Diary of a Chain Stitcher

I try really hard to put thought into my projects and sew practical clothing which is going to earn its place in my wardrobe. However, sometimes I just cannot resist a gloriously frivolous make which I've chosen to sew just because I WANT to. This project today is one of those. I deliberated over how much I would actually get to wear it and whether it was the best use of this beautiful piece of viscose before thinking 'sod it' and diving in. Let me tell you that was an excellent spontaneous decision. I loved every single second of making this skirt and I love the final outcome so much that it is inspiring me to get more dressed up every sunny day of this summer!

Hello readers, it has been a while! An extremely busy few months of long hours at work has left me with limited time to sew and often little motivation to do so. When I have been sewing I've had two quite big projects to work on (more on these soon!) which has seen my sewing output dwindle considerably. The project I'm sharing with you today is actually quite a quick make which I finished before my sewing slump but it has seen a considerable amount of wear since then! This is the Evie Bias Skirt from Tessuti and I'm not sure what possessed me to make it as it is quite a departure from my every day style of late! I think I kept seeing gorgeous versions on Instagram and as I've only had great experiences with Tessuti patterns previously this tempted me to give it a try. It is such an easy to wear shape and dresses up or down well too. The only slight niggle I have with it is that I don't love the bias cut over the tummy area so pick and choose my days when I f...

Sometimes a simple design is all you need to showcase a spectacular fabric and that is certainly the case for this skirt. The Cloth Shop has to be one of my favourite fabric shops in London and is well worth the trip over to Ladbroke Grove if you haven't been there already. Its not particularly cheap but the fabrics are all beautiful; natural fibres, gorgeous colours and block prints and top quality. They also stock a particularly wonderful selection of Indian trimmings which are very reasonably priced and a selection of handcrafted household items. Its a delightful shopping experience and a treat for the eyes! This is their washed linen in 'Seville'; an irresistible shade of burnt orange. It is soft, weighty, with a gorgeous drape and slubby texture. It's £26 a metre in the plain colours and I only needed a metre for this skirt so not bad considering the quality. It does wrinkle up considerably over the course of a day but I like that look and it presses, washes and...

After the surprise success of the trousers I shared last week I've now got a project to show you which hasn't quite lived up to the high expectations I had for it. I can't quite put my finger on what my problem with this skirt is...the fabric, the pattern, the fit. I think probably a combination of all three just being a little off. Its not a complete disaster and I've still been getting some wear out of it but I was hoping for my new favourite skirt and a wardrobe hero and didn't get it. I've got plans to tackle this pattern again though, I haven't given up on the dream and have learnt a lot from making this one. The pattern is the Berlin Skirt from French pattern company Orageuse which I have had my eye on for some time and was actually one of my choices for the #2018makenine challenge on Instagram. A lot of the Orageuse designs appeal to me as they strike a good balance between stylish, contemporary and wearable and include some unique features...

I had such success using the berry coloured triple crepe from Remnant Kings to make my Ailakki Jumpsuit last year that when Hazel contacted me to see if I'd be interested in trying out another of their fabrics I said yes please! A quick browse of the site and this amazing leopard brocade  (actually ex- River Island stock) had jumped out at me. The good news for you guys is that there's currently a 20% off store wide sale running right now! Get on it quick if you're hankering for a piece though as the sale is to make way for the new spring collection. I was really intrigued by this fabric as it looked to have some depth and interest which I couldn't quite work out online. I wasn't disappointed when it arrived. Its quite thick and loosely woven which gives it a wonderfully unusual crinkled texture. In fact it crinkles right up in the wash and needs a good press to flatten and stretch it out into shape again! That somehow sounds like a negative thing but I lov...

This little outfit has been another favourite in my wardrobe this summer. But frustratingly one of those that it is incredibly difficult to get decent pictures of that reflect how much you love it in reality. Ah well. You'll just have to take my word for some of it! One of my favourite pieces of fabric I brought home from my trip to the West Coast of the US last year was this amazing piece of mustard rayon from The Fabric Store . I've gushed about my love for this shop previously as I was so delighted with the carefully curated selection of dressmaking fabrics on offer. I really was spoilt for choice. I love wearing garments made with rayon and there were some beautiful prints so my instant draw to this solid mustard took me by surprise. It was such a great vivid shade with a touch of lime to it and top quality rayon too. It's taken me nigh on a year to get around to turning it into something wearable. Purely because it is one of those pieces that I knew I'd never...

So I'm playing major blog catch up here! I've been working away from home for the last couple of months and have zero time to sew. But before I went away I had a little run of successful projects, those kind of garments that turn out just as you'd hoped (if not better!)and ones which I just can't stop wearing. Isn't that the true mark of a good handmade garment?! I'm not sure what the reason is behind my lucky run. I would have thought a serious lack of sewing time would have meant a series of rushed projects that I ended up disappointed in but in fact I think it has meant that I'm thinking really carefully about what I spend my time making. I'm only making what I REALLY want to. And what I'm making I REALLY want to get right. I've also only been sewing when I've got a decent few hours to do it in so I can really get into it and switch all the other life chaos and distractions off. There's definitely something to be said for being in the ...