Last month I kept a diary of all my handmade garments which gave me a real sense of achievement. Since the only time I get to sew is in the evenings – and, let’s be honest, it’s just so tempting to curl up in front of the fire after dinner with my partner and the dogs – it sometimes feels as if I haven’t done an awful lot. I do give myself an hour after work each day to plan makes, to work on toiles and to get my pattern pieces together for Saturday. As Simon works on Saturday, it’s a day I dedicate to sewing; given all the restrictions there’s no real competition. This month, as was the case in October, I’ve achieved much more than I thought.
Most of these will have a blog post of their own if the pattern has been reviewed so this really just serves as a diary!
Elbe Textiles Sage Tees
This free pattern will be a staple – it was a pleasure to sew up a couple of basic black tees with fabric from Dalston Mills. There’s a review of the pattern here. Haven’t managed to get Simon to model them (yet)…
Sew Over It Ava Skirt
I managed to make this skirt out of just over half a metre of a lovely brocade left over from my Sew Over It Betty dress that I made as part of a Minerva Maker project. It is definitely a useful pattern that I would happily go back to next time I have this amount of fabric left over.
Now I need to find some tops I like and would wear skirts with.
By Hand London Tamzin
I revisited the Tamzin; shortened it another couple of inches from previous versions and used the front tie pattern pieces instead of the back; I have to admit, I much prefer the front ties as you get a more cinched waist.
Sew Over It Betty – Stretch Version
I loved this project – I was curious to find out how the Betty would transpose into stretch fabric. I originally considered making Tilly and the Button’s Joni dress but I wasn’t all that enamoured by the bust detail; and I fancied a step outside my comfort zone. You can see the full blog post on how it progressed in the blog post dedicated to the project.
Vogue V9251 in Velvet
I can’t get enough of velvet and I love a wrap dress. I had never really loved Vogue patterns and pretty much never got past the toile in other patterns but I love this one (there’s a full review on the blog) and cannot wait to wear it over the Christmas / New Year period.
Sew Over It Betty with embroidered tulle overlay
I wanted a nice black occasion dress for the festive season, irrespective of the celebratory limitations that are imposed on all of us by the pandemic. Since taking up sewing I have been making more colourful garments and I’ve almost forgotten that black was a wardrobe staple for me.
I bought this embroidered tulle from Sew Creative way back at the height of the lockdown – I’d hoped things would have changed significantly enough to use it before now but it looks like low key is here to stay for a while. Having no occasions to wear a pretty dress is occasion enough to make it, I’d say. I used a black cotton sateen for the main dress. This is the style I feel most comfortable in – and it’s such an easy pattern, too. Definitely a pattern for any beginner dressmaker.
Sew Over It Vintage Shirt Dress
I am still waiting for the buttons to finish this one but, as soon as they do, I’ll post a review of this dress.
Bonus Makes
I’ve also finished a lot of little makes, including Christmas bunting for friends and family:
More excitingly, for me at least, I’ve finished the little kitchen cross stitch project I started a couple of months ago. Can’t wait to get it framed:
And I’ve managed to sew up my knitted cardigan but I still haven’t tackled the button band…
Instead, I have been procrastinating by knitting up a chunky blanket for cozy winter nights watching Hallmark movies.
