Tagged with 'making'

Make Your Very Own Mittens and Keep Your Hands Warm and Stylish

The last few weeks have been possibly the coldest on Earth right? Ok, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration – but they’ve been pretty close! If you’re the sort of person who is always leaving the house without their gloves because you’ve left them in your other coat, you might be interested in our latest ‘how to’ guide, which is going to tell you how to make your own mittens using products available in the Abakhan range.

A lot of gloves and mittens available in high street stores just don’t appeal to consumers. In most cases, shoppers go in looking for a new pair and leave with a product that they don’t really like purely because it’s too cold to go without! By making your own out of stylish fabric you can personalise your hand wear to match your tastes, something you can’t do when buying from the high street.

What You Need

• Fabric

• Needle and Thread/Sewing Machine

• Pins

• Marker Pen

• Paper and Tracing Paper

What to Do

1. Draw around your hand onto a piece of paper and then use the drawing to create a neat, tidy template on a second sheet. Ensure that the template is slightly bigger than your hand to ensure that you can get the mitten on – this will be the size of the final product.

2. Cut out the template and use it to make a second template from another piece.

3. Lay out your chosen fabric and place the two templates on top. Line up the bottom of the templates with the bottom of the material and pin them in place for extra stability while you work.

4. Cut the fabric 1-2cm around the outside of the template, giving you the material you need to sew the edges together afterwards.

5. Repeat the process so you have to left hands and two rights.

6. Sew both pairs of glove shapes together using a sewing machine or a very small backstitch. Use the paper template as a guide and then cut any excess material 1-2mm away from the stitching.

You should then have your own pair of mittens to keep your hands toasty on those cold winter days! To get all your materials, visit your local Abakhan store or contact us to find out more information about any of our products.

Become the next top designer – Top Tips for Dressmaking

So, you’re interested in dressmaking, but you are a complete beginner. Don’t worry, everyone has to start somewhere. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of basic tips for trying your hand at dressmaking, ranging from the tools you will need to taking the correct measurements.

Tools of the trade

Probably the most important place to start when dressmaking is your tools. What exactly do you need? Collect these basic tools, pop them in a sewing box and you can’t go wrong.

Dressmakers pins

Tape measure

Sewing needles

Dressmaking scissors

Tailor’s chalk

Thread

You can start off hand sewing, afterall, this is how people started dressmaking, but a sewing machine will make your dressmaking faster and easier in the long run.

Choosing a sewing machine

Choosing a sewing machine isn’t as daunting as it sounds; for dressmaking a basic sewing machine will suffice. All sewing machines are electronic, generally using a single motor, which is perfect for a beginner. As you become a more advanced dressmaker you may want to invest in a computerised sewing machine.

When choosing your first sewing machine consider a machine that offers different stitching options as well as a selection of foot attachments (to allow basic tasks including inserting zips.)

Patterns

Start with a pattern, this way you will have something to work towards.

To begin with, use patterns that are labeled as ‘easy’ – dresses with no waistline or sleeves are the easiest.

As well as giving you something to work towards, a pattern will indicate how much fabric will be needed as well as giving you an idea of the best fabric to use.

It’s important to take your measurements and buy a pattern based on these measurements.

Measurements

When dressmaking, taking the correct measurements is critical. Follow our quick and easy guide to ensure you collect the right measurements.

Waist – using your tape measure, measure your natural waistline – hold the tape so it fits snugly around your waist – but not tight.

Hips – measure the fullest part of your hips all the way around your body.

Bust – measure around the fullest part of your bust - this is one measurement. Then measure around the body just above the bust, across the back and under the arms - this is your second bust measurement.

Back to waist – measure from the most prominent bone at the top of your neck down to your natural waist.

Height – make sure you stand straight!

Fabrics

With thousands of fabrics to choose from, it can sometimes be difficult making a decision. Take into consideration how the fabric you are using feels against your skin – is it comfortable? Below, we have listed some of the main fabric options:

Cotton – incredibly versatile, cotton can be used to create almost anything and is available in varying weights.

Cotton Jersey – generally used to make t-shirts, cotton jersey is a stretchy and comfortable fabric.

Wool – more often than not wool will need to be dry-cleaned. Can be expensive and is often used to make suits and coats.

Linen – often blended with cotton and is perfect for summer clothing.

Silk – a luxury fabric, often expensive and quite difficult to sew with.

Polyester and polycotton – synthetic fabrics that are lightweight and quite cheap to buy.

A top tip for dressmaking is to wash your fabric before you begin – this will ensure that your final creation doesn’t shrink during its first wash.

Dressmaking is a great way to update your wardrobe, without breaking the bank. From taster dressmaking courses to advanced dressmaking classes, Abakhan covers all your dressmaking educational needs, click here to view our latest workshops and classes.