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Hi I’m Vicky, I’ve been blogging via my Make Do Not Spend Challenge at www.sewabee.co.uk for nearly a year & Abakhan have now invited me to blog on their website. On December 1st 2010 I vowed to buy no new clothes or accessories and wear a different outfit every day for a whole year. The only concession I allowed myself is that I can buy material and make clothes to augment my existing wardrobe. Since I started sewing three years ago, Abakhan in Manchester has been one of my regular haunts and over the course of my blogs I’d like to share with you the items I have made using their range of fabrics.

One pattern – two different looks

This Simplicity pattern (3833) is a classic shift dress in a 1960’s retro style. I first made this dress in February with teal and brown leopard print material, leopard print is a classic in my book and I have it in a wide range of colours. I love the colour teal and again I had a lot of pieces in my wardrobe that would tone in with the material. In this photo I have teamed it with teal leggings from Florence and Fred and a brown leather jacket from Warehouse. I have also worn it with brown leggings and a fur shrug, changing the overall look of the outfit is in keeping with my challenge and also means that I can wear dresses more than once.

When I was at Abakhan over the summer, I fell in love with this gorgeous electric blue and silver material - I wasn’t sure what I was going to make with it but I knew I had to have it. As you can see from the photo I had the perfect tights and shoes to go with it! The more I thought about it the more I felt the style of the dress had to be quite plain in order to show the material off and let it speak for itself. So when I went back to my sewing class in September this was my first project. I opted for the short sleeved version of the dress and I think the pattern really suits the material.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my first blog for Abakhan, please let me know what you think about the dresses I’ve made and why not keep up to date with my ‘Make Do Not Spend Challenge’ on my website.

Many thanks, Vicky.

It’s that time of year again when your little loved one wants to dress up as a devil, a ghost or even a pumpkin! Here is our guide to choosing and making Halloween costumes:

Halloween Patterns - Simplicity Patterns have a great range of dressing up costumes to choose from including vampires, pumpkins and witches for a typical Halloween themed outfit. Take a look and see what you can find. There are plenty of adult sized costumes too!

Make your own Pattern - If you cannot find a suitable pattern or do not feel you have the experience to follow the instructions it is amazing what you can do with a bit of imagination and a length of fabric. Get your little loved one to lie on the floor, with their arms out, on an old newspaper and draw round them to make a pattern in a large ‘T’ shape. Cut this out on folded fabric then make a hole for the head and you have an instant tunic ready to decorate. Use this shape in black or purple for a witch or wizard, green for Robin Hood and orange for a pumpkin varying the tunic length as required.

Adding decoration - Apply cut out shapes to embellish your costume to improve the effect using Bondaweb or fabric glue to stick them on. Add stars to a wizard’s cloak and spiders for a creepy effect on a witch’s hat. You could even cut out white bone shapes and stick them to an old black T-shirt and leggings to make into a little skeleton. For a pumpkin, cut a large, round, orange tunic and sew up the edges. Glue on black triangles for the eyes and nose and a long jagged shape for the mouth. Stuff this with cushions to improve the shape. The simplest idea of all is a square of white fabric with spooky eyes and mouth stuck in place to make a ghost!

Props and Makeup - Finish your Halloween costume with the right props for a perfect look. A witch isn’t a witch without a pointed hat and broom or a devil without a trident. Don’t forget the face paints to add gory scars and bruises.

Sewing Shortcuts for Beginners - If you are not a confident sewer don’t let this put you off just choose fabric that doesn’t fray, or cut out with pinking shears to save the trouble of sewing hems. Just select the right colour of fabric to work with and add the most appropriate props and your little loved one will be delighted by your efforts!

For more information or sewing advice please contact Lorna Knight - Click here to view Lorna’s website.

Mayor Niall O Donnghaile was talking to some of the ladies who were in Northern Ireland as part of their retreat that tours all over the country, aiming to get some knitting done in some of Ireland’s most famous spots. Other destinations include Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.

The trip was conceived by the Lisburn designer Maggie Jackson, who is now based in Michigan, where she shares the benefit of her 34 years in the fashion industry with others hoping to learn this great old tradition.

Mr O Donnghaile, though happy to chip in, was happy to admit that he hadn’t quite inherited his own grandmother’s crochet skills, and ended up conceding defeat to knitting and purling, deciding instead to sit and chat to the members of the group, commenting that he tended ‘not to be any good’ at things that involve hand-eye co-ordination.

Commenting on the group’s aims, Ms Jackson noted that it was ‘about the history of Northern Ireland’ and that she aimed to bring others to her homeland.

To view more of the latest news from the world of knitting, and to purchase knitting supplies at great prices, continue to check into Abakhan over the coming weeks.

Print fleece tartan. If you’re of Scottish descent (or simply need a kilt for a costume!), then our printed tartan fleece material is ideal. Created using the finest materials and with a stylish, unique design, this superb fleece is a perfect excuse to get creating.

Leopard brown micro fleece. If there’s anything more fun than heading out onto town to an eighties club, we don’t know what it is! Our leopard print material is the ideal way to create a costume that wouldn’t look out of place in one of the Austin Powers films. Eye-grabbing and one-of-a-kind.

Plain Colours. Whilst the above patterns are great for individual needs, you’re not going to need leopard print regularly! Our range of plain colours make the ideal material for any need, whether you want to knock up a new bean-bag for your kids or simply want something warm to wear over the winter.

Click here to view our catalogue, complete with a variety of other knitting accessories.

The Wicked Witch. With Halloween on the distant horizon, there’s no harm in beginning to plan as soon as you can. Is there a more classic costume than that of the witch? The sleek black design is a sure fire way for you to look your absolute best on the darkest night of the year. Broomstick not included!

Santa’s Assistant. Do you want to look great during the festive season? Our santa’s assistant costume is glamourous and stylish. So whether you’re heading out for a night on the town or staying home and playing Santa’s assistant at home, we’ve got you covered.

The Leprechaun. St Patrick’s Day never looked this good! If you love to get out on the town during St Paddy’s Day, then this costume will have all those jaunty Irishman looking in your direction! Eye-catching colours and a great fit make this a sewing masterclass.

To view these and more of our sewing accessories, click here.

If you’ve got a lovely pooch that tends to feel the cold, then our range of patterns for stylish and sophisticated dog coats would make a great present. With the winter coming up, now is a great time for you to create a piece of clothing that will really help your pets keep the chill away.

Another great gift idea that you could put together for your beds is to create their beds virtually from scratch, using another one of our patterns. We offer a variety of different dog beds, from larger black ones to more subtle pink designs, so that whatever style your four-legged friend has, we’ll have something to suit them.

It’s not just coats and beds, however. We also stock a range of different patterns for hats, scarves and even gloves so that with the frost and snow that is likely to appear over the next few months, your pets will be able to stay nice and protected.

To view these and more of our pet accessories, visit the Abakhan catalogue here .

Scissors. Needless to say, anyone looking to get involved in sewing will need a really good pair of scissors. From marking, measuring and obviously cutting, a good pair is almost a Swiss army knife when it comes to the world of sewing. We sell a variety of scissors at Abakhan, so take your pick!

Pins and Needless. Don’t worry – we’re not talking about that rather painful infliction that occurs when your foot goes to sleep! Needles and pins are essential for sewing, as they hold the fabric together whilst you sew – you won’t have enough fingers to do so yourself!

Machine Accessories. A sewing machine can be one of the most efficient ways of getting a job done quickly once you’re used to using one. However, as with any machine it requires some extra attention, and our range of accessories are ideal. Form oil to keep the wheels greased to a new bulb for those late-night sessions, we have everything you’ll need to keep your machine in top running order.

To view these, visit the Abakhan catalogue here .

Welcome to the new Abakhan Fabrics, Hobby and Home website. Here you can find a vast selection of fabrics, crafts, knitting yarns, sewing and haberdashery accessories. With 7 craft and fabric stores in the UK, nobody is better placed to offer you expert advice and to source the very best products possible for your own projects.

Have you ever thought about getting into knitting, but never really known the difference between the numerous kinds of needle? This can be a real pain for some people, as getting the wrong one can drastically affect the outcome of all that time and effort.

If you want to make a jumper for the winter – or summer if you’re in England – then you don’t want to end up with a hat because you’ve bought a needle to go quickly and it’s all gone wrong.

So here are a few tips for choosing the right knitting needle.

There are so many needles on the market, which can make things tricky for a beginner. There are plain plastic needles, metal, glass, bamboo, wood, the list goes on, and that’s not even begun to mention straight, circular or double-pointed needles! The best way as a beginner is to go to the store with a project in your head. The design and style of your plan will dictate what sort of needle you will need.

You don’t need to go out and buy every type of needle all in one go to make up a collection and say, “I’ll use the wooden one this time I think”. Different knitters prefer different styles so you may find you never use some of them.

Many people like bamboo or wooden needles because of their warmth, natural feel and that comforting, traditional click that you get as you get going.

Metal needles are the choice of many, because they are less likely than any of the other models to break. They are sleek which can allow for quick knitting, but don’t expect to have the jumper done in the same day purely because you have needles that allow you to go that bit quicker – that can be when mistakes creep in.

Plastic needles are similar to their wooden or bamboo counterparts in terms of weight and feel, but they lack that natural warmth that wood gives off. They’re very smooth, like the metal versions, so also allow you to knit that bit quicker, and they’re that little bit more flexible.

If you have the feeling that you want to keep knitting, give a number of different needles a go, but you will probably find out early on that you have one that you just keep going back to.

For more information and a list of all of our knitting yarn and accessories, visit the section on our website.