How are you all enjoying The Great British Sewing Bee? I have to say I’m still hooked and so disappointed it’s only 4 episodes. Watching it has definitely spurred me on with my creativity and over the last few weeks I’ve finished off re-sizing a duvet cover for the toddler and made lots of progress with my grandmothers flower garden quilt and another doll quilt for Little Sis.
I love hand sewing but watching TGBSB has really encouraged me to improve my machine sewing skills too. Last week I had my first machine sewing lesson which was a brilliant investment. I learnt so much and look forward to spending more time with my Janome!
I’d love to try dress making and was fortunate to be sent a brilliant new craft book And Sew to Bed by Caro Cutts and Alison Beadnell. The theme of the book is bedwear and accessories which I think is an exciting new niche for the sewing book market.
As you would expect from Cico Books it is beautifully illustrated and each of the 30 projects has clear written instructions along with illustrations and photographs. The projects are great because there’s a mixture of items for adults and children which are suited to warm and colder seasons. The bedwear includes classic and kaftan pajama sets, upcycled jersey pajamas, Peter Pan pajama set for girls and boy’s fleece dressing gown. The Accessories section range from a headband and hot water bottle cover to utility bag and covered coat hanger. 18 full-size patterns (covering adult sizes small, medium and large, child sizes 3-8) and templates are included. As well as the projects there’s a handy section at the back of the book which covers equipment, terminology, cutting instructions and size charts.
This is a great book for beginners and the more experienced sewer, covering a range of projects, materials and techniques making for a very stylish bedroom!
And Sew to Bed by Caro Cutts and Alison Beadnell is published by CICO Books at £14.99 and is available from all good bookshops or call 01256 302699.
