Diary of a Chain Stitcher

How many jumpsuits does one woman need in her wardrobe? If you're me the answer is an awful lot! I was just beginning to think I might have stated my desire to have any more jumpsuits on rotation when Closet Case Patterns released the Blanca Flight Suit . I love the contemporary cut of this and all the little details which Closet Case Patterns do so well. Whilst I love the full on workwear vibe in the denim I felt like the second view with the short sleeve, tie belt and cropped leg I might get a little bit more wear out of. Heather models a sample made up in a linen which I loved the soft, chic yet relaxed vibe of so I hunted down some linen for my own.

The project I'm sharing with you today is from Wendy Ward 's new book ' Sewing Basics for Every Body ', published by CICO Books . It is a beautiful book of clean, modern garments packed with interesting design details. It includes 5 patterns for core basics providing 20 different garments - although with the variety of options on offer I think you could make a lot more! I think what I love most about it is that all the garments are unisex and are modelled by both men and women in the garment photos. It is so wonderful to see this kind of inclusivity and it is a refreshing way to look at garment design and sewing. Why do garments need to be gendered? Clothes are for 'Every Body' as Wendy says in the title and we are all free to make our own fashion choices and style them how we like.

I haven't had time to blog much of late but I have been squeezing in bits and pieces of sewing when I can. I've got a few completed projects to share with you but this jumped the queue to be my final post of the year as I loved it so much after putting in the final stitches a few days ago. It seems appropriate to wrap up the year with this pattern as my first version remains a favourite in my wardrobe and is my most worn handmade garment of 2019! It is the Zadie Jumpsuit from Paper Theory made up in a glorious sand-washed tencel twill from Patterns and Plains . As I've previously made this pattern and reviewed it in depth here I don't have a huge amount extra to say other than that I love it just as much with sleeves and feel like I could comfortably wear this casual everyday with trainers or equally dressed up with heels. I took an inch off the length of the sleeves as they felt kind of in the middle of long and three quarter on me as they were. It feels sophi...

Do you ever see a new pattern release and feel like it was just made for you? When I first spotted the Zadie Jumpsuit (the latest design from Paper Theory ) I felt like it was a garment that should already be in my wardrobe. I love that it has got buckets of style, lovely unique design features, is effortlessly wearable and practical for my lifestyle too. I know jumpsuits aren't for everyone but I am a HUGE fan and they are genuinely amongst some of the most worn garments in my wardrobe (see evidence here , here , here ,  here and here ). So much so that I am more than happy to put up with the hassle of using the toilet!

When Papercut Patterns released their Geo collection a few months back I didn't know which pattern to buy first! All six are gorgeous, contemporary styles and feature interesting shapes and pattern cutting. I'd already planned what handmade additions I wanted to make to my holiday wardrobe, but I couldn't resist adding a couple of these to to queue. First up the Sierra Jumpsuit which I made the short version of but can also be made with full length trousers. I wanted to use a solid colour so the lovely design of the jumpsuit would be shown off and was instantly drawn to this fresh and vibrant leaf green linen/rayon chambray from The Fabric Store . The rayon in the blend gives it a slightly softer drape and smoother hand than their regular linens and the weave is slightly tighter and finer. I could not be happier with my choice to pair it with this pattern. Although you might think a fabric with a bit of weight and structure best for a jumpsuit something fairly fin...

I'm currently exploring Southern Africa! But I have been sewing like a mad woman for the last few weeks and have prepped and scheduled a number of blog posts to share my handmade holiday wardrobe with you. When planning my sewing I kept being drawn to Half Moon Atelier patterns and three of them made it onto my list! Practical and easy to wear, yet modern and with well thought out designs. A big tick in my book. This is their summer jumpsuit Tofo and it is possibly my favourite item in my suitcase. The fabric I've used is a really lovely cotton ikat from The Fabric Store . Unfortunately it is not on the website anymore as I believe I snapped up the last of it when I ordered it a few months ago. I was browsing for something for this pattern and this just jumped out at me as the perfect match. And that it has proved to be. It is a fine and breathable weight. The lovely crisp cotton hand so holds the shape of the romper well but it still has some softness to it so that t...

The story of this project begins with a utility style jumpsuit I spotted on the high street when I was shopping for a show a couple of months back. It is quite unusual nowadays for a RTW garment to catch my eye in the way this did but I just knew it was the kind of clothing I would wear day in, day out. I did consider buying it but when I tried it on didn't love the fit and there were a couple of things I wanted to change about it; namely the lack of hip pockets (my hands felt like they had nowhere to go!) and the elasticated waist which I never find very comfortable in a woven garment. If I didn't sew I might have bought it anyway but luckily I do and I knew I could make myself a version I loved even more! I spent quite a lot of time looking for a similar pattern and put out a poll on Instagram for ideas before settling on McCalls 7330 . Jasika Nicole actually posted a very similar hack of this pattern a couple of weeks back. Thanks for the advice if you put forward ...

Merry Christmas guys! This is probably my last post of the year and to celebrate the festive season I thought I'd share with you the party outfit I made a couple of weeks ago. I had a Christmas party and a press night to go to and despite having a fair few handmade party outfits in my wardrobe by now I couldn't resist the excuse to make something new! My berry Ailakki Jumpsuit is my absolute go to garment for parties. Its incredibly comfortable, feels stylish and unique and I love the fact that it is trousers rather than a dress. I've worn it around most people I know and have worked with now though and as its quite a statement piece felt like I could do with another of its kind in my arsenal. Then I came across this Gina Bacconi shoulderless jumpsuit and fell a little bit in love with the cut of it and the fact that it feels like a feminine tux with the combo of matte and satin black. At £290 its a little out of my price range so what was I to do but recreate it! A...