Paper Sewing Patterns Clearance Sale

December’s MIY Maker

Vote for December’s MIY Maker

Vote for November’s MIY Maker

October’s MIY Maker

Vote for October’s MIY Maker

July’s MIY Maker(s)

In a shock result Maria and Kate were neck and neck in votes on Instagram, my blog and email responses to my newsletter, so they are both MIY Makers for July!!

Maria’s Wisewood dress and Kate’s Brightside shrug are both beautifully made garments with great fabric choices. I suspect they would each look at home packed into a summer holiday suitcase too.

Well done to Maria and Kate, they can now both choose their next MIY Collection sewing pattern for free.

Have you got what it takes to be August’s MIY Maker? Post your makes using my patterns online and you might make the final 4. Full details of how to enter here.

Good luck!

Fulwood Dresses, Brightside Shrugs & Shared Nostalgia for Sheffield

Kate Brookes is a sewing blogger based in Sydney Australia, but she’s originally from…..yes, you guessed it, Sheffield!! All good things come from Sheffield!

So, inevitably Kate and I occasionally reminisce about all things Sheffield online and I was chuffed when she recently chose to buy my Fulwood Dress and Brightside Shrug patterns.

She’s now written a lovely review of them which includes some Sheffield nostalgia, sewing, squeezing a pint out of a half pint pot (in fabric terms) and inspiring one of her 11 year old sewing students to also make a Brightside Shrug!

It’s a great read, have a look.

(Almost) 31 Days of Me Made May

I thought it would be good for me to write an end of the month post to summarise my experience of taking part in Me Made May for the first time, so here goes……

OK so I missed 2 days, I didn’t think it was a bad effort for my first Me Made May! Have you been taking part? Have you enjoyed it? Did you manage every single day? I’ve really enjoyed taking part and it’s made me really think about the clothes I make, the fabrics I use, the clothes I actually want to wear and putting together outfits. All of which is good for me as I’m usually a very habitual dresser; I have a few things that I know work and I leave very little time for getting dressed everyday.

What I learned and did I meet my pledge?

• the first part of my pledge was to wear samples I’d made from my patterns everyday, which I’m please to say I managed easily and they all fitted seamlessly into my everyday wardrobe, including some nights out
• I have an enduring fondness for: black, grey, blue, comfort, knitted fabrics, denim and stripes
• I don’t sew much other than for “work” i.e. developing new patterns and making samples
• I used to sew just for me, just for the hell of it, but for the past 3 years I haven’t had space for a sewing machine at home (hence my foray into the scary world of knitting – see week 1)
• as I can only sew in MIY Workshop I think that makes me subconsciously only sew for work and my making tends to centre around developing new patterns and making new samples for existing patterns
• taking photos of myself – I inflict this a lot on my students and I know how they feel as I hate having my photo taken, however, I’ve learned all that’s required is to move around a bit, laugh a bit, have a willing person to hold the camera straight and push the button and if you take 40+ there will be one or two good ones!!

MY TOP 3  GARMENTS (based on number of times worn):

• the Wisewood dress (5 wears)
• closely followed by the Fulwood dress (4 wears, 6 if you include just tops made from the pattern)
• and the oversized t-shirt / dress that is a pattern in development (4 wears).

The other half of my pledge was to “….plan a completely selfish sewing project and get it started as a treat for finishing my book!” Hmmmm well, the book is oh-so close to the finish line and I’ve had a lot of ideas rattling round my head;

• I’ve been meaning to make the jumpsuit or dungarees from Marilla Walker’s Roberts Collection since Christmas
• I then toyed with jumping on the pant-making band wagon (pants of the underwear variety for US readers – i.e. knickers), but doubted my motivation to see it through perfecting an old pattern I wanted to use (I may still give it a try as I was encouraged by Kerry Green and I like the idea of a wearable project that can use up my leftover fabrics)
• after week 4 I realised that I really want to make more one-piece Fulwood dresses for my own use as they’re just so comfy and versatile and I might try lowering the front neck slightly on a collarless version
• then I remembered….. the Refashioners, I’ve been invited to take part in Portia Lawrie’s fabulous Refashioners again this year and really should get cracking on my project. Surely I can justify that as a nice combination of work and pleasure?!

What did you learn from taking part in Me Made May this year and did you meet your pledge…..?!

Me Made May Week 3

I’m late posting this as I’ve been trying to take a week off, so, better late than never! I feel reassured that in summary week 3 was; “More of the Same”!

Here’s what I’m wearing from left to right:

TOP ROW

1. sleeveless Wisewood dress (regular cowl depth version) in denim effect viscose jersey which I think was from Minerva and Brightside shrug in grey marl lightweight cotton loopback sweat from Ditto, plus leggings from my own pattern (not available to buy yet)
2. sleeveless shift dress from Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking in lovely heavy denim with a bit of stretch from Ditto and those leggings again
3. colour blocked wearable toile of that oversized t-shirt from weeks 1 and 2 in a dress version – pattern coming later this year

BOTTOM ROW

1. black linen short sleeved shift dress from Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking (worn to a publicity meeting for my next book!)
2. full length version of the trousers from Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking in grey polyester crepe from Ditto
3. short sleeved Wisewood dress (deep cowl version) in grey marl cotton jersey from Ditto and my trusty leggings again
4. another full length version of the trousers from Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking in lightweight cotton denim from Ditto and long sleeved top from my own pattern (not available to buy).

Despite me summarising this week’s Me Made May as “More of the Same” I actually think that’s a good thing and I can honestly say I’m really enjoying wearing all these samples and documenting the outfits. I often wear my samples anyway, but would rarely photograph myself or put so much thought into the overall outfits.

I hope they’re providing the intended inspiration for the many ways to make my patterns, the variety of fabrics that you can use and ultimately how easily the styles can be incorporated into an everyday wardrobe.

I also included this photo in week 3 of my daily MMMay pics on Instagram, just to prove that I don’t take myself too seriously……!