Sewing blogger Jacqui Paterson offers her top tips for the start of a new term

Although the summer holidays can seem like a long time, they pass by faster than you think! All too soon, you find yourself facing a new school year, with uniforms to buy and alter to size, plus name labels to be sewn inside shirts, dresses and PE kits.

Thankfully blogger Jacqui Paterson, of Mummy’s Little Monkey, has experienced this with her two daughters and is now sharing her stitchy knowledge with other mums! She has joined forces with Korbond – the company that’s become synonymous in the UK for haberdashery, crafting and clothes care – to create a series of Back to School tutorial videos, using products from their Repair and Care range.

“Am I an accomplished crafter and sewing whizz? No. Am I a regular mum who’s picked up some tips along the way to make life a bit easier? Yes!” Jacqui says. “Basically, it’s exactly the kind of simple, practical advice I wish someone had told me four years ago.”

The Korbond videos can be viewed at Korbonduk and include Quick and Easy Labelling Hacks that will save you time, hassle and money. In Stitching a Hem, Made Easy, Jacqui demonstrates two simple sewing techniques for hemming trousers and skirts, and in Sew-Free Hemming Hacks, she shows how to take up school uniforms – without going near a needle and thread!

Korbond products are widely available in major supermarkets, high street stores and online. During the school holidays you’ll find their range of products in the dedicated back to school aisle of larger retailers. In the meantime, here are some more useful hints from Jacqui, to ensure your kids get off to school on the right foot…

Jacqui’s top tips
1 Buy shoes with Velcro fastenings. Not only are they easier for younger children, but they’re quicker to get on and off after PE class.

2 Don’t forget to label your children’s shoes. These are often overlooked, but they’re the most likely (and expensive!) items to get misplaced. Korbond has a great range of stickers that go inside the shoe. Also, if your child has a habit of putting their shoes on the wrong feet, you can also label the stickers with ‘L’ and ‘R’ to help them out.

3 There’s nothing more annoying than a school uniform that doesn’t quite last the whole year. Buy dresses, skirts and trousers with adjustable waistbands, then take up the hems to make them the right length. Korbond offers two options – hemming sewing kits, and no-sew hemming web. If you’re not sure how to use them, check out my video tutorials.

4 Find out if there is a school Facebook group, and join it! This will be your go-to bible for everything – from double-checking the dates of non-uniform days, to tracking down lost lunchboxes and finding out about evening get togethers.

Find out more at www.sew.korbond.co.uk