One of the most common questions I get from beginner sewers is ‘Which sewing machine should I buy?”

With so many different machine brands and models on offer it can be a bit of a minefield knowing where to start. Also there is no one-machine-fits-all and which one to go for really has to be guided by a few different factors…

So, are their times when you should change your sewing machine needle when nothing has gone wrong with it?

The short answer is, yes! There are a multitude of different needles out there that work well when you are sewing with different types of fabric.

So when should you change your sewing machine needle? Sometimes it’s obvious when your sewing machine needle needs changing - it’s snapped or bent as you are sewing and rendered itself unusable! It’s not always obvious though when there is a problem with your needle.

I often get asked what I would include in a starter kit for a beginner sewist. So I’ve put together this list for you! I have left out the obvious fabric and thread cause there’s a good chance if you’ve started thinking about sewing you already have started a stash of both! (If not you have the joy of fabric hoarding to come!) So my top 8 things I’d recommend to get started with are…

This lined, reversible tote bag is one of my favourite beginner's makes. It is generally the first thing I teach people how to sew if they come to me having never used a sewing machine before and I’ve wanted to make instructions for soooo long.

So if you’ve made one with me in a workshop and need a bit of a reminder to go for it on your own, or you are new to sewing and fancy giving it a go, here are my instructions to sew your own lined tote bag.

My absolute favourite part of dressmaking is choosing the fabric. Seriously, I could spend all day in my local fabric store (Annie’s on Abbeydale Rd if you are in Sheffield is well worth a visit!) browsing all the beautiful fabrics and taking in all the prints.

Buying fabrics is so much easier if you have the pattern you want to make first! I often fall into buying fabric cause I love it and then trying to find a project to fit it to. Then juggling the ‘have I got enough, is it the right type of fabric’ issues that arise.

I was reading Vogue online the other week - unusual for me but an eye-opening insight into all the things in life I have never considered.

I was really interested in their proclamation that this summers ‘must have’ is a silk scarf. To wear round your neck, about your waist or fashioned into a top. It made me immediately want to fashion myself a silk scarf top (out of viscose obvs, silk is a little out of my budget at the mo) and I got to thinking about all the pitfalls of sewing with delicate, slippery materials.

So let’s talk about sewing with slippy materials. They may be light and airy and have a drape to die for but they can shift under your needle/scissors easier than a penguin’s belly down a sheet of ice. So here are my top tips for working with viscose and and other light slippery fabrics.

I have loved making an abundance of Tilly and the Buttons’ Stevie Tunic Dresses and tops lately. The first one I made was from an old pair of curtains I picked up on facebook marketplace. I imagined high fashion couture finish but ended up with a much more Sound of Music vibe.

My studio is covered in bits of paper. Random notes stating pattern adjustments, fabric sizes, to-dos and all other manner of bits and pieces.