Hi Reader, I'm back teaching classes after the Christmas holidays, and one theme keeps popping up. Fit. So many people take up dressmaking because they struggle to find ready-to-wear clothes that fit properly. They want clothes to feel like they were made for them. But even after learning to sew, so many still find themselves frustrated when their handmade garments don’t fit and come up too small. This week, almost every class I’ve taught has come back to one simple, crucial step. Taking...

Hi Reader, Yesterday I did my very first Christmas fair with my beginner-friendly sewing kits. It was a big build-up: days of cutting, marking, pressing, packing, printing instructions and planning the stall. I sold a few aprons, a few tote bag kits and some Christmas bits, but nowhere near what I’d quietly hoped for in terms of takings. Talking to the other stallholders, it was clear it wasn’t just me. Footfall was low, there were more stallholders than people browsing, and lots of us went...

Hi Reader, Last week I had a surprise couple of days inside the Guildford School of Acting costume department. They needed an extra pair of hands for alterations, so I stepped in and honestly, it was such a joy. Across the two days I: • Added extra panels to a dress and skirt to give them more room • Took in a T-shirt and a pair of trousers • Let out another pair • Repaired a tear on a gorgeous vintage cape (right at the neck edge) • Stitched a lace collar onto a jacket to give it a Victorian...