What a year 2022 has been. Perhaps this is evidence that I’m getting old but it really feels like it’s passed in the blink of an eye. For the first time since I was 23, I am not in full-time employment. I love being able to say that being made redundant was one of the best things that has happened to me. I still have the stability of a permanent job for three days a week, but I work freelance on the other two days. What I like and don’t like about my work has started to crystallise and I feel like I’m finding ways to increase the former and decrease the latter. I’m hopeful that I’ll get to a point in the relatively near future when I don’t need to work full-time anymore and have more time to pursue other things that are important to me.
I commented in last year’s roundup that I had been surviving but not thriving- in fact I would say that summarises the first three and a half decades of my life. It does seem like things have shifted this year and perhaps I am taking steps towards thriving. It actually feels a bit scary that things seem to be going quite well; that life is precarious and I could lose the things I have managed to build- my little house, career and cat. I think part of what I am learning is to accept that a small part of me will always feel like things are a bit scary and uncertain but it doesn’t need to be that part that is the main guiding force in my decisions.
“Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”
David Bowie
I’ve been thinking a lot about those words. I think I got stuck in a comfort zone for a while. I’m still in a process of becoming and figuring out my purpose in life.
Craft-wise this year has been surprisingly prolific. It has been wonderful to be reunited with my sewing machine. When I thought about my craft plans at the beginning of the year, I never would have imagined having enough garments for a #MakeNine.
Continue readingI’ve known that I need to make a new pair of trousers for months, but making practical garments isn’t one of my strengths. I’m always drawn to a fun print rather than a workhorse. However, I had to accept the fact that my two staple pairs of work trousers (1, 2) were reaching the point of being beyond repair. Sew Over It’s cigarette pant pattern has been my trouser of choice for years but I felt it was time to branch out and try something new.
I’d been on the lookout for a new pattern for a while when I finally discovered one to my liking; the Terra trousers by Pattern Fantastique. This pattern isn’t extensively reviewed but I really liked the garment photos I saw and ploughed ahead.
I’m using a navy cotton that I purchased from the New Craft House in East London. I visited because they kept showing a (different) stunning fabric on their Instagram and I was very tempted to order some. I’m really glad I went to look at it rather than impulse buying because, while lovely, it just wasn’t a fabric that would fit my style. I also spotted the most gorgeous wool that I think could have worked well for the Terra pattern. However, at £60/m, I didn’t want to risk it for a first run at an untested pattern.
Choosing the fabric took a while because I felt it was important to try and find the balance between structure and drape for these trousers. While it does mean I burn a lot of time in fabric and haberdashery stores, there really is no substitute for physically handling the materials to know whether they will work. I used 2m of fabric and I don’t think it would be possible to get the pattern out of any less. The trouser legs are wide as well as long, and no amount of creative laying out can change that.
I decided on a whim to make the pocket bags out of my Carrie trousers, which have been in my mending pile for months because they were ripped to shit. I think Liberty tana lawn is a good candidate for pocket fabric because it’s really fine and also very strong. My only slight reservation is whether the worn areas of fabric will weaken the pockets but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Choosing a size is a real challenge. The pattern provides a single size chart with no indication of whether the measurements are for the body or garment. The scant guidance advises to measure around the ‘high hip’ with no indication of exactly where this is. In the end I chose the size 10 based mostly on guesswork. I decided not to add cuffs.
Other commenters have highlighted that the instructions aren’t great. This is the second instruction:
Stay tape along seam lines, to prevent stretching whilst sewing
2 x Pant Corner, Waistline.
4 x Front Waistline, either side of tuck.
2 x Back Waistline.
Maybe I am being obtuse but this instruction bamboozled me. After getting nowhere with trying to figure out what this meant, I fused strips of interfacing to what I guessed were the indicated areas. Some of the cutting instructions are off too. For example, being told to cut
Incidentally, I wasn’t sure what kind of fusible interfacing to use. I don’t think that the cotton will be especially prone to stretching so I just picked a lightweight interfacing from my stash. I have to say I’m not convinced the interfacing will really do anything and all my head-scratching will prove to have been wasted.
As always, I took some time to read others’ experiences before starting this project but I’m not sure if this helped or hindered me. I got my knickers in a twist over the zip insertion after reading this (very helpful) blog post, but then saw that the post was written in 2015 while the pattern copyright is 2017. Does this mean that Pattern Fantastique made updates to the file? I couldn’t find any errata for the pattern, nor any indication of whether it has been updated.
I went back and forth about whether to redraft the waistband. In my experience a straight waistband tends to look unpolished. However, looking at pictures of the Terras the waistband actually seems fine- when I was making this decision for my Winslow culottes, I knew from the garment phots that I wanted to alter the waistband. The blog post linked above suggested splitting the waistband at the centre back and sewing it last to allow for adjustments. In the end, this is the approach that I took since I was so uncertain about whether these trousers would fit.
I made my first welt pockets. I love a welt pocket and not many patterns include them. They are a little uneven but hopefully no one will be scrutinising my bum that closely.
Costs
Fabric £32
Pattern £10.36*
Printing £7.15
Notions £3.89
Interestingly I found that it was cheaper to order the PDF direct from the designer and have it printed rather than buy a hard copy.
Last week I succumbed to a different kind of Instagram targeted ad. I wish I wasn’t such a sucker but I was drawn in by the images of the London Illustration Fair. I need some art for my flat and thought that I might find something nice. I also booked onto two of the workshops.
I didn’t take many photos of the fair itself. There was lots of cool stuff on display but there was so much choice that I felt too overwhelmed to commit. I was disappointed that there were so few artists of colour exhibiting. The clientele was also overwhelmingly white. When given a choice I always try to support marginalised folks. In the end I only bought one t-shirt. I’d paid £13.58 to enter so it would have been easy to get drawn into the false economy of purchasing things to justify the cost; I’m glad I managed to resist.
The collage nostalgia workshop was two hours long and run by an Italian artist.
The artist had produced quite a few sample images to give a sense of her method for manipulating images, and what it looks like. She provided loads of resources. We mostly used paint pens, which I didn’t actually know were a thing, and washi tape.
This is the test page I created. I have to admit I wasn’t really listening when the artist explained this bit because I was looking through her photos in an increasing state of dismay at the dearth of people of colour. If I’d been listening more I would have known to play around with layering different patterns using the paint markers. If I have a go at this type of collage again, I will play around with textures more.
These are the (mostly) before images I selected. The only woman of colour was on a page exoticising non-white people.
I think booking this workshop at the last minute helped because I had no expectation. I could just enjoy the experience of playing with some new art materials with no expectation around the end product. I was reminded that I used to do quite a bit of paper craft back in the day, the culmination of which was probably making this card. I would like to explore this craft a bit more but my time is at a huge premium for now so we’ll see.
I did like the London Illustration Fair, but I wouldn’t go again unless they make a commitment to supporting artists of colour. I feel like organisations need to continue to do better to make art less elitist. In fact, the reason I studied psychology rather than pursing art, which took up most of my time when I was at school, was because I was afraid of the financial instability.
I’m not entirely sure why, but I booked onto a bra-making workshop. Bras always struck me as something that seemed a bridge too far to make but this workshop caught my eye and I decided to go for it. As with the pottery course I did last year, I think this is part of my sense that one day I will discover the thing I truly love making. I have to say I was regretting my life choices when I was waking up at 7.30am on a Saturday and cycling across London in the midst of a train strike.
The workshop took place at the New Craft House. These are the materials we were provided to make the Harriet bra by Cloth Habit.
And here is the pattern once I cut the pieces out. I have to say I was worried about the size since I normally wear a 34F. We were asked for our bra size as well as full and underbust measurements prior to the class. I think they chose the size based on our measurements, but I’ve had bad results in the past from trying to measure for bras this way.
First we attached nylon mesh lining to the main fabric using spray adhesive, then cut out and marked the pieces.
Here are all the pieces. The upper cup is made of lace and the back is power mesh. These are two fabrics I’d never worked with before.
Each step of the process was demonstrated. We constructed the band and then the cups, all using tiny seam allowances and lots of topstitching.
Next the lace upper cups were attached.
We stitched the cups to the cradle, then added the underwire channels (the white bit).
We then stitched picot elastic to the bottom band and sides under the arms. This gets turned under later for a neater finish.
We made the straps out of another kind of elastic and some hardware, then attached those to the bra. The strap elastic hides the last raw edge on the power mesh band.
These bits with the hooks on came premade. We had to trim down the power mesh at the back to make sure it would fit inside neatly, before being topstitched to enclose the raw edges.
Overall I have to say I’m disappointed. There wasn’t anything wrong with the class and the teacher was really nice. However, I think I needed my expectations about the outcome to be managed. When I do a sewing class, I expect to come away with a truly wearable garment and not a sample. The teacher explained that, for example, a reason for using the white underwire channels (which in my opinion ruin the look of the bra) is that it’s easier to look back and remember the process next time. I understand that but I would have preferred to be given a choice of materials so I had more control over the finish.
My classmates were slightly thunderstruck when I said that I won’t be making another bra. Making this one took over six hours, I didn’t enjoy it and I ended up with something that is far worse than what I’d buy in a shop. I am actually proud of myself for being honest about how I felt.
I was right to be worried about the size. I’ve decided against posting a modelled photo so you’ll have to take my word for it. The bra fits well around the back but overall gives me a very odd shape, partly because the clear elastic across the top of the cups cuts in to my flesh. I have a feeling that if stretch lace hadn’t been used for the upper cup, the bra would not fit at all. I’m not sure how standardised bra sizing is in the industry but I’m not sure why they selected the size for the class based on our measurements and not our actual bra size. Either way I think the drafting for the sizes in the pattern is not great. We were sent the full pattern a couple of days after the class but I don’t intend to use it again.
The fact that the bra doesn’t even fit is really the nail in the coffin for my lingerie making career. I’m certainly not going to pay for a load of specialist materials and sweat blood going through this process again if I’m not even sure I’ll get something I can use at the end.
Details
Pattern: Harriet bra by Cloth Habit
Cost: £180
I may have given the game away with the title of this post. After seeing dozens if not hundreds of versions of this dress over the past few years, I have finally decided to make my own. The germ of the idea came when I was thinking about what to make with the beautiful cupro I bought in Glasgow. I think a really nice black dress would be a useful and versatile addition to my wardrobe.
Separately, I was looking through the fabrics on offer through the Minerva brand ambassador program and this viscose caught my eye. I had in mind that I might do a dry run of the co-ord set I keep going on about but not making. I’m in quite a changeable mood at the moment. I’ve tested both the shirt and culottes for the co-ord set and I wasn’t feeling that idea once I received the fabric anyway. When looking for dress inspiration, Myosotis seemed like the best option.
I’m going to make View A without the skirt ruffle- or View B with the sleeve ruffle. I just can’t get on board with the idea of the skirt ruffle. Ruffle. I cut out the size 38 based on the final garment measurements. I didn’t make any changes other than modifying the pockets to enlarge and catch them in the waistband so they don’t flap about.
The pattern is pretty fabric-hungry and took a surprising amount of time to cut out. After the stress of my tiger Libby, I didn’t entertain the idea of pattern matching for a second. Because I had 3m of fabric to play with, I didn’t even look at the requirements! The fabric is 150cm (60″) wide so the pattern suggests 2.75 or 3 yards depending on the view. I think a yard is a bit less than a metre. I used around 2m for my dress- which is good because I purchased 2m of the gorgeous cupro (I nearly only bought 1.5m). I had to go back and cut some of the pieces where you had to cut two on the fold so I probably could have used a little less fabric if I had better reading comprehension.
Although lots of people add waist ties to their Myosotises, no one talks about exactly how they do that. After looking at lots of pictures and playing around with some ribbon to gauge the size, I decided to aim for ties that are 1cm wide. However, when I cut the waist ties I forgot that I needed to double the width and cut 3cm total.
I finally decided to invest in a loop turner for this project. I don’t make thin tubes that much, but turning them through is one of the worst tasks in sewing. I’d forgotten the pain I underwent when making my tennis dress and kept making holes in the fabric. In the end I had to re-cut my ties because I made such a mess of them before I bought the loop turner. The second time I cut at 4cm, making ties that are around 1.5cm wide with a 5mm seam allowance. I added some iron-on interfacing to the sections where I knew I’d be hooking the turner, and that helped the fabric not to get holes in it.
In hindsight, I probably should have cut the ties first rather than last. When doing my exhaustive waist tie research I read that fabric is stronger when cut parallel to the selvedge rather than perpendicular. It would have made sense to just trim them off first and then proceed with the rest of the cutting. I’m not sure whether the waist ties will even be needed as the fit on my bodice seems quite close.
I’ve managed to finish the bodice, which means I’ve completed the main part of this project. I now just need to insert the pockets into the skirt, attach and hem it. My only sadness is that this dress could not be less seasonal.
Details
Pattern: Myosotis by Deer & Doe (cut size 38)
Fabric: From Minerva (provided for free in exchange for posting on their site)
Costs:
Pattern: £10.43
Printing: £7.15
Buttons: £6
Total £23.58
In September, I was fortunate enough to get to spend the best part of a week at a wonderful event in Dumfries and Galloway, organised by Write South West Scotland.
I learnt about the forest school for writers by chance on Twitter, where I follow quite a few booksellers and other publishing-adjacent accounts. I used to write a lot as a child and in my early twenties, but doing my doctorate and churning out over a hundred thousand words in three years turned writing into a chore. Incidentally, I also lost the habit of reading for pleasure and it’s only now, nearly a decade and a pandemic later, that I’m learning how to read again.
The host, Anstey, curates some great experiences in this beautiful part of the world and introduced us to some of its cast of characters. My favourite was probably Hot Mushroom Guy (also known as Alouette Nature Tours). He took us on a rainy walk in the forest, put his life on the line by testing some oyster mushrooms before letting us forage them, and introduced us to the art of the spore print.
Another highlight was my first experience of wild swimming in the UK. This waterfall was the second-coldest body of water I’ve ever been in. The first was the Silfra fissure in Iceland, which was probably only a few degrees colder and I was wearing a wetsuit.
We did lots of writing exercises inspired by the activities, and by nature herself. There were a few themes across the week, including fractals and the mathematics of nature, and how small we are in the vastness of the universe.
Another theme was connection and interconnectedness, which brings me nicely on to the group. I had no idea what to expect from the group as it was my first time being involved in a retreat like this. Most of the writers were published authors and it was really interesting to learn about the industry, and their craft. As someone at a much earlier stage in their writing process, it would have been easy for me to feel left out or out of place, but I never did.
Anstey and her partner were so accommodating in making sure I had plenty of vegan options. Anstey is pescatarian, and the food provided is mostly veggie. I spent the week happily stuffed. Aside from the wonderful desserts, I have very fond memories of a sweet potato gratin that I must try to recreate at some point. I’ve only been on one retreat before and one of the best parts is having all your basic needs taken care of.
Since I was forced to fly (I was astonished to discover that all the trains to and from London were booked up) I got to spend a few hours in Glasgow on either side of the retreat. I’ve wanted to visit Glasgow for a while as it’s got a reputation as a good city for vegans. I’ve had it in mind for a few years that I might move to Scotland if they gain independence and England continues on its horrifying political trajectory. So I considered it a scouting mission.
On the trip out I managed to sample a full Scottish breakfast and had a bit of a wander around the area near Glasgow Central station.
I had a bit more time on the return, so I left my big bag at the station and embarked on a micro adventure. I visited Glasgow Museum of Modern Art (on Anstey’s recommendation) and it was amazing! I hadn’t realised that that’s the building next to the famous statue of the Duke of Wellington who always has a traffic cone on his head.
I had discovered Bawn on Instagram and decided to go along. I love an independent business. It was serendipitous as the visit took me to a lovely part of Glasgow that I wouldn’t have visited otherwise. There was a pop-up selling secondhand cashmere jumpers and lots of vintage shops, plus a lovely vegan deli. I couldn’t resist a couple of items, including a striped jumper and a pair of mechanics’ overalls that I’ve been wearing in the garden.
Bawn carries a well-curated stock of sustainable textiles. I desperately need to make some trousers so had hoped I might find suitable cladding for my legs. As I examined the fabrics, my finger pads happened upon one of the softest and loveliest fabrics I’ve ever encountered; a cupro. Apparently it’s cotton treated with a similar process to viscose. I’ve certainly never encountered cotton with such beautiful drape.
I don’t wear much black, which kind of makes it a statement colour for me. I feel like a dress in this gorgeous silky charcoal will be a wonderful souvenir of a week spent reconnecting with nature and my own creativity.
I had my first sewing time for ages over the weekend. I had intended to do something with the fabric I received from Minerva, but I changed my mind about what I was planning to make and needed to wait for some supplies. Instead, I decided to start a Libby shirt.
You may recall that this was the pattern I selected for a co-ord set, which I hopefully still will make one day. I wanted to have a first run at the Libby. This tiger-print viscose has been sitting around in my stash for years. It was the fabric that inspired me to unsubscribe from the Fabric Godmother website. By happy accident, I think the fabric and pattern are an excellent match.
Based on my measurements, I decided to cut out the size 8 as I wanted a slightly closer fit. I like a bold print, but placing the pattern for the shirt was a nightmare. It took me 2.5 hours to cut out. I genuinely don’t understand how people have the patience for proper pattern-matching. Nonetheless, 1.5m of fabric was plenty.
As other sewists have noted, the instructions for Libby are a little janky. Instead of illustrations, the pattern contains photographs of a WiP, which aren’t always the easiest to decipher. There is a sewalong on the Sew Over It website, which is somewhat helpful but no substitute for a well-illustrated pattern. I still don’t know how, but I had an issue with one of my shoulder seams that took me a lot of time, misery and squinting at photos of floral fabrics to figure out.
I mostly used French seams to tidy up the inside of the shirt. I also finished the front facings with bias tape because I may want to wear the shirt open and I want her to look cute. I made no other changes aside from putting the buttons on the ‘wrong’ side because the pattern flowed better.
Overall I’m very pleased with how this garment turned out. I love a camp collar shirt and the hours I spent on placing the pattern have given a good result (I am still too close to the horror to deem it time well spent). I’ll give the shirt a few wears before I can say for sure whether it was the right call to make the size 8. Although the shirt fits and there’s no hint of gaping, I think a little more ease would be cute. This is the version with the shaped hem. I am 5″4 with a short body and the length is perfect on me.
Costs
Fabric: £26.50
Pattern: £11.50
Printing: £4
Notions: £18.16
Total £46.16
I managed to complete my latest sewing project with minimal fuss. I made a pair of Winslow culottes and a Krissa crop out of 1.5metres of viscose I’ve had in my stash since buying it with competition winnings.
The Winslows are technically a wearable toile. I’m hoping to make another co-ord set soon, although autumn is in the air and these feel like summery projects.
Changes I made to the Winslow pattern.
- Altered Winslow waistband to be curved. I have increased the curve slightly to make the waist even more fitted on future iterations
- Enlarged pockets. I’m definitely going to make the pocket placement higher, and may also trap them in the waistband at the top
- I took around an inch off the length. This is the shortest view of the Winslow pattern. In hindsight I probably would have left the length as-is
- For a drapey fabric like rayon, I would use an even more stable interfacing for the waistband next time.
It’s funny how sewing teaches you little quirks about your body. According to my measurements I should have made a size 12 in the Winslow shorts, but I know better than that by now. I cut out the 10 and even still I had to take in the waist by another 1.5cm on each side once I’d finished the garment. Since this garment is technically a wearable toile I’ve adjusted the waistband pattern piece again for my next iteration.
Since I was in Islington I picked up my notions from Ray-Stitch. They carry a fairly limited selection of threads, and only the Pym bias binding, which is extremely stiff. I was worried that it would look awful with my drapey viscose but actually it worked fine. MacCulloch and Wallace remains my go-to store for notions but Ray-Stitch did have a lovely collection of patterns and some really nice fabrics as well.
I think I quite like the peekaboo back- though I’m not that fond of my elderly bra being on show. Since the Krissa pattern is quite cropped, the top can come untucked quite easily so I’m pondering adding some more buttons to keep it in place. Personally I prefer the Krissa in a fabric with more movement- although the back really can open up a lot, which feels a bit disconcerting!
It feels a bit strange to see myself in these camouflage colours. I bought the fabric on a bit of a whim all those years ago, when I was less considered in my purchases.
Cost
Fabric, patterns and printing: £26.92
Notions: £13.10
Total: £40.02
Since my last post about making a faux play suit, plans have moved on. I was diligently altering my Krissa crop pattern to incorporate the changes I knew I needed from my polkadot version and it dawned on me that I may well have enough monstera fabric to make a practice version of the Winslow culottes plus a Krissa.
I used this tutorial to convert the straight waistband of the Winslow culottes into a curved one. I’ve made garments with a straight waistband before and they always look naff on me.
When trying to fix the Krissa darts I kind of used this tutorial to help me but I was a bit confused about all the markings on my altered pattern and couldn’t be bothered to dig out the original, so I kind of winged it.
I have now sewn them up and I have to say that I think my split bust dart days are behind me. I must be doing something wrong because they seem to make my bust look more boxy.
Incidentally it didn’t take any creative laying to get both patterns out of 1.5m of fabric. I’m making the shortest view of the Winslows in size 10.
I had to alter the pleats at the back of the shorts to accommodate the slight bit of extra length at the bottom of the waistband. I added in about 2cm. I should probably try to mark this on my pattern if my adjustment works out well.
It was only when I was attaching the waistband to my culottes that I remembered that a curved waistband requires a facing. I trimmed down the waistband piece and was fortunate that I just about had enough fabric left to cut out the facing.
I compared my waistband to those on some skirt patterns and I was worried that I hadn’t made the curve exaggerated enough. I did calculate based on my measurements so I decided just to go for it and have faith that it would come out okay.
I’m very happy with the fit of these culottes so far. The next steps are to insert the zip (once I buy one), then it’s just a matter of finishing the waistband and hemming. I’ll probably do the last two steps by hand because I am rubbish at stitching in the ditch and want to get a clean finish.
Overall I’m cautiously optimistic about this project and hopeful I can get both pieces finished in time for a forthcoming trip to visit my dad. The French countryside won’t know what hit it.
Costs
Krissa printing: £5 (second use so not counted in total)
Winslow pattern + printing: £18.42
Monstera fabric: £3.50 (purchased with a voucher I won)
Total: £26.92 (notions still to purchase)
The summer holidays are here and I have some space to breathe after an incredibly busy and stressful few months. I have also been feeling quite inspired creatively and want to capitalise on that feeling while it’s with me. I think it’s partly because I’ve been struggling to know what to wear in the incredibly hot weather.
I love the look of an all-in-one. As a child of the nineties, a playsuit, jumpsuit or good pair of dungarees will always do it for me. However, I find them really annoying to wear- mainly having to take them off to go to the toilet. I’ve had it in the back of my mind to make a coordinating set for the longest time. For some reason, my ever-ephemeral inspiration is with playsuits at the moment. It’s summer and I don’t have a favourite garment that I reach for. An immediate challenge is that I don’t have a suitable top or shirt pattern to use.
After making my first Krissa crop, I had in mind to use that for the top but I soon lost confidence in that idea. I also considered turning the bodice of the Jessica dress into a little top. As I was scrolling through my Instagram saved posts and Pinterest boards, I realised that I’d saved two versions of the Republique du Chiffon Yvonne playsuit several years apart; a clear sign that liking this pattern was more than a whim. One small problem; the pattern is out of print.
It wasn’t a massive problem because I had planned to make separates anyway. After quite a lot of research online, I settled on using the Helen’s Closet Winslow culottes for the shorts, and the Sew Over It Libby shirt for the top. As I was reminded when I made my Carolyn PJs, I love me a camp collar.
When I was thinking of using Krissa for the top, I had in mind that I might finally use my monstera viscose for this playsuit. However, I only have 1.5m, which is the requirement for the shirt alone. I think I’ll have to buy some more fabric for the faux playsuit, but I am planning to toile the shirt pattern with either the monstera or the tiger viscose.
I feel like I’m slowly starting to rediscover my style. I bought this fabric to make a day dress but when I held it up against myself, the material told me that it wanted to be separates. I had intended to try and find a decent midi skirt pattern, which is easier said than done. But as time went on, I started to think that this would make a cute playsuit.
I laid out the Winslow and Libby patterns pieces and was pleased to discover that I do have enough fabric.
Costs
Libby shirt pattern: £11.50
Winslow culotte pattern: £13.27
Printing for both patterns: £10.30
Lady McElroy fabric: £34.78
The Crafty Crusader 