Reversible Box Tote

Posted in Sewing by StitchNSew

Some patterns I know where I first saw them or when I got them, other patterns kind of appear in my stash and I’m not too sure where I got them from. This is one of those “um I’m not sure where it came from patterns”

Around 2014 – 2016 on Instagram craft swaps were a big thing. You would make some items for your swap partner and post them off with a few treats, someone else would make items for you and you would receive a present in the mail. They were a lot of fun and I do miss them. I still use a lot of the items I received in swaps. My most favourite item was a knitting bag which has birds on it. Back in 2015 when I got it at the time Womble was really sick in hospital. Just as I was facing the possibility of losing him this parcel arrived in the mail with this beautiful knitting bag and it made me smile. I have been using it ever since. I even use it as a handbag at our Christmas gathering as I can carry all the essentials plus my knitting in it. I have always wanted to make a bag similar to my birdie bag. I’m not sure when I came across the free Reversible Box Tote by Very Shannon but it is a larger version of my bag.

I have mentioned my love of hearts on here before. At the end of last year as I was pulling out quilting cottons to make items for this years charity bags I came across some heart fabrics that I really liked. I decided I would like to make myself something with those fabrics first and then use any remainder fabric for charity makes. I knew I had the tote bag pattern in my stash so I decided to use them to finally make my tote bag.

I decided to have a cutting session where I would cut out as many patterns from my heart fabrics as I could. I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing. I’m so used to cutting pattern pieces out on a double layer of fabric to get both halves of a bag. When I was cutting it out the pale blue heart fabric I forgot this pattern is cut on a single layer and you need to cut out 2 pieces to make up the bag. After cutting out one piece I proceeded to cut out a couple of pouch patterns with the remainder of the fabric. It was only afterwards I realised I’d only cut out half of the bag and I didn’t have enough fabric left. Plan B was to piece together 2 offcuts of a paisley print fabric so that I could cut out the pattern. I have used the paisley fabric many times as I do like it. The paisley is a busy print and you really see where I pieced the fabrics together.

As the name suggests this tote bag is reversible so each side is made up of 2 bag pieces and 2 pieces for a lined pocket. I opted to only do one pocket which will mostly be used on the inside of the bag.

The pattern is very quick and easy to make. To finish off the top opening edges the pattern instructs you to fold back the raw edges before placing the bags inside each other and top stitch them together to assemble the two sides of the bag. I instead opted to sew binding around the edges. I had cute ladybird binding leftover from making my York so why not use it in project for me. Normally I hand tack the binding into place before heading to the sewing machine to sew it on, fold the binding into place, iron it, hand tack it again and either machine sew or hand sew it down. This time I just pinned it each time as I was trying to do it quickly. Also the binding I was using wasn’t already pre-ironed in half. Both made putting on the binding a little more tricker. It is not the neatest but to be honest I don’t care. As long as some is functional that is all that matters. I have more important things to worry about than how neat my sewing is. I’m not selling the items I’m making and I’m not a contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee so who cares if my binding isn’t neat all the way around. I spent a couple of fun hours sewing an item which I will use in fabrics I like, that is what is important.

Cassiy

17Mar2026

Shelf Wrap

Posted in Sewing by StitchNSew

Continuing on the theme of unusual sewing tasks today I’m sharing the most time consuming unusual sewing task I have ever done.

Our kitchen pantry consists of an open shelving unit above our small freezer inside a cupboard designed for your fridge. Our apartment is one of those modern built ones where you pretend you don’t own a fridge by hiding it away in a cupboard. We needed to replace our fridge just after we moved and discovered the new fridge didn’t actually fit the “fridge cupboard” so we moved our freezer in there and turned the space into a large pantry. I wrote about it back in 2020. The shelving unit is great except that items often fall off the back and sides of the middle shelves. Picking up items that fell from the side was relatively easy to pick up but if they fell down the back we were in trouble. We have to shift the freezer out and try to pick up the item with a grabber. I decided to enclose the shelves around the sides and back. The shelves are not solid but instead consist of metal tubing fused together. The design was perfect to weave or sew a covering around as there was open space to fit a needle.

The cupboard gets warm inside due to the freezer motor. I didn’t want to use a thick fabric that would block any air circulation so I opted for lace curtain fabric. Online I ordered curtain fabric that was sold by the metre which was approximately the height of the gap between each shelf. On attachment day I measured the two sides and back of the shelf space and cut lengths of fabric.

Stitching the fabric on took longer than I had anticipated. It was a very slow process of holding the fabric in place and then doing each stitch. I had the shelving unit in the middle of our lounge area and it took the best part of a day to do the 2 pieces around the shelves. Luckily I did it on a long weekend. I think I used a mattress needle that was hooked to sew the lace into place with thick thread.

Once it was completed I was really pleased with it. I did this back in October 2020 and it still going strong. Nothing falls off the side or down the back anymore. Occasionally items fall off the top of the unit but that can’t be helped. Generally we put large items that we don’t use every day up the top.

This project was unusual but was a solution to a problem we had. I used the skills I had to come up with a workable solution.

Cassiy

10Mar2026

Pouch Storage Bag

Posted in Sewing by StitchNSew

Some projects I spend weeks sometimes even months planning others are a random spur of the moment thing. Today’s project was a spur of the moment thing.

I’ve shared glimpse before at my unoragnised craft areas. In 2025 things slipped a little and my craft areas got more than a little out of control. I was stashing and dumping things everywhere. Like items weren’t all in the same spot. It wasn’t too the point where my craft areas gave me anxiety at the state they were in and therefore I didn’t want to go near them but it was annoying that things would fall when I went to grab something or I had to shift a heap of stuff whenever I wanted to use particular items. I just wanted to jump into whatever idea was in my head I wasn’t worried about the tidy side of things.

In my end of year post I mentioned that my completed charity knitting is stashed away waiting for me to donate it. My charity knitting falls into 2 categories: Humans and Animals. For humans its things likes beanies and scarves, for animals it is wildlife rescue pouches. In 2025 both lots were kinda shoved wherever I could fit them. Moving forward into 2026 I wanted to have them both sorted properly. I’m pretty good at posting off my wildlife rescue pouches when I see I have a stack of them but after I post them I always come home and find more. I wanted one dedicated bag to put the completed pouches in and once it was full take it to the post office. I guess similar to how you might have a bag or box assigned for donations to take to charity.

I purchased a plastic tote bag for my human items to be placed in but not one for my wildlife pouches. I was going to order another bag when I decided why buy a bag when you have so much fabric just make one based on the dimensions on the purchased tote bag. It was a simple rectangle bag with a solid base and sides. I sketched down simple shapes for the pieces and wrote down the sizes of each piece. I then added 1″ to every number for seam allowance. I decided to line the bag so doubled the amount of pieces I needed to cut out.

For the fabric I went to the boxes of quilting cottons and spotted a fabric which I had used many years ago in a couple of projects. The fabric had been in storage for a couple of years but I knew it had been prewashed so it was ready to be ironed again and cut out. Once the bag was finished I’d toss it in the washing machine again to freshen it up. Even though it was blue fabric I opted for red thread as I don’t sew a lot with red thread so why not use it and save my blues when I sew a lot in that colour.

For the handles I cut the fabric 4″ x WOF (width of fabric) For the handles I do ¼ folds where you fold the fabric in ½ and then bring the raw edges into the centre so you end up with 4 layers of fabric. Instead of using interfacing I just used a layer of the same cotton so I cut 4 strips of fabric to make the 2 handles. Using my Tupperware Tote as a guide for handle placement I pinned the handles to two of the side pieces and stitched them into place.

At the start of this post I mentioned this was a spur of the moment project. In my head I have a lot of projects I would maybe like to do one day. The idea was in my head but I had no fixed plans on actually making it. When I woke up the morning of December 23rd I had planned on maybe trying some sewing that day but this was not my sewing plans. When I came across the store brought tote I had purchased I thought why not replicate it. From concept to completion it only took me a few hours so it was actually really quick project.

I like sewing practical items and this was a practical bag. This will only be used for wildlife donations so I won’t need to shift stuff out of it so I can use the bag for other items. Once it is full I know it is time to go to the post office after work one day. I can carry the bag over my shoulder comfortably. I used up fabric from my stash so it is a winning project.

Cassiy

3Mar2026

Tutti Frutti Apple Socks

Posted in Knitting / Crochet by StitchNSew

I mentioned back in 2024 during one of our weekends away I went crazy and brought a heap of yarn from Morris & Sons (craft shop in the centre of Sydney) I love sock knitting but can’t wear regular sock yarn as it contains wools and my skin is irritated by it. I discovered Regia have a cotton 4 ply sock yarn so pretty much brought about one of each colour that I liked. Now they don’t have many colours available so I don’t feel bad for going on my yarn splurge at the time and buying 12 balls.

Early July 2024 I decided to knit my first ball from the haul of yarn I brought. At the time I was booked in to do a workshop with Ann Budd the following month but I hadn’t knitted socks since 2021 so I cast on a pair to remind myself how to knit a sock ahead of the workshop. I randomly picked up a ball which was the colour Tutti Frutti Apple.

Two things were going on during that time I first cast these on. Firstly I had misplaced my sock ruler which is a gadget used to measure the different sections of the sock. I was using a metal ruler instead to measure the sections. I eventually found the sock ruler in January 2025.

The second thing going on when I was knitting these was that Womble was sick with his gallbladder. I had sock one on my needles one day when we went to the Emergency Department at 3am so I took that as my knitting for the day. I wasn’t happy with the cuff so I pulled it off my needles in ED and recast on at about 4am. By the time we left ED that night at 7pm I’d knit about ¾ of a sock. It was a long slightly stressful day but my sock knitting helped me through it. The pattern I use is a very simple pattern which makes for mindless sock knitting that you can easily put down when you need to, perfect for hospital bedside knitting. Knitting this sock in ED is just another memory woven into these socks which certainly do have a story. Unfortunately after these were cast on I had to pull out the Ann Budd workshop as Womble was given a surgery date to have his gallbladder removed and the timing of the two didn’t really mix. I’m glad I was initially booked into the workshop as it gave me the motivation to get in and start a pair of socks using all the yarn I brought. I have a habit of having the intention of doing things but never actually getting around to doing them so sometimes I need a reason to kickstart me.

I said these socks have story well here we go…. We have the lost sock ruler and they were cast on in ED. The next part of the story is that on completion of sock one as I was doing the Kitchener stitch I wasn’t wearing my glasses, I dropped stitches and made a complete mess of it. In my attempt to fix things I made things worse.

Instead of fixing sock one straight away I went on to knit sock two finishing it off with a pretty good Kitchener stitch at the end. Once I knew I had ample enough yarn left I went back to sock one ripping it back to before the toe decreases and continuing on to finish it from there. Well except I didn’t…

The pattern has you go down to 10 stitches on each needle before doing the Kitchener stitch to graft the ends. I got down to 14 stitches on each needle and then put it aside on the craft cart next to my sewing table. Looking back on Instagram as a reference I think it was probably around early August as I had finished sock two at the end of July. I’m going to say from August 2024 until the 25th February 2026 the completed sock 2 and almost completed sock 1 were shifted around my sewing cart and craft table. I knew I should get in and finish it but I never had the time or energy to pick it up and work out where I was up to in order to finish it. Last week I was semi tidying up around that area when I decided had enough of shifting them and it was time to get in and sort the sock mess out.

It took me about an hour to finish off sock one and then weave in all the ends of both socks. It was only later that night when I came on here to write this post and I went back through my Instagram feed I read that I hadn’t wore my glasses when finishing off sock one the first time around. Well… I never wore my glasses on the second time either. After all the dramas the first time I did the Kitchener on this sock I was so nervous and shaking as I did it which is absurd thinking back on it now as it is only knitting. I didn’t pull the stitches tight enough as I did them so I had to fudge things a little to tighten them at the end. I ended up with a weird loop thing at the end which I managed to half pull to the inside of the sock. It wasn’t the neatest graft I’ve ever done but at least I didn’t drop any stitches this time. When I was weaving in the ends on sock two at some point I think my yarn became really knotted or broke or something as I had extra ends to weave in mid calf on those, I didn’t post it on Instagram so I have no recollection what happened there.

Now that I have shared the story of these socks here is the information about them. The pattern used is Very Vanilla Sock in Tutti Frutti Apple. I used 3mm needles as I didn’t want them too tight. The minute I cast these off I was itching to cast on my next pair. Logical me was thinking I should see how these wash and dry before knitting a 2nd pair but I used one of the needle sizes recommended by Regia. If they are too big I can always rip pair two off my needles or go down a size needle on pair three as I have loads of balls to knit up. By the next morning I couldn’t wait any longer and pair 2 were on my needles.

It is silly that these took so long to finish. Crafting is meant to be the thing that relaxes me but every so often things crop up which throw me off a little. I have to relax and remember it is only yarn or fabric. If I get things wrong it isn’t the end of the world. Nothing can’t be refixed with a little work at the time (not 18 months later) Just get in and do things. Relax and have fun.

Cassiy

24Feb2026

Medium Laundry Bag

Posted in Sewing by StitchNSew

Some projects are fun and exciting, others are plain and practical. This falls into the plain and practical category.

Back in 2017 I made a Giant Laundry Bag. The concept I had was to make a laundry bag like you can buy to wash lingerie but have it supersized so that I could fit manchester in it to wash in my washing machine. My idea worked well and I still use the bag to this day. I discovered it was also good for pre-washing large lengths of fabric and other items which were a little more delicate but wouldn’t fit in a lingerie bag.

The size of the bag was great but sometimes it was a little too large if I only had about 1m of fabric or a few fat quarters. I decided to make a smaller version. When I was in Melbourne at the start of 2019 I purchased some synthetic knit fabric similar to that I used on my original giant bag. The fabric is similar to that used in store brought lingerie bags. Looking back in February that I year I made a couple of small and medium size laundry bags for my friend but I never actually made one for me that size. I think mid 2023 or so (possibly earlier) I cut out this bag but it was only last month that I pulled it out and stitched it up.

The finished bag measures approximately 50cm x 80cm. I added a hanging loop in the form of elastic so that it can be hung on the laundry door when not in use. I’ll admit it isn’t my neatest sew. I had trouble installing the zipper properly. I was trying to do it so close to the zipper teeth I actually stitched over them and couldn’t open the zipper in patches. Luckily I had gone around it twice so I was able to rip out stitches where needed to open it but I did go around a third time just to be sure it would hold in place. To sew up the seams I got out my overlocker (10am on Saturday morning) All up it took me less than 5 minutes to sew it together on the overlocker and was the best decision on the project I made. I’m trying to overcome my fear and anxiety about using the overlocker and making noise. I had first tried to do the seams on the sewing machine but my zig zag stitch kept skipping and it looked awful so I decided to whip out the overlocker and use that. I didn’t even set it up the normal way, I only placed the overlocker on my felt ironing mat and didn’t put a towel under the foot pedal on the floor. Afterwards I packed it straight away and carried on with my day.

This wasn’t the most glamorous of sewing projects but it was something that I had been meaning to make for some time… ok years. It means I can wash smaller pieces of fabrics and items now without them getting lost in the big bag. If I need to freshen up small cuts of fabrics which have previously been washed and used in other projects but have been store for long periods of time I can toss them in this bag and put them in with my regular laundry loads which will save on time, energy and water. When you stop and think plain and practical projects can end up having a big impact on your daily life so it is important to do them alongside more “fun” projects.

Cassiy

17Feb2026

All About You – Escalaphobia

Posted in The Other Side of StitchNSew by StitchNSew

Today I’m sharing a random fact about myself. I had this post long written before I stumbled across question 135 in All About You “What Is Your Strangest Phobia?” I suffer from Escalaphobia. I didn’t even know it was an actual thing with a name until I started writing this post. It turns out I’m not alone according to Google it is actually common. Google is always right isn’t it???

What is Escalaphobia? It is the fear of escalators. I’m ok on travelators (even ones which are at an angle) as they don’t have steps but escalators no thank you. I don’t like them, I avoid them, I actually panic if I need to go on them. I can’t remember when my fear first started. I have a vague memory of probably the age 14 of carrying my cousin near one but I can’t remember if I got on it with him and fell or if I gave him to someone before I got on. I just remember it was at the airport and it was a very tall escalator that I needed to go down. That was prior to using the crutch to walk with. I think at that stage even really steep escalators freaked me out. We would go in the city by train and the escalators from the underground platforms to the concourse area were really steep and I hated them. I can’t pinpoint one single reason for not liking them as I wasn’t a fan of them even before the incident with my cousin. Nowadays I think it is because the steps are moving and my balance and eye sight isn’t the best. I can go up on them IF I absolutely have to but even then it takes me a little bit to psychic myself up before I step onto one. I hate busy shopping centres because I hold up people and then they push past you when you are on them. It common etiquette to keep left on an escalator so that people can pass you on the right if needed. I need to stand to the right as that is my free hand and I need to hold on so people get annoyed as I’m blocking the path. If I was with friends they would actually stand behind me and block people trying to get on until I was on and they wouldn’t let people pass me. I won’t go down escalators unless it 100% essential. It an escalator is broken or stopped I can walk down it but I’m in fear the entire time that it will start moving half way down. I once left a shop through the fire escape setting off the alarm (a staff member held the door open for me) I went up on an escalator to the next level but I didn’t know there wasn’t a lift to get back down. It was a major shop in the heart of Sydney so you would expect a lift would be available considering the shop was on two levels which included an instore cafe on level 2. Even the lure of fabric at the bottom of an escalator can’t convince me to go down on it. I was once with a friend (who wasn’t aware of my phobia) She wanted to go down the fabric shop so I made her go on her own and waited at the top for her to come back as I just couldn’t bring myself to step on it.

In 2017 a new art installation was opened at Wynard Station in the heart of the city. It featured the old wooden escalator from the railway station. I visited it early 2018. It was terrifyingly beautiful. Seeing all the individual steps. It was mesmerising to look at. I took photos from different angles. I tried to imagine how may feet stood on that escalator over the years. An old gentleman saw me and told me the memories of the escalator he had. When courting his sweetheart he would wait at the top of the escalator waiting for her to come up them in her red coat. It was a very sweet story and one just of many tales that escalator had. The escalator still scared me but the stories it had if only it could have talked. I actually went and visited the sculpture again another time taking Womble who also took photos. The station has lifts so you don’t have to use the escalators.

There are probably things you could do to overcome escalaphobia but I’m not going to bother. Most places these days have a lift or stairs as an alternative method instead making you use them. Even that high profile shop in Sydney said they do have a goods lift that can be used but I think it is only for wheelchairs users. We do visit the shop regularly when we are in the city but luckily the section Womble likes is on the ground level, the section I like is on the level up but it just means they don’t get my business. If I go to a new shopping centre I go online first to see if it has lifts and where they are located so I know once I get there where I need to go.

Cassiy

14Feb2026

Incognito Art Show

Posted in The Other Side of StitchNSew by StitchNSew

The Incognito Art Show is an unique Australian art show which first began in 2021. The show is a not for profit organisation where all moneys raised go into funding art programs for people with disabilities. Anyone no matter their artistic ability can register to be an artist and donate up to three A5 artworks to the show each year. All the artworks are sold for $100. The artwork is anonymous to the buyer until the artwork is actually sold and they flip over the artwork to reveal the artist. Buyers are purchasing art they like and not purchasing it for a signature on the front. I have been following the show for the last couple of years after seeing a friend mention it on social media. All the artworks people produce are fantastic. The subject matter and medium used is completely up to the artist. The only condition is that the art must fit on the A5 art card supplied by the show or if it a sculpture be the size of a fist.

At the start of the year they open up artist registration where artists are invited to apply to be part of the show for that year. Each applicant is sent 3 art cards to either do their work directly on or attach it to. I don’t consider myself an artist but I was considering applying to be part of it this year just for a bit of fun. By chance chatting one day Womble mentioned if he could do his time over again he would have taken up art as a career when he was younger. I told him there isn’t any reason why he can’t do art now and then mentioned the show suggesting maybe he would like to do something for that. We got him some art supplies and he decided to register so both of us have applied for this years show. Our registration packs came in the mail earlier this week.

Until the artworks are sold (hopefully) I can’t show any part of them on here. All I can is that I’m hoping to enter 3 works and I have made a start of my first. I’m not sure how many Womble will enter. Artworks need to sent in by 31st May. Artworks will be available to view online as well as some in person shows around the country from June.

Cassiy

10Feb2026

Zipper Stash

Posted in Sewing by StitchNSew

Some sewers have a fear or avoidance of sewing zippers I do not. I’m still yet to sew an invisible zipper as I have never had the need to. As I’m not afraid of a zipper I have a lot of zippers in my stash. They were stored all jumbled up together in a plastic storage tub. From time to time I would randomly buy zips and add them to the box. Each time I needed a zip I would rummage through the box hoping I had one which suited my project. Although I must admit it was fun to rummage through each time I had no idea of what sizes and colours I had.

I think it was either on Youtube or Instagram I saw that someone in their craft room had their zippers clipped together hanging from a notice board. I thought what a great idea. I don’t have the space to hang my zips but I thought I could still use the idea of clipping them together. The next time I was at the office supplies shop I brought a box of the largest bulldog clips (foldback clips) I could get, brought them home and they sat on my shelf for months.

As the end of the year is approaching I know my local small fabric shop closes down between Christmas and New Year so if you want any supplies from that shop to work on over the holidays you need to get them before they close down. They often have bundles of random zippers you can buy which I have brought in the past. I thought before I go and buy random zippers maybe I should get in and find out what I already have. I put the task on my to do list and when I had a day where I really wanted to do something sewing related but I couldn’t because mundane house chores took precedent I pulled out the box of zippers and the bulldog clips and got to work.

I sorted the zippers into piles by lengths. Some had paper tags on them with the length others I just held it up to the others on the table to figure out where they went. Prior to making my jackets earlier this year I purchased a number of open end zippers which were in a zip lock bag together. I added any other open end zippers to that bag. After I sorted them into piles I clipped them all together before placing them back into the box.

It was interesting to see how many zippers I actually had. I didn’t know I had some many short zippers as I thought I would need to buy some of that size. I’m confident I have enough zippers for a while now. The task didn’t take long to do but was very beneficial.

This is where I had ended the post when I wrote the draft of it. After seeing a photo online of my sorted zippers (I posted it on Instagram as well as a Facebook sewing group I’m in) My work sewing buddy gave me a pile of zippers as she does not sew with them. I sorted them and put them in the stash. I now have an idea of what to do with the open ended zippers (which she gave me more of) She also gave me some invisible zips so maybe I might actually put one in a garment but more than likely I’ll use them in another idea floating in my head. I am now moving into 2026 I have enough zippers in my stash.

Cassiy

3Feb2026

Yarn Challenges Update

Posted in Knitting / Crochet by StitchNSew

Back in 2024 I decided to set myself the challenge of knitting my way through all the free patterns in the Tin Can Knits Simple Collection and the free patterns on the Tin Can Knits app. I like knitting Tin Can Knits patterns as they are easy to follow plus for any tricky techniques they link to tutorials they clear tutorials on how to do them. As of last year I had completed 7 of 11 patterns they had listed on the app.

I hadn’t used the app for some months. Recently I logged into to check on a pattern and noticed it had updated and there were additional free patterns added to the app which you could add to your pattern library on it. I was thinking maybe 1 or 2 extra patterns but it was 15 bringing a total of 31 free patterns you can now select on the app. It is so generous of them to have 31 free knitting patterns available on a free app.

“Knit because you want to not because you have to” As a result of all the additional patterns I have decided not to continue on with the challenge of knitting all the patterns. The 31 free patterns are all lovely, some are simple others are colour work or lace. Some of the patterns are all the same pattern but in different yarn weights for example the jumper or sweater pattern. In the previous version of the app the patterns were listed as one but you selected your yarn weight and the size you wanted to make and only the instructions for that project would show up, now if you click on a pattern it brings up the pattern as a PDF with all the different sizes in brackets like how it is if you download the pattern direct from Ravelry. Some of the original and now additional patterns don’t really fit in with the knitting I do which is predominantly charity knitting. I want my charity knitting to be easy mindless knitting and not something I need to follow a pattern closely. There are some patterns of the ones I haven’t made that I would like to try but I’m not going to force myself to knit them all.

I will continue to use the app. I have started using a modified version of the Barley beanie pattern as my charity knitting beanie pattern, I knit it without the decorative stitch panel. Having the pattern via the app on my phone means I don’t need the written version of it, I can quickly look at it to see how many stitches to cast on, the lengths of each section and where and how to do the decreases to finish it off.

Back in 2020 I set myself another yarn challenge of making an item (knitting or crochet) out of every edition of the annual Better Homes & Garden Knit & Crochet Collection. Each year I purchased the magazine but I wasn’t actually making any of the patterns. Bubblegum Mustard was a pattern from one of the magazines. I have decided not to continue on with this challenge either. Since I set the challenge I did make a couple of things from it. I could probably go back through my magazines and toss a couple, if I liked a pattern but haven’t made it by now it is very unlikely I ever will. I will allow myself to still get the magazine each year, I don’t buy many magazines now so I look forward to purchasing it each year.

Both challenges I enjoyed for a period of time. I learnt how to knit cables after finding a pattern in the 2021 edition of the magazine. I’d always wanted to knit cables and the simple pattern eased me into it. Last year thanks to Tin Can Knits I learnt to knit cables in the round which I thought would be scary and hard but it wasn’t, I can even knit them whilst watching tv. The challenges weren’t causing me a lot of stress but they were in the back of my mind particularly the magazine challenge as it had been some years since I had actually finished an item from it. Moving forward I’ll make those few Tin Can Knits patterns I still want to try and re-read my magazines to see if any patterns jump out of me otherwise in the recycling bin they go.

Post Script – March 2026
Tin Can Knits earlier this week posted a video on YouTube on how to use cast on a pattern using the app. The updated app still does allow you to view only the instruction details for the yarn weight and size of the item you wish to knit so if you wanted to knit some in DK in size small only the cast on instructions for that will come up. I still enjoy using the app even though I’m no longer doing the challenge.

Cassiy

27Jan2026

Lady York

Posted in Sewing by StitchNSew

If you are quilter you may already know Tula Pink, if you are not from the quilting community or unaware of her she started off as a quilter and fabric designer but now has a range of products and books to buy. Her style is very bright and modern, she isn’t your traditional quilt designer. If you have Tula fabric in your stash it’s the “good fabric” I like her style as it is bright and graphic but to be honest I never really fell in love with any of the prints that she did except for one from her True Colours collection Lady Bug. Adults should have a favourite insect and for me it is ladybirds as we call them in Australia. I often find them or they find me. I purchased the fabric back in about 2017 or earlier and had planned on making a bag with it for myself. The bag never got made and the fabric sat idle in my stash until around 2021.

I had enough fabric to cut out the front of a York pinafore but not enough for the back. In my stash I had some light weight denim which was more like a quilting cotton which I could use for the back. I used it to make my Peppermint skirt so I knew it was comfortable to wear. I cut out the back and front pieces and did the stay stitching around the necklines and armholes. For the pocket I was going to do the kangaroo pocket in the denim fabric but hand embroider ladybirds on it. I think I had an issue with the pocket, either I didn’t like the look of it or there was an issue with something on the fabric which wouldn’t wash off. Either way the project got literally shelved on my “ready to go shelf” until mid December 2025 when I was randomly looking at fabrics on that shelf and pulled it out. The fabric felt so light weight and comfortable and I knew it would be comfortable on a day when we have 40° heat in summer as I often wear my Orange Peel York on those days as it is a quilting cotton. I decided I would get in a finish it.

On the last day of 2025 I pulled out the cut York pieces and the piece of uncut Tula fabric. From the remaining uncut fabric I was hoping I had enough to make matching binding as well a cut out the pocket pieces. On Yorks I make the patch pockets slightly different to the instructions. The instructions have you cut the pocket out as single layer and sew binding around the openings to cover the raw edges, the bottom raw edges are folded over and sewn down. I place the fabric right sides together and cut the pockets out double. Leaving a turning gap I sew around the pocket, bag it out (turn it out through the gap), slip stitch the gap closed and then attach it to the garment. The double layer of fabric makes the pockets a bit sturdier. Using a forearm crutch to walk with I only have one free hand so I make use of pockets and can carry all sorts of items in them. I was watching a work colleague at a Christmas lunch who had an unopened can of drink and plate of food in her hands as she tried to then reach for a plate of dessert and didn’t know how to carry it all. I told her to use her pockets for her drink and suddenly she had a free hand. A good pocket is your friend.

If I have enough fabric I like to make my own continuous bias binding. There are several methods to make it but years ago I came across Missouri Star’s method which is more simpler method. It uses ½ a yard or about 45cm of fabric to make 200″ of tape. I have never measured how much it makes but I know it makes a lot. I have made it using as little as 30cm of fabric and still made a lot of tape. This time I used 50cm of fabric to make my binding. In my Yorks I use more binding tape then the instructions state but I always have tape leftover from the amount I make. For binding used in garments I have started to sew 2 lines of stitching when piecing the binding together. Unfortunately I misaligned my markings up before sewing the tube together so when I went to cut it the binding wasn’t continuous. I had to unpick 2 rows of stitching and redo it. It was worth it though, it is the cutest binding I have ever made.

York’s are very quick simple dresses to make, even with the modifications that I make. On all the previous ones I have made (this is now number 6) I have overlocked the seams together to finish them. I didn’t have dark thread in my overlocker and I was too lazy to change it so I decided to do french seams instead. I Googled beforehand to see if anyone had done them this way and came across this Youtube video. She had an interesting way of ironing her seams if you don’t want to set up your ironing board. Both fabrics I used were very soft so the french seam wasn’t bulky.

The instructions have you finish off around the neckline and armholes with binding which you sew down to the inside like a facing. I have always thought it would be nice to do a version where you flip the binding to the outside of the garment and make a feature of it. If it is the same fabric as your garment you are not going to notice if it that much but if your binding is contrasting it will stand out. Having a plain fabric on the back I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try out the idea. I love how it turned out. It was a way to add detail to the back and tie both sides together so it didn’t look like I had ran out of fabric for the back. I think watching episode after episode of The Great British Sewing Bee has made me stop and think a little bit more about what I’m making. I’m paying attention to small details which could add impact.

To hem the York the instructions have you do a simple double folded hem. As I always make my own binding for the Yorks and I have some leftover I do a binding facing around the bottom to finish the hem. I really wanted to add an interesting pop to the bottom so again I stitched the binding to the front side to finish it off.

Years ago I did a workshop with Anne Walley The workshop was about learning to find my own style. Together we created a checklist of things for me to consider when making clothes so that I make items which fit in with my lifestyle and that I will actually wear

Comfort √
Classic √
Creative / Quirky √
Natural Fabrics √

This York ticks all points. It is made in cotton fabrics so it will be comfortable to wear. The style is simple and classic so that I can wear it from year to year, I don’t do fashion trends. The ladybird print is fun and quirky, I will happily wear it to both work but also to the shops.

I worked on this dress on New Years Eve (during the day) and finished it on New Years Day. Making this York was a fun way to end 2025 and start off 2026.

This is where I had ended the post. The photos in this post aren’t that great as I took them inside on my phone where the lighting isn’t the best. I was so keen to show it on here I didn’t have time for outdoor photos. I wore it to work on a day where it was over 40°C (104° F) and it was really comfortable. I was “showing” my new dress off at work and got some lovely compliments. One person (a non sewer) even said that binding placement on the back looked intentional which made me smile as that was my aim of this garment. I designed this dress so it looked planned out and not like that I ran out of fabric halfway through.

Cassiy