Blog
The Beyond Measure Open Weekend 2018 - Special Guests
I'm so delighted to be welcoming my special guests to the Beyond Measure Studio this weekend! Please note that not everybody will be here all weekend but I'm sue there will be enough to keep you happy, whatever day you come! On Friday and Saturday, we welcome Tillyflop Designs! TillyFlop designs is where yarn and graphics meet … it's a range of greeting cards, textiles, temporary tattoos, prints, bumper stickers, air fresheners and wrapping paper that celebrate knitting and stitching with gentle humour and a strong design aesthetic! The brains behind it all is Julie Nelson-Rhodes and she'll be here...
The Beyond Measure Open Weekend 2018 - Essential information
Just three weeks until our winter open weekend! If you haven't visited one of our events before, here is what to expect.... The Beyond Measure workspace is on the first floor of an old industrial building in the town of Todmorden (officially in Yorkshire now but very close to the Lancashire border). The building houses many small businesses behind its doors - from a boat workshop to a glass bead maker. I use my unit as a base for running my mail order business but it can also be a impromptu sewing studio and social space when time allows! For my...
100 Acts of Sewing July – Adding cuffs to Shirt No 1
I am going to share my method of adding a cuff to your Shirt No 1. These are double sided cuffs so can be turned back if you like for a different look and a shorter sleeve.
Why would you want to add a cuff you may ask? Well here are a few reasons:
- To add a contrast design feature
- To add length if fabric isn’t wide enough to fit the pattern.
- To add a bit of substance to fine fabrics – the cuff can make your sleeves hang better
- To add some adaptability to your Shirt No 1 – wear the cuffs down or up!
Dress No 1 Square neck with all-in-one facing – burrito method!
On my first Dress No 1 by 100 Acts of Sewing, I decided on a bit of a whim to make a square neck. It’s one of my favourite necklines and I just love how it looks! By its nature, it obviously isn’t curved, so bias binding really isn’t really the best finish for the straight lines. You really need a facing to give it stability. There are different kinds of facing depending on your garment neckline (have a Google or get hold of any basic sewing book, even better, get an old copy of the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing).
Cohana style!
Now did you know that on the 8th February the Kanto region of Japan celebrate Hari-Kuyō, the Festival of Broken Needles? It is a celebration of all the sewing needles and pins broken in their service during the past year and an opportunity to pray for improved sewing skills. People gather at Shinto or Buddhist temples and stick their old and used needles into blocks of tofu or jelly – it’s a way of showing gratitude for their work and putting them to ‘rest’ – it seems to be an act of great tenderness and respect for these humble objects.