by GillyMac | Jan 2, 2025 | blog, Classes, Dressmaking, general, GillyMac Community, Improv Sewing, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple, Teens
2024 was a busy and exciting year at GillyMac. Working with Janome, the WI Learning Hub, and being involved in filming later in the year stretched the business in different directions. The core of GillyMac remains the weekly classes and sewists who transit through...
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 | Oct 10, 2020 | Teens
I have always loved teaching my teen classes and wanted to extend the opportunities to sew to a much wider teen audience. Earlier this year I created a small library of video tutorials aimed at young sewists. The videos are all completely free and there are already 6...
by GillyMac | Jul 13, 2020 | Dressmaking, GillyMac Community, Teens
Fast fashion is here to stay, certainly for the short term, but with the latest UK news about textile factories in Leicester, it is time to pause and consider what we could all do to stop the abuse of factory workers – not just in the UK, but across the World. As an...
by GillyMac | Feb 13, 2019 | Beginners, GillyMac Community, Patchwork, Quilting, Teens
It is always useful to have some creative projects ready to go at any time of the year and this post is JAM-PACKED with ideas. These are my top 5 go-to projects for children aged 12-16 years of age. They take a morning or an afternoon to complete and will keep the...
by GillyMac | Dec 27, 2018 | Beginners, GillyMac Community, Patchwork, Teens
This is a simple way to package any note or card which is quick to make and looks fabulous. In my teen Christmas classes last week we were making a version of these envelopes and filling them with chocolate coins as extra family gifts, however at this time of year,...
by GillyMac | Nov 27, 2018 | #tiptuesday, Christmas, Teens
At the weekend, the Saturday girls and I made reusable wipes as Christmas Gifts… The circles we used were 4″ in diameter. I created a video of the process to make the wipes and next week I’ll do the same for the bag. The idea is the mesh bag that is...
by GillyMac | Nov 8, 2018 | Christmas, Patchwork, Teens
I am lucky to be in the position to see the advent panels from many of the fabric suppliers in the Summer months, which means I can order them ahead of time. Two weeks ago a bold of gorgeous advent panels arrived from Dashwood Fabrics. I have some new Junior Sewing...
