Category: New in

What’s new at Coles this March: MASSIVE FABRIC DROP!
Fabric · New in · Offers · Prym

What’s new at Coles this March: MASSIVE FABRIC DROP!

webmasterellie1 Comment

Get ready for the massive March fabric drop! We’ve had some fantastic new fabrics arrive at Coles Sewing Centre this March, including lovely lightweight dressmaking fabrics so you can get started on your summer wardrobe, several brand new quilting collections (including some absolutely gorgeous Liberty fabrics) and a new craft fabric that you can draw on with chalk like a chalkboard! We’ve also got a couple of special offers that you don’t want to miss, so let’s have a look at what’s new at Coles this March.

Chalk Cloth

Chalk cloth, also known as chalkboard fabric, can be written or drawn on with chalks and when you want a change then simply wipe clean with a damp cloth and you can write on it again and again! Use it for a tablecloth that the kids can draw on, make a doodle book to keep children entertained at restaurants, or why not make placemats that you can personalise for every meal?

Chalk cloth – draw on and wipe clean!

Dressmaking fabrics

Spring is finally here and so are our latest fabrics for your Spring/Summer 2022 wardrobe. We have several new denims, with patterned chambrays for dresses and shirts, as well as denims for jackets, jeans or dungarees. Our blue denim with gold embroidery would make a stunning jacket to go over a summer dress, while our new black denim is a bit heavier in weight and has a touch of elastane for extra comfort.

Chambray: Floral (25417)
Chambray: Spot (25416)
Embroidered Denim: Floral Gold (25419)
Denim: Black (25415)

If you’re looking for something light and floaty that you can use to make a summery top, a beach coverup or a light summer wrap then look no further than our new cotton lawn and viscose fabrics.

Cotton Lawn: Floral Navy (25421)
Viscose: Birds Navy/Yellow (25420)
Viscose: Leaf Blue (25423)
Viscose Twill: Floral Green (25424)
Cotton Lawn: Floral Green (25425)
Viscose: Spot Teal/White (25426)
New cotton lawn and rayon fabrics

To make these new dressmaking fabrics even more irresistible, Simplicity patterns are all on sale between 11th and 27th March with 50% off – now really is the perfect time to get started on your summer wardrobe! We have even more dressmaking fabrics due in over the next few weeks, so keep your eye on the website for more exciting updates!

Quilting fabrics

This month’s quilting fabrics are absolute beauties. We have Playtime and Roar from Dashwood Studio – perfect for children and dinosaur lovers alike!

Image 1: Playtime collection by Jojo Coco
Image 2: Roar collection by Bethan Janine

We also have a new selection of Classic Tone on Tone fabrics, which are great to use as blenders in your quilting. They also make great fillers to make your designs pop, as they have a little more to them than a plain but won’t overwhelm your focal fabrics. They’re a little hard to see clearly online so I would recommend viewing them on the Coles website, where there are a selection of images that you can click to enlarge – they’re really lovely so it’s definitely worth a look!

Classic Tone on Tone collection

Tonal Vineyard is subtly patterned with traditional vine designs for a sophisticated vintage look. It is an extra wide fabric, giving you a whopping 274cm (108″) to back your quilt. Extra wide fabrics like this are also great to use as a border fabric as you can cut long strips without needing to piece. Of course, these are beautiful enough that you could use them in your main design!

Tonal Vineyard extra wide

Originally designed for Liberty Fabrics in 1933, their Wiltshire print has been reimagined into a two-colour shadow silhouette to become the perfect fabric blender. The muted leaf and berry print of Wiltshire Shadow is designed to coordinate against other layouts from Liberty’s vast archive of prints for a seamless mix-and-match effect.

We have one final collection from Liberty and it’s just gorgeous: Flower Show Sunrise. There are 15 fabrics that would look amazing in any quilt but this collection is so much more than quilting fabric!

These fabrics would look fantastic as a dress for a little girl or a summery top for you, but you can also use them to pick out details in a garment – use them inside pockets for a flash of colour, make some bias binding with the Prym Bias Binding Maker (available in 6mm, 12mm and 25mm sizes) and use it to edge a neckline or hem, or make more of a feature of it with a collar or patch pockets!

Liberty Flower Show Sunrise Collection

If you’re looking for a present for the quilter in your life then you really can’t go wrong with some Liberty fat quarters but we also have a new product that anyone would be delighted to receive – the Prym Patchwork & Quilting Starter Set. Ideal for taking to classes, this set is also perfect for beginners and includes a folding cutting mat, rotary cutter, quilitng ruler, quilting pins, quilting needles, stitch ripper and trick marker. This set is normally £72.00 but you can get it from Coles for £59.99 until midnight on Friday 25th March – that’s a saving of more than 15%!

Prym Patchwork & Quilting Starter Set

There are some really fantastic new fabrics this month but you just can’t beat those new Liberties, such beautiful prints on great quality fabric that is a joy to sew. And with those great offers on the Prym Patchwork & Quilting Starter Set and Simplicity patterns, it’s going to be hard to resist getting a little something for myself! Don’t forget, we have even more dressmaking fabrics coming in over the next few weeks – I can’t wait to show you what’s new next month!

New in at Coles this February
Fabric · Haberdashery · New in · Sewing

New in at Coles this February

webmasterellieLeave a comment

It’s February already so it’s long past time I shared the latest additions to the Coles Sewing Centre catalogue! This month our newest products include fabrics, patterns, scissors and snips, so read on to see what’s new at Coles!

Patchwork and quilting fabrics

Take a look at these new patchwork and quilting fabrics, they are absolutely stunning! Imperial Collection 17 by Robert Kaufman Fabrics has a selection of Japanese-inspired designs, including a serene koi carp print with gold highlights (Dusty Blue, 25370). The centrepiece of the collection has to be the Imperial Garden (25372) print: with its vista of a river populated by peacocks and cranes, it could be taken from a Hokusai woodcut print.

Antique (25368)
Sky (25369)
Green (25371)
Dusty Blue (25370)
Garden (25372)
Imperial Collection 17 by Robert Kaufman Fabrics

We also have the complementary collections Lucky Charms and Band Practice from Figo Studios. These cute prints are perfect for children or anyone musical, and have grey, mustard and coral colour theme.

Lucky Charms: Coral (25376)
Band Practice: Animal Faces (25374)
Lucky Charms: Mustard (25377)
Band Practice: Marching Band (25373)
Band Practice: Instruments (25375)
Lucky Charms nd Band Practice from Figo Fabrics

Dressmaking patterns

In the last few weeks we’ve added new patterns from all of the pattern companies that we stock. Tilly and the Buttons have released Pearl, a v-neck wrap cardigan that’s cropped at the waist and fastens at the side with an adjustable tie. With adjustable length sleeves that can be either straight or balloon, Pearl is likely to become a staple that you wear with every outfit. Also from Tilly and the Buttons, we have the Skye Dress – an adjustable length empire-waisted summer dress with straps wide enough to cover your bra straps and the all-important side seam pockets! Summer will be here before you know it, so why not get started on your summer wardrobe now?

Tilly and the Buttons: Pearl Cardigan
Tilly and the Buttons: Pearl Cardigan
Tilly and the Buttons: Skye Dress
Tilly and the Buttons: Skye Dress

We have three new patterns from The Avid Seamstress: The Culottes, The Day Dress and The City Trousers. The Culottes provide the ultimate middle ground between skirts and trousers; all the swish factor of a skirt with the practicality of trousers. The Culottes are edgy, versatile and a wardrobe staple suitable for all seasons. As you would hope, they include large inseam pockets that are designed to sit flat and not interrupt the silhouette.

With a fitted bodice, gathered skirt and inner pockets, The Day Dress will be one of the prettiest dresses in your wardrobe and with three ways of making the front bodice (button front, centre front seam and no centre front seam), your options are endless.

Effortlessly stylish, the City Trousers re-imagine the contemporary, cigarette fit with a minimalist chic flair. A narrow waistband with an invisible zip at the back creates the ultimate body-slimming silhouette. With easy to insert side pockets and optional side slits at the hem, this astoundingly versatile pattern is fit for any level of sewing experience.

The Culottes from The Avid Seamstress
The Culottes from The Avid Seamstress
The Day Dress from The Avid Seamstress
The City Trousers from The Avid Seamstress

If you’re looking for something for a little one, we have the Juniper Skirt from Poppy & Jazz. Suitable for children from 18 months to 6 years, Juniper is quick and simple to make. Sewn in cotton it’s great for summer, but worn with warm tights it’s equally perfect for cooler winter days. It has two variations, which make it either a super quick make, or a fun sew with a few more details.

The Juniper Skirt from Poppy & Jazz

Simplicity also released a new issue last month – patterns S9432 to S9462 can be found on our website in the Simplicity department.

Scissors and snips

Looking for some new scissors or snips? We have loads to choose from on our website but lately we’ve added some new Fiskars thread snips and a Hemline Scissors Set. The Hemline Scissors Set makes a great gift for a (right-handed) new stitcher, as it includes a pair each of embroidery scissors, sewing scissors and dressmaking scissors, all with comfort soft-grip handles. The Fiskars Ultrasharp Thread Snips are suitable for left or right handers and make quick work of snipping through fabric, thread, ribbon, floss, yarn and more. Their pointed tips make it easy to trim in tight spaces and their spring-action design with Softgrip touchpoints makes cutting comfortable and easy. They’re great for taking with you to classes too, as they have a built-in blade guard that lets you safely travel with them.

Left: Hemline Scissors Set
Centre and right: Fiskars Ultra Sharp Thread Snips

Gutermann Maraflex

Last but not least, we have Gutermann Maraflex, an elastic thread with high stretch that gives amazing results. It’s perfect for sewing on stretch fabrics without needing an overlocker or an overlocker stitch – it lets you sew with a straight stitch on a stretch fabric and will stretch right along with it, up to 80% on top of its original length. We have every colour in store and, of course, you can also find the whole range online. Have a look at my post all about Maraflex to learn more about this new thread and why it’s so popular!

The best way to keep up to date with out latest products is to keep an eye on the New Products section of our homepage – it shows the 10 most recent items added to the website and changes regularly. Don’t worry about missing something though, I’ll be back soon with another update about our latest additions!

Gutermann Maraflex – a game changer for stretch sewing
Haberdashery · New in · Sewing

Gutermann Maraflex – a game changer for stretch sewing

webmasterellie5 Comments
Gutermann have recently released Maraflex, an elastic thread with high stretch that gives amazing results. So what’s special about Maraflex and why should you use it?

Ordinarily, when you sew a garment with a stretchy fabric then you need to either use an overlocker or an overlock stitch on your sewing machine. Either way, you will use some form of zigzag stitch to allow your fabric to stretch. If you were to use a straight stitch with a sew-all thread on a stretch fabric then your thread would most likely snap when the fabric was stretched. Maraflex lets you sew with a straight stitch on a stretch fabric and will stretch right along with it, up to 80% on top of its original length!

The amount of stretch you can get from a straight stitch sewn with Maraflex is incredible!

Maraflex can be used for any number of applications, but is particularly useful for sewing with jersey, activewear, swimwear and underwear. With 80 colours to choose from, there is a shade for every project!

Our new thread stand with the whole Maraflex colour range

Benefits to sewing with Maraflex

  • You don’t need to use an overlocker. Not all of us are lucky enough to have an overlocker as well as a sewing machine! And even if you do have one, it can be a hassle to have to keep swapping machines depending on the type of sewing you are doing. With Maraflex then you can stitch your stretch fabric on an ordinary sewing machine with a straightforward straight stitch.
  • You use less thread. Maraflex lets you optimise your thread consmption – sewing with a straight stitch instead of a zigzag stitch uses far less thread.
  • Stretches along with necklines and cuffs. Small openings such as necks and cuffs have more give when sewn with Maraflex.
  • Helps make your seams pucker-free. The elasticity of Maraflex gives beautifully smooth seams, preventing unsightly puckering.
  • Easy to care for. You can wash at 60°C, use a hot iron, tumble dry, dry clean (any solvent except trichloroethylene) and use chorine/oxygen bleach – Maraflex can take it all.
Maraflex is ideal for high stress areas such as necklines and cuffs

Tips for sewing with Maraflex

  • Use a jersey/ballpoint or stretch needle in size 70-80. The correct needle is always important, whatever you are sewing. A jersey/ballpoint needle has a rounded end to prevent fibre breakage, while a stretch needle also has a special eye that helps to prevent skipped stitches, and is especially useful for very high stretch fabrics.
  • Works best with knits and stretch fabrics. Gutermann recommend that you use Maraflex with light to medium-weight knit fabrics such as jersey, or light to medium-weight elastic woven fabrics, such as fabrics that contain elastane.
  • Use as both needle and bobbin thread. For best results you should sew with as little thread tension as possible and use the Maraflex as both your top and bottom threads. You will get optimal seam elasticity with 4 stitches per centimetre.
Optimal seam elasticity is achieved with 4 stitches per centimetre

Where can you get Maraflex?

We have a brand new thread stand in the shop with every available shade of Maraflex – you will find it above the Gutermann Sew-All threads. Of course, you can also order the whole range online by clicking here. A reel is 150m long and costs £3.40, although of course Red Thread customers will get 10% off when shopping in store!

What is Red Thread? Customers who join our Red Thread Club receive a 10% discount on a huge number of items when shopping in store, including threads! It costs nothing to join - simply provide your contact details and your discount will automatically be applied to eligible items when you shop in store (does not apply online). Eligible items include threads, fabric, haberdashery, quilting and embroidery accessories, stabilisers and sewing notions, as well as the majority of Husqvarna Viking feet and accessories (exclusions apply). The savings can be huge!

Rose has already given Maraflex a try and she says that it is ever so easy to use and sews beautifully. She used it to shorten a stretch skirt and the stitches stretched perfectly along with the fabric, without snapping. I have recently bought some of our leaf print ponte roma that I plan to make a Tilly & the Buttons Coco dress from and I will definitely be getting some Maraflex to stitch it with. You can expect an update from me in 2022 letting you know how I get on!

Our winter fabrics have arrived!
Fabric · Inspiration · New in

Our winter fabrics have arrived!

stitchingroseLeave a comment
With various lockdowns in place during last year we were unable to have a big delivery of winter fabrics. Well this year we are making up for it and our shelves are full, we hope there’s something for everyone!
Our shelves are full of new fabrics!

The majority of our fabrics are 140cm or 150cm wide and can all be purchased in 10cm increments, so there’s no wastage. Although all our fabrics can be purchased online there’s nothing quite like touching a piece of fabric so we do hope you can pop in to the shop and don’t forget if you are on our mailing list you’ll get 10% off in store – if you are not then you can sign up when you come in! So what have we got on the shelves this winter?

Rayons and viscose ditsy prints are popular this winter for tiered, ruffled or button through dresses in various lengths, mini, midi or maxi! If trousers or skirts are on your list of makes then we have a range of woven or cord fabrics in plain and prints just waiting for you. If you are a Tilly and the Buttons fan then the cords are great for the Cleo dungaree dress.

Ditsy viscose

There’s nothing more comfortable than wearing a jersey dress or top and if you’re nervous about sewing stretch fabrics there’s no need to be, they are easier than you think. We have some great jersey prints and top of my list of makes will be the Tilly and the Buttons’ Coco, so easy to sew and so easy to wear!  

If you’re after something a bit thicker and a bit warmer then look no further than our soft sweatshirting or French terry, which are ideal for jumpers, tunics and even dresses – these bring to mind Tilly and the Buttons’ Stevie pattern! If you are sewing for children we’ve added some French Terry children’s prints to our range, they are very cute and would be great to use with the Poppy & Jazz Strawberry sweatshirt pattern.

French terries

What better than a long sleeve T-shirt when layering up in the winter, or short sleeved if you’re chasing some winter sun. Our 95% cotton T-shirting comes in plains and stripes ideal for everyone whether they are 8 or 88. If you have a little one to sew for then take a look at the Poppy & Jazz Elm T-Shirt pattern!

We have a range of Ponte Romas, a fairly new fabric on the market but very popular because it’s a bit heavier than the general stretch fabrics that area vailable and it doesn’t cling in all the wrong places!

You may be asking what is Ponte Roma? It’s sometimes known as Ponte di Roma or Punto di Roma, it is a double knit fabric that was first developed in Italy. A double knit fabric is essentially two layers of fabric knitted together with two sets of needles.

And last but not least are our fleeces, so soft and cuddly, we’ve even got a Christmassy one with reindeer on!  I love backing quilts or cushions with fleece because it makes them so cosy!    

Fleeces

I’m sure by the time you’ve finished reading this you’ve got a list of things you want to make –  there’s nothing quite like sewing on a winter’s evening, and you’ll get a new wardrobe to boot!

Happy Sewing!

Back in stock: the H|Class E10 and E20
Husqvarna Viking · New in · Offers · Sewing Machines

Back in stock: the H|Class E10 and E20

webmasterellieLeave a comment

After an 18 month wait, the H-Class E10 and E20 are finally back in stock! These mechanical sewing machines from Husqvarna Viking are the perfect machines for beginners and are also very portable, making them ideal to transport to classes or sewing groups. To celebrate having these popular machines back in the shop we have some great offers on, so read on to learn why one of these fantastic machines could be the sewing machine for you!

The H-Class E10 is a perfect starter machine. It is a simple, easy to use machine with straightforward threading and a built in needle threader, and weighing in at only 5.7kg it is the lightest sewing machine we have on offer. It comes with all the basic accessories and stitches you need to get started with garment making and crafts, plus right now when you buy an E10 from us, you will receive a pair of Fiskars dressmakers’ shears worth £25.99 for free.

The H-Class E20 has a few more features than the E10 but at 6.5kg it is still a lightweight machine. The stitch width is adjustable with a simple dial and it includes more stitches, incuding a simple one-step buttonhole. The feed dog can be lowered with the flick of a lever for free motion stitching, darning and sewing on buttons. It comes with a few more accessories than the E10 as well, including a blind hem foot, a darning foot and a quilting foot. Along with all those extras, when you buy from us the E20 also comes with a free Prym Starter Set worth £41.50, which includes all the basic equipment any sewer needs in their kit. That’s an awful lot more features and accessories for only £50 more!

Both the E10 and the E20 are simple and reliable machines, and with the deals we currently have on offer, either machine would make the perfect present. And if that wasn’t enough, until 31st October 2021, Husqvarna Viking are offering a free, limited edition Selkie Patterns paper pattern with new machine purchases (250 available, see our blog post for more details).

If you’re looking for a basic mechanical machine then you can’t get much better than the H-Class range. Being from Husqvarna Viking you know they are a quality you can trust, but if you do have any issues then they also come with a no quibble 2 year warranty that includes both parts and labour. Don’t forget, Coles Sewing Centre is a national service and warranty repair centre for Husqvarna Viking machines, so we can look after you for the whole life of your machine.

We often see machines in our workshop that people bought because they wanted something cheap and simple but when they break down it’s clear that they’re a false economy. Remember, if you don’t recognise the brand then it’s likely to be difficult or even impossible to find replacement parts.

The E10 and E20 are very reliable machines – despite their popularity we hardly see them in the workshop for anything other than their annual service. Even so, it’s good to know how to take good care of your sewing machine, so if you’re interested in these machines or if you have one already, keep an eye out for our upcoming post on maintaining a basic sewing machine – it’ll be full of tips on how to keep your machine running smoothly.

You can see more about the E10 on our website here, or if you’re looking for a few more features then you can find more about the E20 here. If you have any questions, just comment below or give us a call on 0115 9881550 and our team will be happy to help!

New in this week – Christmas jerseys for festive outfits
Christmas · Fabric · New in

New in this week – Christmas jerseys for festive outfits

webmasterellieLeave a comment

We’ve had an exciting delivery this week – four bolts of jersey with fabulous festive prints. First we have two cotton jerseys (95% cotton, 5% elastane) with a cute reindeer print, with a red and Christmas green colourway and a navy and Christmas red colourway. These would be great for children’s pyjamas – if you put together a Christmas Eve box for your children then some pyjamas made from this jersey would be the perfect addition!

  • Reindeer jersey in red
  • Reindeer jersey in navy

The second pair of cotton jerseys (92% cotton, 8% elastane) are extremely cosy – their reverse is brushed, giving them a soft, snug feel. The prints of reindeer and Christmas trees and presents in a red, green and white colour scheme is extremely festive, especially as they have the appearance of intarsia knitting. They are a slightly heavier weight than the reindeer jerseys, so they could be worn as a Christmas day dress or as extremely cosy pyjamas for Christmas morning, although you might find you don’t want to change out of them!

  • Cosy Jersey: Intarsia Red
  • Cosy Jersey: Intarsia Red
  • Cosy Jersey: Intarsia Red
  • Cosy Jersey: Intarsia Green
  • Cosy Jersey: Intarsia Green
  • Cosy Jersey: Intarsia Green

You can find the new Christmas jerseys on our website here, along with our other patterned jerseys. We have patterns for pyjamas for all of the family here, or why not make a dress with a the Coco pattern from Tilly and the Buttons? I can’t think of a comfier or cosier outfit for Christmas day! Whatever you choose to make, send me your pictures to ellie@colessewingcentre.co.uk so we can show off your amazing creations!

Accessories and feet · New in · quilting · Sewing

New and improved – the Adjustable Clear Quarter Inch Piecing Foot

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The Husqvarna Viking Clear Adjustable Quarter Inch Piecing Foot

The Clear 1/4 Inch Piecing Foot and the Clear 1/4 Inch Piecing Foot With Guide have had a makeover! Husqvarna Viking have made these essential feet adjustable – meaning that the needle hole in the foot is now oval shaped, allowing you to adjust the needle position. This is great news for those of you who want a bit more flexibility and accuracy with your Clear 1/4 Inch Piecing Foot. If you’re not sure what these feet are and what they do, then read on!

The Clear 1/4 Inch Piecing Foot is used for piecing during quilting, as well as appliqué and topstitching. As it is clear, you can easily see your fabric through the foot, while the red lines help you to line up your fabric at the start of your sewing, at corners, and at the end of your sewing. For extra accuracy you can use the Clear 1/4 Inch Piecing Foot with Guide, which has a metal guide that runs along the edge of your fabric, helping you to keep your distance perfectly exact.

The Husqvarna Viking Clear Adjustable Quarter Inch Piecing Foot with Guide

These new and improved feet will be arriving in store soon but you can place an order now and we will send one out to you as soon as it arrives in stock. You can see more about the Clear 1/4 Inch Piecing Foot here, and more about the Clear 1/4 Inch Piecing Foot With Guide here. If you have any questions about this hugely handy foot, then please comment below and one of our team will help!

What’s new at Coles?
Fabric · New in · Patchwork · quilting · Staff

What’s new at Coles?

webmasterellieLeave a comment

Hi, my name is Ellie and I’m in charge of the Coles Sewing Centre website, although you might know me from the shop as I used to run the Mail Order department. These days I mainly work behind the scenes keeping the website up to date with all the latest products, and that’s a busy job because we have a lot of products! I will be posting with updates about the latest additions to the Coles catalogue, from newly arrived fabrics to the current courses and the latest Husqvarna Viking machines.

This week I will be talking patchwork and quilting fabrics, as we have just had a delivery of some real beauties! We have a new collection called “Hand Stitched” that was designed by Karen Lewis Textiles for Figo Fabrics – this a lovely range that draws inspiration from hand sewing and the natural world. As you can see from the pictures below, “Stitches” brings to mind sashiko embroidery, while “Tossed Leaves” and “Plants” have a simple and elegant foliage-based design.

  • Stitches Mustard
  • Stitches Cream
  • Tossed Leaves Clay
  • Plants Chartreuse
  • Plants Yellow
  • Plants Coral

“Hexies” is my personal favourite from this collection, although I can’t decide how I would like to use it – I’m about to try English Paper Piecing for the first time and it would make gorgeous hexagons, but wouldn’t it make a lovely needle case too? Of course I could always combine the two…

  • Hexies Red
  • Hexies Chartreuse

Our other new addition this week is some Christmas fabric – with only three and a half months until Christmas then now is the time to get started on your Christmas makes! We have four new fabrics from the “Traditional” collection by The Craft Cotton Company, which include traditional Christmas plants such as holly, poinsettia and mistletoe, with festive metallic highlights.

  • Mistletoe Green
  • Holly Red
  • Holly Cream
  • Poinsettia Black

We now have all of our fabrics online, so you can buy the Hand Stitched collection on the Coles Sewing Centre Website here, while you can find the Traditional Christmas Collection here. If you prefer to choose your fabrics in person then why not come and visit us at our Nottingham shop? We are once again open 9:15am to 5:00pm, Monday to Saturday. Come and say hello!