Our Red and White Festive Window Display 2023

It's so lovely to welcome the fresh, new festive window display to the shop this week! Jo has done another incredible job of bringing all the elements together to fill the big bay window with a traditional red and white theme. We know so many of our lovely customers are too far away to visit the shop in person so in this post and video I wanted to give you a tour around! Read on for links to the patterns and fabrics featured or click on video image below for a virtual tour.

The Garments

Merchant and Mills Sidney top and Tilly and the Buttons Safiya Trousers

For this super comfy and relaxed fitting lounge wear set we made the simple and beginner friendly Safiya trousers from the Make it Simple Book by Tilly Walnes. We opted for one of our Tencel Jersey fabrics, which is lovely and light weight, silky smooth and drapes perfectly in this wide leg, elasticated waist style.

We've paired it with the Merchant and Mills Sidney Jumper/top pattern. This is also a super versatile style that can either be made in a stretch or woven fabric, just like the Safiyas. If using a woven, you still just need to use a stretch fabric or ribbing/cuffing for the neckband and cuffs. We picked one of our narrow stripe cotton jersey fabrics for a fun candy cane vibe. We'd just recommend checking the finished garment measurements before settling on a size as the fit if fairly roomy, as well as checking the arm length before attaching the cuffs. It has a drop shoulder so depending on what type of fabric you choose, shortening the arm length my be needed.

The Paper Theory Agnes PJs

This striking twin PJ set has super festive feels in this vibrant red gingham double cotton gauze. We featured this pattern and fabric combo in a past Sewing Society kit (we've got just a few of the Ochre colour left) or you can grab the double sided fabric by the meter and combine it with any of our PJ patterns! The Tilly and the Button Jamie PJs are especially beginner friendly.

You can still get access to my top tips video for making the Agnes PJ's - I talk a lot about pattern matching so its a good way to learn the skills and principles of that in the context of a project. As Paper Theory have currently stopped printing their paper patterns in a traditional format, you can get the PDF directly from their website (linked here) and make use of our A0 pattern printing service to have it printed out for you.

The Details

I love all the little accents and details added to the display! The hanging spotty paper pin wheels fill up the space of the big bay so well and the themed Christmas decorations along with our over sized haberdashery props, it bring that familiar sewing and dressmaking theme in so well.

The Christmas window always looks so sparkly and cheery at night too and I'm sure passers by enjoying it in these colder darker nights we have here in the UK at this time of year!

I hope you've enjoyed having a look around!