When you’re starting out on your sewing adventure, it can be a tad daunting.
It’s a whole new language.
Recently I have started teaching a beginner sewing class, working under Lucy from Sonny and Scout. Lovely Lucy runs kids and adult learn to sew classes through the Newcastle and Wallsend Library, as well as Hudson Street Hum, Hamilton.
In the Newcastle Area, if you’re looking for brick and mortar sewing shops, its surprisingly barren. I mean you can't go past Spotlight, and there’s also Lincraft, but there are minimal independent apparel fabric shops, especially ones that stock indie patterns. i.e patterns other then Butterick, Vogue, Simplicity etc.
Now I’m not including quilting shops in this statement, there are loads of great quilting stores, and of course quilting fabric can be used for apparel.
To help guide my beginner sewing students I thought I’d put together my go to Brick and Morter Newcastle based shops, my go to online shops, some great starting out patterns and of course, where I go to Thrift / Op shop. While this is in no way a comprehensive list, it's my main go to though.
Before I go into my list, one of my ‘Go To’ Sewing Pattern providers is Peppermint Magazine.
This quarterly magazine is an award winning, Australian based production, with drool worthy photos, intriguing creative pursuits, inspiring people, and chocked full of sustainable products. The Magazine is stocked at most Newsagents, and the release day will find me blowing off all commitments to make the sewing project straight up.
One of my most favorite and most sewn patterns is the Samford Set, by Lindsey Rae of Sew to Grow. You can purchase the magazine and get the pattern for Free, or you can choose your payment amount and print out a PDF. The Samford Set is a great beginner project, especially the shorts. I wear them as pj’s and as day clothes. Secret pj’s anyone!!
OK, for our Newcastle area Brick and Morter Sewing Stores:
Alie Jane 291 Hunter Street, Newcastle
Pappa Sven 33 Union Street, Cooks Hill
Spotlight Bennetts Green
Lincraft Westfield, Park Ave Kotara
Quilting
Sew B Curated
139A Beaumont St, Hamilton
Zig Zag Sewing
31 Crescent Rd, Waratah
On Point Patchwork and Needlecraft
61A Station St, Waratah
Belmont Patchwork Heart
Shop 3/544 Pacific Hwy, Belmont
Pot Pourri Cottage
66 Glebe Rd, The Junction
Online:
Selvedge Society
Peppermint Magazine
Kylie and the Machine
Maai Design
Fibresmith
Tessuti
Potter and Co
Wattle Hill
Pattern Scissors Frock
The Next Stitch
Pitt Trading
Drapers Fabric
Sewing Gem
Ellie Whittaker
Doop Designs
Hello Friends Fabric
Next State Print
Stitch Piece Loop
Miss Maude Sewing
Sewing Gem
Weft and Warp
Op shops are a great source for fabric, they’re cost effective, sustainable, and you never know what gem you will uncover. Remember, sheets, doona covers, blankets, curtains, tablecloths, tea towels, these are all fair game when it comes to creating.
I often use sheets as the lining, or for facing, to make trial garments. Sometimes I make a whole new outfit out of somebodies’ old sheets. Think Von Trap Family from the Sound Of Music- best inspiration for matchy outfits out of curtains!!
Some of my favorite op shop areas:
Jesmond- Salvation Army
Wallsend- like legit on the main street, take a stroll, there are so many, and the Anglican church on Metcalfe Street have an op shop as well.
On Mayfield’s main street there my favorite Samaritans, and there’s a St Vincent De Paul on Church Street.
Hamilton has a plethora of op shops, there a Salvo’s, two Vinnies, there’s loads of vintage shops where you can pick up amazing bargains and vintage pieces. Not to mention Bec, at Sew B Curated. You can stroll from the Islington End of Beaumont all the way down to Bec’s shop, or you can drive, hopping from each shop.
Don’t forget about Cardiff, there are so many, and an amazing bread shop on the main road that sells the best Vietnamese Pork Roll.
The Sewing Lair- online op shop based in QLD.
Achieve Sewing Basket- brick and mortar located in Kincumber, Central Coast. I have visited this shop only once and managed to score such great thrifted pieces of fabric, it’s an amazing trip, lots of odds and ends, and if you time it right, they’re often having great sales.
If you get yourself some thrifted fabric, don’t forget to search for the many other essentials… namely thread, buttons, and patterns.
Ok, which comes first, the Pattern, the Fabric, Or the Inspirational Idea.
That’s a tough-ie. My makes can often be very spur of the moment, or I can plan a make, or I see a hole in my garment, or I fall in love with a piece of fabric. Everyone’s creative juices start in different places, and when your first starting, you have loads of ideas. Write them down, then troll (in a nice way please) Pinterest and Instagram.
There are literally thousands of patterns available on-line, I can’t believe how many options you have other than the “Big 4”, the Simplicity, McCalls, New Look, Butterick, Vogue, Burda. These are great patterns, and a good place to start, I love to thrift these patterns, but the Indie Patterns that are available are also incredible.
You can get your patterns hardcopy, or you can print the PDF. I print patterns on A4 only if they are small i.e., undies/bras/kids’ patterns or if I’m super desperate. Otherwise, if I need to print a PDF, I print it in A0. A lot of the Indie patterns also have a projector option.
The First option I would recommend to any beginner is Tilly and the Buttons. These sewing patterns and books are available from a variety of stockiest, and from the Tilly and the Buttons site. Tilly is UK Based, has size inclusive patterns with instructions are just amazing. A lot of Indy patterns have such detailed instructions, YouTube tutorials and sew a-long’s.
One of my favorite patterns of Tilly’s is ‘Stevie’. You will find that the popular Indy patterns are recognizable by their names and have associated hash tags to follow.
In the “Intro-mediate” class that Lucy runs, you will learn about facings, bust darts, clipping, grading seams. I’ve made up Sew DIY’s “Miri” tank top to demonstrate these techniques in a beginner friendly top pattern. If you’re looking to step up your sewing skills, the instructions for Miri are super, they are really clear and work with you to increase your skills and confidence.
I can’t recommend highly enough the Instagram Sewing Community. The inspiration that is provided, the different alterations and options and sheer creativity just blows me away. All the tips and tricks, mind blown!
Don't forget to check out some amazing Australian Pattern Designers (obviously, this is not all of them, just ones I've sewn up!)
Elbe Textiles
Common Stitch
Tessuti
Megan Nielson
Sew to Grow
Stitched for Good
For my lovely sewing Students, I hope this helps. If you find another sewing shop or Australian pattern designer that you would like me to add to my list, drop me a message.
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