Now as much as we wish you could, we know you can’t get all your crafting and haberdashery gifts from us this year. So we thought we’d compile a list of #TeamSpecky recommendations to share with you too… we love supporting Small Businesses thought this would be a lovely way to give some love to some of our favourites.
We decided on a Shop, a Product or Gadget and a Pattern each to share to stop the list being overwhelming… So without further ado, here are Laura’s:
Laura Recommends:
Fabric Shop? Good Fabric Store : https://goodfabric.co.uk/
Good Fabric stocks fabric, haberdashery and patterns, with a focus on eco-sustainability and a guilt free shopping experience! They’ve got everything from buttons, to printed patterns, to fabric by the metre and remnants too… why not check them out?
Tool or Gadget? Good Quality Tracing Paper!
Whether you’re a pattern tracer, someone who grades between sizes or a rebel hacker, you can’t go wrong with good quality tracing paper.
Patterns: Adam Sews https://www.adamsews.com/
Love a good quilted bag or accessory pattern? Why not give some of Adam Sews patterns a go? They’re clearly rated for their difficulty, feature some FANTASTIC fabrics, and there’s a YouTube sew-a-long video for most of them too!
And there’s often a good selection of FQs and accessories available in the shop too!
Yvann Recommends:
Fabric Shop: Fleur et Ours https://fleuretours.com/
Fleur et Ours stocks gorgeous fabrics for dressmakers, bag makers, crafters and quilters. Often offering specially curated ‘Make it Sew Special’ Bundles with fabric and haberdashery items, it’s well worth a regular look see!
Product/ Gadget: Prym Love Magnetic Arm Pin Cushion
Keep your pins about your person with this watch-style magnetic pin cushion. You’ll never need to wonder where your pins have gone, and a sweep of the wrist can easily pick up any strays that have got away! Available from MANY retailers – check it out!
Pattern: Helen’s Closest Winslow Culottes https://helensclosetpatterns.com/products/winslow-culottes
The Winslow Culottes are a team favourite, with all three of us having made at least one pair; coming in with a 33-62” hip, and 4 different views from short shorts to full length palazzo trousers, this a massively inclusive pattern. And there are LOADS of tips, tricks and hacks on the Helen’s Closet blog too… the only question really, is which fabric will you make yours in first?
And an honourable mention to the Pattern Number 4 – The Taco Pouch in this video
Ideal for gifting or just working on your own skills. You could make one or gift someone all the bits they need to make their own.
Cassie Recommends:
Fabric Shop: 1st For Fabrics https://www.1stforfabrics.co.uk/
This was a new-to-her discovery for Cassie this year and it’s rapidly become her go to fabric shop. They stock a range of fabrics, including some she’s never even heard of, as well as haberdashery items and printed patterns.
And the service is impeccable; they even called once as the ribbing she ordered was a different colour to the fabric and they wanted to make sure she’d got the right colour! Make sure you follow their instagram too, as they often drop info about Sale items there first 🙂
Product/ Gadget: Embroidery Scissors
Especially the ones that look like a bird! These are super sharp, ideal for fitting in small spaces, cut through thread and embroidery floss with ease… and honestly, you can NEVER have enough pairs.
Pattern: Podgekins Doll https://www.podgekins.com/
Podgekins is a new company and pattern this year, and with both a whole host of niblings and friends with babies and toddlers, as well as an ever growing stash of fabric scraps, this pattern seems like a perfect choice for Cassie – and perhaps for you? The dolls and their clothes work up quickly and are improver friendly, but with enough skills and fiddly bits to keep more experienced sewists engaged.
The base PDF pattern comes with the doll and one of the clothing options, with additional options available to purchase too. And Paige often posts about possible extra patterns to come, so keep your eyes peeled.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of our recommendations by any means, but just a little taste of some of the things we love and we think you’ll love too! And if you’re still a little unsure, drop us a DM, a comment below or an email to hello@thespeckyseamstress@gmail.com and we’ll see if we can help find you the perfect gift!
And if you’re looking for Specky specific recommendations, check out part one of this blog: here.