Author: mavenpatterns

Hi! I'm Sharon. I've always sewn and made stuff. My love of making led me to study fashion and pattern cutting, and I worked for many years as a pattern cutter in London. Now I am an independent Pattern Designer at Maven Patterns, creating my own glorious PDF sewing patterns that you can download and make at home! https://mavenpatterns.co.uk/shop/
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Join the Housecoat Workshop with Maria Thomas

The Housecoat Workshop with Maria Thomas. We have a new date for the incredible Housecoat Workshop led by the textile artist Maria Thomas.

During this 2-day Textiles Workshop you will explore used cloth within a garment. Maria is a long time friend of mine, and a partner in crime for many of my textile adventures. She’s such an inspiring textile artist you are in for a real treat! You’ll be full to the brim of inspiration, ideas and a new found way to view textiles.

THE HOUSECOAT WORKSHOP

Collaged Hanging Art Jacket Workshop with Maria Thomas

Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th April 2025

10am – 4pm

The Maven Studio, Kenilworth, Warwickshire

Book your Workshop space now

2 day artist-led workshop.

Learn how to create your own collaged textile-art jacket housecoat hanging using reclaimed household linens and paper wrappers mixed with quilted collage techniques.

Under Maria’s expert guidance you will learn how to use a pre-prepared jacket pattern to create a cloth and paper collaged art garment. 

Along with pattern layout (using recycled papers and vintage fabrics) you will construct an original appliqué and quilted textile-art garment.

Maria is a textile artist and the primary purpose of this workshop is to explore and create an heirloom piece rather than a wearable ‘fashion’ jacket. 

Explore Maria’s Housecoat Series for some inspiration and to see how she uses found objects, papers & mementos in her work.

This is the last workshop we will be running at the Maven Studios and we only 8 spaces available so please book your place early if you fancy joining us for a marvellous weekend of making! 

There will most definitely be a spot of tea + coffee + cake involved and also a 10% discount on Kleins Haberdashery for during the workshop if you fancy a rummage through my wares! 

Join the Workshop

The Textile Artist / More about Maria

Maria has over 30 years experience teaching embroidery, print and textile design, in further and adult education as well as delivering bespoke textile workshops to groups around the UK. She loves to share her passion for textiles and enjoys giving colourful talks about her career and work inspirations. Working with paper, cloth and found objects Maria’s workshops range from appliqué, quilting and stitched collage to hand dyeing techniques and processes.

Maria’s work focuses on rehousing everyday objects that have a specific association or meaning to her. Notions of motherhood, shopping lists, food wrappers and graphic packaging – offering assistance to domestic chores – are carefully sourced, cut out and stitched before being absorbed into the fabric by patchwork and quilting techniques. Shaping memories and experiences into her own visual language Maria’s work is a response to the events of her daily life.

Maria is the tutor and founder of the exhibiting group Together Textiles who meet for workshops in Warwickshire.

“Textile artist Maria Thomas is a master at finding and embedding found objects in ways that tell remarkable stories of life, love and loss. And her use of vintage textiles adds yet more meaning to the notion of treasured keepsakes and mementoes.”

Maria Thomas: Keepsakes in stitch – read the full article in Textile Artist here

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Make a Peg Bag!

Make a marvellous peg bag with our quick and easy to sew PDF sewing pattern. It’s super easy, is very handy and makes a lovey gift or a cute little evening bag in the right fabric. And even better for each pattern sold we are donating £1.50 to the children’s charity EVC Uganda. This was previously a free pattern but we decided this would be a great way to kick off 2025.

EVC Uganda is a charity that empowers vulnerable children in communities where support is needed the most. EVC focuses on providing communities with funding to create projects that will have lasting impacts for generations to come. Your support will go directly to the school that we support, to purchase crucial supplies for the children. You can read more about their work HERE.

More about the peg bag pattern. I’ve had mine on the go for years. You see I like pretty things but they do have to be practical. Things you touch and use everyday should not be ugly or annoying. I really took that William Morris quote to heart.

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

William Morris

And who doesn’t like their washing drying outside while wafting in the gentle breeze of a summers day? Now, I know not everyone can or wants to hang their washing out to dry, no judgement here, but it is still quite handy for storage of those odd bits and pieces.

The Peg Bags actually turned out to be a really popular sew as a gift. The handle is big enough to hang over your arm and grab a peg with ease and the popper means you can actually hang it off the washing line for full hands-free freedom.

It’s also a great little skill builder and the perfect project if you are new to sewing and just want to get used to sewing on your machine without having to worry about fitting a garment. The pattern makes a lined/reversible bag, but you could make it unlined by cutting a single layer and just binding the raw edges to finish. And to be very Eco-conscious you could use up scraps of fabric by adding seams (don’t forget to add the seam allowance!) to the pattern so you can use up those smaller bits of fabric. And feel free to embellish your peg bag with embroidery or appliqué to make a really lovely personalised gift.

THE PEG BAG - free sewing pattern. Maven Patterns

How to Make a Peg Bag with our PDF Sewing Pattern

Tools

  • The Peg Bag PDF pattern – sewing pattern available here.
  • The Pattern Prints on 4 sheets of A4 or US letter sized paper.
  • 10 page Maker Instruction Booklet (in English). You can print your instructions or view the pattern instructions on a screen, or just follow the instructions below.
  • We have a Printing Tutorial here if you are new to PDF patterns.
  • You will need all the usual sewing stuff…a sewing machine, iron, decent scissors, pins, tape measure etc.

Suitable fabrics

MAIN FABRIC Any stable woven fabric will be fine, so have a good rummage through your stash but keep in mind it will need to be sturdy enough to hold its shape reasonably well. I’d suggest Denim, linen, quilting cotton, those kinds of fabric.

LINING/INNER FABRIC you could use the same as your outer fabric or if you have quite a heavy main fabric balance it with a lighter weight contrast fabric. I’m imagining a denim outer with a cotton lawn contrast lining.

Fabric Requirements & Haberdashery

MAIN FABRIC (for outer shell): 1 piece x 50cm deep x 60cm wide (20″ x 24″) 

CONTRAST FABRIC (for lining/inner shell): 1 piece x 50cm deep x 60cm wide (20″ x 24″) 

IRON ON INTERFACING: 1 piece x 28cm deep x 60cm wide (11″ x 24″) 

LARGE PRESS STUD – mine is 2cm (3/4″) but use what you have or you could do a button and buttonhole

MATCHING SEWING THREAD – I’ve used a contrast so it shows in the photos

Abbreviations

RST: right side together / RS: right side / WS: wrong side / WSU: wrong side up / SA: seam allowance

01. Prepare your pattern.

Tape your pattern together and cut your pattern out using the black line. The grey line is the stitch line.

You will need to join the interfacing pattern together.

02. Cut

PATTERN A – Cut 2 in main fabric for the outer shell

PATTERN A – Cut 2 in contrast fabric for the inner shell/lining

PATTERN B – Cut 2 in INTERFACING

TIP: At each notch remember to make a small snip in the seam allowance (SA)

03. Apply the interfacing

CONTRAST FABRIC – place interfacing to wrong side (WS) and iron into place to reinforce handle and top edge

04. Time to sew!

Press as you go! I can’t stress this enough for any sewing project but taking the time to press anything you stitch will give you a much better result.

MAIN FABRIC/outer shell – place with Right Sides Together (RST) and stitch with 1cm seam allowance (SA) around the bucket. Press the seam.

Trim the SA down to 6mm (1/4″) at the curve so it will lay flat when turned to RS.

More to Sew …

05.

CONTRAST FABRIC/inner shell – place with Right Sides Together (RST) and stitch with 1cm SA around the bucket STOPPING at the notches to leave an opening in the base. Press the seam.

Trim the SA down to 6mm (1/4″) at the curve so it will lay flat when turned to RS.

06.

Turn the shells through to RS and press seam.

07. JOIN INNER & OUTER SHELLS TOGETHER

Turn the inner shell inside out so WS is facing you.

Slide the outer shell inside the inner shell so RST, aligning the raw edges, notches and at the seams.

Stitch with a 6mm SA. Press the stitch line.

TIP: If you’ve taken a slightly bigger seam allowance on the curve of the strap or have bulky fabric trim the SA down to a scant 6mm (1/4″) at the curves so it will lay flat.

08.

Turn through to Right Side (RS) by pulling the outer shell out through the hole left at the base of the inner shell.

The straps can be a bit fiddly to turn through but you can use a chopstick or something similar to help poke them to the RS.

09.

If you are making a reversible bag the seam should sit exactly on the side so it neither favours the inner or outer shell. If you are making it as a lined bag roll the inner shell lining slightly to the inside of the bag.

Press the seam.

I’d normally do an understitch to help hold the lining but it’s quite fiddly so I’m happy to skip it on this occasion and just give the seam a good press.

If your fabric doesn’t press well, giving you a nice sharp edge, or doesn’t stay flat, consider edgestitching/topstitching around the opening and handles.

10.

Close the opening in the base of the inner shell with a slipstitch.

free sewing pattern - attach a popper

11. Stitch the press stud securely in place. Or use a button and buttonhole if you prefer.

A quick final press and you’ve finished!

I hope you are very happy with your lovely handmade peg bag!

Have you seen our free Eye Mask PDF Sewing Pattern? Take a look HERE.

shop Maven sewing Pattern CTA

More to Sew …

free sewing pattern - free peg bag pattern
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How to Make a Waistband Narrower

Learn how to change the depth of a waistband pattern

The Bloom Skirt has a gorgeously wide statement waistband.

I’m not a big fan of mealy, mean little waistbands and so deliberately designed Bloom with 6cm deep waistband as I wanted her to feel glamorous and quite formal. Personally, I’m still fantasising about making one in an Emerald Green Silk Taffeta Bloom Skirt. I haven’t found the perfect fabric yet, but it’s a very enjoyable hunt!

But if you feel the waistband is too wide for you, or for your fabric don’t worry; the joy of sewing is that you can customise and personalise your sewing patterns until they look and fit how you want them.

Sometimes you might just fancy a little change just for the sake of change and something as simple as altering the depth of the waistband can give your skirt a whole different feel. The check skirt below definitely feels a little more casual with the narrower band.

I’m a very firm believer that sewing patterns can, and should, be just a starting point to sewing your own style. And I’m massively in favour of any changes to the pattern if it means you’ll use it and wear it more! Luckily, it’s the easiest thing in the world to change the width of a waistband, in fact this might be the easiest pattern alteration tutorial I have ever done.

I don’t recommend making your waistband wider than the 6cm finished width as you’ll need to start adding some shaping to the waistband but, a narrower waistband is a piece of cake.

You can of course just trace the original waistband, change the width and remember to add all the notches back on.

But this method is a non-destructive way to alter your sewing pattern, so you can always untape it and go back to the original width for a different cloth if you fancy.

A note for my fellow short people; you can use the same method to shorten the skirt pattern.

Learn how to adjust the depth of a waistband

Tools

  • Your waistband pattern
  • ruler
  • tape
  • Paper/pen/pencil
  1. Decide how much narrower you’d like your waistband. The blue check skirt has a finished band width of 3.5cm, making it 2.5cm narrower than the original pattern. You can of course make it any width you fancy.
  2. When I’m talking about finished measurements that’s the width of the completed waistband (or garment) when you’re wearing it and without any seam allowances. The thing to remember is the waistband pattern folds in half, for the outside and inside sections of a band. So you need to remove twice the amount (or the amount twice, depends how you look at it really). A very long way of saying; for the waistband to finish 2.5cm narrower you will need to remove 5cm in total from the width of the pattern.
  3. With the waistband pattern facing upwards, draw 2 adjustment lines 5cm apart (or your chosen amount) centrally and parallel to the grainline. (The red lines in picture with the shaded area being the bit I’m getting rid off).
  4. Fold one line to the other and tape to hold in place. We’ve literally folded a wedge out in the same way if you wanted to shorten a pattern.
  5. Remark the grainline and the centre fold notch and you’re good to go.

If you are not sure about how wide you’d like your waistband to be, before you start changing your pattern make a quick waistband toile and try it on. Think how will you be wearing your skirt? Are you going to a wedding or an event so quite formal or will you be sitting down all day or going on holiday and looking for something more relaxed? Take a look at skirts you wear and ones in the shops and have a little measure of the waistbands you like when you try them on.

What feels right? There is no right and wrong when you make your own clothes, you can decide and change anything!

SHOP Sewing Patterns
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The Bloom Skirt

I have some exciting news to share with you today.

Meet The Bloom Skirt our latest pattern!

This is another pattern I’ve been wearing various incarnations of, well forever really, it’s the perfect pattern for so many fabrics as it showcases a gorgeous print.

25% off Bloom 

Enjoy 25% off Bloom with our special introductory offer for The Bloom Skirt Sewing Pattern

no code needed / valid on our website & Etsy store until 11.59pm(GMT) Wednesday 4th September

The Bloom Skirt is a beautiful modern classic, with a full 1950s silhouette and gathering at the waist to create volume and drama. All the while being practical and comfortable so you can enjoy your day whether you are wandering in the Riviera, toasting gin at a glamorous event or quickly popping to Sainsburys for more bread. And, yes, she has pockets.

  • Version A features a contrasting hem band with a gently scalloped edge for an unexpected detail.
  • Version B is a classic full skirt with straight hem. 

The Bloom Skirt is a satisfying make with lots of versatility and sleek, unfussy details & perfect if you lean towards minimalist styling or are working with a large print that you don’t want to interrupt with unnecessary seams.

Skill level

Bloom is an excellent skill-building sewing pattern with minimal fitting so you can concentrate on learning sewing techniques. I’ll guide you through how to sew in-seam pockets, insert an invisible zip, understitching, stitch in the ditch technique and gathering with our excellent instructions and our extra free photo tutorials for even more support.

And just take a look at that scallop hem!

Yes, you will need a little patience but I’ve purposely designed her with wave shaped scallops as they are much more enjoyable to sew than the traditional ‘clam shell’ shaped scallops because there are no sharp points to worry about!

Suggested fabrics

Any light to medium weight woven fabric will work. Keep in mind the scallop hem detail will benefit from, and be easier to sew, in a stable fabric, such as a cotton poplin.

Look for fabrics that gather nicely such as cotton poplin, cotton lawn, linen, chambray and lighter weight denims, satin & taffeta. Keep an eye out for a future tutorial and I’ll show you how to change the gathers to pleats.

The handle of your fabric will dictate how your Bloom Skirt looks. A stiffer fabric such as brocades and satins will create a statement skirt that will hold its shape. Drapey and floaty fabrics such as viscose and crepes will give a softer looking silhouette.

My fabrics

Green skirt – Version B Lengthened by 2″ and made in an Ikea tablecloth (cotton but quite firm)

Blue /white – Version A / no mods and made in Organic Cotton Poplin from James Tailoring that I hand painted

Black and white – Version A / no mods and made in an Ikea curtain Panel (lightweight cotton but looks like linen) and linen scallop band.

Denim – from the deep stash but I’d guess around 8oz weight but with a nice soft handle.

THE DETAILS

PDF PATTERN – UK SIZES 8-22 (paper patterns will follow later in year) – View the size charts here

  • Version A – Scallop shaped hem band.
  • Version B – classic full skirt with straight hem. 
  • Signature Maven in-seam pockets
  • Centre back invisible (concealed) zip
  • Deep waistband sits at the natural waistline to define the fit & flare silhouette, but easy to adjust to your perfect width.
  • Fastens with snap fasteners for an unobtrusive finish.
  • Designed for woven fabrics.
  • Really easy to lengthen or shorten the pattern – The Bloom Skirt would look incredible as a full length maxi skirt in a brocade for a fancy night out!
  • ✂️ This is an excellent skill-building sewing pattern with minimal fitting so you can concentrate on learning sewing techniques.
  • See the Bloom Skirt Tutorials
  • Share your makes by tagging them @mavenpatterns #BloomMaven

PDF PATTERN

  • Prints on A4 and Us letter paper
  • Print at home pattern with layers to print just the size(s) you need
  • Illustrated Maker Instructions with clickable links to tutorials
  • Includes a measurement chart for the large skirt pattern pieces giving you the option to save paper and not print all of the pattern
  • A0 Copy shop file (with layers)
  • A0 printing – we recommend Orbit Imaging – Simon prints all my paper patterns.
SHOP The Bloom Skirt Sewing Pattern
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