Where am I?

You can find my work on Etsy.
You can find all the stuff I get up to including what i'm making on instagram. 

MA Show

MA Show @ The Public West Bromwich 24 Sept to 9 Oct 

Vintage Lace Summer Wedding

Where does the time go?  Me Made May is all done and dusted but it's definitely left its legacy,  more self drafting and more bonkers prints!

These are a muslin for McCalls M7445 which I have worn constantly.

Never tire of gorgeous Welsh Tapestry, I've added a few big totes to the shop.

I made myself a little clutch, experimenting with some vinyl I've had in.

Then I got out all of my precious vintage lace and made a few for the shop.

I think these would be a perfect bridesmaid gift for a wedding.

All The Fabrics

I've been busy with some rather glorious barkcloth,

cork,

tyvek,

waxed canvas, wool and rivets! 

All in my Etsy shop.

Me-Made-May Week Two

Day 8 of Me-Made-May  red linen dress from Sew Chic Happy Homemade, the third one I made with the same pattern means it's fast to get made.

Day 9.   Grainline Studio Linden t-shirt, made on my overlocker.

Day 10.   Ginger Jeans no.1 from Closet Case Patterns in an excellent denim from Fancy Silk Store.  Self drafted t-shirt made from a fabulous vintage barkcloth curtain.

Day 11.   Silk skirt that I bough at Birmingham Rag Market as a dress for a fiver, fully lined, I just chopped the top  off and stitched on some elastic.  It has pockets!

Day 12.  Ginger jeans no.2 again the denim was from Fancy Silk Store.  Self drafted Nano Iro double gauze shirt.  Lucca shawl by Jared Flood knit in Fyberspates Royal Wedding - the previous one!

Day 13.  Merchant and Mills The Camber Set fabric from Fabrics Galore.

Day 14.  Another Grainline Studio Linden t-shirt again made completely on my overlocker.

London Underground Moquette

I've been working on a bit of London Underground Victoria Line original moquette, it's basically carpet so a bit of a pig to work with but lasts forever this time I've gone for thicker navy handles, its over in the Etsy shop.

I'm on a bit of a jeans kick lately, 2 pairs of Ginger Jeans made and another cut out.  I've got a lot of different denims in my studio and decided I'd try putting some together in my cross back aprons.  This one has two types, orange top stitching and jeans style pockets.

I'm rather in love with one, 8 types of denim and my favourite pinstripe - 1980's - down the back edge, yellow top stitching and again jeans shape pockets.

Finally a shot denim, a navy and sparky teal weave so it shimmers with movement, this usual original design  with big rounded pockets.

Me Made May 2018

I thought I would give Me Made May a go this year and here's the first week of completely me made outfits, more photos on my Instagram - didyoumakeityourself.  Day 1 is a corduroy Farrow Dress from Grainline Studio, Pilvi jacket made up in a vintage wool blanket from Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Style, Ten Ten wrap in Jamieson's of Shetland by Olgajazzy.

Day 2 is another Pilvi, this time in a vintage Harris Tweed and lined, Esme shirt from Everyday Style again and my first pair of Ginger Jeans from Closet Case Patterns.  I am also wearing hand knit socks of course.  Scarf is from Nielanell on Shetland.

Day 3 in the Big Smoke, Tamarack jacket from Grainline Studio again made from an old curtain and lined with an old bed sheet!  My second pair of Ginger Jeans - pink top stitching,  Summer Sky shawl knit in the fabulous Home Farm Wensleydale and self drafted navy linen shirt.

Extra shot just because it's glorious.

Day 4 No.2 Ginger Jeans, self drafted red linen shirt.

Red hot day 5, linen dress with pockets from  a Japanese sewing book, Happy Homemade Sew Chic.

Day 6, same dress but without pockets in a fabulous silk brocade I got in Milan.

Day 7, same dress again in a yellow linen, red Noro i-cord on the head phones,

 on the daily commute!

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Cross Back Aprons Galore

I've been busy with the cross back pinnies.  My personal favourite is the pink dog roses.

The unused vintage bark cloth is pretty good.

The always popular hand embroidered beauty.

See & Sew Jumpsuit

All of a sudden the summer clothes don't fit.

My smallest assistant decided she'd knock up her own with the help of Butterick See & Sew.

Then she stole my favourite Ankara.

A job well done.

Mine's the same pattern but turned out a bit more Winston Churchill!

Yellow and Grey

This is some amazing rubberised lace that I found on my travels, it's so good because it still retains the integrity of the lace structure even though it's been soaked in rubber which makes it strong and flexible but with the appearance of the fragility of lace.  I've laid the lace over some silver linen which is pretty good stuff on its own and made a gorgeous little clutch. 

I'm working on lots of greys and yellows at the moment, always a good combination.

  I love this grey fade, perfect for the summer.

Who could resist a knit print fabric?  Well certainly not me, it's now a project bag over in the shop. 

Shetland Tweed from my travels to Shetland Wool Week last year, love a bit of pinstripe.

Ginger Jeans

I made myself a pair of Ginger Jeans from Closet Case Patterns.  

These are my muslin, (practice), and I'm pretty pleased with them.

The denim needs a bit of stretch, 

I got three to try from The Fancy Silk Store and started off with my least favourite.

These are the high-rise version and so comfy.

The reason most people make clothes is not because of cost - it could be - but more likely because of fit.  I've spent years in badly fitting jeans, big thighs,  big hip bones but proportionally smaller waist does not tally with the majority of jeans around at the moment, skinny leg and low-rise.

These were a lot easier to make than I expected.

At times I did have to suspend my practical thinking and experience and just go with the instruction book and of course it worked.

I was chuffed with my zip insertion.

The pockets meet up at the zip which gives an altogether smoother silhouette.

Top stitching is much easier with something under your machine foot when you get to a bulky seam and of course I hammered a lot of my bulk before I started.

Fly before it was unpicked and revealed.

I made serious notes, it's a lot easier with two sewing machines, one set up for top stitching.

My pocket idea was a serene swan leaving a Hokusai style wave in it's wake.  I could have executed the pocket design better but I was impatient to get them on and I think they'll do for a first attempt.