Updated sewing station

If you've read my post from earlier this morning, you'll know that I've recently moved house again. And what must one do with a house with a spare bedroom? Dedicate it to sewing, of course...

I've been wanting to expand my sewing station for quite some time but my bedroom at my Parent's house just wasn't big enough, so I never really looked much into new desks before a month ago. On one of our many trips to Ikea, I actually ended up deciding to get a desk from there, as they all seemed quite reasonably priced. So after much deliberation, I decided to purchase the Kallax desk combination (which in total cost me £60ish), and this is what it looks like: 

I actually really love this desk. Everything is easily within reaching distance, and I can have both my sewing machine and overlocker out without having to swap over between the two mid-sewing. (Yes, an overlocker - more on that later...)

I opted for the Kallax storage system as we actually purchased one for our wardrobe and I really like the look of it - I like the fact that although I purchased the matte white desk, I can actually throw some colour in there by changing the storage boxes to a different pattern.

The first thing that takes pride in this room is my Adjustoform - I've actually placed an old vest top over this for the time being as I did have it padded out to match my bust size, however this is going to be taken off relatively soon. I think this one is called "ditsy floral" or something along those lines - it's actually quite a cute pattern, and doesn't distract from the actual garment itself. If you're serious about sewing and you don't always have someone around to help to adjustments, I would actually advise that you purchase one of these. They are quite pricey (I think mine cost £110), however I couldn't imagine not having it. There's no name as of yet, but I'm sure one will come along soon enough. 

 Can I just take a moment to swoon over my new love? I caved in and bought an overlocker (£169), the Brother 1034D. I did umm and ahh about buying one of these for god knows how long, and in the end, I bought it as a second Birthday present for myself. I can honestly say that I was very intimidated when I opened the box, as I had never actually used an overlocker before but oh. my. lord. I can't actually believe how easy they are! Don't get me wrong, it will take a while to get used to as I didn't realise just how much you can do with these but...eeeee. Overlocker. I feel so professional now. 

Nothing will ever take the place in my heart which this machine had so quickly stolen when I purchased it. This is my Singer Starlet 6660, and I have a very strange love affair with this machine. Some days I love it, other days I want to cut the power cable. The only thing I wish was different about this machine is the bobbin location. Stick it on the top, and this'd be perfect. My beautiful little workhorse. 

The first storage "cube" houses my sewing boxes, and a little tub I'm currently using to catch my overlocker scraps. Nothing too fancy in this one. 

The second cube contains my sewing books, and my pattern folder. I actually decided to re-organise my patterns some time last year, and they're now all neatly contained in the purple box file you can see above. I'm in the process of transferring all the pattern pieces to brown parcel paper, as some of the tissue pattern pieces are becoming a bit tatty now. 

The top two cubes contain two purple storage boxes, which keep all my fabric neat and tidy. The box to the back of the photo has all the scraps of fabric which I can use for pocket linings / contrast fabrics, and the box pulled out in the photo is where I keep all my prepped fabric, ready to be cut out. It's getting relatively full, so I might actually need to get my ideas together and get sewing again! 

Last but not least, the top of the storage cubes. This is where I keep a plastic tub full of my crochet items (the pink tub), and there's also a few pairs of Clarks shoes shoved on top of there, as I can't find anywhere else to put them at the moment. The patchwork box is what I used to use for my "current projects" box before I purchased my Adjustoform, however it's currently full of sewing odds and sods which I found when packing my things up. I really must sort through this, as I have a feeling it's actually got a few meters of fabric in it! I've also got my Cath Kidston large box bag up here, as it's what I use for going fabric shopping. I didn't purchase this, but Devon's Sister kindly gifted me this for Christmas a few years ago. 

The bottom four cubes are used for storing my printer and a box full of things I use for my planner, my makeup drawers and also my box full of stretched ear plugs. 

I absolutely love my new setup, and I definitely feel that it's making me want to sew more. I did have a month off from sewing (moving house, holiday etc) but now I've purchased some more fabric I'm itching to go! 

I hope this was useful, and gives you an insight as to how I store my sewing machines etc. Any questions, please feel free to ask!

♥

Hello again, old friend.

I'm sorry, but who are you again? 

I haven't blogged since September of last year, and if I'm being honest, life just...sorta got in the way. I feel like my life has done a whole 180 since I've last been in touch with this blog, and all for good reasons too!

So, where do I begin? 

Well, first things first, I moved out of my Parent's house, and I'm now living with my Boyfriend and cat again. We've lived in this house for about 2 months now, and whilst it was a bit of a rollercoaster ride trying to get everything sorted, we're settled and for once, I think we can finally say we're happy. It just wasn't working out living back at home and whilst I cannot thank my Mum and Dad enough for putting up with me again for a year, it just wasn't the same as having my own place. 

Okay, secondly, I went on my first holiday abroad. I bought my Passport as a birthday present to myself, had the interview on 7th January and it plopped on my doorstep a few days later. I have never, ever been so excited - needless to say, Devon and I booked a holiday later that day. We ended up going to Costa Adeje in Tenerife and I have literally never been so overwhelmed in my life. This sounds so silly saying it out loud but I nearly actually shed a tear whilst on the plane. I can't believe I waited so long to go abroad, and I have to admit, we've actually booked to go to Cyprus in May to go an see his Sister, as she's living out there now. It took me 24 years to get a passport and to go overseas and now I'm going at least twice in one year. Go figure. 

The last thing I need to mention is that we have a new addition to the family. My Sister gave birth to a beautiful little boy on 28th March, who has been named Henry. My heart nearly exploded when I met him, I forgotten what it had felt like to fall in love the second you see something. My other Nephew is absolutely besotted, and I can honestly say that I am one proud Aunty! 

So there's a little life update for you all - not sure if it's interesting or not but I felt like I just needed to update you as to why I've actually been absent from the blog for almost 7 months! There's a few more posts lined up, and as I'm off work today with tonsillitis, I have a feeling I'm probably going to end up spamming you with a few more posts today!

'Til next time! 

♥

The Seamstress tag

Thank the heavens above that it's finally becoming Autumn. And not just because it's nearly October, I mean because it's getting to that time of the year when it's dark when I still go to work, it's slightly chilly in the evenings and I can actually wear a cardigan without feeling I'm going to boil my insides. 

I've seen the "Seamstress" tag floating around Youtube over the last week or so, and although I don't have a Youtube channel, I still wanted to join in. So, here's my go at the tag!

1. Who are you?

I'm Philly (that's me above!), I'm 23 and I live in the West Midlands.


2. When & why did you start sewing?

I first started sewing around the age of 17 as I was taking a Textiles course at school but this was more creative art rather than dressmaking, however I properly started sewing around a year and a half ago. I watched the first series of the Great British Sewing Bee and instantly bought my first sewing machine, a Brother LS14. I wanted to learn the "art" of sewing because if I'm being honest, I get really fed up with buying clothes that everyone else seems to already own. I love being able to have an idea in my head, and actually make it in to a wearable garment.

3. What is your favourite or proudest make?

By far, my proudest make is my New Look 6449 dress shirt. It's a fairly recent make of mine, however it's the one that challenged me the most and actually made me think of how a garment is constructed. Before now, I never really appreciated just how much work goes in to pattern matching, attaching a collar or sewing in the cuffs on a sleeve. I've already got another one of these on my adjustoform, although this has taken a bit of a backburner as I just haven't had the chance to sit down and concentrate!


4, What is your most disastrous make?

The most disastrous make is possibly my denim shift top as it just really does not suit the shape of my body, being such a stiff fabric. I do think this'll look better sleeveless, so the sleeves may be removed in the near future! 


5. Where is your favourite place to go fabric shopping?

Honestly? Ebay. I know it's a bit of a risk as you can't physically see the fabric in front of you, however I purchase 90% of my fabric from the Textile Center on ebay. They have fantastic customer service and their prices are extremely good, given the quality of the fabric! 

6. What is your most used pattern?

The Sew Over It Ultimate Shift Dress. I absolutely love this pattern because of it's versatility, in total I think I've used this about 7 or 8 times already and plan to use it so many more times. It was my PDF pattern I purchased, and my first time actually trusting a small company (as opposed to one such as McCall's or New Look).

7. Your most dreaded sewing task is...

HEMMING. I hate it! I can't hem to save my life and if I have to admit, all of my hems are just turned over twice and sewn down. I can't be dealing with the other fancy hem techniques out there.

8. And your favourite sewing task?

I think my favourite sewing task is probably cutting out the fabric. I love laying out the pattern pieces and making sure the pattern pieces are on the grain, checking the pattern matching and also seeing the pieces I'm about to construct. 


9, What is your favourite 'sewing entertainment'?

Okay so this is probably going to be a bit odd, but I absolutely love watching The Sim Supply on Youtube when I'm sewing. I find James' videos to be great background videos as they're quite long, and they also allow me to get my Sims fix....

10. Printed or PDF?

I'm still really torn on this one. I love the though that if I cut a pattern out wrong, I can reprint the PDF, but I love the convenience of a paper pattern. I do only tend to buy patterns when they are on sale though, and do find myself reaching for paper patterns more.

11. What sewing machine do you use?

My beloved Singer Starlet 6660. I've only had this machine for about 7 months but I love it. It's my little workhorse. 


12. Do you have any other hobbies?

Apart from sewing, I'm also partial to a bit of crochet, baking and gaming. I'm a right little oddball! 

♥

What have I been sewing?: August 2016

I'm a little bit late on writing this post, but for some reason August just flew by and before I knew it, we're almost halfway through September! 

If you remember a few posts ago, I said that I'm going to try and push myself a bit further, by either choosing more difficult patterns or by using a fabric which needs to be pattern matched a little more carefully. I've (semi) successfully achieved that in August and I couldn't be more proud of myself! I also invested in an Adjustoform and I'm extremely pleased with my purchase. I'd been umming and ahhing for near enough a year now and finally took the plunge early August (shortly after payday...). I have to admit, this has spooked me more than once in the middle of the night. 

Moving on...the first sew of August was another Colette Aster blouse. 

This fabric is just...so gorgeous. It's a really nice quality cotton, something that I wouldn't normally go for. My Mum actually purchased this a few months ago from Rags in Worcester town center but never got round to using it, and if I'm being honest, I'd dropped a hint more than once that I loved this fabric and in the end, me and my Mum ended up doing a fabric swap. I'd given her a stretch cotton fabric which would be perfect for the sort of dress that she wanted to make, I had bought the fabric months and months ago and just never felt inspired enough to use it. All in all, a good swap. 

I completely forgot to make this blouse a little smaller before I cut the pattern out, so it does gape a little. I may end up taking this in an inch or so either side to make it less...tent like. Now, for my first go at real pattern matching, I'm actually quite proud of this. I'm about a cm off or so on the front, but it isn't that noticeable if I pull the one side down a little. The only other place that's not that perfectly matched is along the yolk on the back, however as I have extremely long hair, I bet 99% of people aren't even going to notice it. I must say, I'm quite happy with this, and can see me getting a lot of wear out of it in the upcoming autumn months. 

The second, and last, sew of August was the New Look 6449. 

This took up so much of my time. I had one solid week where I spent around 2 hours a night tackling this, so all in all, it probably took me around 8-10 hours to sew, but I'm honestly so proud of myself for actually persevering with this. I'm not even ashamed to say I cried over this dress, I really did feel like giving up because as soon as I noticed I'd done one thing wrong, everything seemed to be going wrong. I ended up cutting out the largest size because that's what matched my bust size and to be honest, the rest of the fit is actually perfect! It's not too baggy but I will wear this with a belt, like I do with all of my dresses. But, without a belt, it's actually quite tailored to my shape, which is quite weird as I hadn't done any alterations whatsoever. If you follow Sew Over It on youtube, you'll recognise this fabric from Lisa's 1970's vintage shirt dress review and whilst it wasn't the nicest fabric to work with, it's certainly one I instantly fell in love with when I saw it. I need to be really careful when I iron it though...I have a feeling this will burn really, really easily. 

I found this pattern quite difficult to follow, but that's due to my own ignorance. I'm happy to say I learnt a LOT whilst sewing this pattern...before now, I never knew what a continuous lap was, or how to sew a cuff onto an arm or a collar on to a neckline. It's by far the most advanced garment I've made and no, it's not perfect. The pattern matching is a few cm off on the front where the buttons are and the arms ended up being a little too big (that's one thing I'd downsize next time) but I am just. so. friggen. pleased. with myself! 

I haven't had chance to begin sewing in September so far, but I am having quite a hectic time lately at work and by the time I get home, I'm so tired that I just want to chill out and not do anything. I'll see if I can find the time to squeeze in a few simple sews! 

♥

What have I been sewing? : July 2016

Can anyone else believe we're already in August? July literally flew by for me, and sadly, I didn't get much time to make any garments this month. That being said, I did a few alterations for other people and managed to fix my first zip on a pair of jeans, so not a completely wasted month! 

I only managed to sew two garments for myself this month, both new patterns which I've had for a while but never really got round to printing the patterns out and sticking them together. 

First make for this month was my Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse. Please excuse the un-ironed finished product, I'm not the best at remembering to do that before I take photos! 

I'm not going to lie, I really, really didn't like this pattern when I started cutting the fabric. There isn't actually anything wrong with the pattern but you know when you have that feeling when you start out on something, and you just know it's not really your cup of tea? That's the feeling I had when I started out with this. I did make a few alterations, one being that I made this a sleeveless top. I'm not a person for sleeves, at all, but if I were to make this in a different fabric, I probably would sew them in (e.g in a plain fabric rather than a floral!). I also made the front pieces slightly larger at the front seam to allow more space for my chest but low and behold, it wasn't actually enough space and I still could have made it fractionally bigger to make it more comfortable. I did make the largest size as I find the SOI patterns do run slightly small, so when I do re-trace this PDF pattern onto brown wrapping paper, I will grade it up a size or two. 

The neckline on this top drove me absolutely insane. I couldn't get the center front part to sit properly, and I hate hand stitching as it is, but I think it turned out really nice. 

But, all in all, I actually really like how this top turned out. If I saw this in a shop, I probably wouldn't buy it but because I've put the effort in to making it, I actually love it. Well done Sew Over It, you've converted me to yet another style of clothing I wouldn't have worn if I had purchased it directly from a shop. 

My second make for this month was the Colette Aster blouse. I've only worn this top once when I was in London last weekend, so please excuse the rubbish hotel bathroom photo! 

I had SO many problems trying to print this pattern out, it's unreal. My printer just refused to download the pattern and actually print it out, it even got to the stage where my laptop had a few bashes and a few swear words were thrown around! After what seemed like forever I actually managed to get the pattern printed out and again, I didn't really like the look of this when I was cutting out the fabric. I think it really has just been one of those months, July. 

I, again, made this sleeveless as I tend to wear a lot of cardigans / jackets, and I actually don't think I'd put the sleeves on this either. I made a size 20 as I generally tend to go by my bust measurement as its the largest (I don't mind having extra baggage around my stomach, I end up tucking half of my tops into skirts/trousers anyway), but I really do think I could've made a couple of sizes smaller in this as the sizing on this top is very generous. 

I actually quite enjoyed making this top, as it was the first time I'd ever used the buttonhole function on my machine. I am so surprised at how easy it was! I'll definitely be making more garments with buttons on. I think I also stretched the neckline out on this ever so slightly, or I don't know if it's not sitting right because it's just a tad too big. I can definitely still wear it though, it just means I'd have to be a little more careful if I bend over, otherwise it'd be cleavage galore...but as I said, I will definitely make this again, just a size or two smaller!

I've only got a few makes planned for August, but I'm not sure when I'll have the time to get these sewn up as I'm attempting some patterns which are a little more time consuming. Challenge accepted! 

♥

5 things I've learnt from sewing

I've only been sewing for around a year and a half now, however in the time, I've learnt so many different things, I really feel as if I've made progress. 

Rewind to my 21st birthday, where I purchased my very first sewing machine, my Brother LS14. It was cheap, cheerful and if anything, a little bit daunting. As simple as this machine was, I really felt as if I was out of my depth even when using a simple straight stitch. I had a dabble in a few odd sewing projects (albeit it disasters) and I remember trying to make my first vest top. Needless to say I was clueless, and I'm not even ashamed to admit it. 

From binge watching videos on Youtube, I slowly but surely started gaining more knowledge about different sewing techniques, terminology and what I'd need to do if something went horrifically wrong with something I was making, or my machine. I then also managed to find the black hole on Youtube for sewing...fabric hauls. My god, I have watched so. many. of these and lusted after all the fancy fabrics. 

Fast forward to today, I now have a fancy computerised machine and the majority of my wardrobe is me-made. And if I'm being honest, I'm actually really proud to say that. I love the reaction I get from people when they ask where I got my clothing from, and my response is, "I made it myself". I'm even taking the time to do alterations for other people and even making clothes for other people. 

I've had a little time to sit back and really think about what sewing means to me, and what I've learnt from it in the short time that I've been sewing for. So, I thought I'd narrow it down to 5 key points and hope that this is of some inspiration to you too! 


1- Don't give up too easily, take your time.

This is something I really have mastered in a short space of time. I've always been the sort of person to give up on something if A. I don't like it, or B. it's not going my way. With sewing, I've had to learn how to correct my mistakes and actually persevere. This has come from handing different types of fabrics, tackling patterns higher than my skill level and also the need to have a pretty garment at the end of my hours of slavery at my machine! One thing I also learnt very quickly is just to take your time cutting out patterns. Shoddy cutting leads to shoddy stitching and shoddy stitching leads to a...shoddy finished project!


2. Read. the. damn. instructions.

I cannot stress this enough. Even if you've read them once, read them again. And even once you've read them twice, read them three times. I learnt this from day one of using my first pattern. It's worth an extra few minutes noting all the different techniques required, knowing where every notch should match up etc. Also study the layout of the pattern pieces on the fabric, notice the grainline of the fabric and more importantly, measure twice and cut once! Don't be afraid to keep referring to your instructions, they're there for a reason! 


3. There's more to fabric than just cotton

I was so oblivious to the sheer amount of fabric which is available to us Sewcialists. I'll be the first to hold my hand up and say my first couple of skirts I made were out of a really cheap polycotton as I thought cheap prices = bargain = many masterpieces. This certainly is not the case. I quickly came to realise that sometimes it's worth spending the extra few pounds per meter of fabric as you really do get what you pay for. When I started out sewing, my aim was to make clothing cheaper than I could buy in shops, ready made. Please don't fall into this  trap, as it's just not true. Certain garments you can make cheaper, but the fabric quality will just suffer for the cheaper price tag. I now spend hours and hours flicking through different fabric websites and shops just drooling at all the different fabric available. One thing I will advise you to do is really understand what type of fabric your garment requires, as some fabrics just aren't suitable. Handle the fabric, understand how it's constructed and how it'll work with your pattern. 


4. Use the correct tools

This is also something I'm happy to admit - I thought one needle does all. Again, sorry Philly, but this just isn't true. I've now used denim, jersey and also the trusty universal needle and yes, you really can tell a difference, so if you have several projects in mind, invest in the correct needles. Also, invest in a decent pair of scissors as you will save yourself a lot of hassle, or if you don't fancy scissors, a rotary cutter. Similar with fabric, it's worth paying a little extra more as you get far better quality tools for your money. 


5. Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone.

I found this quite difficult in my first few months of sewing, as I generally found myself going for quite boxy shaped patterns and very, very plain fabric. I've never been one for wanting to wear bright colours or anything skin tight, but if I'm being honest, I now very rarely buy plain fabric and if anything, I'm being more adventurous with the type of patterns I'm purchasing. If you've known me for more than a year, you'll know that I used to live my life in leggings. I'm not even joking, anything I wore was with leggings. I now find myself reaching for skirts and dresses a lot more, purely for the fact is that I'm proud I've made them myself. I'm also becoming more confident in wearing brighter and bolder patterns. This has taken me such a long time to overcome, as I'm really quite an anxious person however slowly but surely, I'm coming out of my bubble. 


What have you learnt since starting to sew? 
♥

What have I been sewing? : June 2016

June has been a wonderful month for me in terms of having spare time to myself, my other half has worked a couple of Saturdays this month so I've been up and about super early when he's gone to work, meaning I've had plenty of time to get my act together and bulk out my me-made wardrobe. 

First of all, I've made two self drafted skirts. One was made in a slightly stretchy, lightweight denim, and the other was made in a woollen fabric which I had leftover from making a cape late last year. 

Each of these skirts were made using 1m of fabric and a length of elastic, I really can't believe how easy they were to make! I even made the woollen one with pockets, which was my first time in inserting pockets into a garment. I was surprisingly shocked at how easy this was too. These skirts are simply made by hemming the bottom edge and creating a channel for the elastic to run through on the top, folding the fabric in half and then sewing up the side. I think these literally took me about half an hour to sew up. I can see myself making sooo many of these as I've worn these two to death already! 

Next up are the two tops I've made this month. 

I've used the Sew Over It Ultimate Shift Dress pattern again for these tops and cut them off at the "top length" line. I really love the shape of these tops as they look lovely regardless of whether they're tucked into skirts and jeans, or even just left un-tucked. 

Again, the photo I've taken of these tops really do not do them any justice. Especially the one on the right, I think this is my favourite fabric I've ever bought. It's so bright and colourful, every time I pick it out of my wardrobe it instantly brightens my day. You may not be able to tell, but I've also used the last of my rabbit print fabric making a shift top. 

My sewing plans for July include making a few more skirts out of the fabric I have left and also possibly making a pinafore dress out of a lovely purpley-green tartan fabric I've purchased. I also want to try making a few more knit items as opposed to viscose, however I've put myself on a fabric-buying-ban until I've used everything in my stash! 

'til next time!

♥