Vote For June’s MIY Maker

It crept up on me this month – where on earth did June go??!! Here are your four wonderfully summery choices for June’s MIY Maker. Whose make gets your vote?

Clockwise from top left:

• Sarahrose’s mini shift dress from my first book “The Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking”
• Yaarit’s gathered waist MIY Collection Fulwood dress
• a MIY Collection Walkley vest by @ethelsimages on Instagram
• Tracy’s Brighton button-through skirt from my second book “A Beginner’s Guide to Making Skirts”.

So, another crop of fabulous makes all worthy of being this month’s MIY Maker and wining their next MIY Collection pattern for free. Who do you think should win?

Leave a comment with your choice.  I’ll announce the winner on Monday. Voting is also open on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Full details on how you can enter your make for July’s MIY Maker are here.

Vote For April’s MIY Maker

Yes, I can’t believe it’s that time again, who will get your vote this month to be April’s MIY Maker? (By the way, you might have noticed that March’s MIY Maker is missing from the blog – as it was a special MIY March MIY Maker, you can find all the finalists and the winner over on my Instagram account.)

Here are the final four makers for this month (clockwise from top left):

• Rhiannon’s Brighton Skirt from my book “Beginner’s Guide to Making Skirts”
• Kath’s MIY Collection Fulwood Dress (with the pleats cleverly adapted into gathers – not sure why I’ve never thought to do that!)
• Andrea’s Shift Dress from my book “Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking”
• Verity’s Fulwood Dress.

Over to you, which of these lovely makes do you think deserves to be this month’s MIY Maker and win their next MIY Collection pattern for free?

Leave a comment with your favourite and I’ll announce the winner at the end of the day tomorrow (Monday 1st May). Voting is also open on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Beginner’s Guide to Making Skirts – The Brighton Skirt

Tomorrow is the day and my new book will be set free into the world! I hope you’ve enjoyed these introductions to all the projects in the book, I’ve loved writing them; revisiting lots of significant places and sharing some of my research for the projects. So, last but not least, I introduce you to the final project in Beginner’s Guide to Making Skirts: the Brighton – a button through skirt.

Brighton, on the south coast of the UK is where I have lived since 2001. It’s also where (since 2011) I teach all of my sewing classes, from MIY Workshop in the North Laine area of the city centre; famous for its independent shops and cafés and growing creative quarter (which MIY Workshop is at the heart of!).

Button through skirts seem to date from the late 1960’s and 70’s; often either mini length or below the knee, A-line in shape and in substantial fabrics like denim, corduroy, leather or suede.

Typical 1970’s button through skirt styles. Source: Google image search.

I’ve given my skirt a twist and while it keeps that A-line shape it has added gathering to the back and side…..

…..but keeps a flattering flat front (try and say that quickly!).

As with all the skirts in the book there are lots of different ways you can make the Brighton skirt to make it really suit your own style: there are three different lengths, you can use buttons…..

……press studs…….

……or a zip in the front…..

…….and of course you can add pockets. We all love a skirt with pockets.

Don’t be nervous about the buttons or poppers gaping either, I show you how to include a clever “secret” fastening at the top of the skirt which makes sure that won’t happen!

I can see a simple denim version of the Brighton skirt teamed with trainers for summer dog walks, or with woolly tights and boots for winter, a short zip front version would make a cute holiday skirt and a long button front version is grown-up modern girlieness.

The Brighton skirt works really well in mediumweight woven fabrics such as lightweight denims, cotton/linen blends, needlecord, cotton chintz, cotton poplin and lightweight wools.  It also looks great in more fluid drapey fabrics such as rayon (viscose) poplin, cupro or silk challis, crêpe, noile and satin.

***Watch out for the start of a competition to win a massive bundle of sewing essentials I’ll be launching tomorrow on PUBLICATION DAY!!!***

I’m now taking pre-orders for signed copies of the book. You can order yours here. NOTE: You will be charged when you place your order, but your book won’t be sent until publication day on 25th October.

All photography is by Julian Ward © Cico Books with styling by Rob Merrett. Illustrations are by Wendy Ward.