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How-to, Tips & Tricks

two versions of brown shirt, one upcycled with frilly sleeves

Upcycled frilled shirt

Lacking wardrobe inspiration? Our guest bloggers Atelier Bomb show you how to upcycle a man’s shirt into a frilly shirt.
5 Minutes to read

Embroidered babygrow

It is possible to embroider small garments on a Brother flatbed embroidery machine. Tracey Dennis shows us both the traditional hooping method and the floating method.
15 Minutes to read
Woman wearing pink t-shirt with embroidered pineapple on front

Sarah’s diary - how to free motion embroidery

This form of embroidery is quite liberating as you don’t stitch out a set pattern, but create your own – using your sewing machine to ‘draw’ a design.
7 Minutes to read
Woman wearing blue t-shirt with decorative stitches around the neck

Sarah’s diary - how to personalise a T-shirt

Customising your own clothes is one of the easiest ways to make a personal fashion statement and ensure that whatever you wear, you won’t see anyone else in it!
5 Minutes to read
two plaid shirts with arrow showing sleeves going from standard to balloon

Balloon sleeve upcycled shirt

Transform this XXL shirt into a balloon sleeve blouse!
4 Minutes to read
Unfinished ruffled skirt

Finish off ruffled garments like a pro

Making ruffled dresses and skirts on your overlocker is easy when using the gathering foot. But how to finish off those side seams in a professional way?
4 Minutes to read
Mother and young daughter on doorstep in red dresses with dog

Create balloon sleeves from a standard sleeve pattern

Balloon sleeves add an impressive statement to any garment. We show you how to alter a standard sleeve pattern to a balloon pattern.
10 Minutes to read
small kids' ruffled skirt flay lay on floor

Perfect ruffles, fitting (almost) perfectly, fast!

Sewing a dress with layers of ruffles is so fast if you use the gathering (ruffler) foot on your overlocker. But how do you make that ruffle fit? Don’t worry, we’ve got three (almost) fool-proof methods for you.

6 Minutes to read
Hands holding yellow and grey cushion

Sarah’s diary - how to make cushion covers from tea towels

Have you noticed how some tea towels are just too stylish to be used for drying dishes? When I moved, a lot of people gave me housewarming presents, and I was given at least six different sets of tea towels. I cook a lot, but I really don’t need that…
5 Minutes to read
Sewing buttonhole onto yellow fabric on Brother sewing machine

How to - sew buttonholes

Mastering buttonholes is a much-needed skill, especially if you want to sew a lot of clothes. The good news is that it is really easy to sew!
8 Minutes to read
Close up of pink zipper and invisible zipper foot

Sarah’s diary - how to insert a concealed zip

People often worry about sewing an invisible zip, but it’s actually one of the easiest zips to insert. However, it’s a new year and I’ve realised that if I want professional finishes and grown-up looking clothes, I need to conquer this fear.
5 Minutes to read

How to sew on sheer fabrics

A floaty chiffon kimono is beautiful, but getting the seams and hems looking nice can be a challenge. Here are our top tips and tricks to sew on sheer fabrics.
10 Minutes to read
Sewing stitch examples on pink fabric in Brother sewing machine

How to – understand sewing stitches

We all know the straight stitch, but hands up who’s guilty of ignoring most of the stitch settings on their machine?
5 Minutes to read

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