Category: Sewing

A Guide to Finding Sewing Inspiration

Published on by eclecticthreads8 Comments

Despite the creativity that sewing my own clothes affords, I still find myself stuck in a sewing rut sometimes, making similar things over and over again – or, on the other end of the scale, making things I wouldn’t usually wear and ending up, surprisingly enough, never wearing the finished garment I’ve spent so long putting together.

I like to think I’ve got better at this (I still wear and like everything I made last year, which I consider a win), partly because I’ve developed more of a sense of my preferences (by doing the things I’ve listed below) and partly because I’m more particular about the fabrics and patterns I use now than when I first started sewing. Here are a few of the ways I ensure that I sew what suits me whilst still keeping things varied. I’d love to hear your tips on this too. Continue reading “A Guide to Finding Sewing Inspiration” →

Top 3 Time-Management Tips for Sewing Bloggers

Published on by eclecticthreads12 Comments

 

Individually, sewing and blogging are hobbies that can take over your life if you let them – do both, and you may find yourself having no time for anything else. A lot goes into creating a successful blog post – photography, photo-editing, writing, yet more editing, promotion on social media, the list goes on – and when you add the fact that you have to sew in order to have something to blog about, you could end up with blogger burnout.

I still have much to learn in this area, but there are a few rules that I try to live by in order to avoid getting overwhelmed – hobbies are supposed to be fun, after all. Here are my top three tips for sewing and blogging while still having time for work, rest and play. Continue reading “Top 3 Time-Management Tips for Sewing Bloggers” →

Exciting News from Colette Patterns

Published on by eclecticthreads1 Comment

Colette Seamwork

Aside from a few popular titles such as Mollie Makes, Love Sewing and Sew, sewing and craft magazines can, in my experience, be a little twee and uninspiring – since Cloth magazine left the newsstands, there’s very little out there that focuses on trend-led, fashion sewing. This is soon to be rectified, though, thanks to Colette Patterns, who will be launching a digital magazine in December called Seamwork.

Borne from founder Sarai’s need for quick yet challenging projects, each issue will come with two downloadable digital patterns that can each be completed in three hours or less – including useful wardrobe items like knitwear, accessories, lingerie, loungewear, bags and beautiful basics – along with in-depth articles on new sewing techniques, embellishment ideas and fabric guides, plus top tips from designers. The great news is, it’s going to be affordably priced, and anyone will be able to read the magazine (although only subscribers will have access to the patterns).

I can’t wait for the first issue – if you fancy a sneak peek, you can sign up to the mailing list (word is there’s some behind-the-scenes info and pattern previews in store for those who sign up).