Embrace the Crinkle

Published 7 days ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader,

Last Sunday I was invited to a very special afternoon tea at Penn House to celebrate Chiltern Open Air Museum's 50th anniversary.

My first thought was

"What am I going to wear?"

I had a rummage through my fabric stash and found a length of lightweight viscose I'd completely forgotten about. It was smooth, soft and drapey - perfect for a summer dress.

Then I pre-washed it.

Let's just say it didn't come out looking anything like it went in!

Rather than trying to fight the fabric, I decided to embrace what it had become.

I've written the full story over on the blog, including:

why I always overlock raw edges before washing fabric
why I did a burn test
why I don't always pre-wash fabric

👉 Read the full story here

Sewing Tip of the Week

One little sewing notion I find myself recommending again and again is Wonder Tape.

It's a narrow double-sided tape that temporarily holds fabric exactly where you want it while you sew in place of pins.

I use it for:

invisible zips
patch pockets
appliqué
anywhere pins seem to get in the way

Unlike ordinary tape, it doesn't gum up your needle and it washes away completely.

If you'd like to try it, here's the one I use: https://amzn.to/3T4h7os

*Full disclosure: this is an affiliate link, which means I earn a small commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work! 💜

🌞 Fancy making your own summer wardrobe?

There are still a few places available on my Tysew Summer Sewing Experience Days.

Join me to make a:

Tote Bag
Jersey T-shirt (including using overlocker and coverstitch machines)
Shorts
Beach Cover-up

...in a relaxed, friendly environment, with plenty of help along the way.

You can see all the details, dates and book here → https://www.sewingteacher.co.uk/tysew

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