Laura

Now that the Great British Sewing Bee is over there will be a lot of people across the country who have a new motivation to get the sewing machine out or buy a sewing machine and get dressmaking. Whether you have done dressmaking in the past or are new to the idea, the sewing bee is sure to give you some ideas to...

When doing any form of dressmaking it is important to be accurate to ensure that your garment is the right size and shape to fit. Whether you use a commercial pattern or make your own pattern it is vital that you have the correct Haberdashery items to help you carry out your project. Here is a quick rundown of items...

Knitting is a one of the most popular Crafts for customers at Calico Laine and people of all ages are taking it up as a hobby, knitting clothes and accessories throughout the year and not just in the winter months as you would expect. Knitting has been a Craft for centuries, with the first evidence of knitting believed to be from Egypt...

We often find that many of our customers here at Calico Laine like to buy stretch Dressmaking Fabrics due to their ability to create a comfortable fit in a garment. Stretch fabrics usually feature a small amount of spandex in them which give the fabric the ability to move with your body which makes it comfortable when it is worn. Stretch...

Everybody who sews knows that you cannot do any sewing without thread and it is important to choose a good quality thread to work with to ensure the quality of your garment or item. At Calico Laine we stock a few different brands of thread however in my opinion, I would always opt for Gutermann Threads as these are a...

Recently I have had a lot of birthday celebrations in my family and it is important to me, whether it is a big age celebration or simply another year old that the birthday boy or girl is made to feel special on their day (seeing as they only get one a year). I like to create extra special handmade cards...

When you are undertaking any kind of dressmaking, quilting or sewing project, accuracy is the key to getting it right in many instances. Everything from the width of the fabric to the length of the fabric, from body measurements to zip size need to be measured and if just one thing is incorrect, the whole project could go awry! Not...

Haberdashery is very important to all of your dressmaking projects and here at Calico Laine we like to offer you a good range of high quality items to fill your sewing box. From buttons to zips, quick un-picks to ribbon, pins to tape, the chance is we will have whatever you are looking for in our 'Aladdin's cave'! Here is a quick run...

This week we have had a lot of customers coming into our Liscard branch to purchase gingham Dress Fabric for making school dresses and skirts for the summer term. Back when I was at school, we just bought our school dresses from the local uniform shop however it seems that Mum's are getting a bit more creative and making their...

May is one of my favourite months of the year as it means that we get two long weekends; with a bank holiday at the start of the month and another one at the end of the month. Unfortunately, this year, we have not had much luck with the weather and the early May bank holiday was a bit of...