When I was a teenager I learned to sew mainly using vintage paper patterns. I’ve always loved the vintage styling of the drawn models, as well as variety in the construction of the pattern pieces. I inherited quite a lot of patterns from my Mum, and both of my Grandmothers, and I have also added … [Read more…]
On this day, 10 years ago, I got married. This post is going to be about my wedding dress, because it is the most elaborate and luxurious dress that I have ever made, and probably ever will make. It took me many hours of sewing, it was quite a challenging project – it was definitely … [Read more…]
Welcome to my stop on the George + Ginger Festival Fever Blog Tour. I’ve been loving all the beautiful creations that I’ve seen so far this week, make sure to read all the way to the end for all the links. The Inspiration George + Ginger (referred to as G+G from this point forward) have … [Read more…]
I’ve really been feeling the love for Ellie and Mac Patterns lately, and I’ve been sewing up quite a few (see my Breezy peplum tops and Be Greater tunics). The patterns are so well put together which makes them quick and easy to sew, and the designs are simple and elegant which makes them so … [Read more…]
This is the second year that I’ve joined in on the Breaking Ground blog tour, hosted by Mahlica Designs. This year I jumped straight in and challenged myself with two different, yet complimentary new sewing experiences, and definitely breaking into new ground! So, today, I bring you all the details about my first ever fabric … [Read more…]
Colours for Spring Every year Pantone releases a report of the colours that are trending on the fashion runway. These are the colours that are going to be appearing in all the stores, and that will be featuring on all the new fabric! The colours for this spring are, I think, a little hard to … [Read more…]
I have never made or worn a strapless, or halter neck dress before, so this dress was quite a new experience for me. I have found it to be quite liberating though, a bit of a personal achievement! I also tried out some new-to-me dress construction techniques when making this dress, so I’ve taken a … [Read more…]
Sometimes you just need to have a dress that is a little bit more special, and for the first time in a very long time, I have done just that. Part of the motivation comes from a sweet sew-along that is currently in progress – the Day & Night Dress Challenge, and partly by this … [Read more…]
I’ve made quite a few dresses using the basic v-neck bodice from “Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book” by Gretchen Hirsch. More recently I’ve been tweaking the pattern to correct a slight high-low thing that was happening … i.e. the waist line was sitting slightly higher at the front, causing the skirt to have a small but … [Read more…]
New Pattern Release One of my favourite pattern designers, Ann from Designer Stitch, has released a new pattern this week – the Santi Skirt. This is such a great everyday skirt, its classic a-line shape makes it so easy to wear, either dressed up or dressed down. It is designed for woven fabrics, especially medium … [Read more…]
Today’s post is all about Christmas outfits. Every year I seem to be doing a last minute scramble to get Christmas themed outfits done for the kids to wear to the various end-of-year functions that they always have. Every year I’m doing it at the last minute, night before, having a highly stressful experience of … [Read more…]
This month’s blog tour, hosted by Melissa of Mahlica Designs is all about “Sew Long Summer”. It is a bit of a play on words, and can have a couple of different meanings. Here in Australia we are at the end of winter and are heading towards, what is normally a very long summer, so … [Read more…]
Today I’m sharing about this skirt that I made over the last few months….yup, that’s right, its taken me a few months to make this! This was mostly because other priorities got in the way – children growing out of everything and needing whole new wardrobes really quickly being the main reason. But, this was … [Read more…]
New Pattern Release Today’s new pattern is the Ravanna Wrap Pants by Designer Stitch. I have been seeing pictures of wrap around pants all over Facebook for the last month or so, and today the new pattern is ready! Pattern Details This pattern comes in a huge range of sizes: * (AU/UK) 6 – 26 … [Read more…]
I just love the new Ella Cami Set, a new pattern for a gorgeous ruffled cami top and matching pants set by Designer Stitch. Seriously, they are designed for pyjamas but I just love wearing these and suspect that they will make it into day wear! The Ella Cami Set features the Cami top and … [Read more…]
Earlier this year I made up a couple of Lacey Back Tees for my daughters. I really love the style – the hem shaping is so lovely, and its a deceptively simple pattern to make that really makes a stylish impact. So, I am quite excited that the pattern has now been released in women’s … [Read more…]
Its the first birthday for Designer Stitch PDF Patterns! Its hard to believe that so many beautiful patterns have been created in just a single year. There is so much to celebrate! Here is a quick look at some of the Designer Stitch patterns that I have sewn up over this past year: Gypsy Dress: … [Read more…]
This blog post is all about my new dress. This is a floral version of the Plaid Rockabilly Dress from Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book. I have recently discovered a passion for dresses, especially now that I have a fitted bodice pattern that fits me properly, and, of course, a book of endless variations! The Pattern … [Read more…]
Introducing the latest pattern from Designer Stitch – the Kiera Skirt. This skirt is so versatile – it can be dressed up or dressed down, simple or fancy, but always stylish! The Fabric The skirt is designed to be made with light to medium weight woven fabric. I used an organic cotton poplin in a … [Read more…]
I made myself a new dress, and I wore it for Mother’s Day. I have to say that this is the first time that I have had trouble choosing which photos of myself to share – not because I can’t find any that I like, but because I like them all and can’t decide between … [Read more…]
Blank Slate Patterns are reviewing some of their patterns and expanding the size range! One of the first is the Oceanside Pants. They now go up to a size 3XL – that’s a 55 inch hip! I recently made a pair and I have to say that I really love them, they fit perfectly and … [Read more…]
At the start of this year I joined in a sewing challenge with the Sew Alongs & Sewing Contests facebook group. This challenge was to sew an 8 piece capsule wardrobe using only patterns from stash – even better if the fabric was also from stash. After having a bit of a rummage through my … [Read more…]
I have been a bit all over the place for the last few weeks – there was family holidays, and then I was ill….but now we seem to be back into our routine again, and I have a bit to catch up on. Today, I’m going to finally share my creation as part of a … [Read more…]
This week I’m joining over 25 other bloggers to showcase Zierstoff Patterns. Zierstoff have a great range of PDF patterns designed in Germany. Today I’m going to show you this jacket – the Lilia Jacket. The Pattern This pattern is a hooded jacket designed to be made up in fleece and is available in 4 … [Read more…]
So, I’ve joined in on the Breaking Ground Blog Tour. The tour is hosted by Melissa from mahlicadesigns. I’m joining almost 20 bloggers to break new ground by trying a pattern designer that is new to them, with a focus on smaller indie designers. Last year I discovered the Finnish pattern designer Named Clothing. I … [Read more…]
