Diary of a Chain Stitcher

I usually tend to start with the pattern when I'm planning sewing projects. I'm either inspired by the pattern itself or by a style of garment and then find a pattern to match or hack. However, on this occasion I started with the fabric and am so pleased I did as this has turned into one of the most joyous items of clothing in my wardrobe! A couple of months ago Polina from Good Fabric reached out to me to see I would be interested in reviewing a fabric from her online store. I was very happy to have the opportunity to work with her as all of the fabrics she stocks have a variety of sustainable and eco-friendly credentials and are drop dead gorgeous to boot!

The team at The New Craft House asked me to join their ambassador team a couple of months ago and I was really excited by the prospect of working with their fabrics. All the fabrics they stock are deadstock and sourced from local designers. Deadstock fabrics are left over once collections have been manufactured, which means when buying this fabric you are using up waste products rather than buying 'new'. I've been thinking a lot about the sustainability of my sewing recently, given that I like to sew a lot. Looking in to where your fabrics come from and have been manufactured can be quite a daunting process so buying deadstock is a straightforward place to start.

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...