Simple sewing: When you’re not really feeling it.

At the beginning of the year, I said I was going to slow down my makes so that I could concentrate on drafting and fitting. Well, my creative impulses kind of ground to a halt. Not only has my sewing dried up to a dribble, but I did not really achieve any of the planning […]

Washed Denim Jumpsuit

If you’ve been around for a while you might remember #sewtogtherforsummer2019 when our assignment was to make a jumpsuit. I went a bit mad that year and created a total of five jumpsuits but was still eclipsed by the awesome Jen Legg’s 11! One of my suits was a self-drafted boilersuit style which I made […]

My 2022 sewing summary

I’ve posted everything I made in 2022 to Instagram and it was interesting that I produced more items in 2022 than in the two previous years as I thought I’d spent more time away and therefore had less time to sew. 2022 started with a couple of Minerva projects early on and then I made […]

Designin’ December vs. Little Red Dress Project – Xmas 2022

It’s time for my favourite end-of-year challenge. Linda Maki’s Designin’ December is a sewing challenge to recreate or take inspiration from a designer item that you love. I spent a few years on the sidelines before jumping into this challenge and now this is my third entry. This year I might be able to kill […]

I snoozed and so I had to hack M7969

A while back I kept getting notifications that Minerva was offering a free download of the popular McCall’s M7969 pattern. I thought that’s great, I’ll have to get that. Well, I kept seeing the emails and kept saying I was going to get it, and I finally got ready to download the pattern, only to […]

Sleeping Bag Puffa Jacket – I try Upcycling

Often on my semi-regular walks on the Downs, I have admired my friend’s lightweight down jacket that she wears when the weather has just a little nip in the air but it’s not cold enough for a big jacket. I continued to covet my friend’s jacket and also considered the ££££ demanded by outdoor apparel […]

Atlas Wrap Dress or my Hot Girl Summer Dress that wasn’t

One of the things I’ve noticed is that much of my sewing is Summer-centric. It makes sense that as I’m lucky enough to be able to travel a lot, I tend to make garments for those trips. This edition is another summer-suitable make but unfortunately, I didn’t get to wear this on this summer’s holiday.

Soft Suit Combo – The Final Set

Here it is! Three garments, two patterns, one great suit. I’m over the moon with how this turned out. Even with a few errors, the set is everything I wanted from it. The shirt/jacket that I have been shunning for so long, is just great. The trousers have that smart/casual feel that I love and […]

Soft Suit Combo – the Trousers

For the last few years, I’ve been focused on perfecting the fit of my trousers and last summer I made the first of what is now a few pairs of linen trousers. I’ve had linen trousers in various colours over the years and they all were worn until they fell to bits. I’ve been meaning […]

Soft Suit Combo – the Shacket

I have resisted the Shacket with all my might for the last couple of years. Although I liked the look of it, I always baulk at anything that “everyone’s wearing”. It was the super trend a couple of years ago and my problem is that I like to be in fashion but I don’t like […]

But you don’t do trends….. Soft Suit Combo Intro

I’ve said many times on this blog that I don’t like to follow trends, well apparently that’s not the case anymore. Out and about this summer, I’ve seen a lot of this look and I’m really into it. I’ve also been liking this a lot – a linen waistcoat. I’ve seen this a lot in […]