Diary of a Chain Stitcher

These two garments are a result of the rummaging through my fabric and pattern stash I did back in January. I've had this pattern for absolutely ages as I really love an interesting back design and this has four of them! It is McCalls 6751 and I think I bought it at one of the sewing shows years ago. However, since then I haven't been all that inspired to make it, I think because I hardly ever wear tank style tops; a lesson in making sewing plans that actually fit your lifestyle and needs! Fortunately inspiration struck when I was pairing up stash fabrics with patterns. I had a number of small lengths of jersey and needed to refresh my selection of yoga clothes... this top is perfect for that!

At the turn of the New Year my sew-jo was lacking. I was enjoying planning my #makenine challenge choices and hunting through my fabric and pattern stash but couldn't find the motivation to actually get on the machine. I eventually persuaded myself to cut out a bunch of fairly simple and quick knit projects and that turned out to be just the thing to get me excited about sewing again! Completing a few straight-forward projects was really satisfying, plus comfy jersey clothes are all I want to be wearing right now in lockdown. Actually being able to wear the garments as soon as the final stitch had gone in was motivating. Has anyone else found themselves feeling like making 'going out' or work clothes is a bit pointless of late? Without anywhere to wear my more involved projects the shine was slightly wearing off.

If, like me, you're attempting to get back into or perhaps start a regular exercise routine this year you might be intrigued by the idea of sewing your own activewear. Once you've got the hang of sewing knits there's nothing to stop you doing so. It can be a lot of fun working with fabrics and techniques you might not need for sewing everyday clothing and you don't even need an overlocker. I've sewn a fair bit of it in the past but desperately needed some warmer running leggings to encourage me to get out there on cold winter mornings. I resorted to an old favourite pattern to make these; the Pacific Leggings from Sewaholic . I have about three pairs of these that have been going strong for a couple of years. I love the seam lines and the shape of the waistband sits really comfortably plus they have the practical bonus of a zip pocket at the rear. My other pairs are great for summer running and carry me through into slightly chillier weather but I needed a pa...

One of my sewing goals for 2018 is to try out some new independent sewing pattern companies. Its very easy when you find a company you get along with, both in terms of fit and instructions, to stick with them. When you've got limited sewing time you don't want to risk wasting any of it on a project which might not turn out so well. Or have to spend precious hours fiddling with fit and new construction methods when you can fall back on the familiar, and the security of sizing you already have confidence in. But I'm keen to push my skills this year and try some new techniques and styles. The first of these ventures into the unknown is the Boat Neck Anegada Top from Halfmoon Atelier which Meghann very kindly sent me a copy of to review. I have actually tried out a Halfmoon pattern previously (the Ballet Top Delpy ) but I made a terrible fabric choice and never shared it. I sewed it up when I was really stressed and overwhelmed by work last year and decided squeezing in...

I fully intended on posting about something else this week but then I finished this project a couple of days ago and I was too excited not to share it immediately. This is the Pneuma Tank from Papercut Patterns and is one of those garments that I can't believe I waited so long to make. I've already got the pieces cut out for another which speaks to its success in my wardrobe. I made a couple of little additions/changes to the pattern which I didn't have all that much faith in actually working so when it turned out better than I expected I could not have been more delighted! I've had this pattern in my stash for a LONG time. I really like the contemporary vibe and creative design ideas of Papercut Patterns and love the unique style of this for workout wear. But until recently the majority of the exercise clothing I've needed has been for running and I just didn't think this would be supportive enough and those lovely straps wouldn't work with an addit...

This is a project that has been incredibly useful since I finished it a couple of weeks ago. Its been very chilly for morning runs in London! I've actually sewn a fair amount of my own activewear now but only blogged one Dunbar Top and Pacific Leggings combo as they work so well for me that basically everything has been a repeat of that.. The leggings in these pictures are my favourite pair of Sewaholic Pacific Leggings . They're sewn up in some amazing wicking fabric I got at Stonemountain & Daughter when I was in San Francisco a couple of years ago. Its nicely thick and stable and has an amazing matte, soft finish which is lovely to wear. It has fantastic recovery and these are still going strong after a couple of years of washing and wearing. In the longer length these are perfect for winter running. I've been wishing I'd bought more of the fabric at the time but I've actually just had a quick browse of their website and I can't be sure without se...