Diary of a Chain Stitcher

Just a quick post for you all today to introduce you to a newly launched online fabric store called Fabrics For Sale . I've been keen to spread the word about this new opening as I really like the look of the site and the products they are offering. The company operate out of a warehouse in Leicester, UK and offer a selection of fabrics for dressmaking and upholstery at very reasonable prices. I love that the company is operated by a team of young women who are passionate about fabric and about offering us home sewers with a more varied and unusual choice. Their stock is sourced from all over the world and includes technologically forward and digitally printed designs alongside classics such as Liberty prints. I'm particularly drawn to their fairly substantial selection of viscose/rayon which I often find hard to get hold of in prints and colours I like here in the UK. These are a few of the many that have caught my eye and may soon be making their way into my shopping basket...

I've got a slightly different post lined up for you today. I've been a bit slow about it but I'm finally catching up with the writing process blog hop that's been doing the rounds! The ever so cool Nicole Needles nominated me for it a few weeks back, sorry that it's taken me so long Nicole! I've got to answer four questions to give you guys an insight into why and how I write my blog so here it goes: What am I working on? Despite taking a couple of 'sew-cation' days last week and blitzing through a few UFOs and projects that were cut out and waiting for me as always I've got more sewing ideas buzzing around my head than I've got time to sew! I'm part way through a pair of Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers which I'm having a few fitting issues with as they are my very first pair of trousers! I've made some alterations already which has made a vast improvement but I think I might be posting some pictures for advice soon as I've ...

Kat from Modern Vintage Cupcakes came up with the brilliant idea of 'Indie Pattern Month', a chance for us sewing bloggers to celebrate the talents of the ever increasing number of independent sewing pattern designers across the globe. If you read my post last week about my experience sewing up Simplicity 2444 you'll know that making that dress was the very first time I'd used a pattern from the 'Big Four' pattern companies (Simplicity, Butterick, McCalls and Vogue). Considering I started sewing around 18 months ago and also the range and number of patterns available from these companies is probably quite surprising. Though when I think about it, it shouldn't have been to me as I love indie patterns so much! It may be the illustrations or styling on the envelopes of the big 4 patterns but I find it much easier to get excited by the more contemporary indie label designs. My second Sewaholic Lonsdale I think I've stuck with using indie patte...

Just a quick post for any London based fabric lovers (which after the awesome meet up at the weekend I know is quite a few!). The Berwick Street Cloth Shop, The Silk Society and Broadwick Silks (all based on or just off Berwick Street) are currently having a remnant sale. This group of shops are normally way too pricey for my amateur dressmaking purposes but if there's a chance to get some gorgeous high quality fabric at bargain prices I'm there! I managed to bag a good sized piece of a beautiful emerald green wool crepe for £9 a metre instead of £35! The dangers of working around Berwick Street and spotting a sign... The address is 77 Berwick Street, London, W1F 8TH. You go in what looks like a door to a flat with a big sandwich board outside and upstairs to a teeny tiny room full of piles of fabric. It's on until 26th April. Have fun!

Top of the Rock So I am unfortunately back from NYC. I had the most amazing week and it was so difficult to tear myself away from the city to go to the airport Saturday afternoon. But what did make it slightly easier was taking some beautiful fabrics back home with me! I did of course shop the garment district, and I did of course do that on more than one occasion! In fact the first time I went I only made it to Mood and I was so overwhelmed with the vast and beautiful selection I left empty handed, resolved to return with a better plan of what I was ideally looking for. Because they have EVERYTHING. You NYC and LA seamstresses are so lucky. I can't think of a single UK fabric store, in reality or even online, that comes close to comparing to the size and variety of choice. Garment District Information Booth BUT a little Mood birdie told me that soon us London ladies may be feeling pretty lucky too. This is mega exciting news (which could possibly be news that everyone...

I took an impromptu month off of blogging! Without meaning to I might add! I've been itching to get typing and stitching but just simply haven't had the time. For the first few weeks I'd been really beating myself up about it actually, feeling that I should be devoting more time to my sewing and the blog, until I realised that sewing is meant to be something I enjoy and I shouldn't be stressing about it but simply enjoying any time I do get to spend doing it. I shouldn't be rushing through projects so I end up with a haphazard finished result which I'm not particularly proud of or forcing myself to sit at the machine or pick up the chalk when I'm exhausted and just want to crash in front of the TV. But it's so frustrating not to have the time I want to devote to improving my sewing! Does anyone else end up stressed out by self imposed sewing deadlines and project plans? How do you deal with it? Anyway things have been a little crazy around here. One fa...

Last Saturday I could no longer resist the temptation of getting myself set up with the fabric and notions for my newly purchased Salme patterns so I spent a very enjoyable day shopping for supplies. It turned out to be one of those days where everything seemed to be falling in to my lap just perfectly! First stop was Sew Over It in Brixton/Clapham. I'd only ever very briefly popped into this shop/sewing school very briefly as I used to live around the corner. However my wonderful Mum gave me a gift voucher for Christmas and I could not be doing with it burning a hole in my pocket any longer. They stock a good number of Colette patterns so I knew I was on the look out for one of those. The Rooibos dress was top of my list after seeing Lauren's version and first result of the day it was in stock! The second massive result was the little bias tape maker. I'd been looking at the Colette tutorial on making your own bias tape a few days earlier and was stumped by thei...

I thought I would just quickly share with you some fantastic pattern companies which I have just discovered. You may well all know about these already but I think they deserve some praise anyway! I am completely in LOVE with Salme Patterns . I think I would wear/use every single one of them. They have a very simple and classic design which is so exciting as these are just the sort of clothes I love to wear day to day and I could see me making many of the patterns over and over again until I have a complete wardrobe of Salme patterns! They also look fairly straightforward and quick to construct so ideal for me right now and are incredibly reasonably priced. I think I'm going to be going on a little spending spree later today. just which patterns to choose is the problem! Next up Victory Patterns who I'm sure many of the sewing community have heard of and even used; I know I've read on some blogs recently various plans to make up their Hazel dress . These patterns...

O my goodness. I cannot believe I have not been to Walthamstow Market before! After picking up from various sewing blogs that this was THE place to go for fabrics in London I decided to make the trek up there this Saturday. Well I actually decided to go two months ago but something got in the way every Saturday until it became this one. So as it had taken such a long time to get there and probably would be a long time before I did again I decided to really go for it and went armed with my spreadsheet of upcoming projects I am looking for fabrics for and a bundle of cash! Well let me tell you on my return that bundle of cash was not as depleted as I expected but I had bundles of fabric as planned! I could not get over the prices for the quality and variety of fabrics available. I came back with enough fabric for 4 dresses and 2 tops as well as a bulk buy of both black and white fusible interfacing for just over £30! £30! Even on Goldhawk Road I'm used to fingering fabrics wist...

For my Stepdad for Christmas I've made a very simple protective case for his iPad. I followed this tutorial as he's got one of those attachable covers for the screen but I wanted to give him something to put it into when he's carting it around in a bag. I wanted it to look quite professional on the outside as he would have to get it out in meetings and at work so I used some charcoal coloured stiff felt. I couldn't find collar felt as suggested in the tutorial and this might have given a bit more structure to the case but what I did find (in Fabric Land on Goldhawk Road) is really soft and smart as it's almost like a suiting fabric. I did want to have some fun with it though so check out the lining! I'm not entirely sure what my Stepdad's job actually is but I know he's some kind of chemist and works in labs. He also likes a bit of fun (my Mum got him a periodic table tie a few years back which was a big hit!) so I did a little search for scien...