Category: Helpful Sewing Techniques & info

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Simple Self Cover Buttons Tutorial

These buttons are easy to make to coordinate with your projects. You can fussy cut the fabric to show a specific image.

To make the buttons more secure and to make sure the metal isn’t visible through lighter fabrics, use iron on vilene on the back of your fabric.

Place your chosen size button top on the back of your fabric and draw around it. Cut the circle out with at least a 1/4″ seam allowance. Enough to tuck under the teeth inside the top.

 

Using something with a point like a large darning or embroidery needle, or even a fine knitting needle, or if very careful the tips of scissors. Work your way around the button and press the fabric under the teeth.

Pop on the back of the button making sure the hole lines up with the shank of the button. It can be a little stubborn so you can use a thread reel to give yourself more purchase and pressure without hurting your hand.

Self Cover Buttons  are available in a variety of sizes.

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Rope Bowls

You can watch Sally’s video HERE of how to make these handy rope bowls made using sash cord.

They are quick and easy to make as gifts and can be left plain or decorated with fabric strips that cover the entire bowl or in little snippets.

You will need to have plenty of needles as breakages can occur if you hit the polypropylene core of the sash cord. It may take a little trial and error to get the right width of stitch so that you can join the rope without hitting the core. I know I made the rookie error of making a bowl with stitches that were too wide and kept hitting that tough core! You will need at least a size 75/11 or above 80/12 or 90/14.

The thread can be anything from a 50 weight to a thicker 30 weight or even a 12 weight. Try experimenting with different weights and colours for different effects. A variegated thread can look so good.

The bowls can be plain or decorated with strips of fabric, see the video for ideas. This is a good way to use up scraps that are at least 1″ wide and could be an idea for using our scrap bags.

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Threads of Creation by Jacqui Parkinson

We spent a long time on Thursday visiting the amazing Threads Through Creation Exhibition at Truro Cathedral. We were astonished by the huge scale, detail and intricacy of the works by Jacqui Parkinson. We know many of you are unable to visit it here or in the other venues so we are delighted to share some images here so you can also be inspired by the work.

So many techniques including painting, applique, free motion embroidery and hand stitching. Layers of work to create the 12 panels that are part of this particular exhibit. She has other exhibitions too so we do recommend seeing them if you can.

The links to where you can see them around the UK is HERE. There are four different exhibitions, Threads Through Creation, Threads Through the Cross, Threads Through Revelation and Tree of Life/Open Heaven.

 

 

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Staying in Touch With Us

Thank you for all those who have reached out to continue being in contact. We are thrilled that you wish to know what we will be up to in the future. Below are some of our emails –

 

 

 

This week we say a sad but fond farewell to my dear friend Mary, as she steps into a richly deserved retirement. When I was still a mobile shop she kindly gave me her phone number and said if I ever needed any help, to please call. Within the week I had given her a call and before long we were working together on a regular basis, cutting fabric in my kitchen, preparing for pop up shops & shows, which carried on
when the shop opened in 2009.
So many of you know her warmth, patience, generosity & kindness, and what an exceptionally talented designer she is, creating her own patterns and workshops.  I am so very grateful for her gentle guidance & lifelong friendship, & you will still see us enjoying days out together & organising more Sewing Get Togethers in the future.

If you were unable to join our Summer Sewing Get Together, her gorgeous Busy as a Bee Needle case pattern is now for sale that Mary designed & if you haven’t done already, you can stay in contact with Mary so you don’t miss any of her future events & workshops on smvague@gmail.com.
With lots of love, tears & laughter, Sally xx

From Mary –

Working with Sally and spending my days among gorgeous fabrics and accessories has been a dream come true. Sadly it’s now time for pastures new and I will greatly miss the shop, its delights and the love, laughter and friendship of colleagues and customers both locally and online. Solving problems and creating wonderful creations has been an utter joy to me. I will miss it all. Meanwhile I hope to continue to develop new designs and ideas and maybe share them with groups or individuals.

If you would like to keep in touch with me, you can contact me on smvague@gmail.com, follow vaguemary on instagram.or pop in the shop, I will have my tissues ready!

Mary is in blue on the left & Sally is far right

From Michelle –

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me to stay in touch. It has been a crazy few months but my own emails will be flying out this week.

I am pleased to announce that I have recently graduated as a yoga teacher for Golden Glow Yoga College and I am in the midst of arranging various classes that will start in September. I am hoping to be holding some taster sessions through August and look forward to seeing any of you who would like to join me. I will be offering Beginners Classes, Chair Yoga, Restorative Yoga and Transformational Yoga.

I have several creative workshops coming up too. These are all at a venue close to Helston.

 

 

 

Friday 30th August I will be teaching an adults class to make a Felt Bowl and/or Bag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to know more and to book then please email me at the address below.

I am also still planning a book of stories and I will need your help for this.

To comply with Data Protection laws please contact me at heartfeltcircle22@gmail.com.

I promise to be in touch with you all very soon.

Maria, who’s been organising our workshops, will also be continuing to put on workshops & sewing groups at venues in Cornwall (venues to be confirmed).  You’ll be able to catch up with some of the Coast & Country girls there, who are all keen to keep meeting up to see each other, as well as our lovely local sewing ladies, to sew for pleasure.  If you’d like to keep up to date with these, please email Maria at: creativecworkshops@gmail.com  

 

Fi has been hosting monthly Sit n Sew groups and is going to continue to hold a monthly two hour creative gathering; bring your own stitching, knitting, sketching, a place to share inspiration, encouragement and make new creative friends, held in a variety of beautiful local venues. There will also be pop up seasonally inspired making events. You can contact her for further dates on Sewfi.pullen@outlook.com  

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Free patterns for Winter Days Flannels

We’ve just received a delivery of Winter Days Flannel fabrics which will make the cosiest of quilts!

This beautiful Baby Things free pattern uses Winter Days Fabrics, & has been designed by Debbie Beaves RK

https://www.robertkaufman.com/assets/pdf/BabyThings-WinterDays003.pdf

A second free pattern Winter Days is also available for the Winter Days Fabrics.

https://www.robertkaufman.com/assets/pdf/WinterDays-WinterDays.pdf

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Waddings ~ how to care for your quilts & wash them

Hobbs have been making waddings/battings since1978.  Here’s what they recommend on using their waddings:

How should I wash and dry my quilts?
All quilts, old or new, should be washed with care. It is recommended to wash by hand or in a washer on the gentle cycle using cool water. Be especially cautious with front-loading washers as the intense spin cycle on these machines can be very hard on quilts, and avoid agitating your quilts to keep them in tip-top shape.

Drying should be done on the very lowest heat or air-dry setting. If no shrinkage is desired, laying the quilt out to air dry is recommended. Over-drying is detrimental to the long-term strength and colourfastness of any quilt and should also be avoided. Extreme heat and agitation should be avoided for all quilts, but particularly for quilts with cotton/wool, wool and silk battings (quilts made with these battings should be air-dried).

Vintage quilts require a more delicate process of gently soaking in a bathtub of cool water on top of a large sheet. Fill the tub, soak the quilt and drain the water. Repeat until the water runs clear. Do not lift the quilt during this soaking and rinsing process. Allow the final rinse water to drain away and use the sheet to carry the wet quilt to a flat surface appropriate for air-drying your quilt – the sheet helps to safeguard the quilt during transport, and without it, the weight of the wet quilt can cause thread breakage or tearing of fragile fabrics and batting.

Should I prewash my batting?
The short answer is NO! Hobbs Bonded Fibers does not recommend pre-washing our battings. The battings are designed to be used directly from the package and pre-washing, especially in a washing machine, is
likely to ruin them.

How do I remove creases or wrinkles caused by packaging?
You can lightly spritz your Heirloom® battings with a little bit of water and toss them into a cool, no-heat dryer for a few minutes to release stubborn wrinkles.
The one exception to this is our Heirloom Fusible 80/20. Because this batting has a water-soluble fusing medium sprayed on both sides of the batting, and it won’t fuse if it gets wet, this wrinkle-release trick can’t be used on this batting