Blog Posts
My insider tips on making the Sienna Maker Jacket. All the jackets and coats in my wardrobe seemed so formal: I was lacking a casual jacket / coat to wear with jeans t-shirts and sweaters. The Sienna Maker jacket by Closet Core seemed like the perfect solution. I had this pattern on my wish list …
Is New Look 6341 the perfect party dress? Like many, I have had this pattern in my stash for a while. It reminds me of dresses that I wore in the 1980’s. Not my favourite fashion period for sure, but a drop waist is generally flattering. The Pattern The pattern is a full-skirted, drop-waisted dress, …
Why is Vogue 9123 a overlooked coat pattern?
Falling in love with cotton silk Aran
THE PATTERN I made this suit using Vogue 1435 for a friend’s wedding, as the English weather is often so unreliable. However, the day turned out to be too hot, and so I never actually wore it! Even so, this is a timeless outfit and the dress can be worn at any time of day …
For those of you who do not know, I run a traditional guest house in Marrakech (called Riad Assakina), where I have lived for the past 15 years. I am often asked by my guests about buying fabrics in the souks – sometimes for furnishing but more often for fashion purposes – and I am always …
MY HEADBAND INSPIRED BY DEBBIE BLISS I have never knitted small projects, always preferring the bigger, more satisfying stuff, like sweaters and cardigans. However, after sewing so much recently, I was inclined to indulge in some small and fast projects, for some instant gratification. Upon completing my Debbie Bliss Taking A Break sweater (see previous knitting …
Why am I posting about knitting an Aran sweater in July, you may ask? Has she gone mad?! The answer, of course, is that knitting can take a long time (especially with a complicated pattern), so it’s always best to start early. If you don’t do that, then you run the risk of the season being over before …
These days, I am not so fond of my upper arms and so decided to add a stole to accessorise my wedding dress. Please see my previous blog Sewing My Own Wedding dress. Here is how I made my own wedding stole. Thankfully I already had Vogue 7161 in my pattern stash. I was intending …
My inspiration to return to sewing a hand-made wardrobe. Are you considering making a wedding dress for yourself, a daughter or friend? Here is my story and experience of sewing my own wedding dress. Becoming a first-time bride at the age of 58 was rather daunting, to say the least! After being with my partner …