Alex

Here, at Calico Laine we love nothing more than seeing what gorgeous creations our customers come up with. Over the years we have been awed and inspired by the wonderful (and yes, sometimes weird!) designs which have been showcased both on our website and our social media channels. We know that many of our customers, some with many years experience...

Jersey fabrics are always one of our most popular Fabrics for dressmaking whatever the season. These fabrics are so versatile making them perfect for almost any dressmaking project including t-shirts and dresses. Popular due to its element of stretch and beautiful drape, this range of comfortable fabrics provide excellent insulation possibly explaining why jersey fabrics were once strictly associated with undergarments...

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and is the ideal time for exploring your creative side. With the party season fast approaching, now is the perfect time to start thinking about your outfits. Forget about traipsing around the busy high street trying on a variety of uninspiring outfits which will make you blend into the crowd, and...

As the world came together last week to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the tragic death of the much loved 35th President of The United States, John F Kennedy Jr, we remember not only what a legendary figure JFK is, and what conspiracy surrounds his death, but what an icon his wife Jackie Onassis Kennedy, was. From 1961 until her...

Autumn is possibly the most beautiful season of the year, with those distinctive autumn hues of golden brown decorating the world around us and leaves crunching beneath our feet. Long before those bright mornings take a frosty turn and the chilly autumn gusts start to blow through the trees, you will find your thoughts turning to your autumn wardrobe. Keeping...

Zips may not be considered to be the most sophisticated of technology and are often taken for granted by most of us, but they are the most widely used mechanism of the past and present century. In dressmaking, zips are a necessity and are used on everything from dresses and trousers to shoes and bags as a way to join...

Sewing is one of the oldest textile arts in the world and is used within a variety of industries, most notably fashion and footwear. Before the industrial revolution, sewing was still very much a skilled industry with many people working out of their own homes, offering their services as seamstresses and tailors. With the invention of the sewing machine by Thomas...

I first remember becoming familiar with the word haberdasher whilst reading Chaucers' Canterbury Tales during my school days. Traditionally, as in Chaucer's masterpiece, a haberdasher was a peddler who would sell small articles for making clothes like buttons, threads and zips and the word haberdashery came to be an all encompassing term for small items used in sewing and dressmaking...

On your big day you want everything to be perfect and having the dress of your dreams goes some way to achieving this! Over the years at Calico Laine we have helped many brides to be with fabrics for their dresses and their bridesmaids dresses. In my entry today I'm going to talk through some of the most popular fabrics...

Jewellery making is a fun and relaxing hobby and is one of the most simple and effective Craft skills you can possess. By perfecting just a few basic skills, you will be well on your way to creating unique, statement pieces for yourself and for your friends and family. There are a number of benefits associated with creating your own...