April 2022 Sew Diary

Sewing has taken a bit of a back seat at the moment between work amping up – I’ve had a promotion which comes with a lot more work and will take some getting used to – and have been working through a few weeks illness as well. Nevertheless, when I have had some energy, I’ve settled down at the sewing machine and made myself a few new pieces.

Moneta Dress by Colette Patterns

I have lost count of how many of these dresses I have now made now but I do have a gap for plain colours in my wardrobe which I will slowly have to fill as I love this style of dress for office days when I am desk bound but they’re also just as well suited for walking the dogs. This is a plain cotton jersey I got from The Sewist Fabric Shop in their closing down sale.

Gertie, Peter Pan Bolero

April was pretty awful when it came to the weather – snow, sleet and storms really did set the tone. So, while I wanted to make for spring and summer I ended up feeling no guilt for sewing for winter. I received a gorgeous fabric – Responsible Wool Standard Stretch Knit Fabric Ochre – from Minerva as part of their brand ambassador programme and could not resist making a Peter Pan bolero – and even though I’ve only worn it a couple of times this season, it’ll be perfect when Autumn / Winter comes in.

Schultz Apparel Asta Bag

I used the scraps from my bolero to make an Asta bag. Amalie kindly gifted this pattern to her testers and I could not resist this gorgeous vintage inspired bag and lined it with the remnant of a viscose from The Rag Shop that made a dress from. I don’t believe in waste. I love this pattern.

Sew Over It Marguerite Dress

This will come as no surprise to those of you who visit my blog / YouTube channel regularly; this dress is a classic in my wardrobe. Ever since I discovered Missy Mop fabrics I make regular visits to the website to see what new pieces Nicky has to offer! Missy Mop, for those of you who haven’t encountered this online store yet, specialises in vintage and deadstock fabrics and haberdashery. I couldn’t resist this summery viscose. The vibrancy of the yellow against the teal is such a wonderful combination.

It wasn’t the only Marguerite I made this month – I love this spring hares and daffodil print. When I have a directional printed fabric I have a handful of patterns I turn to, one of which – no surprise to anyone who knows me – is the @sewoveritlondon Marguerite dress. I love the vintage silhouette of this pattern.

Cashmerette Alcott Dress

My guest blog went live over on the Felicity Fabrics blog which you can read here. I made the Cashmerette Alcott dress in this incredible sweater modal “romance blue” fabric – secret pyjamas anyone? I swear, it is the cosiest garment in my wardrobe. Head over to the blog and find out why I love both this fabric and the pattern so much.

Jennifer Lauren Handmade Gable Dress

After testing the soon to be released Isla dress (which I will share as soon as it is released) I revisited a pattern I had made once before when I first started sewing in 2020. I don’t know what took me so long to return to it. I bought this Spring Floral French Terry from The Rag Shop before Christmas but wasn’t sure what to make with it until I remembered the Gable dress. The Gable top is a classic but I turn to the expansion pack for the dress version first. I’ve made the shorter sleeve version with the pleated skirt (which works better for this french terry than gathers would have). I’ve also shortened the bodice. I think the pattern is intended to be lower waisted than I’ve made it but, from previous experience, I think this suits where my body cuts a bit better. I really love this pattern.

Sew Over It Penny Dress

I have revisited this simple pattern 3 or 4 times – my favourite thing about the Penny Dress is the dropped shoulder (which is reminiscent of the 50s) and the beautiful gathered shoulder panel. It is such a basic office choice for me and, in this gorgeous lightweight viscose, perfect for the often soaring temperatures at work.

Gertie, Midge Breton Top

Things really started to sew down and I started to feel really ill at this point of the month so I turned my hand to simple jersey makes. This wouldn’t be my usual style but I thought I’d give it a go. Even though it’s not quintessentially ‘me’, I can see myself wearing this a lot (especially if I get myself in gear and make my Audrey cigarette pants). The cute patch pocket is my favourite feature!I really do love this fabric from Jenny Stitches, though, and am trying to resist buying more of it!

Elbe Textiles, Sage Tee

Another simple make was the Sage Tee. I need to start topping up the basics in Simon’s wardrobe and this is a favourite pattern which he loves the fit of.

Gertie, Joan Wiggle Dress

I only have a quick selfie of this make (as I said, at this point of the month I was pretty ill and not exactly photogenic). I made a couple of versions of the @gertie18#JoanWiggleDress when it was released at the start of the year but I’d only made the slash neck version as it suits my everyday wardrobe better than the sweetheart neckline. I decided to get in touch with my inner vamp (I used to have a whole wardrobe of Gothic Victoriana inspired clothes) and made up this black velvet number. What you can’t see yet is that I’ve shortened it… a lot!

There was also some needlework happening in the evenings (this is something I was capable of doing, even in my state of fatigue), including my March Cotton and Twine cross stitch subscription box which made a lovely addition to the Easter touches in my home.

While on the note of Easter, Craft Cotton Co. challenged me to get inventive with my scraps. I made a few little bunny treat pouches with the scraps left over from my my Easter dress (with fabric from @jennystitchesfabrics). Paired with a white fat quarter, this fabric makes a cute Easter gift bag. Perfect for filling with little chocolate treats.

I’ve made a start on an old Makebox project – an Alice in Wonderland inspired cross stitch.

However, my focus was on my Spring Stitch-A-Long from The Historical Sampler Company — progress is ongoing and it should be finished mid-May!

It may be a few weeks before I am back in my sewing element but I am sure it will come!

1 comments on “April 2022 Sew Diary

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

%d bloggers like this: