All posts tagged: indie Pattern

A Sewing Room Miracle

Published by

Some things just never go to plan. When they don’t go to plan in the sewing room, but the creative juices are flowing, a sewing room miracle can happen. I printed off the pattern for the Pona jacket not knowing which fabric I’d choose to make it up in. I initially thought dark blue denim. I love denim and it goes with anything and everything in my wardrobe. So when my pattern was taped together I went to have a rummage in my stash. I say rummage because I had a huge pile of fabric on my table as I was up to my ears in organising my stash. You can’t see it but under there somewhere was a piece of curtaining fabric that I acquired from one of my ‘real life’ sewing buddies. She inherited a close family friends stash who had sadly passed away. The curtaining fabric was from the 80’s and looked big enough for the jacket. It turned out it wasn’t, but before I realised this I’d already cut out all …

Elephants and Indians

Published by

Gosh!  Where’s the time gone?! I’ve had a whole month to rustle something up to fulfil my pledge for the Made Up Initiative which is raising money for the National Literacy Trust. My mum bought this elephant and indian crepe, slightly sheer with a tiny amount of stretch for me a few months ago.  I’ve been umming and arrhing for ages what to make with it so thought if I pledge to make something up with it I’d have a deadline and would do it. And I did!  And I love it! I had a few suggestions on my Sunday Sevens when I was first gifted this fabric.  Sheila from Sewchet thought maybe a baby doll set for the boudoir, but Indians being ridden by elephants…… not sure if that’s an image I’d like to portray in the bedroom! I decided to make the Dimpsy T from Laura After Midnight.  I’d made a hack of this before in a jersey fabric without the collar but thought it was time to stand up to my fear of making …

The Denim and Jersey Aurora Tank By Seamwork

Published by

Back in June I printed off one of the latest patterns (then it was!) by Seamwork – The Aurora Tank. I was inspired by Helena from GrayAllDay patterns to make one.  She made one every day for a week and came up with some fab colour combos, and she also discovered that the yoke could be make in a woven as well as a jersey. I traced the pattern off back then, but it wasn’t until a couple of days before our trip to Taunton in July that I got round to whipping one up.  Not sure if it took me 2 hours – I did cut some corners. I used a remnant of a jersey from my stash, and for the yoke I had some of the stretch denim from my recently made capri pants. I thought the denim would be too thick for the inside of the yoke so i was going to use an old black viscose top. After I’d cut it out I got lazy and decided the yoke didn’t need an inside …

Laura After Midnight’s Dimpsy T

Published by

A few weeks ago I bought Laura After Midnight’s new pattern the Dimpsy T.  I originally intended to make it for TMS Indie Pattern Month but life got in the way. Today, however, I needed a quick fix. As I’d already traced off for the Dimspy T it was easy to decide what to make! I had traced it off in a size 14.  I’m really in between a 16 and 18 across the bust, but my greaseproof paper would only fit a size 14 on and I’d no sticky tape to hand, so a 14 it was! As the size was likely to be a bit on the snug size I decided to make it up in a stretch fabric.  I had some fabric which hasn’t even made it upstairs to my stash yet.   I bought it when I popped into John Lewis in Newcastle on Thursday.  (it was only 3 miles away from H’s cricket match – how could I resist!). Here’s what I brought!  Think I must’ve needed cheering up, or maybe brightening up …

The Oslo Cardigan from Seamwork & Tips on hemming a slinky knit!

Published by

I was a little late subscribing to the new digital magazine from Colette at the back end of last year so I missed out on the free pattern.. including The Oslo.  At first it wasn’t a problem, but then they were popping up all over, even in the Supermarket!  And I needed one to snuggle and slouch in, with so splashed out! I went down to Dewsbury to Lucky Fashions and spotted this scrumptious knit with an amazing drape for an even more amazing £3 per yard.  I snapped up 3 yards and dashed home! Before the sun set I had my very own Oslo. And boy has it been put through its paces.  It’s gone with everything! (as you’ll have seen on MMM15).  It seemed a bit daft taking pictures of me in the Oslo for this post, what with all the selfies of me on MMM, so I sweet talked my lovely niece into putting it on for a few photos.  That was the easy bit, The hard bit was getting it off her! I …

“Magic Our Morris” The Grainline Morris Blazer

Published by

Now, does that heading stir any memories? Selwyn Froggitt was a popular Sitcom which ran from 1974-77. I was born in 1971 so although I don’t remember everything from it I do remember a well know phrase from the show, which was “Magic ‘r’ Morris!” Morris was Selwin’s brother. If you remember it and fancy a nostalgic chuckle take a peak at this You Tube clip. If you don’t, then moving swiftly on……….. here is my new Grainline Magic Our Morris Blazer! (worn with my BHL Polly Top) I’m so excited to share this with you!  I’ve not taken it off since I finished it this lunch time and have had so many compliments.  I woke up at half 6 this morning and by 7am was well into cutting out.  All in all it’s taken me 5 hours from start to finish (not including getting the pattern ready). So here we are – I’ll get straight into the finished garment photos, then I’ll just mention a few changes I made during construction. I think you …

Gray All Day – The Athena Top

Published by

Helena from Gray All Day has today released her new pattern The Athena Top, and guess what….. I was a pattern tester!!  When I saw her post asking for testers I couldn’t reply fast enough!  I’ve never done any pattern testing before so wasn’t sure what to expect.  When I received the email to accept my offer I was over the moon and got to work straight away! This morning I decided to make another one, not realising that today was going to be the release day, so now I can share it with you! Here’s how she describes it: The new Athena top is a relaxed but chic raglan sleeve knit or woven top that can be whipped up in an afternoon. The sleeves twist under the arm to create a graceful waterfall and the hem dips in back for a subtle hi-lo effect. The knit version is finished with bands at the neck and arms, while the woven uses bias binding. It is perfect for those ultra-soft drapey jerseys or tissue knits that …

Sewing Gives Me Butterflies – The Julia Cardigan #patternparcel6

Published by

Back in October I bought the Perfect Pattern Parcel #6.  Included in this was The Julia Cardigan from Mouse House Creations. I’ve been meaning to make this up for ages, and now I have!  It’s good to know things do get to the top of the ‘to-do’ list, eventually! I chose some black slinky jersey which was initially bought to make me and Thimberlina’s mum a pair of matching leggings.  I bought this fabric from Lucky Fabric’s in Dewsbury at the back end of last year. I s’pose I could’ve left it in my stash a bit longer, I mean, 3 months in the spare room, it’s not even got settled in! But alas, despite £5 being an absolute bargain for me and my mum to have a pair of leggings  (I only had 1.8m but neither of us have particularly long legs) the leggings never materialised. But then I remembered the Julie Cardigan (my ‘to-do’ list is not written it’s in my head, note to self to maybe write a blog post about it). …

Stripes, Stabilisers And Sagginess

Published by

I think we all have made at least 1 Coco.   But have you made a stripy one? STRIPES STABILISERS SAGGINESS I bought this gorgeously soft ponte roma knit from Fabworks down Dewsbury. (if you’re local to me you’ll know we don’t say in Dewsbury, we go down Dewsbury…)  I think it was £5 per metre and I splashed out and bought 2m.  Initially I thought I might make another Coco dress, or another Victoria Blazer, but yesterday I needed a top to go with my new jeans (first clothing bought since 2013!!! I joined the RTW Fast in 2014). This is a slight sidetrack from the intended post, but I NEEDED some jeans.  I didn’t dash out on the 1st January for a crazy shopping spree, I do still to try and make everything I wear.  But I don’t have a pair of jeans that fit me, and there’s only so many Espresso Leggings a girl can wear. Back to the stripes and Fabworks.  Don’t be put off by their website.  You can’t buy anything on it. But if …

Oh No! I’ve lost a Coco!

Published by

First of all, a belated happy new year! What with holidays in Mexico and a poorly mum-in-law there’s not been much time for sewing or blogging, but I’m back! I’ve not made any firm resewlutions this year, except I am only going to make things with a definite outfit in mind. I have a wardrobe full of handmade clothes but not too many full outfits. I’m not carrying on the RTW fast this year but I’m only going to buy things which I can’t make and really need (I’ve bought a waterproof coat today!). After reading about Tilly recent makes of straight style Coco dresses I decided to make one from some fabric in my stash, and also one for my mum. I need more everyday casual clothes for the cold weather, and thought these would look great with some long boots, and they do! Only trouble is I prefer my mums, and so does she! The sleeves are the wrong side of the made fabric, so the tones are perfect. Here’s a close up: …