Lisa Reece

A BIG Congratulations to our May Project of the Month Winners who will each receive a £20 voucher to spend at Abakhan. Lots of great entries this month but our Product Buyers have decided the winners are:

Heather Hawkins with the amazing Wedding Dress

Susannah Wolfeden with the Cute Dog

Di Cheal with the lovely Cat themed cards

Remember June's Project of the Month has now started - no theme - anything goes! We have 3 ways you can send your image to us:

Upload you image on our Facebook page abakhan.fabrics

Tweet your image to us @abakhanfabrics

E-mail us your image to [email protected] (maximum image size 1MB)

Good Luck

Posted in Project of the Month

Our Home Interiors Department offers:

Made-to-Measure Service * NEW! Upholstery Service * Wide Variety of fabrics including Liberty, Voyage, William Morris, Sanderson and many more * Furnishing Trimming & Tie Backs * Vintage Chalk Paints * Cushions, Throws, Readymades and more!



We offer a Made-to-Measure Service for:

Curtains, Cushion Covers, Valances, Swags & Tails, Blinds, Tie Backs, Nets & Voiles and Fitted Throws.

Our curtain makers have over 30 years of experience. They are able to produce the most stunning window dressing to suit your style. These can be made from our roll stock fabrics or fabrics can be ordered in from our many sample books. The range of fabrics, colours and styles is almost endless!



We are proud to carry a beautiful range of fabrics including Liberty, Voyage, William Morris, Clarke & Clarke and Sanderson to name but a few. These fabrics can also be ordered by the metre.





Call in for your 'no obligation quote'

Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will offer advice and quotations on the various options available to you. Just bring along your measurements of your windows and your colour scheme. Photos of your rooms and windows are really useful too!

Pre-book your free consultation by calling our Reception Team on 01745 562100





For more photos of the department click here.

Posted in News

Use cords, ribbons and beads to make yourself this pretty bracelet.



Taken from the Twenty to Make book range published by Search Press

Posted in Projects

A BIG Congratulations to our March Project of the Month Winners who will each receive a £20 voucher to spend at Abakhan. Lots of great entries this month but our Product Buyers have decided the winners are:

Racheal Lewis with the adorable blanket

Aigi Young with the cute little dress

Cath Jones with the button picture

Remember April's Project of the Month has now started - no theme - anything goes! We have 3 ways you can send your image to us:

Upload you image on our Facebook page abakhan.fabrics

Tweet your image to us @abakhanfabrics

E-mail us your image to [email protected] (maximum image size 1MB)

Good Luck

Posted in Project of the Month

Judges May Martin and Patrick Grant must decide who has done enough to be crowned Britain's best amateur sewer, and they have saved their most complicated and demanding challenges for last. Across the three garments, they will be looking for avant-garde cutting-edge designs and the trickiest pattern cutting ever seen on the Sewing Bee.

The formidable first challenge sees the sewers taking on a pattern as complex as origami - with no diagrams to help them. The brain-teasing instructions almost prove too much for one of the finalists.The next challenge sees alterations so extraordinary they leave Patrick speechless, and finally they are asked to fit an avant-garde dress for a model they weren't expecting, before Claudia Winkleman announces the winner of this year's Great British Sewing Bee. Thursday, BB2 at 8pm.



We have put together some information below, including Fabrics and Supplies featured in the episode (or similar) along with Tips, Techniques and other resources to get your creativity flowing.

Challenge 1 - Pattern Task



Here are some great cutting tips for beginners.

Tips for marking and cutting fabrics from Tilly & the Buttons.

Take a Pattern Cutting Class at Abakhan.

Tips for sewing perfect seams and hems

How to make bias binding and tips for top stitiching

Challenge 2 - Alteration Challenge



Boning tips and techniques.

Buy boning here

Canvas Interfacing

How to sew ruching like Lorna's neckline.

How to sew with elastic.

Challenge 3 - Avante Garde Dress



How to make a corset like Matt.

Tips for sewing with stretch fabrics like Neil

How to make a strapless dress similar to Lorna's.

How to use a walking foot like Neil.

5 or 6 ways to sew darts.

How to sew an invisible zip.

How to sew an pleats

How to sew eyelets like Matt.

Sequins, Tulle and Jerseys

Sewing Essentials

And of course you will need all of your Sewing Essentials which are used regularly in sewing, ranging from repair patches, marking & measuring equipment, machine accessories, scissors, pins & needles and more.



We offer a huge selection of zips including Concealed, Open End , Closed End and Chunky

We also have a great choice of Buttons and Ribbons , Interfacings , Threads , Cotton Seam & Bias Bindings and Elastics

Posted in Great British Sewing Bee Series 3

It's the semi-final, and the intensity in the sewing room increases as the five remaining sewers are welcomed back to demonstrate their skills with tricky and technical fabrics. The first task sees the sewers coming unstuck with delicate lace and slippery satins, next they take on the totally unexpected in the alteration challenge, and finally they are asked to make an entire leather jacket in just six and a half hours. There are triumphs and disasters as the sewers race against the clock to finish their garments, and the stress levels reach a new high as they learn that not one, but two sewers will be leaving the sewing room.



We have put together some information below, including Fabrics and Supplies featured in the episode (or similar) along with Tips, Techniques and other resources to get your creativity flowing.

Challenge 1 - Satins & Lace



How to make a pencil skirt

Tips for sewing with lace and satin.

How to sew an invisble zip and here are some tips for sewing darts

Tips to sew double stitch seams and french seams.

Video tutorial for french seams

Tutorial for perfect parallel lines

The perfect waistband tutorial.

Choose your own lace, satin and lining fabrics.



Challenge 2 - Alteration Challenge



Tips for sewing neoprene

Tips for matching patterned fabrics

How to sew ruffles and frills

Techniques for sewing sleeves

Digital Prints like Deborah

Challenge 3 - Leather Jacket



9 tips for sewing with leather

More tips and tricks for sewing with leather.

How to make a leather jacket and sew a zipper in to it.

How to make a madarin collar like Paul.

Perfect princess seams like Lorna.

How to pleat sleeves like Deborah

How to shorten your zip

Learn how to stud leather.

We have a great range of imitation leather fabrics and leather needles.



Sewing Essentials

And of course you will need all of your Sewing Essentials which are used regularly in sewing, ranging from repair patches, marking & measuring equipment, machine accessories, scissors, pins & needles and more.



We offer a huge selection of zips including Concealed, Open End , Closed End and Chunky

We also have a great choice of Buttons and Ribbons , Interfacings , Threads , Cotton Seam & Bias Bindings and Elastics

Posted in Great British Sewing Bee Series 3

A BIG Congratulations to our February Project of the Month Winners who will each receive a £20 voucher to spend at Abakhan. Lots of great entries this month but our Product Buyers have decided the winners are:

Agata Agathe with her fabulous dress

Anne Warburton with the lovely lampshade

Lesley Lynch with amazing knitted dog jumper

Remember March's Project of the Month has now started - no theme - anything goes! We have 3 ways you can send your image to us:

Upload you image on our Facebook page abakhan.fabrics

Tweet your image to us @abakhanfabrics

E-mail us your image to [email protected] (maximum image size 1MB)

Good Luck

Posted in Project of the Month

Claudia takes the eight sewers back in time to the 50s when home sewing was at its height. Judges Patrick Grant and May Martin have tracked down one of the biggest-selling dressmaking patterns of the time , next the sewers enter the world of make do and mend when they are given a vintage gem which they must transform into a wearable garment. and finally they face an ambitious made-to-measure challenge when they are asked to make a 1950s blouse in unforgiving sheer fabric..



We have put together some information below, including Fabrics and Supplies featured in the episode (or similar) along with Tips, Techniques and other resources to get your creativity flowing.

Challenge 1 - Walk Away Dress

In 1952, Butterick Pattern Co released pattern #6015, and dubbed it the ‘walk-away’ dress, because it was so easy you could “Start it after breakfast… walk-away in it for luncheon!”.



Tips for marking and cutting fabrics from Tilly & the Buttons.

Sewing Tips for Vintage Enthuisiasts

Walk away dress

Top 10 reasons to buy a Vintage Sewing Machine

Video on How To Use a Bias Binding Foot

Ice Cream Fabric

Here are some great cutting tips for beginners.

Tips for sewing darts

Challenge 2 - Make Do and Mend


You should wear curtains

TUTORIAL: HOW TO SEW DARTS

Video - How To Sew A Classic Waistband

Challenge 3 - Sheer Fabric Blouse



Man's shirt to a blouse

How To: Sew the Easy Kimono short sleeved Dress Pattern

Sewing With Sheers

Tips for sewing with sheer fabrics and how to finish those seams & hems.

We love this sheer, loose fitting batwing blouse tutorial

Lots of lovely sheer fabrics available here

Sewing Essentials

And of course you will need all of your Sewing Essentials which are used regularly in sewing, ranging from repair patches, marking & measuring equipment, machine accessories, scissors, pins & needles and more.



We offer a huge selection of zips including Concealed, Open End , Closed End and Chunky

We also have a great choice of Buttons and Ribbons , Interfacings , Threads , Cotton Seam & Bias Bindings and Elastics

Posted in Great British Sewing Bee Series 3

The nine remaining amateur sewers prepare to do battle again, in a bid to bag garment of the week and secure their place in the running to win The Great British Sewing Bee. The three challenges this week test the sewers' ability to make clothes on a miniature scale! Let's go ....



We have put together some information below, including Fabrics and Supplies featured in the episode (or similar) along with Tips, Techniques and other resources to get your creativity flowing.

Challenge 1 - Child's Waistcoat



A great tutorial to help make your own child's waistcoat

Step by step tutorial for a welt pockets.

Cutting Fabric, 12 Mistakes To Avoid

How to Sew on a button!

Technique: Sewing Buttonholes and Buttons

We have lots of lovely buckles and linings for the back panel.

Lots of fabrics to choose from printed cottons, plain cottons and even tartans and tweeds.

Challenge 2 - Transformation Task



Tips for sewing with knit fabrics by Tilly & the Buttons.

Make a Cuddle Bolero

Keeping t-shirt fabric from stretching when sewing

Sewing Pattern - Bolero Jacket

Learn how to Gather Fabric the proper way & the easy way

Shirring tutorial (Paul)

Perfect hems and waistband tutorial

Make your own Harem Pants

How to make a Childs Cape

How to make a bolero like Deborah We have a large selection of Lace and Dress Trim to choose from for up cycling projects and to accessorise with.

Challenge 3 - Fancy Dress





How to Sew with Interfacing by Tilly & the Buttons

Sewing Tips for Using Felt Fabric

Take a look at the children's fancy dress patterns we have online.

We have a great range of novelty fabrics, satins , dancewear and fleece & fur fabrics.

Make your own elephant costume. Add some tulle to make it ballerina style?

Simple tutorials for his and hers shorts and childrens shorts.

Tips for topstitching used on the cupcake

Finishing techniques for using jersey fabrics like Deborah

Applique Tutorial (Matt's Smartphone)

Lots of satins to choose from along with matching cords.

Sewing Essentials

And of course you will need all of your Sewing Essentials which are used regularly in sewing, ranging from repair patches, marking & measuring equipment, machine accessories, scissors, pins & needles and more.



We offer a huge selection of zips including Concealed, Open End , Closed End and Chunky

We also have a great choice of Buttons and Ribbons , Interfacings , Threads , Cotton Seam & Bias Bindings and Elastics

Posted in Great British Sewing Bee Series 3

Series 3 is back! As always presented by Claudia Winkleman. Ten of the country's best home sewers face three challenges to make or alter an item of clothing under intense time pressure. And of course their creations will be judged by Savile Row's Patrick Grant and sewing expert May Martin. After six great episodes one of them will be crowned the winner! Sewing machines at the ready!!



We have put together some information below, including Fabrics and Supplies featured in the episode (or similar) along with Tips, Techniques and other resources to get your creativity flowing.

Challenge 1 - Women's Trousers



A great video tutorial to help make your own trousers

For those who like a step by step guide check out this fab picture tutorial to make Trousers

Learn how to insert an Invisible Zip

How to sew a curved seam and a french seam

Five or six ways to sew darts from Tilly.

A great guide to sewing machine feet

Buy a simple trouser pattern here

Tips for using cotton fabrics along with some great tips for pre-washing

Challenge 2 - Transform a Denim Shirt



Tips for sewing with Denim

Easy denim skirt tutorial

How to sew a simple fabric pocket

Challenge 3 - Summer Dress



10 great summer dress tutorials in just one place!

Great tips for Simple Hems

Tricks to match patterned fabrics along seams including spotty fabrics like Neil.

How to sew capped sleeves like Paul and add gathers like Ryan.

How to make your own bias binding

Scissors or use a Rotary cutter like Deborah?

Sewing Essentials

And of course you will need all of your Sewing Essentials which are used regularly in sewing, ranging from repair patches, marking & measuring equipment, machine accessories, scissors, pins & needles and more.



We offer a huge selection of zips including Concealed, Open End , Closed End and Chunky

We also have a great choice of Buttons and Ribbons , Interfacings , Threads , Cotton Seam & Bias Bindings and Elastics

Posted in Great British Sewing Bee Series 3