2014: A Year in Sewing

All in all, I’d say 2014 wasn’t a bad year in terms of projects completed, although I didn’t quite manage to make everything I wanted to (who does?). I’ve learned new skills and made plenty of mistakes along the way – sewing can be annoying as hell, but for some reason I just can’t stop.

These are a few of my favourite creations from this year – I aim to make clothes that I’ll enjoy wearing and want to keep for a long time to come, and all of these are still hanging in my wardrobe, so I must’ve done something right. Here’s to another year of lovely things made and errors learned from.

The Men’s Shirt Refashion

Men's Shirt Refashion Skirt

When my boyfriend was clearing out his collection of shirts, I swooped in a grabbed a few in the hope I might do something with them. I’d never tried refashioning anything before, so I kept it simple, and the resulting skirt has become one of my wardrobe staples. Continue reading “2014: A Year in Sewing”

December on Instagram

 

1. Crisp air and blue skies  2. Me in my favourite fluffy coat on a walk in a village near my hometown 3. Some lovely recently purchased vintage sewing goodies 4. My favourite new cat earrings from Catkin Boutique 5. A pretty pink sky 6. A vintage milk jug used to serve the gravy on Christmas Day 7. My Christmas Day table 8. A pre-Christmas hot chocolate and Baileys at the market 9. The latest additions to my fabric stash – leopard print chiffon and flower-embossed scuba

I’ve arrived fashionably late to the Instagram party – some might say too late – having only just got myself a phone with the capability to get involved in it (I know, I’m way behind, especially for a blogger). This will be the first of no doubt many monthly Instagram round-ups. December started off in a blur of Christmas shopping (with a bit of fabric buying thrown in for good measure, naturally) and finished on a rather calm note, with lots of good food, a bit of sewing and a few country walks. Here’s to more of the same in 2015.

My April Rhodes Peplum Dress

I love a winter walk – leaves crunch underfoot (or squelch, if it’s been raining, which it usually has), the air is crisp, and going home and getting warm with a nice cup of tea afterwards is basically the best feeling ever. A recent winter wander gave me a perfect opportunity to wear my autumnal-hued April Rhodes peplum dress. This dress was so, so easy to make – there were no fiddly fastenings, and the construction was very simple, utilising sewing skills I feel comfortable with. I just adore the floaty shape – this a rather wintery version in a crepe suiting, but I’ll definitely be making another in a lighter fabric for the summer. Continue reading “My April Rhodes Peplum Dress”