Tagged with 'to'

How to…make cushion covers

Have the pillows in your home seen better days? Why not give them a new lease of life! It’s much easier than you think!

What you will need:

Pillow

Fabric

Thread

Dressmakers chalk

Scissors

Pins

Sewing Machine (Although you can hand-sew if you wish)

How to:

First, you will need to measure the pillow you want to cover. Take this measurement and add a 3cm seam allowance to each side.

Lay your chosen fabric out and measure and mark out the size of fabric you require with dressmakers chalk. Do this for each side, and then cut out your fabric.

Place your two pieces of fabric on top of each other, with the patterned sides face to face and pin together leaving a 1.5cm gap from the edge of the fabric on all four sides.

When you have pinned the fabric together tack the two pieces together using large runs to make it easy to remove later.

Using your sewing machine sew three sides up, leaving one side open.

Remove your tacking thread and turn the pillow case right side out.

Push your pillow into the pillow case through the open side.

Fold in your seam allowance on the remaining open side and hand stich together and you have your quick and easy pillow case!

It’s so easy to improve your home with a few pillows strewn around. You can embellish your pillow cases with buttons, lace and so much more. You can also use a zip fastening or an overlapped opening to allow removal of the pillow insert.

Happy crafting!

Dressmaking – Become the next big designer

Every dressmaker has to start somewhere; all you need is a little creativity and some fabric. Are you sick of stepping out of the house only to find that 7 other people are wearing exactly the same outfit as you? Well, we have the solution; make your own! Why spend a fortune on one-of-a-kind pieces when you can make them yourself, specific to your own measurements. If you’re interested in learning how to make your own clothes, but have no idea where to start then try one of our dressmaking workshops.

A Taster in Dressmaking

If you’re a complete beginner looking to see if dressmaking is for you, then this 1-hour taster session is perfect! Take a test drive through dressmaking by constructing an apron, and the best part? All materials are included!

Advanced Dressmaking

Ideal for an advanced sewer looking to shift up a gear, if you are familiar with patterns and can work independently, this is the workshop for you. This workshop is designed to aid you with the more difficult tasks of dressmaking but also allow you to work on your creations independently, away from the class. You will be designing and creating a fitted jacket and we will provide a choice of materials in different colours.

Why not really delve even further into your creative side with a Corsetry workshop?

This 3-day course will guide you through the important steps of corset making with a hands-on approach – using lacing, binding, boning, seams, eyeleting, cutting and fitting over 3 days you will create a corset specific to your own measurements. This course will provide a starter pack, patterns and notes, but you may need to purchase additional items during the course.

Check out our workshops section for classes close to you and don’t forget to tweet any of your new creations at @AbakhanFabrics – we’d love to see them

Spotlight on Crochet

'Spotlight on Crochet'

Crochet: the perfect hobby for all you nutty knitters looking for an additional challenge, or for anyone looking for a fun and easy to learn new craft.

Crochet is the art of creating products from yarn, thread or other materials (such as wire) using a crochet hook. Like knitting; it requires you to pull loops through other loops and to make your finished article, but unlike knitting it’s all done using only one needle rather than two.

All you need to get started is a crochet hook, some beautiful yarn, a pattern (once you’ve mastered the basics) some patience and you’re good to go!

Which Hook?

A crochet hook is a needle with a hook at the end, which is used to draw yarn through knotted loops. Hooks are available in a wide variety of materials; from Birchwood to Bamboo, although metal hooks are probably the most widely available and a good place to start for anyone new to the craft.

The next thing to consider is the size of the hook. Generally speaking the smaller the hook, the finer the yarn and the more delicate your finished article will be. A larger hook with some thicker yarn or wool would be a good for beginners.

Your crochet pattern, once you are feeling confident with the basics, will direct you to the hook size required for the project.

Yarn

From wool to silk to wire, the possibilities are endless. Beginners will generally find wool or a sturdy crochet thread in your favourite colour easy to learn with. As before, once you are confident enough with the basics to follow a pattern, the pattern will guide you to the type of yarn suitable for the project.

Have a look at the beautiful yarns available with Abakhan here. They have a lovely soft texture and are very easy to work with.

Getting Started.

A slipknot and chain stitch are excellent first stitches to learn. There are several online tutorials available to show you how to do these. Or, you could sign up for a three week beginners crochet workshop, led by an expert, to join likeminded folks on your crochet journey. What better way to learn?

The next ‘Learn to Crochet' Workshop is in Liverpool in September 2012.

Next Steps.

Already handy with a hook and creating super stitches? The opportunities are now endless. Take a look at this beautifully illustrated book showing you how to create adorable crochet toys.

Or take a look at the details of the next ‘Continue to Crochet’ workshop in Mostyn, North Wales, starting in September 2012.

Get the kids involved with this cute crochet jewellery kit; something to keep the little ones occupied during the long summer holidays?

You can always rely on Abakhan for creative, crafty inspiration - Happy Hooking!

Knit & Natter – Abakhan Knitting Workshops

As we keep saying, knitting is the new cool. Everyone is getting stuck in, but what if you’ve never tried knitting before? Or it’s been so long since you picked up a set of needles that you can’t remember anything?

Fear not! Abakhan to the rescue! We offer various knitting workshops that’ll soon have you in the swing of things!

A Refresher in Knitting

This workshop is perfect for people who were taught to knit as a child but haven’t picked up their needles for years. If you know the basics but need a little confidence come and join this workshop and you’ll be a pro knitter again in no time! All yarn is included; all you need to bring with you are 4mm/4.5mm needles and a passion for knitting!

The next knitting refresher workshop is on the 19th June 2012 in Mostyn, North Wales. If you attend this class, let us know how you get on, we’d love to see photos of your work.

Advanced Knitting

Already a dab hand at knitting? Then give this workshop a go. If you’ve mastered the basics and want to take your knitting skills a little further this workshop is ideal. Covering cables, eyelets, bobbles and chart reading as well as requested processes over a four week period.

As before, yarn is included, just bring your needles.

Keep an eye out for the next advanced knitting course.

Elongated and Slip Stitch

A more specialist class, this workshop explores elongated and slipped stitches in depth whilst working on a cushion cover. All materials are included, just bring your 4mm needles.

The next Elongated & Slip Stitch workshop is in Mostyn, North Wales on the 17th June 2012.

Festive Knits

Get a little festive with this workshop dedicated to Magic Knitting and Beaded Knitting and create unique and charming Christmas decorations.

Bring along your 3.25mm needles.

The next Festive Knits Workshop will be held in Liverpool on the 3rd October 2012.

For details on all of the workshops we run, including dates and times, visit the workshop section of the Abakhan website. Happy crafting!