Busy bee claire-louise hardie

I’m principally an author and TV presenter. A far cry from my years as a school teacher. As much as I loved it I always dreamed of a job in a more creative industry and for the last 15 years I’ve done

Stay in style all year long with denim – summer like winter, denim is consistently a go-to. Atelier Brunette have released a brand new fabric collection (see p10) and patterns specifically made to sew

Velvet comes in many forms, from lightweight stretch varieties to heavyweight upholstery fabrics. It can be made from silk, rayon, polyester, and more – and each type behaves differently. Some are mor

Sally Simpson is a journalist at ITV News. Hitting midlife, she has upped her style game and enjoys mixing second-hand bargains with on-trend pieces. She shares her style tips and tells us why you should wear your best outfit to the supermarket...

YOU WILL NEED ■ Cotton fabric (main and lining) ■ Lightweight wadding or batting ■ 10mm velvet ribbon (10–20cm length, depending on desired hanging loop) ■ Coordinating thread ■ Basic sewing kit NOTES

Faux fur can often get quite matted during storage – especially if the fibres are long and silky, such as in yeti fur. Before sewing, give the fabric a good shake and gently brush through it with a wi