidy Can you belive it??? Here we are at the start of another new year!! How is your sewjo doing after the holidays? Are you all stitched out from Christmas makes? Is the will to start sewing or knitting or crocheting again just a little jaded rignt now? Or is your sewing or crafting space suffering from Christmas excess, cluttered with the debris from past projects, filled with half completed projects, or even still packed away to make space for holiday visitors and/or celebrations?? Then this months #getsetsew challenge is just what you need. January is often that time of year when we make resolutions, set ourselves new goals and challenges, and make plans for the months ahead, And here at Stitch Sewcial HQ those plans are more often than not sewing related. So far so good we think, but then we move to our sewing or craft space to continue planning or start creating, and that can be the exact point at which our sewjo is abruptly halted, often for the very reasons listed above. So this Janurary we have decided to take a slightly different approcah to our #getsetsew challnge with a focus on the #getset part!! To use our time to make some space in our sewing areas, and ultimately in our heads, for ust to be able to being those planning/creating ideas we have, The Start to Stitch #getsetsewjanuary challenge is to simply make our sewing and craft spaces a better and more creative place for us to begin. So ultimately we would like you to use this month to crete a space that works for you. It can be a simple as a quick tidy up, or reorganising your sewing tools, reordering your notons, or sorting your fabric stash. Or you may want to take this opportunity to completly clear out and reorganise everything sewing you own that is sewing or craft realted. It might be that you want to finish a project that is half completed, or mend some items that you have been meaning to get around to doing. If you don't have a permenant sewing spcae then could you reorgainise your storage, hang a sewing related picture or even stick up one of the many postcards you may have received with a fabric or notions purchase to claim an area in the house where you do sew, even if your machine can't be permenantly set up there? And remember this #getsetsew challenge isn't limited just to sewists. Why not apply it to tidy, organise, or create a great place for your kititing / crochet / embrioidery projects etc too. A great place for inspiration Nadia Arbach's amazing webisite www.clearthedecks.co.uk where she has great resouces, including a podcast that talks you through decluttering your sewing space, and an interview with Annie which includes organising hints and tips! If the though of doing this all feels a little overwhelming then why not try using the SMART acronym to make what you plan to do Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic, and Timebound We would love to see your before and after photos of whatever it is you decide to do to help set you on your way to thinking about futer projects and makes. These are a couple of before and after phots from a quick tidy of Annie's studio workspace last year. It does't have to take long to do. So ultimately we would like you to use this month's #getsetsew challenge to crete a space that works for you. It can be a simple as a quick tidy up, or reorganising your sewing tools, reordering your notons or sorting yourfabric stash. Or you may want to take this opportunity to completly clearand reorganise everything sewing realted. It might be that you want to finish an a project that is half completed, or mend some items that have been meaning to get around to doing. If you don't have a permenant sewing space then could you reorgainise your storage, hang a sewing related picture or even stick up one of the many postcards you may have received with a fabric or notions purchase, to claim an area in the house where you do sew, even if your machine can't be permenantly set up there. A great place for inspiration is to have a look at Nadia Arbach's amazing webisite www.clearthedecks.co.uk where she has some great resouces, including a podcast that talks you through decluttering your sewing space, and an interview with Annie which includes organising hints and tips! And remember this #getsetsew challenge isn't limited just to just sewists, you can use it to tidy or create a great place for kititing / crochet / embrioidery etc too. So there you have it....#getsetsewjanuaryis live. We can’t wait to see your pics for this challenge 📸 Don't forget to use the hashtag #getsetsewjanuary when you post your pictures in the Stitch Sewcial Facebook group. And most importantly don't forget to post the pics in the #getsetsew January album so we can be inspired by seeing your wonderful spaces and reorganisation all in one place. The album can be found under Media > Albums from a computer, or by clicking on the three lines at the top left side of the Stitch Sewcial Facebook group page from a mobile device.. If you're on Instagram then please tag us in your posts @starttostitch we love seeing them 📷😊 Are You Ready??? GET, SET...............SEW!! PS - as this is the first challenge of 2024 it is time for a new Getsetsew Bingo card!! You can download yours from the link below - or just save the picture below it!
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Welcome to our second Secret Sewing Club Book Group! This is the exclusive sewing book club for our lovely Secret Sewing Club members. Every month we will put a post in the Secret Sewing Club Facebook Group with details of our chosen book of the month and a link to this blog. Club members can then post their own comments in the Facebook group and there we will have our very own sewing book club! For this month's discussion we have a brilliant book that was first published in 1976. It has gone on to be updated and reprinted many times and is currently in print in version number six! Our December 2023 Book Club choice is - Metric Pattern Cutting by Winifred Aldrich. The original title of this book was Metric Pattern Cutting, and this has evolved into Metric Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear in later editions. Winifred Aldrich has also written books on Metric Pattern Cutting for Menswear and Metric Pattern Cutting for Children's Wear and Baby Wear., which are just as comprehensive. All three of these books can be purchased new, whilst older versions are readily available though online second hand booksellers such as eBay, Amazon Marketplace, World of Books and Abe Books, to name a few of the ones I've used in the past. My edition of this book is from 1980 and covers women's wear, so the review details in this blog post will relate specifically to that edition. However the principles for drafting pattern blocks and pattern cutting remain the same and therefore this review will be pertinent to any later editions. Metric Pattern Cutting by Winifred Aldrich is a book that many many pattern drafters and professional sewists will have learnt from and would recommend, It takes you though the process of pattern drafting step by step, with sections on the tools and equipment required, explaining the purpose of a pattern block and how this is adapted for individual sizing, and also includes a comprehensive section on pattern adaption for different styles and features. The pictures below show the contents page and break down of the first two chapters in my edition. As you will see the book covers blocks for a full garment range for women's wear. It also includes guidance and diagrams for how to take a comprehensive set of individual body measurements to enable you to draft your own block to your size. Helpfully there is a section on fitting toiles included that also considers some more common fit issues that may be encountered. The section 'From Block to Pattern' is useful in explaining the differences between a Block Pattern, Working Pattern and the Final Pattern and includes instructions for following this process including adding seam allowances and pattern markings. Chapters on adapting individual blocks provide lots of style options and features that you can use to achieve the look you want from your personal block. The photos below of the chapter on sleeves show how comprehensive these are So whilst my edition of this month's book club book maybe rather old, and the diagrams and text somewhat dated, the processes and principles of the book remain sound. In our view at Start to Stitch, this is a comprehensive yet reasonably easy to follow book for those both new to pattern drafting and cutting, and a valuable resource to those who may have some knowledge but want to obtain a better fit and adapt pattern styles. Let us know what you think Happy reading and pattern drafting! 😊 The book club discussion about this book takes place within the membership group of the Secret Sewing Club. The SSC Book Club is just one is part of this comprehensive and super fun membership community. It includes access to ALL of the Start to Stitch Academy Courses, 2 open Q+ A's a month, a monthly Club Sewcial, Book Club and much more!
Membership enrolment for the Secret Sewing Club is currently closed, however doors will be opening again with a wonderful FREE online event in Spring 2024. If you love sewing or are just starting out and curious and eager to learn more then please register here to be the first to learn when the membership re-opens. We would love you to join us in our super friendly, inclusive, supportive and fun sewing club 😊 |
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