Hunting out the perfect T I think we all long for the perfect t-shirt, don't we. I have 2 shapes that I like to wear. A close fit for under jumpers and a looser fit for summer wear and when I want something that hugs me less. As we've progressed through lockdowns...
A loved up quilt. Is there any other, really. To spend that long planning, buying fabric, cutting out and sewing up again. There has to be a certain amount of love there. This was for my tiniest of nieces who, due to the last year, I've not really got to know first...
Musing my Morgan jeans So a while before I made my Ginger Jeans I tried the Morgans from Closet Core. Although I love a skinny jean, in the summer I like something a little looser. I have to admit, my skinnys only really come out when the winter or long boots come...
Pattern storage How do you store your patterns? Are they all neatly put away in a box? On display on a shelf? Filed in a cabinet? Left in a pile? I thought I’d got it sussed. I have all of my general, big four stored in a plastic draw tower and boxes. Yes, I’ve got a...
Building a bounty of Blackwoods I'm beginning to get a bounty of blackwoods. I’m super-late to the Helens Closet Blackwood Cardigan but boy, does it live up to it’s reputation. I love a cardigan. Normally my go-to cardi shape is cropped and fitted. ...
I think I've made the cosiest of jumpers ever! I love a bit of knit wear. Nothing can make you feel like you're being cocooned better than the perfect jumper.(sweater) I'm constantly on the look out for the knitwear of dreams and I think this comes pretty...
New skills Trying something new is a great thing to get you out of a lull, regain your mojo and lose yourself in. To pull you from your regular projects and gain some joy and momentum with your creativity. I might have said this before but I love to learn something...
Why don’t we dress up? In these days of staying home I think we should take a lesson from the smalls in our lives. They don’t care if they don’t have a party to go to or if they need to see anybody on a zoom call. If they fancy dressing up as a princess or a dinosaur they just do it.
Do you do seasonal sewing? I don't often. Gifting what we sew can trigger a minefield of emotions. What can I make? Will they like it? How am I going to work out sizing? Have I got time? Most importantly, will they appreciate the time and energy put into making? ...
I'm determined to stay positive through this second lockdown in the uk. This time we kind of know what we're in for. During the spring lockdown, I found those first 6 weeks really quite difficult. Positivity was definitely in short supply. The world stopped. My...
Who knew a jean pattern could become a smart staple. It should have been obvious since I can live in jeans when I don't need to be in work mode. My normal trouser pattern is a wide leg fly front which wouldn't have worked for this fabric. Naturally Closet Core...
The Zadie pattern strikes again with another variation. It's no secret that this pattern is a good base for a variety of hacks. I love it! Having started with the jumpsuit , I went onto a dress and now I've lengthened the top part into a really versatile wrap top. ...
This sewing community can be a wonderful place. We can share the love of fabrics, the latest pattern inspirations and generally boost each other in our favored creative outlet. As I tentatively start organising classes again in these strange covid times I realise how...
So here we are, I finally bit the bullet and pressed the button. Welcome to the website. It's been in my mind for the last couple of years. Life and work always seemed to get in the way. That and I'm not the most technical bod so it was going to test my brain cells....
I've hovered over the Bridgetown backless dress by Sew House 7 for some time now. I think I look at it most summers to brighten up my summer wardrobe. I then talk my self out of it due to the number of projects on the list. Well, this year I bit the bullet. I'm so...
Now you might have guessed this is a subject close to my heart. I love fabric. I can quite happily look at it all day. Like many sewists I have a substantial stash that I take in hand on occasion and actually use. Sadly I don’t appear to make it up at the same rate...
How I love to see returning students and discover what their next project might be or to meet new students and guide them through the mine field of patterns and technical lingo to begin their sewing journey. It can be daunting going to a new class or turning...
One size doesn't fit all. Even in ready to wear the sizing differs from store to store as their muses change from teen to the more mature shopper. It's something that I come accross in class all of the time. For those new to sewing and the issue of pattern sizing,...