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!

♥

What have I been sewing? : May 2016

Let me just say one thing before I start. I really, really do not like this hot weather. Being a natural ginger, I feel the heat quite easily and if I'm being honest, I struggle! Although it is nice to actually have a summer this year, it would also be nice if I could go a day without feeling like I'm melting. 

Okay, now I've had my little whinge, I'm finally getting round to reporting my makes for May 2016 - this month was relatively quiet in the sewing front as I just couldn't find the time to do it, however what I had made, I actually really like. I'm a bit miffed that I didn't join in with Me Made May but I just simply didn't have the time to get everything made so I could wear "me made" items throughout the whole month, but there's always next year, right!

First item was my McCalls 7200 Kimono jacket (view C), and yes, I made it in the bunny fabric. I've actually come to the end of this fabric now, but I'm super happy with how this turned out. 

I first laid eyes on this pattern when I was browsing through katemakesadress on instagram and thought, Philly, you need this in your life if it's that simple to make. This was a relatively simple item so put together, once I had figured out the instructions. For the life of me, I could not read these instructions and understand them. My Mum had also read them and looked at me like "what are you even on about..." but something just wasn't letting them sink in to my head!

The only alteration I had to make was that I had to readjust where the tie-belt straps were sewn in. Due to me being quite short, the location of the straps meant that they were sitting right on my bum and it really didn't look right, so I moved them up a few inches and now they're sitting perfectly on my waist. 

Would I make this again? Yes, I think I would. I'd probably make it a little shorter though, as this is quite long on me but I suppose it's quite good as it does cover my bum, so if I do end up having leggings on which are slightly...see through...at least my dignity is covered on my derrier! I'd also make it in a plain(er) fabric so that I could wear it with more of my clothes. I love how versatile this pattern is and how I actually like what it looks like both tied up at the front and also at the back. 

My second make for May was a Sew Over It Ultimate Shift dress top. Now, I don't have any decent photos of this top as of yet so bare with me - the photo I do have does not do this fabric any justice though! 

Apologies for this being horrendously creased in this photo, I'd taken this top to Cardiff with me and didn't realise how easily it'd crease! As much as I love viscose, this one really does crease easily. 

This top only took me around 2 hours to make, as I've really managed to master this pattern. I think this is probably the 5th time I've used this pattern now (3 dresses and 2 tops) however the first time I'd tried to make a top out of the pattern, I really didn't like how it looked. I don't know if it was because of the sleeves or whatever but it just really didn't look right. 

A few alterations were made to make this top fit me better. I increased the size of this by about an inch and a half each side, as I wanted the fit to be slightly baggier. I also missed off the facings and used a single turned over hem to finish off the arm holes, neckline and bottom hem and I actually like how it turned out. It's extremely comfy to wear and I've already got another 2 pre-cut and ready to start sewing this morning. 

The one thing I love about this pattern is that it just suits every body type. I'm not the smallest of girls by any means, but this dress pattern, and top pattern for that matter, really make me feel a little slimmer. 

 So those are my two makes for May 2016! As I said above, a relatively quiet month on the sewing front, however June is already under way and I've managed to make something already, so hopefully I'll have my other items finished and I'll actually get that post up on time by the end of June...

'til next time! 

♥

Singer Starlet 6660

I've spent so many hours of my life looking at all the fancy computerised sewing machines and thinking wow, I'd really love one of those...but what I didn't love was the price tag that came with the majority of them! 

If you've been around for a couple of months, you'll know that I recently moved out of my privately rented flat and back to my Parent's house, meaning I had a lovely sum of money coming back my way in the form of my deposit! I though that there was no better way of treating myself after such a stressful time than to buy a new sewing machine. Don't get me wrong, I loved my little Brother LS14 but I just wanted something a bit more...substantial now I've really gotten into the swing of dressmaking. 

On one of my many trips to Hobbycraft with my Sister when she's up from London, we headed straight to the sewing machine aisle, just so I could have a look at the ones they have on offer, as I like the fact I could physically see the machine and have a go, should I choose to. I fell in love with one, but was a bit iffy about spending over £200 on a machine! We had a bit of a walk about and I thought, Philly, do your research first, you can always come back. 

After about...an hour...of thinking do I need this, can you justify it, blah blah blah, I decided I wanted to go ahead and buy one. I went back to Hobbycraft the morning after, walked to the till with the sewing machine box for a Singer Starlet 6660 in my arms and before I knew it, I'd spent over £200 on a new sewing machine. What, I must be mad. 

Okay no, really, I am so happy I spent this much money on a computerised machine. The quality is just unreal, the whole thing just feels so damn sturdy and I love how easy the interface is to use. I like how I can see all of the stitch "library" on the front of the machine, rather than on a dial like on my Brother. Also, one thing I never thought I'd use is an automatic needle threader - but I can honestly say it's a must on any machine I have going forward! I also like the fact you get a little bag of goodies to get you started as well. 

So, here it is, my new baby!

The one thing that I've noticed myself doing a lot more is experimenting with stitch lengths and widths. I don't recall having this option on my previous sewing machine (Brother LS14), but I found this so easy to have a mess with using the push buttons. 

I'll admit, I haven't used all of the stitches as of yet as I need to find a scrap of fabric big enough to test them all out on, but again, it's super easy to change stitches using the two arrow buttons. One thing I have had a go at doing was using the buttonhole stitch and couldn't believe how easy this was...the foot that was supplied to create buttonholes is quite nifty as you place your button in a little crevice on the foot and it creates a perfectly sized buttonhole. Needless to say I was absolutely amazed. 

The one thing that I worried about was spending all this money on this machine and not actually noticing a difference in the quality of my creations - but I'm so wrong. The stitches just seem a lot more...robust and everything just seems to feel that little more professional. I don't know if that's psychological but I can definitely tell a difference. Another big change for me is the fact that this is a side loading bobbin, as opposed to a top loading bobbin. I think I might actually prefer it, as I seem to have less tension issues - or am I just having a bit more luck lately than usual?! 

I could ramble on for ages about this sewing machine but if you're looking for a "budget friendly" computerised machine, I honestly would have a look at this one. As I said above, I purchased mine from Hobbycraft for £219.00.

♥

What have I been sewing? : April 2016

Now the trees are turning a little bit greener and the flowers are in full bloom, I'm finally feeling a little bit better and more optimistic about everything. I had a week or so where I felt like I was at a dead end, but truth be told, I've had a bit of time to myself to think about everything and I feel much better for doing so! 

Jumping right in to what I've been sewing, I didn't make a lot last month with moving back home, settling back in etc. I only made two dresses from patterns I already have but made them sleeveless so that I can wear them in both the summer and winter! 

The first dress I made was a Merchant and Mills dress shirt in a navy and pink arrow print shirting cotton from Fabworks, which was £5.00 per meter.

This is a gorgeous fabric and it's really surprised me at just how durable it is. I've never used a "proper" shirting cotton before but you can definitely tell the difference! I opted to make this dress sleeveless as I'd already tried setting in the sleeves, but it just didn't look right! I've found that I've worn this more since taking the sleeves out and I suppose I could wear this with a long sleeved top underneath when it becomes winter again. This didn't take too long to make and set the sleeves in initially, but I had set it aside for quite a while whilst I moved house and settled in, but in total I'd say it probably took me around 3 hours. 

The second item I'd made was another Sew Over It ultimate shift dress in a rabbit print viscose from thetextilecentre on eBay. I've purchased fabric from this online shop a couple of times and I've been so impressed with the quality of the fabric so far. 

Not the best photos but I absolutely love this dress. I made it slightly bigger than I normally would have done and also sleeveless, I think I actually prefer this dress without the sleeves! Again, I've left the sleeves off so I can wear a long sleeved top underneath. 

Now, I've got a couple of new posts lined up and also a review of my new Singer sewing machine, which will hopefully be posted within the next week or so.

'til next time! 

♥

Blog re-design

Hello my lovelies! I hope you've had a lovely bank holiday weekend. I've had a lovely weekend as I finally had time to sit down and chill out. 

Some of you may notice that my blog has been pretty silent for the past few weeks as work has gotten super busy again, I'm in and out of the house and I just hadn't had time to do anything! That being said, I felt like I needed to change what this blog was really about. 

I decided to have a blog redesign, as I felt like I'd outgrown the flowery and somewhat childish design I had beforehand. I also wanted to change my blog name. Sweet Pea is a nickname my Dad has called me ever since I was little and for a while, it was nice associating it with something that I put a lot of thought into. However, I didn't feel like it suited this blog. 

So, I've had a bit of a mess around and actually quite like minimalistic layout I have at the moment, however no doubt I will be making a few tweaks here and there. 

So, goodbye SweetPea and hello to PuddingPop! 

♥

Pattern haul; March 2016

I love this time of year, as everything seems to get so much more colourful. Although I love the dark colours and patterns of winter fabrics, I can't help but fall in love with the bright and bold colours of spring/summer fabrics! 

I didn't really get chance to sew anything in March 2016, I did make another Merchant & Mills Dress Shirt, however I need to adapt the sleeves slightly before I'm 100% happy with it. 

I did, however, purchase a couple of patterns and I'm super excited to go shopping for fabric! 

First of all, I purchased another Sew Over It pattern. A couple of months ago I purchased the Ultimate Shift Dress pattern and absolutely loved it. I noticed this pattern on their website shortly after but held off on purchasing it until we had passed Winter and moved onto the warmer Spring months. 

I purchased the Pussy Bow Blouse pattern in a PDF format. Now before the Shift Dress pattern, I'd never downloaded a PDF pattern and printed it out, but I actually really like it! 

I love the style of the Pussy Bow Blouse and feel like I could make it in quite a few different fabrics to make this a casual top but also one that I could shove in my work wardrobe. The pattern looks relatively easy to sew together, I'll definitely be reviewing this one! 

The next pattern I purchased this month was a kimono style jacket from McCall's, which was the Easy Sewing 7200 Kimono Jacket. I purchased mine from the Minerva Crafts store via Ebay, as it worked out cheaper to purchase it from there than on their actual website. The delivery on this was so quick, it turned up the next day! 

Kimono style jackets have been in and out of my wardrobe for the last couple of years and I'm actually quite glad that this pattern has a few different variations. I first saw this on Instagram by katiemakesadress in a really quirky cactus print fabric and shortly after a geometric print and fell in love, I knew I had to have this pattern! Again, this will be one to review when I eventually get round to sewing it. 

I'll surely update this post when I manage to go fabric shopping for these patterns and will make a separate post for the finished products. 

'til next time! 

♥

Moving back home

For the last few weeks, my life has been completely chaotic. My blog has been relatively quiet and I apologise! I just haven't had chance to sit down and actually take the time to write a decent post or even so, actually sew anything. 

So, what's actually been happening? 

After much deliberation, my Boyfriend and I decided it would be best if we moved back in with our Parents for the time being. This way, we can actually save for a house of our own rather than privately renting. As much as I loved our little flat, it was slowly but surely getting the better of us because we just couldn't see a way out. All of our wages (well, mostly all of our wages) were going on forever increasing bills and we just couldn't justify it any more. 

Fast forward about 3 weeks and so much has changed. Bonnie is now an "outdoors" cat, me and Devon are living about 20 minutes apart from each other and to be honest, I feel really, really lonely. 

I don't know if it's because my bedroom is painted the same as when I moved out, I don't know. I feel like I'm about 18 years old again and this is not a place where I want to be, or how I want to feel. Don't get me wrong, my Mum and Dad have been so supportive of me moving back in, but I just don't feel like myself any more. I don't feel like an adult. I'm sure this feeling will pass, but for now, it's knocked me on my backside and I don't know how to get out of feeling like this. 

I can't wait to get back into sewing, I've had a good month long break and I really miss it! I've got a designated sewing corner in my bedroom where I have my table and machine set up and I'm itching to get going again. 

I apologise that this post is all over the place, but this is the first time in nearly 3 weeks I've had to just sit down and do nothing but just think. I plan on getting a lot more posted in the next coming weeks as the Tenancy on the flat ends on the 6th April, so I won't have to worry about that any more, and every other Saturday will be spent sewing. 

'til next time! 

♥

What have I been sewing? - January & February 2016

Can anyone else believe we're almost at the end of February already? Time just seems to be flying by! 

I've been a busy little bee when it comes to sewing, I've really come to love it. I think I've sewn 4 or 5 different things over the last two months, and here they are! 

New Look 6073 Cape Coat

It's a well known fact that I don't wear coats, I just HATE how restrictive they are! I've been eyeing up capes in shops for a while but refused to pay £30+ for a decent one. After searching the internet for what seemed about 10 minutes, I found this pattern and instantly loved it. I picked the pattern up for £2.50 off ebay and the fabric I had bought cost me £4.00 per meter (I bought 2.5m just to be certain) and the fastenings cost me about £1.00 each . I made this in an evening, so it only took me around 3 hours to make (if that!). The only part I found difficult was the hood, as I had never attempted a pleat before but after practicing on some scrap fabric, I think it turned out okay! 

I love the fit of this cape and I've had so many compliments on it already, although I think I may line it with a dark fabric just to make it look a bit more "finished". It's really warm and although it's a little bit on the heavy side, I can see me wearing this a lot when it's cold! 

Oh and one more thing, it totally makes me feel like I should be in Harry Potter, or at least take part in the Victorian Fare in Worcester when it's on... 

Sew Over It Ultimate Shift Dress

I've already made a post about my first shift dress, but I couldn't help but make another... I'm searching for more fabric to make this dress out of so I can bulk up my workwear wardrobe. 

The first shift dress I'd made was out of a polyviscose in a gorgeous black/white/grey floral print. The fabric was £8.00pm, I purchased 2m but I still have a LOT left over, so I think I might make a shift top from the remaining fabric. If you want to read more about the ins and outs of this pattern, head over to this post which will tell you more. 

The second dress I'd made was out of a mid weight denim fabric which I'd eyed up in Hobbycraft (£6pm). Now I never ever buy fabric from Hobbycraft, but I loved the deep blue colour of this denim, I think it's going to look really nice once it starts fading a bit! 

The denim fabric was lovely to work with, it didn't stretch/pucker anywhere unlike the polyviscose, but surprisingly has a lot of ease to it. Again, I had a lot of fabric left over so I've actually made a shift top from the remaining fabric, however this is yet to be finished! 

Merchant & Mills Dress Shirt

I just want to say one thing about this pattern. I. Love. It. I'd noticed Merchant & Mills in Liberty of London when I'd visited my Sister over new year but didn't even think to pick a pattern up (I later picked this up for £12.50 from FloJo online) but knew I'd be looking at pattern reviews online a little more! 

The fabric I'd bought was a a bit of a risk as it was from Ebay. Normally I wouldn't do this as I can't feel the fabric unless I order a swatch, but for £2.50pm, it wasn't the end of the world if it was a complete let down. However, I LOVE this fabric. It's such a nice lightweight denim and it has a lovely colour to it. 

I ended up making a size 18 as I wanted this to be quite a loose fitting dress, however I had to adapt it slightly. When I'd measured it up, the length of the dress was pretty much just above my ankles which would have looked ridiculous, if I remember I had to take about 7-8 inches off the length just so it sat at my knee! However, the instructions were easy to follow and I actually mastered the pleat at the front! 

Needless to say, I'm already searching for a lot more different fabrics to make this pattern out of. I love pairing this dress with a brown waist belt and a scarf to make it look like a complete outfit. 

There's my creations from January & February 2016! I already have a stash of 4 different fabrics which I plan on making shift tops from which I plan on starting this weekend, so expect another post relatively soon featuring those! 

'til next time!

♥