A Little Diary Thread Because I'm At The Age Where I Forget!

Hi Donnie

Absolutely loved reading your diary entry! It sounds like you have learnt so much over the last year, which is so fantastic! It's really wonderful to get that "ah-ha" moment when things start clicking into place around fitting adjustments and what needs to be altered.

Learning what kind of fabrics you enjoy wearing and how they differ to fabrics you appreciate looking at and sewing with is actually a really big hurdle for a lot of new sewers. A lot of us are really drawn to big, bold, colourful patterns and prints like you might be drawn to art that you'd hang on the wall. But they actually don't fit into your lifestyle and wearing them feels completely different.

Having sewn as a dressmaker for over a decade I can tell you that I've only recently learnt that I prefer wearing a more muted colour palatte of soft blues and dusky pinks and have become a lot more particular in the type of prints I wear. Whilst I can appreciate a bold and colourful floral print and have a lot of fun sewing it... they aren't the garments I typically reach for to actually wear! It has been an interesting journey! 

On the subject of fabric choices, I bought this a few years ago because I loved it. I bought quite a lot of it as I had no idea how much fabric items needed. It's very loose weave and it unravels at the slightest touch. With a few months of sewing under my belt I began to have an understanding of the problems I was going to face when I came to use the fabric and I decided it would have to wait! However, the need to make some space meant January was the month when I tackled it.

I decided a complex pfabric needed a very simple pattern. I was going to try making the Seamwork Ivy jacket (a simple, thigh length boxy unlined jacket with a detachable scarf) but then I found the Itch to Stitch Koersel cape pattern. I confess that I didn't give too much consideration as to whether or not I would actually wear a cape at that stage, I was simply on a mission to see if I could make anything.

C.L. Hardie (The Thrifty Stitcher)suggested using a K10 fusible interfacing and I block fused each of the pattern pieces as soon as I cut them out. You'll perhaps see that I used oversize pieces as I was minded to wrap a 1cm overlap around to the right side to strengthen the seam edges. 

I bought some cotton poplin to make a lining. The pattern was an unlined cape, but with the block interfacing I felt it needed a prettier inside. 

It isn't quite finished. I also extended the length of the cape thinking it might be more 'me' but now I'm not sure!

I'm not going to risk button holes so have found some duffel coat fasteners to use instead.

For now it is sitting on the tailor's dummy whilst I think. I don't want to stitch 9 metres of binding if I am going to be shortening it!

Will I ever wear it? I go back to the comment in my first post, I still love the fabric but am not sure I love it on me! However, I am proud that I have made something without it unravelling and falling to pieces. At least not yet. I think it could be quite cheerful on a grey winter's day provided it is dry - I'm not a fan of the smell of wet wool!

My few days off work are coming to a close but I've finished 2 knit garments. The colourful Lenny dress is a Seameork pattern and incredibly straightforward provided you read the pattern properly and use the correct seam allowance. I graded the pattern 3 times, some smaller, some bigger. I love this fabric but wondered if I'd like it when worn. I'm not generally a leopard print type of person! But I think for brightening up grey days it is perfect.

The second project is the True Bias Bryn cardigan. I thought I'd wear it as a dress as that meant I didn't have to do buttonholes. I have a very basic sewing machine and whilst it will do buttonholes, it gets really stroppy if things are not smooth, stable, flat and thin!!!! It occurred to me that I could perhaps attach the band in a different way to minimise the usual bulk and, it worked! I even managed 12 button holes! I had to make an adjustment to the back after construction. I don't know if the fabric stretched out slightly or if I was just clumsy with the band . For the full length version there's a centre back seam, so it was relatively easy! 

Now need to find the part of me that knows what needs to be done at work!!! I've managed to switch off completely and just sew for a few days.  It has been wonderful. 

April has been the month to throw myself into the sew socials and give myself permission to prioritise my sewing. Interesting that the ceiling didn't fall down at work when I stopped working 80 hour weeks

This month I've made a lot, which is just as well as none of my old summer clothes fit now. I hacked the Chalk and Notch Wren dress to make the skirt longer and more fitting for someone of my age, however, despite it fitting well enough, I felt as if it swamped me. At one of the sewing socials Ruthy suggested inserting fisheye darts and they improved the garment immensely. I may still re-do the skirt to remove some of the fabric, but I'm waiting until bringing it into rotation in 'me-made May' before doing anything else with it.

This month has seen the production of the Seamwork Cosmo blouse, the Tilly and the Buttons Frida shirt, Maison Fauve Ronsard Jeans, the Style Arc Armidale dress (some of these are included in the photos here), two Canyon tops and the Rosie blouse from Atelier Jupe. The Ronsard and the Rosie were my first experience of using the French/Belgian patterns and it's been very pleasing to a. not panic about the differences and b. figure things out.

Also sewed up is the Sew Over It Estelle dress (still waiting to be hemmed) and finally finished is a wearable toille of the Seamwork Nolan trousers which I think fit me well...although it is remarkably challenging to look at your own derriere without distorting the fabric of the trousers. I'm taking those with me to a sewing retreat at the end of May to get them checked.

I love the new Friday Pattern Co Canyon pattern. The proportions of it are perfect for me and I have fabric in the washing machine as a I type to make the dress version. I've felt like an old fuddy-duddy looking at some of the fabric choices of the YouTuber influencers in the sewing domain, but through Hayley have now found Root-id and it feels like my fabric spiritual home. I love the styles and the sustainable approach. I'm looking forward to making the Canyon dress in fabric sourced from there.

As the end of the month approaches it seems a new capsule wardrobe has been created, without the beautiful planning that Adele did, and I never quite got around to! I am convinced this is due to this community and the sew socials. Having a reason to show up and sew has really helped me on so many levels and I'm grateful to everyone here for their camaraderie, support, humour and the fact that you too showed up!