Mollie Makes Sewing

Sewing is such an easy craft to get into, so we’ve decided to celebrate it with this special edition of Mollie Makes. Designer-makers galore are showing just how simple it is to tackle your own handmade wardrobe, or craft on-trend makes for your home, so we’ve curated our favourite projects for you to try. If you’re a total newbie, have no fear – take that sewing machine out of its box and give it a whirl with the help of our guide on page 7. And we’ve got seasoned sewists covered too, with plenty of ideas for personalising makes your own way. There’s a whole host of different patterns for you to try, so flick through, see what takes your fancy, then share your finished goodies using #molliemakers!…

The New Craft House Rosie and Hannah are the duo behind award-winning blog The New Craft House. Friends since childhood, they both love using traditional crafts in modern projects. Among their projects here are a fab metallic skirt (page 11) and ultra-comfy PJs (page 19) www.thenewcrafthouse.com Christine Leech Christine started making at an early age and is now lucky enough to now make her living from all things crafty: running workshops, writing books and making things to sell in her Etsy shop. She’s the creative brains behind the delicious felt patisserie on page 77. www.sewyeahstudio.etsy.com H and Sammy Bloggers, crafters and best friends, H and Sammy’s website is packed with lifestyle inspiration and plenty of sewing tutorials. Follow their craft adventures on Instagram @liveit.loveit.makeit and have a go at their stylish dressing gown design on page 35. www.liveitloveitmakeit.com Kirsty…

BASIC SEWING KIT You don’t need a huge stash of equipment to start sewing. Make sure you’ve got these bits and you’ll be fine: Fabric scissors Small embroidery scissors Needles (assorted sizes) Sewing thread (various colours) Tape measure Pins Transfer pencil or chalk Iron and ironing board Sewing machine Of course, you can sew all your projects by hand if you don’t have a sewing machine, but for larger projects it makes life much easier. Turn the page to find your way around a sewing machine……

Sewing by hand can be wonderfully relaxing, but if you want to make bigger items such as curtains, cushions and more for your home – or lots of clothes – then you’ll need a sewing machine. Whether you’re a complete newcomer to machine sewing or a relative beginner who could do with a refresher, here’s our top-to-bottom guide to help you find your way around your machine. We guarantee you’ll be whizzing through projects in next to no time! THREAD FEED Your spool of thread sits at the top of the machine. It threads through a series of numbered channels and loops before it reaches the needle. This maintains an even thread tension and avoids tangles. Your machine will have a numbered dial that can be raised or lowered to adjust the…

BASTING See ‘Tacking’. BATTING See ‘Wadding’. BIAS The bias lies at 45º to the lengthwise and widthwise grain of the fabric. Fabrics have more stretch when cut along the bias. Bias binding is a strip of fabric cut on the bias to make it flexible – it’s great for edging projects. FAT QUARTER A quarter-metre (or yard) of fabric, 44.5x56cm (18x22"). Ready-cut fat quarters are available from fabric stores. GRAIN The arrangement of threads in a piece of fabric. The warp thread (which runs up and down) is stronger so holds its shape better – useful to remember when making clothes that you don’t want to stretch or lose their shape. INTERFACING A layer added to the wrong side of a piece of fabric to provide extra strength or stiffness. It can be ironed on or sewn in place. MITRE The 45º diagonal…

HOW TO MAKE… A METALLIC SKIRT MATERIALS Gold pleated fabric, 1m (39⅜") (we used gold crumple accordion pleated pleuche fabric from www.ivyverynice.etsy.com) Black elastic, 1m (39⅜"), 5cm (2") wide Matching sewing thread Planning on trawling the shops to find an outfit for party season or drinks with the girls? Spend an afternoon with your sewing machine instead and whip up Hannah’s surprisingly easy skirt – you don’t even need a pattern as you’ll use your own measurements, adjusting the length to suit. Ticking the boxes for all this season’s biggest trends (metallics, velvet, pleats… no need to thank us), just add a simple black top and heels, accessorise with a bright clutch and a slick of red lipstick, and you’ll be party-ready in no time. See you on the dance floor! 01 Measure around…