World Championship darts has always been a post-Christmas tradition, and dad and I indulge in a lot of Bullseye episodes when I’m back home (a while ago, I hand-sewed him the Bully Prize Board plush below), so there was no better time to gift him a darts shirt than this December 25th.

I was pretty scared about taking on a shirt. The pattern I bought — New Look 6197 — used a whopping 17 pieces, and I’d only sewn a basic dress and pyjama bottoms. But, eager to see my dad dressed like the next Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, and knowing it probably wouldn’t be worn in public, I took the project on.

Hours of Google searches suggested a dedicated darts shirt sewing pattern doesn’t exist. I decided I could replicate the look by making a regular short-sleeved shirt with a contrast yoke and sleeves.

I found some amazing darts fabric on eBay, but was informed it was out of stock after placing my order. It wasn’t available anywhere else in the UK, but I had my heart set on it, so I purchased a similar fabric from an American site.

One metre was plenty for the yoke and sleeves, and two metres of plain white fabric easily accommodated the other pieces. Make sure you wash and iron everything prior to cutting.

Despite struggling to make pyjama bottoms, I found this men’s shirt pattern surprisingly simple to follow — either I’m getting the hang of this sewing malarkey, or making a shirt is easier than you’d think. Although inserting the collar was tricky.

Oh, and easing the sleeves was near impossible. I’ve got some puckering but I don’t think it’s too noticeable, largely thanks to the patterned fabric. I’m pretty pleased with the result otherwise.

Anyway, it’s not just the contrast yoke and sleeves that make this shirt worthy of Ally Pally. I also embroidered a darts-esque logo onto the pocket.

I bandied around a few potential nicknames, but landed on Sergeant Pepper with a lips image (based on a joke about darts players consistently hitting the treble 20 “peppering the lipstick”). I created the design on my computer and printed it to size.

Next, I transferred my design onto Stitch’n’Tear, a supportive backing for embroidery, in pencil. I then taped it in place on the reverse of my pocket, and used an embroidery needle and pre-washed floss to build up the logo. Even my small design took me a few hours, so be careful about making yours too large or detailed.

Once finished, you can tear off the backing and sew your pocket onto the shirt.

To add a large logo to the back of the shirt, I once again printed the design to scale. Using the paper cutouts as templates, I cut the letters and lips from fabric supported with facing. Avoid material that frays as badly as mine did!

All that’s left is to pin the letters in place on the shirt, and appliqué using a zig-zag stitch. Embroider any extra details.

Before wrapping, I gave my dad’s DIY darts shirt a good wash and iron.

Do let me know if you sew a custom darts shirt; I’d love to see it! Leave a comment below or get in touch on Twitter @FirstStitch.

The post Sew your own custom darts shirt appeared first on First Stitch Attempt.

The fabric is like oilcloth, but far more supple than others I’ve used (e.g. for my oilcloth tote bag), meaning it’s easier to sew.

This combined with the sewing-themed design meant it was the perfect material for stash storage, which was much-needed since my bedroom drawers were overflowing with my fabric collection!

I’ve seen a few storage box how-tos around, but I wanted to create a more practical design with handles and a label window. See my storage box sewing tutorial below.

You will need

• Five 30x30cm pieces of your main fabric. Use a sturdy oilcloth or canvas, or use interfacing to stiffen up cotton.
• Five 30x30cm pieces of lining fabric.
• Two 8x40cm pieces of main fabric for the straps.
• 7x13cm piece of clear vinyl.
• 35cm of 1cm-wide bias binding.

Storage box sewing instructions

Make the straps

To make the straps, fold the two pieces in half longways, right sides facing, and stitch along the open edge with a 1cm seam. Turn the tube the right way out using a loop turner or improvise with a skewer.

Make the label window

First, unfold one edge of the bias binding and align with one short side of the vinyl. Fold over the top edge so you’ll get a clean finish, before stitching along the fold line. Stop 1cm from the bottom edge.

Second, fold the bias binding away from the vinyl to create a triangle. Then fold the bias binding back on itself so the bottom edge lines up with the vinyl. Keep in place with a barrette, bulldog clip or safety clip.

Stitch along the fold line on the long edge, and repeat the above processes to complete the second corner and other short edge.

Bring your bias binding around to the other side and secure in place with clips. Sew alongside this open edge, catching the other side as you go.

Pin the label holder the right way up in the centre of one of your main fabric squares, and sew the outer edge of the bias binding in place.

Sew the storage box

Sew the side edges of two main fabric pieces together, right sides facing, using a 1cm seam. Repeat until you have created four sides of a cube. Make sure your pattern and label window are the right way up.

Clip/pin your fifth main fabric piece to the bottom of your fabric ‘cube’, right side inwards, and sew in place with a 1cm seam. Make sure stitching overlaps in the corners.

Repeat these processes with your lining fabric. Turn this lining ‘cube’ the other way round, and place inside your main fabric ‘cube’, aligning all seams.

Assemble your storage box

Sandwich your straps in-between the two ‘cubes’, pointing downwards on the side panels next to your label window. Make sure they’re equidistant from the side seams. Clip or pin in place.

Sew the top edges (and straps) together 1cm from the top edge, but leave 10cm for turning.

Turn your storage box the right way out and topstitch the edge to close the gap and give a neat finish. All that’s left is to create a label and fill your DIY fabric storage box!

The post Storage box sewing tutorial appeared first on First Stitch Attempt.

They took around 3 hours in total, and weren’t actually that difficult since this time I a) used the right fabric and b) read rather than second-guessed the instructions. Patience and diligence are definitely key to successful sewing.

I used Arrolyn Wiederhold Wonderful Woodlands cotton, which you might remember I got for £5.75/metre at the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts Show. The large pyjama bottoms I made required almost 3 metres, as well as 1.5 metres of 1″-thick elastic.

I’m really pleased with the finished result, though they may not be up to Sewing Bee standards! There’s one useful tip I’d like to pass on from Martha Stewart: To get neat hems and an even waistband, draw the desired fold depth onto paper and use as a template when pressing.

Paul assures me these PJ bottoms are comfy, and he loves the print, so I’m sure they’ll get plenty of wear. Simplicity 2116 is a great project when you want to make something practical with fun, inexpensive fabric.

However, I still think the instructions could be much clearer. I’m going to sew myself some pyjama bottoms using a Tilly and the Buttons pattern soon, so I’ll be able to compare and let you guys know which is the better buy.

Have you made Simplicity 2116? What did you think of the pattern and finished result? Share your comments below!

The post Simplicity 2116 pyjama bottoms appeared first on First Stitch Attempt.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I’d hoped. With both ‘stitching’ and ‘sewing’ in the title, I was pretty sure the venue was going to be haberdashery heavy. I imagined row after row of everything from fabric to zips in designs I’d never seen. In actuality, the stores were predominantly ‘hobbycrafts’ focussed.

There was quite a bit of fabric around, but I’d seen many of the designs before. And you were lucky to spot accessories like zips, binding and threads.

I was also dissapointed at the prices. Perhaps naively, I anticipated special show discounts — especially since everyone had already paid for tickets. This wasn’t really the case, with cheaper fabrics at around £6 per metre and the designer fabric around double that: more than I’d expect to pay online.

Although I was pretty pleased with the £5.75/m I paid for these awesome Arrolyn Wiederhold fabrics (Wonderful Woodlands and Rainforest Fun), I was a bit annoyed that the exhibitor was offering 20% discount vouchers to use in-store, but wasn’t willing to haggle at the show. Regardless, I couldn’t resist, and picked up 3m of each with the aim of making pyjama bottoms.

These two fat quarters were £3.50 each. There were a few others I liked, but I couldn’t justify adding any more to my growing stash!

One of my favourite stands at the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts Show was for Alzheimer’s Society, who were selling knitted Christmas tree decorations that had been donated. We burrowed through the buckets and selected the four below, which I can’t wait to hang up come December!

If you want to check out the show for yourself, it’s going to Exeter’s Westpoint Centre September 25th-28th. You can find more information and buy tickets here.

Did you visit the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts Show at Event City? Leave a comment below; I’d love to hear what you thought!

The post Review: Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycrafts Show appeared first on First Stitch Attempt.

Anyway, I thought I’d let you know how it went and share a few tips. I used the New Look 6866 pattern, which was described as easy. Let me tell you this was an outright lie. IKEA assembly instructions will seem like child’s play once you’ve encountered a sewing pattern. But hopefully this post will help you through.

First things first, you need to choose your fabric. To determine how much you need, cross-reference the pattern you want to make with your size. It will tell you the amount you need in yards for fabric that is 45 inches or 60 inches wide. Suggested materials are listed at the bottom. For my dress, I bought three metres of strawberry-print polycotton, which was £2.99 per metre from Minerva Crafts. I purposefully bought extra and went for an inexpensive fabric in case of mistakes.

Now you need to cut out the necessary pattern pieces according to your size. If you see small triangles, cut out a notch as below. These will help you keep your pieces aligned when sewing them together.

Next, fold your fabric in half, selvedges (the edges with writing or small holes) together, and pin the pattern pieces as shown in the instructions. ‘With nap’ means your fabric print needs to face a certain way, while ‘without nap’ means the direction doesn’t matter, as with plain fabrics.

Arrows pointing to an edge, like in the first picture below, indicate that you need to align the edge with a fold. A double-ended arrow like that in the second image should be positioned with the grain. This means it should be parallel to the individual threads that makes up the fabric.

You now have the task of carefully cutting your pieces out — don’t forget the notches! If you need to add darts, cut one side of the triangle and fold along the other side. You can now trace the shape onto your fabric. Fold this in half and sew along the line, knotting thread rather than backstitching to prevent bulk.

Once you’ve deciphered each instruction, it’s really satisfying to see your garment take shape. Just don’t expect to breeze through it. Although my pattern was classed as easy, I’d say it took around six hours in total. Be patient: cut, pin, press, align notches and trim every seam carefully. Unpicking at any point could ruin the finished look.

My dress turned out a little on the large side, but I think it looks pretty good with a waist belt. I’d love to hear what you think! If you want to make your own, you can buy the pattern here.

I hope this post helps you complete your first sewing pattern. Let me know how it goes, and please share any tips you pick up along the way!

The post My first sewing pattern: New Look 6866 appeared first on First Stitch Attempt.

The pouch I made is ideal as a coin purse, but you can make yours to almost any size and store whatever you like. Simply change the zip and fabric size as desired.

DIY zipped pouch instructions

1. Cut two pieces of your main fabric to the full width of your zip, and any desired length (remember to add 1/2″ for the seam). Cut two pieces of lining fabric to the same size.
   
2. Line your zip up with the corresponding edge on a piece of main fabric, right sides facing.
   
3. Sandwich the zip with a piece of lining fabric, face down. Pin the three edges together neatly.
   
4. Use a zipper foot to sew the three edges together, approximately 1/4″ from the zipper teeth. As you approach the pull tab, keep the needle in the fabric and lift the foot so you can move it out of the way.
5. Fold the two pieces of fabric away from the zip, so the wrong sides are together, and topstitch in place, on the edge of the fabric.
6. Repeat steps 2–5 with the other side of the zip.
   
7. Separate the main fabric and lining to either side of the zip, with the zipper teeth facing the lining side. Make sure the zip is open before pinning everything in place.
   
8. Sew a 1/2″ seam around the circumference, leaving a 4″ gap in the lining for turning. Shorten your stitch length at the corners for strength.
   
9. Clip the corners and trim the seams.
   
10. Turn through the gap, poking out the corners.
    
11. Close the gap with ladder stitch — instructions here — and you’re finished!
    

The post Zipped pouch tutorial appeared first on First Stitch Attempt.

A similar method will allow you to customise a top with side panels. This is great if you want to refashion a boring garment. To make it easier to follow, I’ve put separate instructions at the bottom.

For both projects, you will need:

• The top you want to alter
• Fabric scissors
• Fabric marker
• Tape measure
• Fabric for your side panel (material similar to that of your top will be easier to work with) and matching thread
• Pins
• Sewing machine

How to enlarge a top with side panels

1. Take your top, and carefully mark lines 1″ from either side of the two side seams. Include the sleeve seams if relevant.
2. You should end up with a 2″ wide strip down each side of your garment, centred on the seam. Carefully cut these two strips out with fabric scissors.



3. Cut out two replacement strips from your chosen fabric. To account for the removed fabric and seams, the width needs to be 4″ plus however many extra inches you want to enlarge your top by. If your fabric is less elastic than your top, you need even more to counteract the reduced stretch. The length should be equivalent to that of the strip you removed, plus 2″ for your hem and cuff.
4. Pin the long side of a strip to a raw edge on your top, right sides facing, with the fabric overlapping evenly at both short ends. Ensure the strip will fold the right way once sewn.
5. Stitch a 1/2″ seam, and knot the ends of your thread rather than using backstitch — instructions here.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the other three raw edges of your top.



7. To finish the seams, zig-zag stitch close to the straight stitch and trim any excess. Zig-zag stitch the two exposed ends of your strips too, so they’re ready to be hemmed.



8. Fold the exposed ends of your strip inwards so the edges line up with your top. Iron and pin in place. With a matching thread, straight stitch along the edges to secure your hem and cuff.



9. You’re now ready to wear your DIY enlarged top!

How to customise a top with side panels

1. Determine how wide you want your side panels to be, and carefully cut a strip of this width from either side of your top. Make sure the strips are centred on the side seam.
2. Cut out two replacement strips from your chosen fabric. They should be 2″ longer than the strip you removed to account for the hem and cuff, and 2″ wider to allow for seams. If your fabric is more or less stretchy than your top, you need to adjust the width accordingly.
3. Pin the long side of a strip to a raw edge on your top, right sides facing, with the fabric overlapping evenly at both short ends. Ensure the strip will fold the right way once sewn.
4. Stitch a 1/2″ seam, and knot the ends of your thread rather than using backstitch — instructions here.
5. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the other three raw edges of your top.
6. To finish the seams, zig-zag stitch close to the straight stitch and trim any excess. Zig-zag stitch the two exposed ends of your strips too, so they’re ready to be hemmed.
7. Fold the exposed ends of your strip inwards so the edges line up with your top. Iron and pin in place. With a matching thread, straight stitch along the edges to secure your hem and cuff.
8. You’re now ready to wear your customised top!

Let me know if you guys use this tutorial! I’d love to see the results — share pics with me on Instagram @FirstStitchAttempt or Twitter @FirstStitch.

The post Enlarge or customise a top with side panels appeared first on First Stitch Attempt.

My DIY baby toy design incorporates the crinkle sound that little ones inexplicably enjoy, tags that they love to chew and a variety of textures that help keep them stimulated. It’s also personalised with the baby’s initial, although this can be swapped for a bunny or other shape if you don’t yet know their name.

You will need

• 2x 8″ x 8″ cotton fabric
• 6″ x 6″ felt
• 6″ x 12″ crinkle material (I used a clean crisp packet)
• Toy stuffing
• Twill tape and/or ribbon

Sew a crinkle tag toy

1. Cut out the initial or decorative shape from the felt. If you’re worried about neatness, create a template using a program such as Word. Pin your shape centrally on the front of one fabric square.
2. Appliqué the felt in place with a zig-zag stitch, remembering to knot rather than backstitch your thread — see my guide for help.
   
3. Fold differing lengths of twill tape and/or ribbon (between 4″ and 6″) in half, and stitch the long side. This allows you to hide all the frayed edges while protecting little fingers from getting caught in loops.
   
4. Pin the tags on the right side of one fabric square, facing inwards and overlapping the edge a little. This will ensure you catch them well when stitching — the last thing you want is loose tags on a baby toy!
   
5. Pin the other piece of fabric on top, so the tags are sandwiched between both right sides.
   
6. Sew around the perimeter of your fabric 1/2″ from the edge, leaving 4″ unstitched for turning. Make sure to take out the pins as you go.
   
7. Trim the seams with pinking shears, and snip the corners so you get a sharp point after turning.
   
8. Turn your toy the right way out. Fold the crinkle material in half and slot it inside neatly.
   
9. Add stuffing in-between the crinkle fabric. You don’t need much.
   
10. Close the opening with invisible stitch and gift your baby crinkle tag toy!
    

The post Baby crinkle tag toy tutorial appeared first on First Stitch Attempt.

Well, I wanted to let you know about my redditgifts Arbitrary Day Exchange! This time, there wasn’t a particular theme: everyone filled in some information about themselves and left it to their Secret Santa to pick any present.

The first thing I saw when I opened up my parcel was a postcard from Brazil. The message on the back explained that my Secret Santa is the boyfriend of my sock giftee! A weird coincidence, seeing as though 21,856 people from 111 countries took part in the exchange. He said that his girlfriend loved the socks I sent, and wears them almost every day!

In recognition of this, he sent me some cute slipper socks that fit my tiny feet surprisingly well. My stash also included Brazil World Cup 2014 souvenirs — strangely, today is the final — and seven fat quarters! The fabric is Japanese, as his girlfriend used to live in Japan and loves to sew (or as he called it, swell) too!

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I sent my giftee a Star Wars ice tray, coaster and 3DS stylus kit. I hope he likes it!

If you’re interested in taking part in a redditgifts exchange, you can find more information here. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a sewing-themed event!

The post Another redditgifts success story! appeared first on First Stitch Attempt.

Most sewing projects require you to sew fabric together with the right sides facing, and then turn everything the right way around. You can close the gap you turned though neatly using the ladder stitch — it allows you to close a seam from the outside.

See my step-by-step guide to ladder stitch above to get a neat finish on your work. If you’re looking for more hand-sewing tips, see my French knot how-to and backstitch guide.

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