Modern Sewing Starts Here Edition 4

Modern
sewing
starts here...
Edition 4 - May 2019
TRADITIONAL
made modern
How age-old quilting techniques play
their part in contemporary designs
Here comes
SUMMER
A look at the swimwear
patterns & how to
sew stretchy fabrics
designed for swimwear
Patterns for
REAL
PEOPLE
We talk to Émilie
Fournier part of the
mother-daughter duo
behind the sewing
pattern brand, Jalie
Cottesloe is the latest classic one-piece
swimsuit and mix and match bikini set
sewing pattern from Megan Nielsen
www.modernsewingstartshere.co.uk
www.hantex.co.uk 1

WIN WIN WIN!
Editor’s Letter
Hello
May is a month when we all to start to look forward to the summer months ahead.
This issue, we focus on sewing swimsuits and the latest swimwear patterns from the designers.
Julie Bonnar also explains how to go about choosing fabrics for making this garment.
We’re so pleased to be talking with Émilie Fournier and Jeanne Binet, the mother-daughter
duo behind Jalie who together design practical patterns for the whole family, as well as
Sarah Ashford who will be discussing how traditional quilting techniques can play their part
in contemporary designs too. Fancy refreshing your wardrobe? Rachel Pinheiro shares how to
take a new garment silhouette and choose fabric that’s a bit different from the norm!
Happy stitching!
Hantex
www.hantex.co.uk
www.modernsewingstartshere.co.uk
Subscribe free to get your copy – click here
CAPSULE CONCEPT
Over the forthcoming
months, the capsule
concept of bringing
fabrics together in one
range will be available in
more fabric lines, so do
watch this space! In this
issue, we’ve mentioned
Hamburger Liebe’s At the
Beach fabric collection,
which brings together
a combination of zingy
designs with six different
fabric substrates, so
whether it’s a swimsuit for the pool, a dress in cotton
sateen or a towelling beach robe - there’s something
for everyone.
To find out more about this collection – click here
The Gelato is one of the super
new sewing pattern releases from
Liesl + Co, and features a relaxed
A-line dress with angled doublewelt
pockets and a pretty peplum
blouse. For a chance to win one of
10 of these patterns up for grabs
– click here to enter
Closing date is 30th
June 2019
STAY PLASTIC FREE
There are millions of ways to make a shopping
tote and avoid using plastic bags but this one from
Cloud9 has a little zipper pouch to keep things tidy
and uses less than a metre of fabric. It’s shown here
in the newly launched fabric collection, Ethereal
Jungle designed by Elizabeth Olwen.
To download this quick and easy sewing project –
click here
SERIOUS ABOUT SEWING
Whether you like making your own clothes or are
already an avid seamstress then the Fashion Multi Tool
Ruler from pattern designer, Sew to Grow, is a musthave.
This tool has everything you need to design
and make garments all in one convenient tool. It has
a French curve, seam gauge, point turner, and can be
used for mitring corners, hemming and buttonhole
placement. It’s made from 1/8 of an inch thick acrylic
making it easy to use to mark and follow the curves.
It has imperial measurements, and there’s a guide on
how to use this tool included with the packaging.
To view the Fashion Multi Tool Ruler – click here

Pick of the
PATTERNS
New sewing pattern releases that will
become wardrobe essentials
9 TO 5
This is one of three brand
new patterns from Liesl + Co.
The Rush Hour fitted lined
sleeveless sheath dress features
strategically placed princess
seams and a pencil skirt with
back vent. This pattern is all
about getting a good fit and can
be worn for work or transformed
into a stylish little black dress for
evenings out.
The pattern includes a lovely
blouse with short or long sleeves
and asymmetrical peplum.
To find out more about the
Rush Hour from Liesl + Co –
click here
MEN’S SEWING
PATTERNS
Thread Theory Designs are
probably the best-known
company for men’s sewing
patterns. The company has
just released printed sewing patterns of five of it’s
best-selling PDF patterns – Belvedere Waistcoat, Sayward
Raglan, Eastwood Pajamas and two pairs of jeans, the
Quadra and Fulford.
To find out more about these Thread Theory patterns –
click here
BEST BLOUSE
The Seoul Blossom blouse from Sew to Grow has such a soft
silhouette and feminine details such as flattering front diamond
darts, V-neck, and a curved back hem with side slits making
this top perfect for the French tuck. The optional bow cuff
completes the design making this the top a great addition to
your handmade wardrobe. We think it would also make a great
dress lengthened and made in a lightweight rayon or lawn.
To take a closer look at this Sew to Grow pattern – click here
Check out the free-to-use resource listing of the very best Indie patterns and filter by fabric, garment, brand
or skill level by visiting www.hantex.co.uk

SWIM IN
STYLE
4 stylish swimsuits to suit all body shapes
1Costumes for curves and beginners
The Cottesloe sewing pattern has classic one-piece
swimsuits, and mix and match bikini sets. The pattern
has athletic elements, four variations and includes
detailed instructions to guide the sewer through
swimsuit construction techniques. Megan Nielsen has designed
it so that beginners can tackle what could be a tricky make.
To view more of the options for the Cottesloe – click here
2
Bikini beauty
The Vernazza two-piece will have you
feeling glamorous and comfortable. The
design includes tank straps, adjustable
tie front and a soft waistband. The
bottoms hit at about your belly button
and can easily be adjusted for a higher
or lower rise.
For more details about the Vernazzo –
click here
3
Cool in colour-block
Soak up the sun in the modern Ipswich
swimsuit pattern from Cashmerette.
It has two cleverly colour-blocked
variations including a one-piece
swimsuit with contrast waistband and
a high-waist bikini with piping detail.
Both suits include supportive straps,
optional underwired foam swim bra
and boning so that you’re comfortable
for lounging by the pool or playing
volleyball on the beach. Mix prints and
colours for a swimsuit that celebrates
your body and your creativity.
To view the Ipswich swimsuit – click here
4
Sporty styles
This swimsuit has a sporty
feel, but also has some feminine
detailing such as a sweetheart neckline
and twist-front option. It includes
sizing for both women and girls.
To view the Jalie 3350 pattern –
click here

SEW &
SWIM
Julie Bonnar discusses how to sew and choose fabrics for swimwear
At The Beach collection
from Hamburger Liebe
Modelo swimwear fabrics
– plain and pattern
It can be difficult to find a
swimsuit that you not only like
the colour of but that is a good
fit and suits your body shape
– so why not make your own
with a good sewing pattern
and some practical sewing tips.
Fabrics
A fabric suitable for making
swimsuits needs to have
the right stretch and be
comfortable for swimming
(and sunbathing). Pick a fourway
stretch fabric (you can
use a two-way stretch for
a bikini). This fabric type is
man-made fibres and made
up from 80 to 90% nylon
and the rest from Elastane or
Spandex, making it durable
and water-resistant.
A poor choice of fabric
could absorb water, and worse
of all, become transparent
when wet!
Suitable fabrics include:
• At the Beach Collection
from Hamburger Liebe –
click here
TEST YOUR FABRIC
• Modelo do a wide range
of swimwear fabrics
including patterned and
solid colours – click here
Pattern cutting
A swimwear pattern is usually
How does it look when it is stretched:
Does the print become distorted?
Is it transparent when wet?
Does it stretch and return to original shape?
Ipswich
Swimsuit from
Cashmerette
designed with negative ease,
which means that the finished
garment measurements
are smaller than the body
measurements because it has
been drafted to work with a
stretch fabric.
Place pattern pieces on
the fabric in the direction of
greater stretch and make sure
all your pattern pieces are on
grain before cutting. Cutting
slippery fabrics for swimwear

Modelo has a capsule collection of fabrics called
Summer Breeze that includes new swimwear fabrics like
Beach Towels and White Sprigs on Coral shown here
All fabrics, components and
notions need to be chlorine
resistant and stand up to
salt water!
can be quite a challenge so
use a rotary cutter, pattern
weights and always cut fabric
in single layers.
If the fabric has a large
pattern, cut with the right
side facing up and watch
your print placement.
Linings
Although it is never on show
– the swimsuit lining is an
integral part of a well-made
swimsuit and should be
lightweight, breathable and
not susceptible to laddering
when sewn. The lining affects
how comfortable the garment
is, as well as prolonging the
life of your swimsuit. I would
recommend choosing a
skin-coloured lining for the
best results.
Elastic
The elastic holds the garment
close to your body and
finishes the edges neatly and
also needs to stand up to the
affects of salt water, chlorine
and the sun.
Swimwear elastic is
made of cotton and woven
with rubber to give it extra
strength and stretch. The
best method of applying your
elastic is the sewn and turned
method. This is where the
plastic is pinned to the wrong
side of the raw edge, stitched
and then turned towards the
wrong side of the garment
and topstitched in place with
a three-step zigzag stitch.
Support
Getting the right support
for your bust is an important
factor and retaining your
modesty in a wet swimsuit!
Read the pattern to see what
is recommended.
If you’re looking for a light
support you can use foam
cups but make sure they are
designed for swimwear rather
than lingerie. If you’re looking
for a more reliable support –
choose an underwire.
SEWING
Use a ballpoint needle
Use an overlocker to sew your seams
(You can use a regular sewing machine – use a wide but
short zigzag stitch). Test your stitch on a scrap piece of
fabric first)
A polyester thread is the best choice as threads can
weaken with excessive exposure to salt water and chlorine
such as the new Scanfil polyester range.
To find out more – click here
Use a transparent, seamless elastic PU tape for shoulder
seams, top edges, seams, armholes, and creative accents
like Vlieseline’s Framilastic. To view – click here

SilhouetteSwap
Brazilian-born sewing blogger, Rachel Pinheiro, shares
how to refresh your wardrobe with a new silhouette and a
different fabric choice. Make it work for you by choosing
structured patterns and fabrics with textures
THE TREND:
Wearing a one-colour outfit top-totoe
will feel like a breath of fresh air
especially following months of wearing
dark wintery colours, and it’s really
trending right now.
Why not experiment with different
fabric textures to add interest. I chose
fluffy knitwear, white needlecord
trousers, animal print flats, and finished
the look with a panama hat!
While I don’t think you can ever get
bored of wearing jeans – there’s
something oddly refreshing about
wearing a different trouser shape. I’ve
been inspired by the trouser trends that
have been flooding my Instagram feed
recently, and love the cropped white
trousers look.
Creating the look
I recreated the look from a jumpsuit
pattern and made with a wonderful
off-white needlecord. If you want to
recreate my look, I recommend using
the following sewing patterns – Morgan
Jeans by Closet Case Files or Dawn
Jeans by Megan Nielsen.
Wearing neutrals top-to-toe
Top tips for
working with
needlecord:
Needlecord is a napped fabric,
which has ribs (also known
as wales) running down the
lengthwise grain. This means the
pile looks different when viewed
up or down causing a shade.
As the fabric shades, it means
the cutting layout is crucial and
you may need additional fabric
to follow the napped layout so
that all pattern pieces lay in
the same direction. Keep the
ribs straight.
Lengthwise folds: Nap will run
in the same direction on both
layers. However if you fold
crosswise, the nap will run in
opposite directions.
The fabric has a spongy
medium thickness so it’s worth
doing a test sample and even
releasing some of the presser
foot pressure to avoid crushing
the fibres.
Using light pressure, press with
a damp cloth.
Project thoughts
Where I
needed
to reduce
bulk, I used
lightweight
floral cotton
on these
areas. Because I love making the inside
pretty, I used the same floral on the
pocket and to bias-bind key areas
including the hem seam. A detail I
copied from a pair of replay jeans I
have. When you cuff the leg, you get a
surprise – a very light hint of floral!
I used the off-white chunky
stretch needlecord from Modelo.
The mix of cotton and elastane
makes for a particularly durable
yet wonderfully soft fabric with
a really cosy feel, which is great
for jeans, dungarees, skirts and
jackets. To find more out about
this needlecord – click here
To find out more about the sewing
patterns recommended:
Dawn – 4-in-1 rigid
jean pattern set from
Megan Nielsen –
click here
The Morgan
Jeans from Closet
Case Files –
click here

Trendsetter
4 ways to add colour to your wardrobe
Choosing fail-safe colours can be an easy option when
planning your wardrobe but why not step out of your
comfort zone this summer by adding some colour to your
sewing projects. It can instantly boost your mood!
Make a bold statement
Be brave and go the whole hog with a bold
print design. At the Beach is the new collection
from fabric designer, Hamburger Liebe. This
beautiful range includes this navy floral and
pineapple cotton sateen, and is perfect for making a
simple skirt or dress.
To find out more – click here
Patterns with
simple lines
The Tania culottes from Megan Nielsen and the Springfield
Top from Cashmerette are great sewing patterns for working
with the seasonal colours like orange and lilac. Both sewing
patterns have a simple silhouette that will beautifully skim the
curves and look stunning made in solid colours.
Tania Culottes from Megan Nielsen – click here
Springfield Top from Cashmerette – click here
Wear the
colour in
your bag
Pick a colour to
make a bag that will go with
most of the garments you
already own. The Redwood
Tote from Noodlehead is the
ideal mid-sized bag for every
day and has handy short
handles, as well as a crossbody
strap.
To view the Redwood Tote
sewing pattern – click here
Add accents
of colour
to your
garment
Why not add
additional colour
to a plain blouse
with a pussy
bow tie or colour
blocking on sleeves.
The Rose button-down
shirt features a shoulder
ruffle and necktie that is
perfect for adding extra colour
to your wardrobe.
To view this pattern and others from Jalie – click here

Patterns for
REAL PEOPLE
We talk to Émilie Fournier part of the mother-daughter duo behind Jalie who
design practical patterns for the whole family
Tell us a bit about how
the Jalie pattern brand
came about, and went
on to became a family
business?
Jeanne Binet (my mother)
started sewing when she was
a little girl and learned by
watching her mother sew.
My grandmother would sew
day and night to provide for
her 10 children. From gowns
in fancy fabrics for ladies in
town to winter coats made
out of hand-me-down wool
blankets – there was nothing
she could not make!
Following her mother’s
footsteps, and at 16 years
old Jeanne started to sew
for a living and has never
stopped. She started by
mending jeans and 10 years
later, she was doing custom
clothing for a very diverse
clientele, including people
with disabilities. When I was
born, she used to buy knit
fabrics in the remnants bins
because she was on a budget.
She eventually came up with
a sewing technique to sew
knits with a regular machine,
which quickly became her
trademark. She started
teaching her technique and
her students started to ask
her for the sewing patterns
so they could make clothes at
home for their families. The
first patterns were printed in
1983 when I was 3 years old.
I grew up at Jalie, learning
to do a little bit of everything
and joined the company
officially in 2005.
Sewers will know the
sewing brand for its
wonderful sportswear
patterns but the
company is more than
specialised sports and
leisurewear, isn’t it?
Jalie’s core value is to help
people make practical,
timeless clothes that fit well.
Basics designed for knits
were an untapped niche back
in 1983. Every collection
would include a few patterns
for stretch or active wear so
before long we had more
sportswear and leisurewear
patterns in our line than any
other pattern companies.
Many people discovered
us through those patterns
that were not easy to find in
other brand’s ranges, and it
explains why people think it’s
our ‘specialty’.
What would you say is
your USP? Is it the wide
selection of sizes or that
your patterns are easy to
grade, or something else?
The quality of our pattern
paper and the number
of sizes definitely sets us
apart from other brands,
and people notice it when

as well as a few PDF-only
styles that would not fit on
our standard paper sheet).
We usually release one
12-pattern collection per
year, as well as one or two
patterns between collections.
opening the envelope. Those
that sew for themselves love
our grading because our
steps are smaller than what
is common in the market.
This means that you can
easily blend sizes together
for a perfect fit and if you are
one size off, your garment
will still fit! We want to avoid
that ‘way too big or way too
small’ gap that is common in
the ready-to-wear market.
That being said, our unique
selling point goes beyond
that, and is the way we draft
our patterns, and our grading
really reflects real bodies. We
blend our children, regular
size and plus sizes blocks
together and make sure
the garment is adapted to
each group. We test on real
people and not just on dress
forms. Our sewing techniques
are known to be efficient
and closer to what would be
done in factories.
What are plans for the
forthcoming season?
We have 12 new patterns
coming up! In this collection,
we’ll have something for
everyone – patterns for knits
and woven, dresses, tops,
sportswear, menswear and
new gymnastics and dance
leotards, and all in 28 sizes!
Our new designs are a
great mix of what we like to
wear and what customers
have been asking for. Being
a small company has made
it possible over the years to
tailor our offering and create
patterns that are not based
solely on trends but on staple
items that can be made for
children and adults.
To view Jalie sewing
patterns – click here
How many patterns do
you now have and how
many new patterns do
you release every year?
We have about 100 paper
patterns and 160+ PDF
patterns (PDF offering
includes out-of-print patterns,

MADE TO MIX AND MATCH
Albstoffe is a fabric brand that embraces GOTS
organic fabric and is OekoTex certificated
throughout its range, and all finished to the
highest quality in Germany. Working with
the renowned designer Hamburger Liebe,
this company has two new collections to offer.
Wanderlust is a collection printed on jersey
and jacquard fabrics and has it’s own range
of trims in zingy colours, and Glow includes a
beautiful range printed on jersey and sweatshirt
fabrics. The collections are ideal for getting a
unified look to your wardrobe, and you will
love the quality!
To take a closer look at the Wanderlust range
– click here
Or to view the Glow collection – click here
Focus on
FABRICS
Feast your eyes on the latest
fabrics for your summer sewing
DENIM GETS A MAKEOVER
Modelo has just added more
lightweight denims to its
existing range, which
has 3% Elastane,
great quality and
a wonderful
selection of
bright colours
making it perfect
for comfort and
summer sewing.
To see the wide
selection of denim
fabrics available –
click here
IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE
One of the latest collection from Cloud9 is Ethereal Jungle
designed by Elizabeth Olwen. She has gone wild with this
range, and it features beautiful medium-weight organic
cottons with jungle-themed prints such as vines, large cats,
botanical babes, tropical creatures and one of our favourites
dragonfruit. This is such a lovely collection for garments for
adult and children, as well as bag and accessory making.
To view all this Cloud9 collection – click here

REMINISCENT
Katie Skoog has created her first collection, West Palm
for Art Gallery Fabrics, and includes candid flamingos
and seashore-infused motifs celebrating coastal lifestyle
in beautiful shades of coral, aquamarine and refreshing
touches of lemon yellow. The collection includes cottons
and rayons.
To view more from the West Palm fabric collection from
Art Gallery Fabrics - click here
CHILD-LIKE DESIGNS
Sisu is an untranslatable Finnish word that’s more of a mindset
that allows us to keep going just when we think we’re about
to give up. This cotton fabric range includes lovely designs
such as paper planes, colourful squiggles and numbers, and
balloons. To see more of the Sisu collection from Art Gallery
Fabrics – click here
NEW BATISTE FABRIC
Cloud9 Lush fabric collection has been designed by Juliet Meeks,
and is 100% organic Batiste cotton, which is perfect for hot summer
weather and not too translucent. The fabric line features some pretty
floral prints including these pink poppies, daisies and more whimsical
designs like these mushrooms.
To view this fabric collection from Cloud9 – click here
T-shirt illustrations are from the popular Lark Tee sewing pattern from Grainline

Traditional
made modern
Sarah Ashford, obsessive quilter and fabric lover discusses how traditional
quilting techniques can play their part in contemporary designs
One thing I love about
patchwork is the rich history,
stories and symbolism that
can be discovered within
a quilt. So often quilts tell
us a story or carry a special
meaning, and quilts from the
past can give us an indication
about a period in time,
culture, historical events and
human relationships.
So while today, we’re often
seduced by the wonderful
array of modern fabrics that
are now available – let’s face
it the designs, colours and
coordinating bundles are just
so irresistible! We can still
make quilts that pay homage
to the quilters and makers
that have come before us,
by including traditional
elements, and quilt blocks,
in a fresh modern style that
appeals to modern quilters in
a way that is relevant today.
I’ve been having good
fun playing with Art Gallery
Fabrics’ Grid collection by
Katarina Roccella. This is a
strong, geometric collection
with steely greys, black and
cool blues, sharply contrasted
against monochromatic
blooms, hot pink and soft
aqua, as well as a pixilation
theme running through
it. It sounds like a curious
combination but it certainly
works, and I thought I’d take
this opportunity to use this
ultra modern collection to
make some traditional blocks.
The ultimate modern and
traditional hybrid!
The Churn Dash Block
The first block I made is the
Churn Dash. This nine-patch
block is thought to have
originated between 1800 and
1849, and is representative
of the butter churn where
the centre square is the
butter stick or dash of the
butter churn. So many blocks
were representative of what
American women saw around
them in their daily lives.
I decided to use the
centre of the block as an
opportunity to showcase a
beautiful rose print, fussy
cutting the rose and then
framing it with the churn
using two different colours.
I love this block, as there
are so many opportunities
for variation, including fussy
cutting, play with negative
space, size and lots of
quilting opportunities within
the geometric shapes too.
Friendship Star Block
Next I made the Friendship
star block. This is one of my
favourite blocks because
of its simplicity but also it’s
such a pretty and symbolic
asymmetric star. In America
in the 1900s, this block was
used to make Friendship
quilts, which were often
made in secret then given to
women who were leaving to
travel from the East through
the vast prairies in the West.
Often it would be made by
a group of women who made
one of the blocks each, they
would embroider their name
in the centre as a reminder
of their friendship and
connection with the traveller’s
former way of life.
My modern version has
showcased this fabulous
pixelated print, and I love
how the pixels pop against
the green background. One
thing I also love about this
block is the opportunity to
play with negative space.
For example, you could have
a white star encased within
a colourful background.
Wouldn’t that be fun!
The Pinwheel Block
Finally, I stitched a Pinwheel
block. This simple decorative
block has a wonderful sense
of movement, and became
popular in the 1800s. Up
until this time quilts were
made for utilitarian purposes
such as bed and window
coverings, divide up living
quarters and for warmth,
but the introduction of the
pinwheel block meant quilts
could be decorative as
well as practical. And who
knew that when we make
pinwheel blocks today we’d
be referencing the water
pump windmills that were
common on farms and small
towns along the Oregon trail!
In my version, I’ve mixed up
the fabrics for the pinwheel,
but you could keep them
all the same or indeed use
up to four different fabrics
along with a contrasting
background fabric.

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