Unknown's avatar

About thestitchsharer

Hello, thanks for popping in. As a full time working mum I'm always trying to squeeze in a bit of time to make things. I love crochet, sewing and knitting and thought it would be fun to set up a 'stitch and share' or 'step by step' blog to show you what I'm stitchin' and find out what you're working on.

How to Straighten the Edge of Woven Fabric

Before you start laying your pattern pieces onto your material, it is important to make sure you have a straight edge to your fabric.Uneven fabric edge

One of the easiest ways to get your fabric straight is to find a weft thread (close to the edge) that runs across the width of the fabric – a pin can help to pull out and isolate the thread. Pull the thread gently – your fabric should start to gather up. If your thread breaks, find the broken end and pull again. Continue reading

Getting to Know Your Sewing Pattern Symbols – A Guide for Beginners

Before you cut out your pieces of fabric it helps to know a little about how your fabric is constructed and what your pattern symbols mean. Here are some of the main symbols you may come across.

Pattern symbols

Continue reading

How to Understand a Sewing Pattern Envelope – A Beginners Guide

IPattern selectionf you were inspired by last nights ‘Great British Sewing Bee’ or always wanted to make an item of clothing, but weren’t quite sure where to start this post is for you!

When it comes to choosing your first pattern, most sewing shops will have a pattern book or catalogue. Each page will show you a picture of the finished article, provide information on the range of sizes the garment comes in and gives an indication of the patterns level of difficulty. Continue reading

Zpagetti versus Hooplayarn

Ever wondered how Zpagetti and Hooplayarn’s compare?

HooplayarnHoooked Zpagetti

Continue reading

How to Crochet a Granny Dollie Rug using Hooplayarn – without a pattern

Finished Hooplayarn Grannt Dolly Rag RugSince making my Zpagetti yarn bag I have had plans to make a crocheted Granny Dollie Rug. I’m always keen to try out new yarns, so was delighted to come across Hooplayarn for my latest ‘StitchShare’ project.

My rug is mainly made up of UK treble (US double) and chain crochet  stitches. A key aim of the project is to create a circle that will lay flat on the ground, each time I finished a round I threw her (she is called Daisy!) on the floor and had a good look at her edge. If the rug was lying flat that was perfect. If the edge of the rug was curving down / under, then it meant I needed to increase my stitches on the next round. If the rug edges curved up or became wavy, it was a sign I had too many stitches.

Do you want to see her story?

Continue reading