Tutorial: Adding BiasTrim. A Hand-illustrated Guide

Want  a bit more colour on a collar? Or a pocket? Or a cuff?

Bias trim is the new piping!

I like the flatness of the finish, and the almost 'military' stripes it can add to a dress, like this newly finished Tinny dress, blogged here.  

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Before I go straight in to the Step-by-Step, here's a few thoughts.

 I'm not a computer whizz... new stuff takes me ages. I have no idea how to draw computer diagrams, and I forgot to take photos of each step (I sew at night, anyway, so the light is awful)....

But I can draw... And I can draw a collar much quicker than I can figure out the computer. So this is my first hand-illustrated tutorial. I'm hoping this will start a trend for 'slowblogging', after the Slow Food Movement... I'm taking a rebellious stance against the relentless high pace of the tech-world. My emphasis is on quality and process and  the things we forget about, like pen and paper....But I digress, here we go...

Adding Bias Trim - A Step by Step Guide...

1. This tutorial is to add bias trim to the collar of the Tinny dress, by Straightgrain. It would work with any pattern, however I will be using Straightgrain's pattern instructions (eg seam allowance) as a point of reference. If using another pattern, with a different seam allowance, adjust instructions accordingly

2. How wide do you want your bias trim to be? The width of your bias needs to be four times the width you would like visible. Eg, a 0.5cm (1/4 inch) trim requires a 2cm ( 1nch) wide bias binding. 

These instructions are for adding 0.5cm visible wide trim. Your bias binding should be pre-folded with 0.5 cm tucked under on each side

3. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise and iron, to create a centre crease.

4. Cut out the collar pieces, and pin wrong sides together. The Tinny dress collar has a 7mm (1/4 inch) seam allowance. We need to stitch the collar pieces together just slightly more than that. Stitch with a 1cm (3/4inch) seam allowance

5. Trim away the 7mm (1/4 inch) seam allowance

6. Open up the bias binding and pin it with lots of pins -  many more than in this picture - all the way around the collar edge, matching the edge of the bias to the edge of the collar. Stitch at 0.5cm, in the fold of the bias binding.

6. Now, fold the bias around the edge of the collar with the central crease of the bias matching the collar edge. Iron really well, pushing out the curved seam, and ensuring it lies flat

7. Now, turn the collar piece over and pin the loose side of the bias trim to the collar underside, again with lots and lots of pins. Hand stitch the bias in place, using an invisible slip stitch. Alternatively if you don't mind visible stitching, the bias can be stitched in place carefully using a sewing machine

8. Repeat for the other collar piece, and then follow the pattern instructions as normal.

I used the same technique on this modified collar for the  Sunday picnic dress  by Sewpony. I loved the Liberty bias trim so much I just had to show it off!

I'd love to see your bias trim creations! Do share them with me and let me know of any new places to add extra bias!

Pandas, playing, and pausing to breathe...

Hello! I'm back! Anyone remember me? 

It's so long since I posted here that I'm playing catch up. I have many things sewn and not blogged.

Like this little panda tunic.

This wonderful fabric was a gift from one of our Paris Sew Social sponsors, Alles fuer Selbermacher. She was so kind and thoughtful - a half metre of this stunning panda knit, in the cutest bag, all with named labels. 

The fabric is gorgeous - it's a heavyish knit with those quirky pandas designed by Andrea Lauren. It's special stuff - and I treated it to my very amateurish knit-sewing.... oops..

And this is My First Ever garment sewn with knits (yes, it predates the Aster cardigan blogged here, that's how slow I am being about blogging stuff).

Sometimes I can be a very careful, painstaking seamstress. And other times I just launch straight in with the scissors, thinking 'what's the worst that can happen?'

My attitude was, I'm only going to learn how to sew knits if I dive in and give it a go. So that's what I did. 

The pattern is the Rowan Tee from Titchy Threads, another kind gift from a Paris Sew Social Sponsor. It's modified a lot though! I cut the body as long as I could, given the fabric length and also flared it at the sides. The sleeves have become full length too.

I was flumoxed as to how to finish the neckline - having never sewn knits before. You usually use ribbing right?

Well, I didn't have any. And there is nowhere locally that sells any, and I certainly wasn't going to faff around online. I cut up an old t-shirt and made a kind of bias binding, and finished the neckline with a reverse bias trim, and a zig zag stitch. It won't pass any sewing exams, but it works...and I like the merest hint of that teal blue bias on the neckline.

 I used the same t-shirt fabric to trim the hem and a little pocket. It's not neat - but it is cute.

And this is exactly the kind of thing that a playful little girl likes to wear.

They say panda's struggle to reproduce - but I think this one is likely to spark a new generation of 'wearable knits' for my little girl... Look out for more!

Blogging is the only thing I've been doing slowly. Everything else in my life feels like break-neck speed.

I feel like I'm running the wrong way up an escalator most of the time. I've just increased my working hours (temporarily I hope) and am writing more and more for the newspaper. 

Also term time routine is in full swing. I'm dashing from work to school  to driving a child to a violin lesson or football match, in between trying to cook dinner and get the laundry put away....

Sometimes I struggle to feel like I can breathe...

Does this sound familiar? I'm desperate for some simplicity and authenticity, and I guess that's partly why I have managed to keep on sewing. It's a moment of calm in the non-stop world. 

But any other tips on how to maintain Working Mum Sanity would be gratefully received!

Madeit Fashion Week - How an umbrella saved the catwalk

It's fashion show time!

Welcome to Madeit Fashion Week, showcasing the new Fold2 collection of patterns designed by the Madeit duo, Olu and Anna.

And prizes and discount! Scroll to the bottom if you're after the goodies!

Now... ta, da!

Welcome Missy to the Madeit catwalk, wearing the Pocket Fold skirt.

The pocketfold skirt is such a clever design, with unique origami inspired pockets.

But to begin with I wasn't sure about this skirt, it's a bit of a departure from my usual style, I guess because it's so chic, rather than 'pretty'.

But after sewing it and persuading my awkward Missy to wear it (after declaring boldly "I don't like yellow"), I have fallen in love with this skirt.

Teamed with her red boots she looks so stylish, a bit of a 1960s London vibe I think.

It's sewn in cotton twill that hovers between lime green and mustard yellow in colour. This was cheap fabric from my local store.

But those inserts on the other hand - oh my word - I cut into one of the most precious fabrics in my stash for those little panels.

The striped pockets are made from the divine Anna Maria Horner fabric, Volumes  in Matisse. I have two metres of this I'm saving for something special. But when I placed those stripes next to the lime green they seemed to be a match made in heaven. 

Cutting the contrast pieces out of my precious fabric was like playing an extreme version of 'Tetris'. (Am I revealing my age? Do you know what I'm talking about?)

I wanted the stripes and colours in exactly the right place in this skirt. But, because of the origami style pockets,  I deserve a mathematics prize for getting this bang on. And when I decided to add flat piping to the V-seam at the front and back, keeping it symmetrical and the coloured stripes continuously flowing through the pockets, well, I think my Nobel Prize is now in the bag...

Mary Poppins?

Apart from messing around with stripes and flat piping - this skirt is quite straightforward to make. And the finish is beautiful - these photos, fresh from the kitchen table, show just how lovely all the seams are, inside and out.

Olu and Anna, of Madeit, know their stuff, and the instructions 'hold your hand'. And it is quite exciting! One minute you're holding a couple of pocket pieces, staring at the instructions, and then a moment later there's a little epiphany, a moment of 'Ah Now I See Where this is going...'

It's all a little journey of discovery. Having been lucky enough to meet Olu at the Paris Sew Social in April, I know how funny she is, and her sense of humour shines through in this fun pattern.

The skirt was a little big on her waist, so I've overlapped the snaps at the front more than intended , which spoils the line of the V slightly. But I'm hoping I can move the snaps in a few months as she grows. Instead of 'hammer' snap fastening, I used sturdy snap - fasteners, which are easy to move. The pink buttons are purely decorative. 

My snaps and buttons aren't perfectly placed - I'm going to move them - but sadly I just HAD to take these photos in the moment that presented itself...for the following reasons....

As I was sewing this, my moody Missy declared "I don't like yellow". "I don't like that skirt" and I knew that this stubborn little girl doesn't change her mind easily.

And then after a very busy weekend, I suddenly found myself with only one possible  'ten minute' photo opportunity slot., which just happened to be in the evening after I  finished work on Monday. 

I started walking home  from the office in the rain, pondering the puzzle.

"How do I persuade Missy to pose in the yellow skirt she says she doesn't like?

 "Oh and it's raining ...."

With minutes to spare I  had my own 'epiphany' - an umbrella!

They were literally about to lock the door on the shop as I walked past... and dashed in to buy this umbrella...

And of course! Missy loved the umbrella! I took photos (in ten minutes in fading light) and she happily danced in her yellow skirt, declaring she loved the 'secret' snap fasteners, the pink buttons and the pockets....

Ah my Nobel Prize is truly deserved.... An umbrella and sewing maths....I am officially a genius.

Giveaway Time!

There's 20% discount on the FOLD collection during Fashion Week, with this code:

And everyday Madeit are giving away a pattern. Check Madeit's Facebook or Instagram page and be the first to answer the question of the day. The answer can be found on one of today's blog posts for Madeit Fashion Week. How fun!

And for the chance to win a  €50 NOSH voucher... leave a comment on Needle and Ted on day 7 of Fashion Week, Sunday 6 September, about your highlight of the Fashion Week. It's going to be a tough choice. There are some seriously gorgeous creations. Here's the line-up:

Monday 31 August

Kid Approved Girl Like the Sea Huisje Boompje Boefjes Our Chez Nous

Tuesday 1 September

Kimme Sew Crazy Pienkel East and Eden Chi Chi Romeo and Me

Wednesday 2 September

Neil and Nikki In a manner of Sewing Glitter + Wit Creative Needles and Threads As it Seams

Thursday 3 September

Climbing the Willow Fliegfederfrei Fairies and Bubbles Co Sew Thrifty

Friday 4 September

Just Add Fabric So-Cal Sewing Mom Sansahash Miss Castelinhos Sewing Sober

Saturday 5 September

Made by Toya My Cosy Co Paisley Roots Diorella Fruits de Mère

Sunday 6 September

Round Up and Reviews: Needle and Ted Climbing the Willow Swoodson says

A 99th blog post - thoughts and reminiscing

It's my blog-aversary... Actually it's not really,this blog began two years ago, in April, But this is my 99th post, and that's enough of an excuse to pause and reflect.

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I've been really pondering where all this sewing thing is going.

I have a fabric stash that has grown and grown (thanks in part to Paris Sew Social) but also because of my insatiable ideas. I look at piles of folded fabric and think - that's supposed to be my swishy summer maxi skirt, and there's would-be beach dress, and that's a pair of shorts for Missy, and there's a little skirt... and ... and...

And of course I have just a few spare hours a week and so the fabric remains folded on the shelf, and I have an awful sense of time running through my fingers.

It will be autumn soon - and then my little girl will be growing up, and next summer I imagine she won't want to wear a vintage-ish summer dress. I start to have slight sewing panic.

And then it all starts to seem ridiculous. She doesn't NEED that new dress. She has a rail full of dresses that still fit her that she barely wears. And I don't really need another dress either. So what is all this sewing, and blogging, and stressing really for?!?

And then I look back at the things I've made over the last two years. There are 99 blog posts here, and I guess 75 feature garments for Missy. 

75! That is crazy! She wears school uniform five days a week. It's no wonder that some of the things I've made seem to have been outgrown before they've ever been fully worn.  

Like this blouse...

This blouse was my first ever blog post, titled; 'It started with a 'Fat Quarter'

Yes in one idle moment I bought a fat quarter of fabric on eBay, before I even knew what a 'fat quarter' was. The original post is here. And here is little Missy, two years ago aged three, when I was still trying to take indoor photos. Missy's cheeky dimpled smile is unchanged though. The sleeves were way too long then, with the cuffs turned back, and I improvised with bias trim round the cuff seam.

Back then it was 'dress length', now it's definitely a blouse.

When I look at it closely, I can see how much my sewing has improved. I made my own piping for this, but didn't know I should use a zipper foot to make it.  And the pattern is an improvised hack, based on Straight Grain's bubble dress, with added button placket and box pleats.

I took these photos a few weeks ago, um months, when the buttercups were still out, and I hadn't yet cut Missy's hair. 

Since then I've been hit by blogging blues. For one reason and another, we've had a really rather difficult summer, and haven't managed to get away for a proper holiday. I'm finding it hard to manage all the tasks of family life, and work. And increasingly I find the face we present online hard to sustain. I look at other bloggers pix on their instagram feeds and facebook and their blogs, and see lovely holidays and children and it makes me feel a little overwhelmed. And I know that other people might look at my photos and feel the same. So I feel I need to add some words of honesty to balance out the 'online facade'.

 I live in a small house, and sew on the kitchen table. I don't have lots of spare cash for beautiful fabric, it's a little treat to myself. My children are gorgeous beyond compare, but they also stretch me to my limits, and I get tired and grumpy. 

But I am also learning to count my blessings, to see these magical dark eyes of my Missy, to perceive the reality around me, rather than the unreality of social media and perhaps to slow down a little and pick the buttercups....

Oh, and also to start to think about my 100th blogpost...

'Summer' encapsulated in a dress, by Nani Iro

Oh summer why do you torment me so?

I love long days, blue skies, sandcastles, rockpools and more. And I love summer sewing - the chance to sew glorious prints and easy dresses - like this dreamy Nani Iro print.

But I never have enough time in summer - there is just too much to cram in to these short months and long days. And barely a minute to get behind the sewing machine. In my head it drives me crazy. Because, you know, it's August, and autumn is looming (at least in England, where the summer is all to brief) If I don't  make those summer sewing projects a reality, it will have to wait til next year.

So I have a confession - I really did not treat this fabric with the respect that it deserves. 

It is quite simply heavenly. The birds in this stunning print have a lilac metallic finish, that ocassionally glints in the beautiful understated touch that Naomi Ito adds to her Nani Iro designs.

I bought two metres of this from Miss Matatabi back in the spring, and intended to sew it up for Nani Iro month in June (Yes, I know - see what I mean about summer, it slips through my fingers...)

These photographs don't do justice to this dress, or the fabric, or me for that matter. They were taken after I have walked a mile across cliffs to reach our secret beach in North Devon. 

So my dress is creased. 

And  I couldn't resist a quick swim in the sea and leaping in the Atlantic waves. So my hair is damp and salty.

And then I had to persuade Mr As-it-Seams to photograph me, and he'll do that for two minutes max before we start arguing. 

So these pictures will have to do. Because heaven knows when it will be sunny again and I'll have 'another summer moment' in my Nani Iro beach dress. 

OK - so here's the sewing details.

The pattern is self-drafted. I made a muslin and experimented.

I wanted a dress with no zip, to simply pull on.

I managed to achieve this and have a slim-fitting dress, with simple bust darts.

The neckline is faced, front and back, and understitched and interfaced, just to give this soft double gauze a hint of structure.

And the sleeves! Well I was in such a rush, that I cut them so that the selvege forms the hem. No hemming (although this does mean the birds are flying 'up' my arm rather than around - but I can live with that)

The hem  is faced, and has splits in the side seam. I love this detail, and I was going to take more photos to show, you... but for all the reasons above, I didn't..

And that's it - it was an easy-peasey dress that I sewed in a frenzy in one evening flat. And it used just over a metre of my fabric, so I'm hoping I can make a blouse too. Watch this space....

We've been going to this secret beach for nearly 20 years and it's one of my favourite places on the planet. The surf, the rock pools, the cliffs, the green and the blue and the silver.

And we're lucky enough to have dear friends who live near here. For little girls running in the sea, this is paradise. And that roar of the ocean, calms my soul and eases my panic about summer slipping by.