The HotHive Textiles guide to looking great on the beach this summer

Article Added: 22/07/2009 11:48:07

It is coming to that time again when we dig into the back of our wardrobes and pull out all the clothes we bought last summer but didn’t get chance to wear as the sun rarely shone! Well this year we are promised will be different! With the weathermen predicting some gorgeous sunny days let HotHive Textiles show you how to jazz up and revive last summer’s clothes, rather than splashing out on new ones.

The high street is full of brightly-coloured clothing this summer so the quickest way to bring last year’s clothes on trend is to jazz them up with fluorescent trims and ribbons. We spoke to Michelle Pye at the English Couture Company for her tips: "Bright pinks and lime greens are the fashion for this summer and these colours look great teamed with classic blacks and navies. If you want to introduce these colours to your clothes then lace trims will look great and bring some added sparkle. You could also try adding a lace trim to your kaftan to help you cover up on the beach." The English Couture Company stock a wide range of lace trims in every colour you can think of. If you are not confident wearing bright colours why not add a splash of colour to your beachwear with a red or burgundy trim?

A fabulous way to revamp shirts and blouses is to simply replace the buttons. Carol at Duttons for Buttons told us, "Buttons can make a big difference to your clothing – gold and nautical designs seem to be popular at the moment, also anything brightly coloured." This is not only effective, but also a cheap way to give your clothing a new look. Duttons for Buttons offer a great service where you can send them a sample of your clothing with an idea of the size of button you are after and they will send you a selection of buttons to choose from – so you can’t possibly go wrong!

Our next top tip is for the more creative among you – using beads and sequins to embellish your clothing to give it that sparkly unique look. If you are going to use beads in this way then take some time to ensure that the beads you choose are suitable for this purpose – are they hardwearing? Can they stand up to being washed? The last thing you want is to spend an afternoon applying an intricate design only for it all to come undone in the washing machine!

Christine at Spellbound Beads has some great advice for those of us turning to embellishment. "There are some fabulous colours out there but they won’t always be suitable," she warns. "Delicas, for example, were specially created for loomed pictures in Japan and as such have a wonderful range of colours to create the nuances necessary for pictorial work, but many of them have dyed surfaces to achieve this. Generally speaking glass beads are preferable for clothing as they tend to be more durable and have good colourfast finishes in cold water washes."

Don’t let this deter you however, as the amount of stylish glass beads available in the Spellbound shop is quite staggering. They have everything from classic round glass beads to stars, hearts, animals and leaves, alongside traditional glass pearls in a multitude of colours. And with prices starting at just a penny this is a technique that you can afford to have a few attempts at!

For those of you wanting some extra help with embellishing and customising your clothes there are some great books in the HotHive Textiles Bookstore that do just that. One such masterpiece is Details Details £16.99, by Lucinda Ganderton. This fabulous book will teach you how to bring couture style to your wardrobe by adding eye-catching detail to your clothes and accessories. Adding detail is a very effective way to emphasise the features of any garment, as well as being a means of reflecting individual personality and style. In this fabulous collection of step-by-step designs, both subtle additions as well as more flamboyant items are shown. There are plenty of ideas to inspire – and some of the projects don’t even require the use of a needle and thread. The book will show you how to apply everything from beads and sequins to ribbon and lace, and even scraps of flowers and leaves. Projects covered include making a corsage to pin to a jacket, attaching ribbons to the edge of a cardigan, beaded motifs to a sweater and diamanté studs to jeans – all of which will help you look great this summer.

For those of you who love to create that unique signature look and bring some personality to your clothing, then Embellish your t-shirt £12.99 and Generation T £9.99 are the books for you.

Embellish your t-Shirt shows you how to turn your plain t-shirt into a unique design that you’ll wear with pride. Requiring no specialist skills, choose from 35 stylish step-by-step projects to create a range of trendy styles. There are projects for girls – funky flowers, butterflies and bird motifs; tees for guys – slashed and studded tees – and sweet tees for children, from an appliqué astronaut to cats and little pirates. There are motif galleries throughout the book to give plenty of ideas and inspiration and all designs use inexpensive craft and sewing products that are readily available in the HotHive Textiles shopping directory.

Generation T will demonstrate 108 ways to transform your old t-shirts into customised tees, tank tops and tube tops. If the t-shirt has gone beyond saving this book also shows you how to turn it into a handbag, patchwork blanket, iPod cozy and leg warmers, among others. More than one third of the projects require no sewing, meaning anyone who can wield a pair of scissors can put a personal stamp on her wardrobe.

Fancy having a go and getting creative? Here are some great projects and kits to help you make the most of the summer months:

Felted brooches – £10 for the kit, including materials and instructions

These brooches will look fabulous attached to your beach bag or sunhat to give it that personalised touch, or why not use it to pin that gorgeous sarong together? The possibilities are endless! To take a closer look, please click here.

Felt Jewellery Sewing Kit – £8 for the kit, including materials and instructions

This is a great kit for the little girl in your life and includes all the materials needed for her to make two holiday hairslides and two brooches. Featuring summery flowers and butterflies these felted accessories can be made by gluing the pieces together by younger children or embroidery thread is also provided for the older or adventurous! To take a closer look, please click here.

Terry Towelling Beach Bag – Free pattern download, materials if needed can be found in the HotHive Textiles shopping directory here.

A day at the beach or by the pool can be a fun-filled experience or a disaster, depending on how your supplies get there. This season, travel in style and confidence with our fully organised beach bag tote pattern. Vinyl pockets on the outside allow you to keep your suntan lotion, water, sunglasses, and keys right where you want them. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the size and number of pockets you can add to this bag. Make a beach bag for a friend too – it’s a great gift! To download the instructions please click on the link below:

Terry Towling Beach Bag

Ship Ahoy Shoe-Bag Kit – £12.50 for the kit, including materials and instructions

Children always need somewhere to store that bucket and spade, so why not help them make their own bag? Using appliqué and simple embroidery this kit is perfect for keeping the youngsters entertained before you go on holiday and tidy when you’re there! It can even be embroidered with their name for that extra personal touch. To take a closer look, please click here.

Polka Dot Skirt – Free pattern download, materials if needed can be found in the HotHive Textiles shopping directory here.

There is nothing better than walking along the beach feeling the sand beneath your toes and the waves lapping the shores. The Polka Dot Skirt pattern we have for you is the perfect accessory for this scene. Made using a light and breathable cotton fabric this skirt is not only fashionable but it will keep you cool too! To download the instructions to make the skirt please click on the link below:

Polka Dot Skirt Instructions

Now that you are armed with all the tips and advice you need to create that chic and trendy summer wardrobe all that is left is to get outside and enjoy the sunshine – but be careful not to spill your ice cream down your new wardrobe!

Contact Details:

English Couture Company
The Swan Centre
8a Swan Street
Sileby
Leics
LE12 7NW
01509 813186
info@englishcouture.co.uk
www.englishcouture.co.uk

Duttons for Buttons
Oxford Street
Harrogate
Yorkshire
HG1 1QE
01423 502092
michael@duttonsforbuttons.co.uk
www.duttonsforbuttons.co.uk

Spellbound Beads
47 Tamworth Street
Lichfield
Staffordshire
WS13 6JW
01543 417650
christine@spellboundbead.co.uk
www.spellboundbead.co.uk

HotHive Textiles Bookstore
8 King Charles Court
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 4RF
01386 760406
books@thehothive.com
www.hothivetextilesbookstore.com

If you have any tips or suggestions of your own then please share them with us by using the comment box at the bottom of this article.