Simply Sewing is a practical magazine for makers who sew, or would like to start sewing. Its contemporary look and feel, fresh attitude and ideas, beautiful photography and inspiring projects will have you behind the sewing machine from the get-go!
If there’s a handmade alternative, we’ll make it. Whether it’s for our wardrobe or our home, we love nothing more than lovingly sewing (and proudly displaying!) our precious me-mades. From pincushions to maxi dresses, we’ve crammed this issue with heaps of projects for every ability. So, whether you’re a seasoned pro or you’ve just started out – we’d love to see what you make from this month’s selection! Tag your photos using # simplysewingmag…
For me, prettifying my sewing space is an important part of my hobby. From my beloved button tins to stacked fabric shelving, I’m all about showcasing my beautiful finds. Spruce up your space with pretty handmade accessories (p22) – or enter our competition to win the set! After all, there are lots of other makes to be getting along with such as The Betty Blouse (p40) and The Olivia Dress (p34) your two free patterns this issue.* Enjoy! PS: GET 5 ISSUES fOR £5 when you subscribe (see p38)…
KIRSTY HARTLEY Designer and craft author Kirsty Hartley designs colourful fabric prints and playful childrenswear and accessories in the UK, and is the designer behind popular children’s clothing label, Wild Things. Find her sunny boy’s shirt on page 68. BRYONY RICHARDSON Growing up on a North Yorkshire farm, Bryony is inspired by the idyll of a countryside childhood, and the desire for nostalgia feeds Bryony’s imagination as she designs the Bryony and Co clothing collections and books. Step into the storybook world of Bryony and Co on page 44. AMANDA RUSSELL & JULIET BAWDEN Designer-makers Amanda and Juliet are the duo behind R&B Designs. The pair have been working in the creative industry for over 20 years and write for a number of craft titles. Turn to page 61 for…
SARTORIAL SAFARI Step into Bryony and Co’s storybook world and follow the adventures of a little girl called Poppy and her dog Fred through charming illustrations by eponymous designer Bryony, which adorn gorgeous garments for both mother and child to wear. Find out what inspires Bryony’s designs on page 44, and turn to page 15 for your chance to win a matching Bryony and Co mother-and-daughter set worth £250. Beatrice dress, £148.95. www.bryonyandco.com SEVENTH HEAVEN After working in the apparel industry for many years, Peggy Mead decided to get back to what inspires her: sewing. Her indie pattern label, Sew House Seven, is all about flattering, easy-to-wear designs, like the Tea House Dress and Top, for sewists of all skill levels to try and learn from. Approx £10 for a…
Got Liberty lawn fabric in your stash but too nervous to cut into it? Designer of The Betty Blouse (page 40), Rosee Woodland, offers her top tips: “I have a variety of pins to suit different fabrics – fine pins, used within the seam allowances, are best for Liberty lawns. It can be tricky to tell the right and wrong sides of lawn apart as the dye really sinks through the fabric, so put a small bit of masking tape on the wrong side of each piece to remind you.” www.roseewoodland.com…
A few of our favourite Bees from the Great British Sewing Bee series four share the stitching tips they learned on the show. RUMANA: “The best tip was definitely to press. Press. Press, and press again! Press as you go along – Patrick would tell us this until he was blue in the face, not that I listened to it much in the panic of the sewing room! But it’s one I now try to follow when I’m sewing at home. Pressing gives a garment that ‘finished’ look.” DUNCAN: “If I ever have to do a pattern-matched chevron bias-cut top again (hopefully not!), then Joyce’s tip on the show was helpful – cut one piece, then use that as your template for the matching piece, rather than trying to line…
