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FREE WORKSHOP: How to sew your own bunting

1/4/2022

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There is nothing quite so British as a string of bunting - Jam and Jerusalem all the way! 

With our Queen's impending Jubilee now is as perfect a time as any to get your bunting game going...
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After all, what is a street party without a few hundred bunting flags!
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This is comprehensive tutorial for making bunting - something I run as part of my Back to Basics: beginners sewing course and its a super project for getting your hand back into sewing or for those just starting out! Plus it's brilliant scrap buster for your bits and bobs or up-cycled materials! 

​You can download the equipment list and pattern pack here. 

The video tutorial is below!
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A QUICK FYI - This video was made at the beginning of the UK Lockdown in March 2020 and was designed to give us all a positive focus ... but the content is of course timeless!

Don't forget to tag me in your makes #isewlationbuntingchallenge - I'd love to see what you come up with!
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Sew your own peg bag: Free Pattern and video tutorial

23/3/2022

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The spring weather has landed with absolute beauty this week in Cornwall, and I hung the washing on the line for the first time this year.  It is always a really seminal moment for me, a sign that the year is waking up, that warmer days are coming, and that the long beach days and lazy outdoor brunches that we love here, are just around the corner.

I actually really love hanging washing on a line, it's one of my favourite things to do, and a peg bag has been top of my tutorial list for ages. 

With today's gloriously warm sunshine, today is the day! 

This project is suitable for beginners and sews up nice an quickly in under an hour

You will need:
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Childs coat hanger
1/2 m of curtain weight cotton or cotton drill/ twill or canvas
1m of minimum 2 cm wide bias binding

​Download the pattern here - and remember to print at 100%.  It is only 3 A4 pages.
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The video tutorial to show you how is below!
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TUTORIAL: Sew your own Twist Headband

3/11/2020

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When we had lived with the pandemic for a while I became a bit obsessed with head bands because of the inevitable 'lockdown hair'.  I bought quite a few and wore some of them but I do have an impossibly big head that to me is also a strange shape so I struggle a bit to find something that I like and that suits me, most especially while all the shops were shut! 
Having joined the fabulous pre-order group for Clarabelle fabrics I saw a few people making them out of Claire's amazing European fabrics so I watched a few tutorials and had a little play, tweaked it all a bit and then found I loved the results!
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Multiple lockdowns later, the timing couldn't have been better and now I have a lovely supply of head-bands in case catastrophe strikes again - it's better to be safe than sorry! 

I have made this video tutorial for you to show you how I have done it - and you can download the FREE patterns for both widths of head band here
By the way, the beautiful fabrics I use in the video came from Clarabellfabrics.com too.  Claire's selection is totally fabulous and she's a valued member of my sewing community Stitch Sewcial as well as running her own pre-order group too.  If you love mostly stretch fabrics in amazing prints and especially if you like making for the small people in your life (though there is plenty here for adults too) I really recommend you check her out.

The bespoke pattern weights came from Pattern Weights, another awesome local to me Cornish Company run by LOVELY people providing a super service.  If you are a rotary cutter user then check out their varied and beautiful collection of designs.  One day I'd love to design a set for myself !!
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Make your own Cloth Face Covering

17/6/2020

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Face coverings!  Something I never thought I would EVER become so familiar with... but having stitched over 700 for Seasalt and another 50 odd for friends and family, I thought some of you may find it useful to use the pattern I have developed and tweaked to ensure I could get one with a good fit!  
I tried a few of the open source patterns and in general the ones that claimed to be unisex were far too big for a female face ( and I have a big head! ) and needed more shaping, so I came up with the following pattern.
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You will need:

Cotton fabric from the outer and lining in a high thread count, high quality cotton, with minimal shrink (less than 5%) or pre-shrunk at 60% before use.  100% cotton twill sateen is ideal for the lining, the kind you line curtains with.  
5 - 6mm elastic (6 or 8 cord woven is ideal)​ - 2 x 20 cm for ear elastics or 1 x 60 cm for head straps
Tools:
Thread
Rouleaux maker or safety pin to thread the elastic
Silcone or other type of toggle
Scissors
Pins
You can download the pattern here - please ensure that your printer is set to print at 100% and that you check the 5cm size box once printed to make sure it is at the correct scale.

You can get a kids fit by printing at 70% and an larger adults fit by Printing at 110%
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Construction is ever so simple but to help you along I videoed this quick tutorial which talks you through how to use my pattern to make a face covering with / without a filter pocket and with either ear elastics or head straps depending on your preference and length of wearing. 

​Long term use with ear elastics can cause skin irritation and unless you specifically know you will be wearing for short periods or to go to the hair dresser I would strongly advice the head straps for secure fit and long term comfort!

Good luck and let me know how you get on! 

Why not share your face coverings in my Facebook group Kernow Sewcial?  We're a lovely supportive and buzzy bunch of sewing enthusiasts.... come and join us! Don't forget to tag me @Starttostitch if you're an insta fan like me :)

Oh and below the tutorial is the small print on face coverings and recommendations for care as well as suppliers for components.
The small print:
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A cloth face covering is not PPE. They are not intended for the personal protection of the wearer – they are designed to prevent people who have COVID-19, but might not know it, from spreading it to others. In simple terms, if I wear one I protect you, if you wear one you protect me. Face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing or washing your hands regularly – and they need to complement these behaviours.


Wash your hands or use hand sanitiser before putting it on and after taking it off. Try not to touch your face, or the face covering while you are wearing it. Once removed, make sure you clean any surfaces the face covering has touched. Regular household cleaner works fine. After wearing them store your worn face covering in a plastic bag until you have an opportunity to wash it.

The elastic in this face covering design can be repositioned to make it comfortable for you. You may find that the top elastic sits best over the crown of your head (or hooked above a ponytail if you have one) with the lower elastic sitting around the back of your neck.

To help with fitting on smaller heads, I suggest the use of a toggle which on my face coverings has been attached to the top elastic so that the mask can be tightened securely. I suggest that you remove this before washing to save potential clogging of your washing machine... You can buy theme here

All you need to remove and replace the toggle is a hair pin and a more in depth demo can be found here

Detailed information on the care of cloth face coverings can be found at the American Center for Disease Control here  

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    ​Sewing. pattern cutting, teaching, tea and Jelly Babies!

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