What is Ponte Di Roma? A Fabric Guide
It seems that the knit fabric ponte di roma (also known as punto-di-roma, but I’m going to call it ponte roma for short) is all the rage at the moment and much credit must lie with Tilly Walnes and her wonderful Coco Pattern. And what’s not to love? It’s an easy knit to sew, it doesn’t crease, it doesn’t cling to your lumps and bumps like some knit fabrics, it’s an all round good egg. The fabric was developed in Italy (the clue is in the name) and I’m very glad they did (to think they gave us this AND pizza – praise be for Italy!) (more…)
How To Restore Plush (Minky) Remnants
Plush, minky, cuddle fabric… whatever you like to call it! (For an update on why we don’t call the fabric “minky” in the UK like the rest of the world does see this post) There’s no mistaking the lusciousness that started me on the road to our online shop. The trouble is (for us) the last 50cm-75cm of every bolt we have can only be sold as a fabric remnant. The pile near to the centre of the bolt gets brushed up the wrong way and crushed when the weight of the rest of the fabric piles on top of it. Then it’s stored by the manufacturer for a while and in that time unfortunately the pile goes a bit wayward and no amount of stroking it puts it back to it’s former glory. The fabric isn’t permanently like this as the pile isn’t damaged per se, it’s just got a bit of bed hair so needs a little coaxing to restore it. (more…)
Beginners Guide To Reading a Dressmaking Pattern
Please note: there is an updated and improved version of this post here
If and when you decide to venture into the world of creating a garment to wear for yourself or a Santa suit for your pampered pooch this guide will hopefully answer some basic questions. Many of us have learned how to use patterns and sew from a family member or a close friend, and there are many different techniques and shortcuts that people use to make it easier. If however this is not the case for you, pulling out a pattern to create something special can seem very overwhelming. We hope this will help see you through your first simple steps and will make life a little easier. (more…)