Brother Sewing UK

Hello again! I’m notoriously terrible at leaving seasonal makes to the last minute so I thought that arranging to write a blog post about this advent calendar would help me finish it on time. Full disclosure: I still need to do a little hand-stitching, but it will definitely be ready to fill with tasty treats come December… I had admired these advent calendar panels last Christmas, but I wasn’t sure that my sewing skills were up to the task. This year, with another 12 months of sewing experience and a fancy new machine under my belt, I fancied tackling something new! I’d love to have a go at quilting, and I thought that this would be a great introduction to some quilting techniques. I couldn’t resist this thoroughly charming panel by Makower, which I got from Escape and Create . This project is quite preparation-heavy. I started by cutting out the pockets with a rotary cutter, ruler and self-healing mat. The instructions didn’t say to finish the edges of the pockets, but

I was incredibly excited about the Mayfair Dress  when it was released by Nina Lee  over a year ago and I snapped up a paper copy soon after release. For years I had this favourite style of French Connection dress that saw me through many summers; flattering, comfortable and seemingly suited for any occasion.   I owned versions in various prints, colours and lengths but may favourite by far was a maxi length version. The previous summer I'd been wearing it with too many holes to repair, hoping that the little purple, black and dusky pink print disguised them. It had been on its last legs for a while and sadly French Connection stopped making them a while before. I couldn't bear to throw it out so I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted the Mayfair and realised it was almost an exact match – I could make my own replacement! Why, you may ask, has it taken me so long to make one? I had a really hard time finding fabric that was going to live up to my expectations o

Hello! I’m so excited to join the Brother blogging team and thought I’d start with an introductory post. My name’s Joy and I live in Cambridgeshire with my boyfriend and cat. I design and sell sewing-themed gifts and accessories through my online business, Pink Coat Club , and work part-time in a fabric shop. I spend most of my spare time sewing, but I also love country walks, visiting National Trust properties and afternoon tea. I guess you could say I’m old before my time!  I got my first sewing machine – a Brother XL2620 - for Christmas in 2010 as my mum was fed up of me sending her my clothes to fix. She’s a fantastic seamstress so I assumed that sewing would come naturally to me and I’d be making my own swishy 50s style dresses in no time! As you can imagine, that didn’t happen and I mostly used it for alterations and fancy-dress costumes for a few years. It was only in 2016, when I discovered Tilly and the Buttons’ patterns and the online sewing community that

Sew Creative, located in the market town of Petersfield, offers a wide range of fabrics, machines and a supportive shopping experience. Fabrics, machines and sewing support in Petersfield In 2012, life threw some pretty unpleasant things my way. My husband was diagnosed with cancer, my mother passed away, and the death of my best friend followed soon after. My husband, who has now had the all clear, suggested I start a project to surround myself with what I love the most; the joy of creativity! Sew Creative was born to bring light back to my life, and in return, aims to give customers the joy of making something that is creative and individual. We pride ourselves on being very much part of the community in Petersfield and offer not just a great range of fabrics, haberdashery, workshops and sewing machines, but lots of advice and friendship too! Our high levels of service have been recognised as we have been shortlisted for Retailer of the Year in the Petersfield Awards every y