Craft Focus - June/July 2020 (Issue 79)

50 VLIESELINE Vlieseline interlinings, tapes, waddings and other sewing aids are easy to use, time-saving and an ideal way to achieve excellent results in terms of shape, stability and a professional finish for home sewing and creative projects. Perfect solutions can be found within the Vlieseline range for dressmaking, soft furnishing, patchwork and quilting as well as for free-style embroidery and other surface embellishments. Selecting the right product for each specific task is generally down to finding the interlining weight and handle most closely aligned to the fabric and there is a wealth of information, tips and tricks along with ‘how to’ videos on the website; www.vlieseline.com Previously known as Vilene, the company is renowned for exceptional quality, total reliability and a long history of textile innovation. It therefore comes as no surprise to discover several products are now made using recycled plastic bottles. Vlieseline cares deeply about the environment and the importance of reducing the need for precious raw materials. These excellent, sustainable products are of the same high quality associated with the brand. For patchwork and quilting there are various interlinings printed with grids to ensure accuracy in cutting, sewing and hemming. Fleeces in a variety of thicknesses and a choice of synthetic or natural fibres are also available. There are tear-away as well as wash-away stabilisers for machine embroidery and other embellishments, iron-on Lamifix to give a wipe-down surface to fabrics as well as the ever-popular Wundaweb, Bondaweb and iron cleaner. As fabrics for home sewing become more sophisticated so new Vlieseline products are introduced, whether you’re interlining a super- stretch cotton, a slinky silk, a thick tweed or a soft leather. In recent years, iron-on and sew-in tapes have been introduced for edging seams, hemming, controlling bias and elasticity as well as to stop fraying. www.vlieseline.com HERITAGE CRAFTS The design: Bee Happy is new this year. This colourful range of designs is created from the artwork of Karen Carter. The kits contain: Zweigart fabric, DMC stranded cottons sorted on to numbered cards, a needle, and clear charts and instructions. Heritage Crafts is a world leader in counted cross stitch design. The company works with talented artists, including John Clayton, Peter Underhill, Karen Carter and Valerie Pfeiffer to produce highly detailed cross stitch designs which are a joy to stitch. sales@hcrafts.com www.hcrafts.com VIRIDIAN LTD The stitch guide is a great accessory to sewing machines to help create a neat stitch with a consistent seam-width. The guide comes with an adhesive sheet that can adhere to metal and plastic surfaces, enabling it to be fixed at any location. +44 (0)117 300 5244 www.viridianyarn.com SEARCH PRESS Debbie Shore’s Sewing Room Secrets: Machine Sewing by Debbie Shore will share with you her expert tips, techniques and trade secrets for successful sewing. In this first book in her new Sewing Room Secrets series, Debbie Shore walks you through every aspect of machine sewing, revealing her top tips and providing in-depth and helpful guidance every step of the way. Starting by looking at sewing room essentials, Debbie then guides you around your sewing machine and explains all the tools and materials you might need, including wadding/batting, interfacing, fabrics and threads. There’s a handy troubleshooting section to reassure and guide you when you encounter problems. Debbie covers the key techniques you need to know, including inserting zips and piping, using shirring elastic, free-motion embroidery and appliqué. Debbie’s focus is on craft and home items, but she also includes some dressmaking and quilting tips for those looking to explore other areas. The 10 beautiful projects help you learn the techniques as you progress through the book, beginning with a simple pincushion before moving on to a pillow cover, a tablet case, a drawstring bag, a sewing machine mat and more. +44 (0)1892 510 850 www.searchpress.com