Diary of a Chain Stitcher

The Elio Top from Allie Olson caught my eye as soon as it was released. I love a wrap neckline and particularly liked that this has nice clean lines without any bulky ties which means it can be easily tucked into high waisted trousers. This is due to it being a 'mock wrap' and the edges of the wrap are sewn into the side seams. When thinking about gaps in my wardrobe and what I miss when I'm getting dressed it is often comfy, casual tops that I can wear with high waisted trousers and skirts. The Elio fits the bill perfectly and goes with my Dawn Jeans, Persephone Pants and Evie Bias skirts beautifully.

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.

I chose to make the Daniella Dress from the latest release of Fibre Mood patterns mainly for the sleeves! The weather has turned cold here in the UK and I need more comfortable, snuggly garments to see me through...and not give the impression that I'm wearing pyjamas to work! I already have a couple of handmade turtleneck dresses ( made using the Seamwork Neenah pattern ) which are on heavy rotation through the winter months. But I was sold on adding another to my wardrobe when I saw those lovely voluminous cuffed sleeves! I don't have any knit garments with that kind of detail and the Neenah dress is more form fitting which sometimes I'm not in the mood for wearing.

After all those garments from my holiday wardrobe I've got something more seasonally appropriate to share with you today...an entirely woollen outfit! The Mandy Boat Tee is a free pattern download from Tessuti Fabrics which is very popular with sewists online. I'm sure many of you have made one already! I've finally jumped on the Mandy train and am wondering what took me so long when I am such a fan of Tessuti's pattern drafting and suggested construction techniques. This top is a slouchy knit style with boat neck, dropped shoulders and close fitting three quarter or full length sleeves. It is a very quick sew and so so easy to wear! I like to wear mine with a high waisted bottom and a french tuck - very Tan France! I think I had been tentative about making this top (despite the rave reviews) as I tend to prefer a more figure skimming silhouette. I'm quite petite and don't go straight up and down so always feel a bit swamped in 'oversized' or ...

I was incredibly excited about the Mayfair Dress when it was released by Nina Lee  over a year ago and I snapped up a paper copy soon after release. For years I'd had this favourite style of French Connection dress that saw me through many summers; flattering, comfortable and seemingly suited for any occasion. I owned versions in various prints, colours and lengths but may favourite by far was a maxi length version. The previous summer I'd been wearing it with too many holes in to repair, hoping that the little purple, black and dusky pink print disguised them. It had been on its last legs for a while and sadly French Connection stopped making them a while before. I couldn't bear to throw it out so I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted the Mayfair and realised it was almost an exact match. I could make my own replacement! Why then has it taken me so long to make one you may ask? I had a really hard time finding fabric that was going to live up to my expec...

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...

I feel like I've been on the hunt for my ideal t-shirt pattern for the entire time I've been sewing and it is a subject I've returned to a couple of times here on the blog. It may seem like a simple garment but finding the right pairing of fabric and pattern and getting the cut and fit just so for your body shape can be really tricky. I hadn't been entirely satisfied with any of my handmade tees before and find myself falling back on old RTW favourites which are looking quite worn now. That is until I discovered this MIY Collection pattern and hit upon success. Wendy Ward has recently released some of the designs from her first book ' The Beginner's Guide to Dressmaking ' as stand alone PDF patterns. When she offered one to me to try I snapped up the T-Shirt pattern as I thought it was about time I tried a tee from a different designer. This is a less structured style than those I have sewn before and actually than in my wardrobe. To be honest I thou...

Ever since I made my first Longley Cardigan in silver grey merino about 18 months ago I haven't felt the need to add another cardigan pattern to my handmade arsenal. That cardigan and the subsequent maroon patterned version I made work with my entire handmade wardrobe and are ideal to throw at any time of year. It is a fantastic pattern and really fun to put together. I didn't think any other cardigan could steal my affection until I met the Blackwood Cardigan from Helen's Closet . A pattern I liked so much on first sewing that a month later I owned three! I started looking at cardigan patterns because I got the idea into my head that I wanted to sew a dramatic maxi length cardigan for wearing over simple jeans and tee combos. Lengthening the Longley wouldn't work as that waterfall front would overwhelm me with fabric. I looked at the I AM Patterns Artemis for a while before deciding that the cocoon shape wasn't quite right and I wanted something a littl...