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®