Category Crafting

Monday montage: Spring patterns

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Hello hello!

I don’t know about anywhere else, but the weather in Seattle has been unseasonably warm! I took my little one to the beach last week, which is… crazy! But very welcome. It got me thinking about spring releases in the pattern world as there seems to have been quite the release schedule recently. I’m keeping this post simple today – here are five of my favourite new S/S patterns:

Vogue V1499

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I suppose many people will have a dress pattern like this and I must say that the stripey fabric definitely adds to my liking for this garment, but nevertheless, this looks like a classic cap sleeve, fit and flare dress pattern, and I don’t possess one. I really like the pleats too – overall, I think it’s very flattering. Continue reading “Monday montage: Spring patterns” →

Discoveries of a novice: Woven fabrics

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One of the things that is taking me a while is getting to grips with fabric choice. Both which fabric to use and where to buy it. It can be something of a conundrum. You don’t want to spend a ton of money when you’re starting off as you’re fairly sure you’re going to make a mess of at least a couple of pieces. On the other hand, there’s just no point in making something if you don’t really like the fabric. And then there’s the whole “Is it the right fabric?” “How thick is lightweight cotton??” “How stretchy is this knit really?” “Would I need to line this one?” etc. etc. ad infinitum.

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Cotton lawns and poplins

Continue reading “Discoveries of a novice: Woven fabrics” →

Monday Montage: Baby/kid sews

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I love having a little boy and all the fun and hyperactivity it brings. But when I was pregnant, I was more inspired to make crocheted baby blankets and booties than sew him clothes. Now that I’ve delved deeper into the sewing world, I’ve found some gorgeous little things to make him, but the rich spoils of the pattern universe are certainly reserved for little girls. Much like us women, little girls get the majority of the attention, and the same goes for in shops. Little boys clothes seemed (mostly) to comprise blue, nautical and foxes when I was looking for them, and it was one of the reasons I thought about taking up sewing, honestly. Continue reading “Monday Montage: Baby/kid sews” →

New bag: Noodlehead Trail Tote

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A new bag! It’s a present for someone, but I’ve sent it already, so this won’t spoil any surprise. I’m pretty sure they don’t read this blog anyway. 🙂 You may recognise this fabric. It’s the Nani Iro brushed cotton that I made my Beatrix top with. In fact, I decided to make this bag first and then used the “remainder” for the Beatrix top, which seems a funny way round, but there you are. The bag recipient loves red and I happened to know she just bought a new grey jacket, so it was  a fairly easy colour-combo decision. I added a pop of bright blue inside for a wee surprise. Continue reading “New bag: Noodlehead Trail Tote” →

Monday montage: March 14th, from the sickbed

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Hey folks! It feels an age since I last posted, but I have been waylaid with a weird virus for a little while. The baby also got sick for a little while, so all in all, not much to post about, or energy with which to post! I do need to get back into the swing of things though, so today is the sort of post I started off Mondays with a few months back: that is, simply stuff I like!

Face Time Sweatshirt

First up, I liked this sweatshirt from My Little Belleville on Etsy. The lady behind the shop grew up all over the world and she puts these influences into her designs. This is her Face Time Sweatshirt and I think it has quite a unique design aesthetic. Continue reading “Monday montage: March 14th, from the sickbed” →

New make: Thread Theory Comox trunks

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I made man pants! Man underwear! Man trunks! Whichever your linguistic preference (and I’m sorry American friends, but I will no doubt use “pants” a lot), that’s pretty fun. I asked my husband what he would like me to make him, thinking of a shirt, or jumper (sweater) and he replied that pants might be a good idea. I have been trying to hunt down menswear companies already (not a lot out there huh?) and had come across, and signed up to, Thread Theory’s lovely blog before. A local fabric shop was having a sale a few weeks ago and I spotted the Comox trunks printed pattern for sale and snapped it up. Done deal!

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Continue reading “New make: Thread Theory Comox trunks” →

The League of Adventurous Dressmakers

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I saw someone recommending the League of Adventurous Dressmakers course a few weeks ago and decided to give it a try. To be honest I wasn’t sure if it was way too advanced for me, especially after I had joined and saw a few (very experienced) names I recognised in the group. Having partaken of two months’ worth of lessons now though, I can say that I think it would be useful for just about anyone who wants to tighten up their skills. Continue reading “The League of Adventurous Dressmakers” →

Monday montage: Yarn colourfest!

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Ooh, I think Spring might almost be here! I don’t want to jinx it, but we have flowers in the garden! And not just crocuses or early Spring flowers, but other flowers (I don’t actually know what they are, but they’re not bulbs). And this is Seattle – not Florida or southern California, so that’s pretty wonderful. In sewing terms it quite excites me too. If I’m honest, I’m not sure Autumn/Winter is the best time to learnt to sew in terms of relevant clothing. Everyone is sewing amazing thick coats or luscious knits, most of which were way beyond my skill level, so I haven’t really been able to join in this year. I don’t mean to make it sound like a big deal – it’s really not, but at least with Spring and (presumably) Summer, I can indulge in my love of dresses and skirts and cotton. Then by next Winter I shall be READY. Do your worst then, COAT DEITY!

Well, totally off topic. Continue reading “Monday montage: Yarn colourfest!” →

New crochet: Kimono cardigan + Blocking! It Works!

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Kimono cardigan
Kimono cardiagn

As I think I’ve mentioned before, I’m not overly keen on crocheted apparel. It’s just my personal taste, but then I’ve never really been into boho or beach chic, which a lot of it falls under. Well, I was in Joann Fabric a few months ago, in the queue to pay and this little booklet caught my eye:  Continue reading “New crochet: Kimono cardigan + Blocking! It Works!” →

Monday montage: exciting books!

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Let me clarify: these are books that just came out or are yet to come out that I am excited about and that are sewing-related. Heh heh.  I am a bookaholic, a bookaphile, a book addict (a bibliophile would be accurate I suppose) and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cursed at myself for this when moving house. Or have been cursed at. I have taken up the Kindle when it comes to novels and other fiction, but I collect pop-up books and these, or any other art type book, just have to be three-dimensional, heavy and preferably smelling of paper. So, without further ado, here are five upcoming/just released books I’m looking forward to adding to my already-heaving collection…


Continue reading “Monday montage: exciting books!” →