Who hasn't fallen in love with the fabulous fashion of past era's ? What is your favorite era ? The roaring Twenties ? with stunning beadwork and dropped waist lines ? The amazing and super flattering bias cuts of the Thirties ? Or maybe like me, you love the forties, tea dresses, high waisted wide legged trousers ? and gorgeous blouses ? Maybe your style inspirations is not so far back in time, but closer to today with the, the cool Seventies, embroidered hot-pants, Demin flares, summery smocks with Angel sleeves, and cool kaftans in awesome prints ? I love nothing more than finding a origin ..read more

Flannel is such an underrated fabric, traditionally made from wool, then cotton and now available with other synthetic fibers woven in. Its most commonly available to buy in a plaid pattern. This seasons must have the "shacket" is crying out to be made in a fabulous cosy flannel plaid. Scroll down for all the top tips for prepping you flannel fabric, it does shrink, so pre-washing is a must. Lots of shirts and "shackets" have a placket on the sleeve, keep scrolling for all the tips to sew the perfect placket on your shacket ! Pattern from Muna and Broad What is Flannel? Flannel is a loosely w ..read more

An estimated 140 million worth of clothing gets dumped into land fill in the UK every year. According to Down2Earth Materials, materials like leather take 25 to 40 years to decompose. Synthetic fabric like polyester and Lycra can take hundreds of years to biodegrade. The decomposing of clothes release methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. 3.781 litres of water are used in the production of one pair of 501 jeans, this includes growing the cotton, the processing of the denim and washing at home. Post war people routinely repaired and reused clothing due to scare resources, but plentiful cheap clo ..read more

With the amount of rainy days we get in the UK, raincoats and water resistant clothing should be top of our sewing list. Sewing water-proof and water-resistant fabrics will allow you to create the perfect rainwear to reflect your life style and needs. For me, getting a great fitting hood is up there on my wish list, along with deep pockets for car and house keys. Grab a cuppa and have a quick read of Sew Retro's top 10 tips, for sewing water-proof and water-resistant fabrics. 1. Suitable Fabrics There are lots of different types of rainwear fabrics on the market. Be aware that they can vary ..read more

Hands up if you love a matching stripe ! Me too !! Is so satisfying to check your seam and find perfectly matching stripes and SO ANNOYING if they do not match. Scroll down for the tried and tested tips to get that perfect match. Find out everything you need to know when sewing stretch fabric, and a seven step guide to getting a flat fitting neckband, using stretch fabric or a rib knit. Preparing the fabric to cut 1. When you fold your fabric in half and lay it out ready to cut, you want to check that the stripes on the top layer are exactly on top of the stripes on the bottom layer. 2. Inse ..read more

Do sewing buttonholes make you dance with joy or fill you with dread ? If it's the later, this blog post is filled with so many tips and hints on sewing the perfect buttonhole, you will soon be singing your new found love of buttonhole making from the roof tops. Included in the post are links to tools to aid with the placing of the buttons and opening the button holes. But as always I show you how to use a basic sewing machine and sewing kit to produce professional buttonholes. The second episode, series 7 of the British sewing Bee 2021, challenged the sewers to make a sun dress with a front b ..read more

choose the correct thread, fabric, snap fastens AND get a professional finish on your utility jacket. ,I cant believe its already week 3, men's wear week, of series seven on the British Sewing Bee 2021. Wow ! what a week, Baker Boy hats, a first for the sewing Bee ! I love the fact that they were originally designed to use up scraps of left over fabric from tailored wool jackets. Scroll down for a few links to some patterns and I have included a free and almost free pattern link for a bucket hat too, because who doesn't love a free pattern ? The main challenge for week three was Utility Jack ..read more

choose the correct thread, fabric, snap fastens AND get a professional finish on your utility jacket. ,I cant believe its already week 3, men's wear week, of series seven on the British Sewing Bee 2021. Wow ! what a week, Baker Boy hats, a first for the sewing Bee ! I love the fact that they were originally designed to use up scraps of left over fabric from tailored wool jackets. Scroll down for a few links to some patterns and I have included a free and almost free pattern link for a bucket hat too, because who doesn't love a free pattern ? The main challenge for week three was Utility Jack ..read more

Nor me ! Until I was introduced to the "Buffet Dress" after watching series 7 of the Great British Sewing Bee episode one, April 2021. I enjoyed it so much that I have done a round up of similar sewing patterns from Indie designers and the big pattern houses in sizes 4 to 28. Newish to gathers ? Scroll down for all the insider tips to create the perfect gather. What fabric is suitable for gathering ? keep scrolling !! and finally I show you how to add tiers to a pattern you already own. https://fridaypatterncompany.com/products/the-wilder-gown-pdf-pattern A personal favorite and a joy to sew ..read more

This is a quick and simple project uses up scraps of fabric to create a fun and functional table decorations. The super cute cosies can be used time and time again to keep your eggs warm, not just at Easter. Not only will your table look fabulous, these cute cosies make gorgeous gifts. They are so easy to make, beginners will love the ease at, which they come together, and the stunning result from sewing some scraps of fabric. Get rummaging now in your stash, and don't forget to share your creations on my Instagram account and Face Book page. Thank you ! Materials Scraps of fabric Scraps of ..read more