Diary of a Chain Stitcher

The dress I've got to share with you today has been a real labour of love and I enjoyed every single second of making it. Even the whole day spent fitting the bodice! I like nothing better than a reason to sew myself something special and challenging and what better reason could I have than the wedding of my step-sister 10 days ago? I mulled over what I wanted to make for over a year and bought the fabric long before I decided on a style and pattern. When I visited Mood Fabrics NYC last April I spent a good hour pawing at bolts in the glorious silk section and when I glimpsed this vibrant Kelly Green 4 Ply Silk Crepe it was love at first sight. It has got the most amazing thickness and weight to it combined with such a luxurious drape and sheen. Its similar to what I would call a silk morocain here in the UK. At $35/yard it was a real treat but similar silks this side of the Atlantic are likely to cost double. I on the spot decided that this was going to be used for my wedding o...

One of the joys of being self employed is that I often get to work from home or have a bit of down time between contracts to stay at home and sew! If I'm working at home I'm sure going to take advantage of the opportunity to dress as comfortably as possible but I'm a big believer in keeping a getting up and dressed as if you were going out to work routine anyway as I think this really helps with productivity. Plus answering the door to the postman in PJs at 3 in the afternoon on a Wednesday (yes guilty!) isn't ideal. I decided I needed to top up my secret pyjamas, that part of my wardrobe that is super comfortable yet still looks somewhat pulled together. For this month's Mood Sewing Network project I chose to whip myself up a little three piece outfit using classic fabrics in neutral colours and choosing garments with classic minimalist cuts which I could get a lot of wear out of. I've had the Marigold Jumpsuit & Trousers from Tilly and the Buttons...

London has been clinging on to summer and I have been clinging on to my handmade summer wardrobe but with this month's project for the Mood Sewing Network I have finally taken the plunge and started some projects more suited to the approaching season. Sewing my own jeans has been in my sewing queue for nigh on two years now and I am almost ashamed to admit that I actually cut these Ginger Jeans out well over a year ago. It is by far the longest a project has taken me from putting scissors to cloth and completion and I'm not really sure why as once I started sewing I had them finished within a matter of days. Despite the amazing looking jeans popping up on sewing blogs all over the internet something about the task really daunted me and I kept telling myself there was no point starting such a massive challenge until I had a good chunk of sewing time carved out to focus on the task at hand. How wrong was I. Jeans making is the perfect thing to take one little step at a time. ...

This month's project for the Mood Sewing Network was all about sewing a holiday wardrobe. With a couple of trips planned I had my eye out for summer prints which I'd still be able to get some wear out of at home in London. This Tropically Printed Denim jumped right out at me and I was ordering it without a second thought. Unfortunately it's now sold out in both colour ways which I'm not surprised about. It was one of those instances when you see the fabric and instantly know what you want to make it into. In this case high waisted, tropical shorts for wandering about Cannes in. Mood do have a whole host of other tropical prints on their site at the moment though; I'm a particular fan of this cotton . When the fabric arrived it was just what I was hoping for, the fabric descriptions on the Mood Fabrics website very rarely disappoint. A pretty lightweight denim, almost verging on a chambray, with a smooth and fairly crisp hand. I absolutely love the scale o...

Let me introduce you to my new favourite top! This little number was one of those projects led by the fabric. For some reason my favourite handmade garments always begin like that and this one has pretty much only been off my back to be washed since I finished it. I found this Theory Linen Knit in store at Mood Fabrics NYC on my trip last month. Can't find it online but there are a handful of other gorgeous linen knits  or the full Theory range of lovely unusual neutrals. I love a good browse of the Mood website but I find it's only when I get a fabric in my hands that I work out exactly what I want to make with it. I knew I wanted to make the new Papercut Patterns Bowline Sweater as soon as it was released and purchased it just before my trip. I had various iterations of it made up in my head in sweater knits and merinos. It wasn't until I spotted this bolt upstairs in Mood that I realised the pattern's full potential. It was a real ‘ding ding jackpot!’ moment....