by GillyMac | Jan 27, 2021 | Beginners, blog, GillyMac Community, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple
“Which sewing machine needle should I use?” There are two factors to consider when choosing a needle. What type of fabric you are sewing and the thickness of the thread to be sewn with. Type of Sewing Machine Needle You should match the ideal type of sewing machine...
by GillyMac | Jan 20, 2021 | Beginners, blog, Classes, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple
I believe that sewing is a great investment in you and will improve your wellbeing. It is a way to relax and enjoy life today and cope with pressure in the future. Those of you who come to my classes know that sewing is terrific and is like Pilates for the brain. It...
by GillyMac | Jan 13, 2021 | Beginners, blog, Dressmaking, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple
How often you should change your needle is a topic that everybody has an opinion on, and most of them are different. This is not very helpful when you want a simple answer. Let me tell you when I change my needle. I think about my needles like pencils. I...
by GillyMac | Jan 6, 2021 | Beginners, blog, Dressmaking, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple, Teens
If you are new to sewing machine purchasing or upgrading, it is often hard to know which sewing machine you should buy. Because of this, it can be easier to narrow down the options by price. This is a fine way to start, but really only removes some of the alternatives...
by GillyMac | Dec 4, 2020 | blog, Christmas, general, GillyMac Community, Patchwork, Quilting
As we get closer to Christmas, you may be thinking about what you would like to receive or give at this time. To help you out, I am recommending the top 10 sewing books I have enjoyed using and owning in the past few years. They are not all brand new, some have been...
by GillyMac | Nov 25, 2020 | blog, Christmas, GillyMac Community, Patchwork
Over the past years, I have bought a number of different patchwork rulers in the hope of cutting fabric pieces quicker, easier and with more accuracy. Some have been brilliant and simple to use – others have been thrown away. If you have been asking yourself...
by GillyMac | Nov 18, 2020 | blog, Designing, Improv Sewing, Patchwork, Tutorial
What is Improv Sewing? I think that you will get as many answers to this as the number of people you ask. This is really unhelpful when you are trying to understand a technique. Therefore, my suggestion to you is to find an improv technique you like to start with....
by GillyMac | Jul 27, 2020 | blog, Patchwork, Quilting, Tutorial
Have you ever been put off making a quilt because it will be too big to quilt? Or maybe your quilting confidence is much higher when the piece you are tackling is smaller. For either of these problems, Quilt-As-You-Go is the answer! Quilt-As-You-Go (QAYG) is a...
by GillyMac | Jun 22, 2020 | Beginners, blog, GillyMac Community, Patchwork, Quilting
Whilst searching through my stash of fabrics looking for something for a children class I found a number of drab and unappealing fabrics that I knew I would never use. For me, fabric can be like clothes, sometimes you fall out of love with them, wonder why you ever...
