by GillyMac | Feb 10, 2021 | Beginners, blog, Dressmaking, Patchwork, Quilting, Sewing Made Simple
What To Buy for Learning to Sew Be prepared for this to be a journey. Moreover, learning to sew is like any skill, it improves with practice, and there aren’t any shortcuts. Equip yourself correctly. A good machine does not need to be an expensive machine....
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 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 | Feb 16, 2018 | Uncategorised
The announcement this week from Coats (owners of FreeSpirit Fabrics) was shocking in its swiftness, but the writing has been on the wall for some time, had we chosen to look at it. Coats business is dominated by its ‘Industrial’ business (around 70%)...
by GillyMac | Feb 1, 2018 | Beginners, Classes, Designing, Dressmaking
With so much dressmaking in full flow at GillyMac Designs, I thought it would be an ideal time to share with you some tips on how to work your way around a dressmaking pattern. UNDERSTANDING THE PATTERN: Unless you are using a modern pattern, you will find that...
by GillyMac | Oct 10, 2017 | Uncategorised
With the Singer Overlockers on sale in Lidl this week and with the use of overlockers on the TV series, The Great British Sewing Bee, more and more of the sewing community has access to an overlocker. Overlockers are sadly often misunderstood tools. They can do so...
by GillyMac | May 11, 2016 | Uncategorised
Now that there quite a few people coming along to classes and so many brilliant things are being created, it has been on my mind to find a way to share more of what we do just between ourselves. I already post some of the work in my gallery page on this website, and...
by GillyMac | Mar 24, 2015 | Uncategorised
This week is the final lesson of my first “Skirt Sloper and More” class. A skirt sloper is a garment which is built to mould to the shape your own body using a single dart for each quarter pattern and with no design features added. It is a revelation to many of us...
