There's a clever website where you input your instagram name and it will show you your most popular instagram posts. My instagram at lizdsd is a mix of personal and work pictures as is shown in my #2016bestnine

Pantone the colour institute have released their colour trend predictions for Spring 2017, colours are generally muted and earthy with a couple of pops of bright colour. The overall colour for 2017 is Greenery They look at the fashion houses and runway shows, entertainment and general trends to identify what they think will be the colours featuring in our fashion and lifestyle choices for the year ahead.  Pantone’s executive director Leatrice Eiseman puts it this way: “Greenery symbolises the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose.” No black but I guess black is always 'in' if you are an old goth like me ;)

Finishing can mark out a garment as being top notch rather than a hurried thrown together item. Properly finishing can affect the way a piece of clothing sits on the body, how well it wears and how professional it looks. I see many makers nowadays using shortcuts, time is money and I understand that top stitching and pressing are easily bypassed in the rush to get something finished. At Dark Star Designs we press and top stitch, constructing the garments to last as long as possible. If you are thinking of sewing something for yourself or your child it is always worth the extra investment of time to do the following during construction. Neck ribbing is top stitched down on Dark Star Design's t-shirts Pressing seams during construction is really important especially if working with a non stretch woven fabric. When doing this make sure you are pressing rather than ironing. Top Stitching on all fabrics can help a seam lie flat and help garments that are reversible stay toge...

The dreaded last posting dates if buying gifts with a Christmas deadline. Information taken from Royal Mail website. Special Delivery will have a higher postage charge and anything after the 20th December will be signed for, any parcels with a value over £50 will also be sent signed for whatever date it gets sent. Local people can pick up until the 24th December if pre arranged. INTERNATIONAL Saturday 10 December Greece, Australia, New Zealand Wednesday 14 December Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland Thursday 15 December Canada, Finland, Sweden, USA Friday 16 December Austria, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland Saturday 17 December Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg UK INLAND Tuesday 20 December 2nd Class and Royal Mail Signed For® Wednesday 21 December 1st Class and Royal Mail Signed For® Thursday 22 December Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed®

Supplies needed.  Fabric, preferably upholstery/decor weight or if using quilting cotton sandwich 2 layers together, you could also use interfacing in between. 1. Cut your fabric 28cm * 36cm 2. Fold in the long edges , turn them over twice approx 1cm (just under is better than just over) each time  press the folds, pin if needed and using a straight stitch sew along the edge. 3. Fold in the short edges the same way, press, pin and stitch. 4. Fold in the short ends, one end 5cm and the other 7cm. Press and pin. 5. Pin the 5cm folded end approx every 4cm, these will mark out your 6 pockets for the block crayons. Pin the 7cm approx every 3cm, these will mark out your 8 pockets for the pencils/pencil crayons. 6. Stitch from the fold to the seam, doing a few stitches back and forth at the end, this will help secure the stitches.  7. If adding a tie use ribbon (seal ends with a lighter for a few seconds), pin at a mid po...

We are lucky enough to have the lovely Pru modelling the dress and her mum Kirsty behind the camera. Beautiful photographs in the Autumnal sunshine, there could even be a few fairies in the dappled sunlight if you look close enough.... Fabric: Moon Gazing Hare Pattern: Hi Low Dress Model : Pru Photographer: Kirsty Hopley over at Schoolhouse Photography Custom items in this fabric can be ordered from the  Dark Star Designs  page, message me and talk to me about what you would like.

Sneaking in an extra unplanned blogpost as I've just tested a lovely hat pattern for MBJM , when this pattern releases there will be 25% off all patterns (code below) so now is the time to buy if you've been thinking about trying one. AJ Aviator Hat Good fit, clear instructions and comes in all sizes from baby to adult. Here are the pictures of my test hat, I'm yet to decide if this is something I will be offering from Dark Star Designs but if you would be interested in having one made for you let me know. This one has cotton for the outer (picked by the model) and a soft faux fur for the lining. Outers could be cord or fleece for example, inners could also be fleece. Ears covered, protected from cold and wind Back comes down but doesn't interfere with neckline of jumpers or coats  Supersoft fluff for the lining, fleece would also work Discount code for MBJM patterns is AMYJ25

This is not a forever list as new pattern designers are always coming through, so it's definitely worth checking out the Facebook sewing groups for reviews on new patterns from the testers. You can click on all the brand names and go straight to their website. In no particular order..... Brindle and Twig My current favourite from here has to be the T-shirt dress Elliedactyl My favourite from here are the Zane Joggers Fishsticks Designs Been around for a long time, some good basics. Love Notions Trendy Tunic is a tunic with a bit of a twist and pockets which are always a winner MBJM A UK based pattern maker for a change, lots of good staple patterns including harems and the hot chocolate hoody Peekaboo Patterns Classic Oxford button up shirt Purperita Love the harem dungarees with the moon pocket Twig and Tale Ahh what's not to love, the Wild Thing Coat and the wee pixie hats are a firm favourite here Tiedyediva Another one that has been ...

A straightforward skirt simple for beginners or make it more complex by adding pockets and trims. Materials Needed: Sewing machine (although it could be done by hand) Fabric - cotton or linen for example Matching thread, reel and bobbin Elastic - 3/4" or 1" wide enough to go round the waist Iron I choose a perfect Autumnal fabric because it's Autumn (and nearly Halloween!!) This is a 100% cotton fabric from  The Sewing Studio First you need to measure the waist and length from waist to desired hem length, just on the knee works well. I decided to pop a hem in a complementary fabric on the bottom so added enough for the seam allowance when joining the 2 fabrics together. Use the whole width of your fabric then cut your desired length PLUS 1/2 inch  (allowance for bottom hem) PLUS 1 1/2" (allowance for elastic channel for the waistband). Example - if your skirt length needed was 10.5" the total depth needed would be 12.5...