We are keeping a close eye on government guidance and look forward to being able to open our stores in a socially distanced manner in the not too distant future. In the meantime as the guidance has changed to support using face masks, we have found a product in our stores that is very suitable for making masks, white stretch cotton towelling. We have now made this available to buy on our website (see below) and you can have it sent out to you or collect from our Bridport store if you live in the local area.
Sometimes a simple adjustment can transform the look of a room. This table cover was made to tie in a bedside table with the decor in the room, keeping the storage space whilst covering up the clutter. We are able to make bespoke furnishings like these to order and are happy to quote for you from pictures and measurements to make up in any of our fabrics.
If you’re fed up of looking at those old net curtains, now might be the time to renew them. We’ve got a great collection in our online shop and a post that explains how to measure for nets.
Here at Livingstone Textiles we love ways of re-using things after they’ve outlived their original purpose, and we came across a few ideas online. If you’re near to us in Dorset, a brilliant new Community run SwapShop has opened in Sherborne called The Honesty Jar where you can leave things that are no longer useful and swap them for something else if you want to, or not, it’s up to you.
Time to bring out the winter bling and chase the January Blues away, just add some sparkle or poms to trim this gorgeous Panther velvet from Fibre Naturelle. Looks fabulous on the bottom of a roman blind.
Here’s a make we’ve been keeping under wraps because it was a Christmas present for my daughter. No mean feat making such a big thing without her knowing, thank goodness for school hours and our Livingstones workshop!
I am more of a sewer than an upholsterer, so when I fell in love with these colours of corduroy and how they looked together, I knew I would have to come up with an imaginative design to make use of them. I bought half a metre of each of the four colours, which was just under 20″, and this set the size of my footstool. I wanted my footstool about 15″ high so I cut a piece 18″ wide from each of the half metres, then I cut a triangle with the height half of the width, and a long piece about 6″ tall for my pocket.
I made the pockets quite fancy by folding in gussets and dividing them into 3, but a much simpler pocket would work as well.
To put it all together, first I hemmed the top edge of the pocket with a small hem. Then I turned in the other edges and folded my pockets. Next I pinned the pockets onto the sides, after deciding how to work the colour contrasts and where to position them. I sewed the edges and the seams in between the pockets first, making sure not to trap in the fabric from the gussets. Then I sewed along the bottom edge of the pocket to close it off.
Next I stitched together the 4 triangles to make the top, then attached on the sides to the top, making sure all my edges were properly square. Finally I sewed up the corner seams. All of this worked fine on my domestic machine, which I was really pleased about.
I also made up a small bean bag about 1.5″ deep to go inside the top, then I filled the rest of the inside with foam offcuts cut to size. I used a piece of harboard as the base and stapled my fabric to the board, checking my measurements and starting at the middle of each side. I also stapled on some blackcloth to make a neat base, then I left it at that. You could add feet or casters to make it easier to move the stool around. Now my daughter has a comfy footstool which can also double as an extra seat, and the pockets are handy for phones, chargers and remotes.
We are now doing scrunchie packs here in Livingstone Textiles Bridport, this is a little pack containing all the fabric and elastic you need to make four hair scrunchies. These would make great gift packs for people learning to sew or getting back into it, they would even be fun little projects for the Easter holidays to keep children busy for an afternoon.
We have written this step by step guide on how to make these with lots of pictures to make it easy to follow!
Here’s how to get making…..
What you get in the pack (makes 4 scrunchies) :
2 long strips of fabric (approx 7cm x 112cm)
1m of elastic
1 Safety pin
What you will need:
Sewing machine
Thread
Needle (for hand stitching, optional)
Iron
Step 1 – Take your long strips of fabric and cut them in half, this will give you the four pieces of fabric that will be your scrunchies.
Step 2 – Fold one of the shorter strips in half lengthways with right sides together (wrong sides out) and press with an iron to keep the fold.
Step 3 – Using a zig zag stitch sew along the edge of the fabric to create a tube.
Step 2- Pressing the fabric
Step 3- Stiching the fabric
Step 4 – Attach safety pin
Step 4 – Begin pushing safety pin through tube
Step 4 – Pull safety pin all the way through so tube is right side out
Step 6 – Overlap the ends of the elastic by around 2cm (1″) then secure them to make a loop. Carefully pin the ends of the elastic together ready to be sewn. Stitch together the ends of the elastic with a zig zag stitch (this will allow the elastic to stretch still), make sure the are firmly secured.
Step 7 – Tuck in the raw edge of one end back inside the tube by 1cm (1/2″) next take the other end with the raw end and poke this inside the tube where you have already folded in, this will complete your loop neatly.
Step 7 – Tuck in one end to hide raw edge
Step 7 – Insert other raw edge inside the scrunchie tube
Step 8 – Complete by hand stiching the loop closed
Step 8 – The final step is to stitch the ends together to secure them. This can be done with a machine stitch through both the fabric and the elastic over the join to keep it secured. However, for a slightly neater finish you can hand stitch the seam, this allows you to only stitch through the fabric and not also through the elastic so the seam is less noticeable.
Making toys as gifts is enormously satisfying and one of our staff recently got bitten by the bug with this fantastic dragon pattern by Simplicity – number 8715. We hope you like the results!
This pattern is designed to be made with lightweight minke fleece, but we wanted to use a delicious raspberry plush fabric we have in store to make it even more cuddly. This meant a few extra things we had to think about in the making up
The cutting layout. We had to think about what direction we wanted the nap to lie on every piece, which meant we couldn’t use the cutting layout in the pattern. (You have to be able to stroke your dragon just like a cat!)
Transferring markings. It was not easy to transfer markings from the pattern pieces as the plush fabric did not take markings well (probably also true with fleece). We ended up using tailors tacks to mark the position of the horns and eyes on the head.
Securing fabric for sewing. The plush fabric has a tendency to move around when you are sewing because of the pile. The seam allowances on this pattern were pretty small so this mattered more than ever. We solved this by choosing to tack every seam before sewing.
If you are thinking about making some toys yourself to give as gifts or just to have at home, we have lots of items here at Livingstone Textiles. The Simplicity catalogue has a whole section devoted to toys and accessories (patterns are kept in stock), and we also have a good range of books containing toys to sew, knit or crochet. We also stock the following:
Hollowfibre toy stuffing in 3 different sizes of bags
Pompoms and bells
Toy safety eyes in black and amber in various sizes
Curtains made with interlining or ‘bump’ are much fuller and more luxurious than those made with just lining alone.
The bump literally ‘bumps up’ the fabric making it thicker and has the added quality of providing a layer of insulation against cold windows.
Interlined curtains are an especially popular choice in a house with older windows and those with listed building status but are also used in more modern homes where an appearance of luxury is required.
The window size must be taken into account when considering interlining because they can easily swamp a room with too much volume. The fullness of the finished curtain also has to be taken into account but don’t worry because all of the staff working across Livingstone Textiles are trained to advise you in the appropriate way. Find out more here.
When we make your interlined curtains we use a more involved method of making where the interlining is first locked into place with Herringbone stitch under the side turns of the fabric and along the seams of any joins.
A picked hem is then worked through both the interlining and into the show fabric where a tiny line of equally spaced stitches will be barely visible.
Finally, the pencil pleat heading tape is sewn into position making the curtains look really plump and luxurious.
For these curtains we have used a lightweight polyester lining and we also stock polyester in a heavy weight as well.
If you prefer a natural fabric, we can supply and/or make interlinings in both lightweight and heavyweight cotton bumps as shown below.
These groovy trousers were made by Laura at Livingstone Textiles, Bridport and are perfect for slipping into after work and lounging about. They are made from 100% cotton poplin in a simple pull on style and feature a comfy sewn on waistband with a channel for the elastic so it doesn’t spin round. The channel also adds a decorative frill effect at the top of the trousers, creating a feminine touch. There’s a single pocket for your phone at the front and openings in the leg hems so that cord can be added for a tied up effect.
We have lots of this great material in stock at both of our stores and it’s available in three different coulourway; black, pink and yellow. It’s 112cm / 44″ wide and at only £7.50 per metre the cost of making these trousers was under £15, what a bargain!
We’ve been selling Christmas fabric, fat quarters and trimmings for a few weeks now, so you might enjoy a look this lovely book full of advent calendar ideas for some Christmassy inspiration!
It has everything from traditional pocket-type wall hanging calendars to bunting, trains, and scandi chic felt creations – something for every home. Pair this up with our Christmas fabrics and trims, and our range of acrylic and vintage felts, and you will have everything you need for a beautiful handmade countdown to Christmas!
We are introducing an exciting new style of blind to our make-up service!
The Swedish blind is ideal for windows where a roman blind doesn’t work and a roller blind is just too dull, or just for a slightly more adventurous splash of colour at your window. This introduces a great soft furnishing to your window with the freedom to choose two complimentary fabrics, meaning the blind looks great from both the inside and from the outside.
This blind works by using a similar system to a tradition roman blind, in which a top wooden baton is used with eyelets to guide the cords. These cords loop around the fabric to pull it up from the bottom this creates a roll that travels up the blind. This way of rolling up allows the lining fabric to be seen from the inside of the room giving this blind its unique look.
Love this blind but would like black out material to stop the light coming in? We can also make these with black out material inside so that you still get two fabrics and a black out blind!
This striking fabric by Prestigious Textiles is a real eye catcher; with it’s big bold colours and large poppy flower print, it will bring a garden freshness to any room.
One of our makers has recently made this up into a roman blind and some scatter cushions for a customer, to personalise their new home, and it looks fabulous! The design is digitally printed and has the effect of being painted with big brush strokes. This fabric is in store at our Bridport shop, and can be brought to our Yeovil store or ordered online.
More cushions for you again today. Delicious remnants were pieced together in sections to create these unique cushions. Braids and the pompom trims were purchased from Livingstone Textiles and added as features along the joins. Glorious luxury.
We don’t just do curtains and blinds here at Livingstone Textiles, we do an array of cushions. You can choose from zipped, piped, envelope, boxed cushions and chair pads as well. These kitchen chair pads were made with ties and stitched in the centre to create a buttoned effect through this very cool looking Ikat fabric. When you bring us an idea for a project you have been thinking about, our staff and makers will endeavour to create something to fit your requirements and take into account everything you explain to us before helping you decide on fabrics and colours. Pop in to either of our shops and speak to us. We’ll do our very best to help you realise the look that inspires you, all without expensive design consultation fees.
Elegantly gracing the drawing room of a modern home in West Dorset are these lined pencil pleat curtains made from the collection ‘Elspeth’ by Bill Beaumont. We currently have a large quantity of heavily discounted roll stock in Bill Beaumont designs at our Yeovil shop and throughout the month of August we are giving away free poly cotton lining with every curtain order placed until the 31st.
If you can’t find a suitable design on a roll we can offer a good selection of Bill Beaumont designs on our hangers and whilst these will not be as competitively priced, they will still qualify for free lining until our offer ends. You can upgrade too, just pick another lining such as Blackout,Thermal or Cotton and only pay the difference! We also offer a bespoke Lampshade making service so you can create a whole new integrated look for your room.
Follow Bill Beaumont on Pinterest for great ideas on where to use his fabrics
Bridport Hat Festival 2019 is fast approaching, and with that comes the inevitable pressure to create an astounding garb for your head. Well fear not, as out selection of ribbons, trims, feather and more is sure to offer something to anyone looking to spruce up their headwear.
This piece was brought in on Saturday by a customer, and they used our rainbow feathers (£6.45 /m – 60cm used) and rainbow cord (40p /m) to add some colour and life to this vintage top hat!
We have a huge range of different fabrics and accessories you can add to any headpiece to help prepare you for a Saturday of crazy hat-ness.
With so many clothes patterns now using strech jersey fabrics, we’re really pleased that we got some gorgeous new fabrics in to tempt you! Sophisticated prints and gorgeous colours in lovely soft fabrics, these are perfect for making comfortable, simple, sophisticated clothing ready for late summer and early autumn, with designs to please everyone!
Worried about sewing with stretch fabric? You don’t need an overlocker, you can use a simple stretch stitch, found on most modern sewing machines. Come in and have a look through our pattern books for some simple sewing inspiration, or for information and patterns together, have a look at our range of books, or try Youtube for step-by-step guides!
These beautiful tapestry cushions are made from a durable woven material priced at £18.50 per metre. It is available in a selection of different designs from our webshop. They have been made without piping as the design is striking enough to not need a contrast but they do have a zip in the bottom enabling them to be dry cleaned.
These cushions were made by our maker Madeline recently for a customer to update their conservatory furniture.
This lovely fabric really works well with the box cushion as the seat and a more complex shaped cushion cover for the back which is joined together with a zip, the finished result looks lovely.
The smaller round chair was recovered in the same fabric by our upholsterer Laura. This fabric really suits this conservatory and the garden.
We love seeing and hearing all about our customers makes and so it’s always nice to be sent in pictures of what you have all been up to with the fabrics bought from us.
The latest picture we have been sent is from the very talented Linda who has used our crane fabric to reupholster her arm chair and it looks amazing! The fabric works really well with the piece of furniture and the before and after photo really shows how great the transformation is. She has managed to get the fabric tight around the chair and so the finished look is very effective, also the pattern matching on the cover buttons shows a great eye for detail so well-done Linda!
We sell upholstery supplies here at Livingstone Textiles along with loads of great fabrics so there is plenty to choose from if you have been inspired by Linda’s great work. The crane fabric is available on our website and in our Bridport shop, to buy it online or just find out more click here.
If you have made something recently with our fabrics and would like to share it with us then we would love to see it, you can send your pictures to us by email to people@livingstonetextiles.com.
We have some rather cool cotton chambray in stock at both our Bridport and Yeovil stores and we think they’ll look really fabulous made into a bag or a denim style jacket.
The cloth is lightweight and has a little stretch in it so would also look great as a jeans style skirt or trousers and you can now buy all three designs from our online shop by clicking on the links below the videos, but first have a look at how they sparkle!
Welcome to the Wild Wild West, home of the fastest drawn scissors at dawn.
Livingstone Textiles has two fabulous fabric outlets in the Westcountry bursting with hundreds of metres of gorgeous material ready to be made into lovely projects. Did you know that as well as stocking fabric for dressmaking and material for making curtains, blinds and cushions, we also stock a number of wipe clean pvc tablings and oil cloths that are not only used for covering tables?
Here you can see that this vintage design of Cowboys and Indians has been made into a waterproof bag or shopping, books or school/college stuff. It’s been lined with one of our bright and cheerful childrens fabrics featuring orange dinosaurs and has strong canvas straps stitched firmly between the layers. The whole bag is robust and we think the design has a vintage vibe cool enough for both adults and kids. The fabric is 130cm wide and costs £8.50 per metre and can be bought at either of our shops in Yeovil or Bridport.
In both our Bridport and Yeovil shops we offer a bespoke hand-made curtain make up service, along with roman blinds and cushions as a few more examples. With a local team of self-employed makers at each shop we can offer a wide range of high-quality hand-made, soft furnishings for your home at competitive prices.
We are proud to say that we have a huge range of fabrics to choose from and our friendly and knowledgeable staff are happy to guide you through choosing the right fabric for you. We are also able to offer a measuring up service in the local area for people who need it, we can also offer advice on this in the shop if you just need a little guidance. Also see our guide for measuring curtains here.
Here are some of the latest bespoke curtains with matching scatter cushions we have made for a happy customer.
One of our makers has used this gorgeous print to make a cushion for our Bridport shop, and now we all want it! The colourful retro print monkey design is set off perfectly with another shop favorite, an edging of playful teal blue pompoms. Perfect for cushions, stylish yet playful curtains, or a roman blind – and don’t forget we can make them for you.
Retro printed linen, available from stock now from our Yeovil store, or pop in to see us in Bridport and we can have it bought down from Yeovil for you. Heavens, we may even order some for ourselves!
