Butterfly Bright

Sunday, 21 December 2014

Basic Dressmaking workshop - Pyjama bottoms with Lazy Daisy Jones!

We were really excited when blogger "Lazy Daisy Jones" agreed to teach a basic dressmaking workshop to make Pyjama bottoms with us in December. We love Ashley's style and her creative vision and have been fans of hers for a while now! Ashley was shortlisted for the first series of the BBC2 hit TV series "The Great British Sewing Bee" and all we can say is their loss is our gain (but of course we do wish her well if she tries again!)

As news quickly spread via Instagram and Twitter 4 ladies and one brave chap signed up!

We used the wonderful Gutermann fabric which is 160cm wide and perfect for dressmaking projects

The group all did really well, first laying out the pattern pieces and cutting the fabric,

they learnt French seams and other tricks of the trade,

as the garments started to take shape

Ashley was on hand at every stage to help and guide the students.

The more adventurous added pockets for detail.

The finished results were really pleasing and everyone was keen to know what Lazy Daisy will be teaching next...

The latest dressmaking workshops with LazyDaisyJones are now available to book online

Ashley will be repeating the successful Pyjama bottoms workshop on 19th February

Beginners are also invited to try the A-Line Skirt workshop on Saturday 21st March.

More advanced dressmakers who have tried either the pyjamas and or the A-line skirt workshops should feel confident enough to come along to the Mathilde Blouse workshop on 9th and 16th May (two full day sessions).

Lazy Daisy will be teaching all of these workshops and has other plans to bring a fancy frilly knickers workshop to Butterfly Bright as well! We look forward to welcome her back in 2015!

Go on! Start your dressmaking adventure with Butterfly Bright and LazyDaisyJones today!

A Christmas Advent Calendar - from one simple panel

I loved making up this Advent Calendar using the nifty panel we ordered in from Dashwood Studios, but I did think the instructions needed a helping hand so here is what I did step by step!

cut the pocket panel into the strips marked (removing the blue borders)

Fold and iron the white/ecru border, then fold again tucking the rough edge under the fold. Pin and then sew

all the pocket strips sewn

Box pleat between the pockets, I used the iron and then pins to keep these in place

Pin the box pleated pockets to the backing panel, the pockets should line up over the boxes printed on this panel

All pinned and ready to sew

I sewed down across and up the other side of each pocket, carrying straight onto the next pocket in the strip until I got across the whole strip.

Next I layered with a backing fabric and wadding in between and quilted between the pocket strips and around the outside of the calendar. I removed the excess fabric and wadding cutting the calendar down to the red border, then I added a binding to finish it off!

All we need now is the treats to fill it and roll on December!

Panels are £8.50 or £14.95 if you would like the wadding and backing to finish the whole project, you can buy them in the shop or via our webshop.

Stuart Hillard book signing!

We have been chosen to host an event with BBC2's Great British Sewing Bee finalist Stuart Hillard.

Sherborne's leading haberdashery and making shop, Butterfly Bright, has been chosen from hundreds of applicants to host a visit from Stuart Hillard - one of the most popular semi-finalists from BBC2's Great British Sewing Bee 2013. Stuart's appearance coincides with the launch of his new book 'Sew Fabulous', signed copies of which will be available for those lucky enough to come along to Butterfly Bright in Digby Road between 3.30pm - 5.00pm on Friday 3rd October.

"We are delighted that Stuart is coming to Butterfly Bright as part of his national book tour" says Founder Alison Nurton, "Many of our customers have thoroughly enjoyed the Great British Sewing Bee programmes and we have seen a huge resurgence in the popularity of sewing and other creative crafts. In the 3 and a half years since opening we have taught in excess of 500 people new skills with our extensive range of workshops including patchwork, crochet, knitting, sewing, embroidery and needle felting."

Before he appeared on BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee, Stuart Hillard had sewn and quilted professionally for over 15 years. He writes, teaches and hosts quilting retreats and workshops and designs and creates patterns for quilts, wall hangings, bags and home décor projects. On 3rd October he will present a short sewing demonstration as well as talk about his book which explains how to decorate and embellish every room in the house - even the garden! 'Sew Fabulous' features over 40 fun and fabulous patterns for everything from covered headboards, bolster cushions, tablecloths, napkins, aprons, pretty coat hangers and bunting.

Everyone who loves sewing, or who would like to find out more about learning to sew, is invited to come along to Stuart's demonstration and book signing - alongside which Butterfly Bright is staging a workshop exhibition, discounts on Coats' fabrics (for which Stuart is an ambassador) and offers on workshops booked on the day.

Due to the anticipated popularity of this event, numbers will be limited and guests are invited to book their FREE ticket in advance.

You can also PRE ORDER your copy of Stuart's book on our website - every pre-ordered copy will be signed by Stuart and will include a £5 voucher valid until 24 Dec 2014 on any purchase of £50 or more at Butterfly Bright.

A hexi pincushion using paper piecing

we never throw away any "scraps"!

Even the smallest piece of fabric can be used for something at Butterfly Bright and as I needed a new pin cushion for my new sewing room at home I went straight to the fabric scrap basket to pick out some coordinating pieces..

I printed and then cut out my hexi templates, I always pin them to the fabric and cut around the template leaving a small allowance

Then I fold and tack the excess fabric around the paper template trapping the paper inside but not sewing directly through the paper so they are easy to pull out and reuse.

Once the hexi's are all tacked you can start to sew them together using an overstitch

soon mini flowers start forming..

I machine stitched my flower onto some backing fabric (again from the scrap box), stuffed with toy stuffing and hey presto a new pin cushion!

Our beautiful Gutermann fabrics have arrived!

We might have got a bit carried away with the new collection of fabrics by Gutermann but we simply had to have them all!

Gutermann have also supplied several free patterns with ideas from appliqued tea towels and cushions to table cloths and clothing.

The fabrics are all 145cm wide (57") which make them great for dressmaking as well as quilting, the weight is 145g/sqm.

Have a look at the Gutermann website for the free patterns which you can download.

All the fabrics are available to purchase in our webshop

Further adventures in dressmaking!

As some of you may already know, I've (Caroline) been trying my hand at beginners dressmaking, with varying success! However, thanks to the wonderful new magazine Love Sewing I was inspired to keep trying and have a go at their Brigitte dress pattern that came free with issue 1.

Armed with my scissors, tailors chalk, some gorgeous fabric by Riley Blake from their Unforgetables collection called Floral Pink...

And the rather wonderful Tabitha and Julia from Thread Carefully and their step-by-step sew-a-long I set to it!

The instructions were easy to follow, the blog helped immeasurably when it came to the construction and the finished result is rather pleasing!!

What do you think?

Issue 2 has just come out and I rather fancy having a go at the blouse on the front cover...

Fun Fabric Flowers

Scraps of coordinating fabrics

Needle and thread
Brooch Pin

Cut 5 circles of 10cm / 4 inch diameter (we drew around a roll of sticky tape) these will form the petals.

Fold each circle in half and then half again.

With a needle and coordinating thread commence a running stitch along the curved edge of each petal (do not break the thread between each petal), pull the thread gently at the end of each petal to gather the fabric.

Continue until you have sewn along all five, pulling the thread after each petal, arrange into a flower shape and secure with a couple of stitches. Place a small circle of felt on the back of the flower to secure.

Embelish with a large button in the middle and attach a brooch pin to the back.

And there you have it, a beautiful fabric flower brooch to attach to your bag, sun hat, coat or cardigan!

Find more information on this pattern that was inspired by the wonderful Red Ted Art (http://www.redtedart.com) including a picture tutorial on our blog www.butterflybright.blogspot.co.uk.

These flowers are available as a kit from Butterfly Bright, Digby Road, Sherborne.