I love a shirt… in my humble opinion, you can’t have too many. My absolute favourite type of shirt is a twist on a classic. If you throw in an interesting sew too then you’ve got me hooked. There have been some super new shirt patterns from the indie designers of late so I decided to focus on a few of my absolute favourites and show you around them. First up is the Olya shirt from Paper Theory, this boxy boyfriend cut shirt has so many fantastic details. If we have a look at the line drawing you can see that there is a really interesting cut on the front panel and sleeve. You can see it’s cut ..read more

It’s time for your weekly dose of The Edit: New Sewing Pattern Releases. This blog and vlog highlight some of the new arrivals to hit the shop this week. Kate natters about all the details you need to know so if you’re a pattern nerd like we are, this is for you!  The latest  Tauko magazine has dropped and it’s jam-packed with sewing patterns to make this spring/summer. Issue No. 11 celebrates the joy of coming together, embracing the art of creating and connecting with this month’s theme – ‘Gathering’. From warm-weather tops to ruffled dresses, a relaxed jumpsuit to wide-leg ..read more

We are here to talk all things bags today. We’ve really noticed that in the last year or so you guys are loving sewing bags. What’s not to love… no fitting issues, they use a lot less fabric than garments and you learn new sewing skills. All in all a massive win. When I started compiling the list of patterns I’m not going to lie it grew and grew. So instead of this being the ‘shortlist’ it’s actually the long list. I’ve split the bags into sections and go through them in a little more detail in my video below.  Day bags: This section is for your everyday bag, the one you’ll reach ..read more

It’s time for your weekly dose of The Edit: New Sewing Pattern Releases. This blog and vlog highlight some of the new arrivals to hit the shop this week. Kate natters about all the details you need to know so if you’re a pattern nerd like we are, this is for you!  If you are partial to knit fabric sewing patterns and making things that you can wear every day, you’ll enjoy discovering  Allie Olson’s designs. They are great for anybody who enjoys capsule dressing and keeping things simple. The well-thought-out designs are practical while still being on-trend and deliver easy outf ..read more

Do you have a wedding to attend this summer? Maybe you’re planning to sew something and need to make your final decision before time disappears. I’ve got you. I will save you loads of time with a round-up of some of the best dress sewing patterns you could make to wear to a summer wedding. I have shortlisted options across the maxi, midi and mini categories, so there is something for every style of wedding and personal taste! I browsed quite a lot of online shops to see what they were featuring under this category for summer weddings, so tried to find some options that matched the trends I sa ..read more

It’s time for your weekly dose of The Edit: New Sewing Pattern Releases. This blog and vlog highlight some of the new arrivals to hit the shop this week. Kate natters about all the details you need to know so if you’re a pattern nerd like we are, this is for you!  Do you have an overlocker/serger and feel you don’t quite use all the features you have at your fingertips? The Juliana Martejevs Ina Top gives you a chance to play with one of those features! Ina is a trendy top designed for overlocker/serger users to have fun with lettuce hems⁠. You’ll want to add it to everything! If you ..read more

Blouses are probably the most popular garment to sew and particularly lend themselves to spring sewing. This versatile make can be styled in lots of different ways and gives your wardrobe an instant refresh. As the weather gets milder it’s quite nice to wear a blouse without all the extra layers on top, so I have searched for the most beautiful blouses with long or 3/4 length sleeves. I hope you enjoy browsing this selection of blouse sewing patterns – all from indie designers! This blouse is going on my sewing list and many of yours it seems as it has been our bestseller since adding it to ..read more

It’s time for your weekly dose of The Edit: New Sewing Pattern Releases. This blog and vlog highlight some of the new arrivals to hit the shop this week. Kate natters about all the details you need to know so if you’re a pattern nerd like we are, this is for you!  Maison Fauve has released a zingy new collection of pieces to sew for summer around the idea of a cruise wardrobe. ‘Fauve Romance’ combines elegance, vintage vibes and Fauve’s signature details, with stunning results. Effortlessly elegant, the Mimosa Blazer is the highlight of Maison Fauve’s Romance Collection. It ..read more

Happy weekend everyone and welcome back to the sew down. This is a monthly roundup of some of the interesting stuff we have found, bought, read, and watched in the world of sewing.   Stuff to read: We are always hunting out good articles to read or a book that you can either read or listen to while you are sewing. We’ve got some fantastic things to get your teeth stuck into this month. Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones – Dolly Parton  Tilly and the Buttons: Mini Makes: Sewing Patterns to Make for Kids Aged 0–12 Years Guardian: Purls of wisdom: the wellbeing benefits of ..read more

It’s time for your weekly dose of The Edit: New Sewing Pattern Releases. This blog and vlog highlight some of the new arrivals to hit the shop this week. Kate natters about all the details you need to know so if you’re a pattern nerd like we are, this is for you!  We have officially entered spring and are celebrating with a brand-new indie designer. If you’ve never come across Vivian Shao Chen’s  delightful patterns, you are in for a treat. With patterns that combine understated simplicity with special design features, they are projects you will love to sew. Vivian is an interior ..read more