My March picks

I say this every month and at the start of every week but how fast is this year going!?

My March included making 2 dresses, sorting my craft room out, a teapot cosy and the start of a baby blanket!

I managed to fit a lot more in this month than I previously thought. 

Feel free to follow me on Instagram @amys_attic to see what I'm up to.

How was your month?

Amy

Positivity

I've started keeping a log of all the positive things that have happened since the beginning of the year on Instagram using the tag 365gratefulsewamy and I think it will be nice to look back at the end of the year and remember the lovely days out, the lazy days and the love we have shared. 

I am naturally a positive person but the last few years have been rough and my positivity waned. A little knock back here and there can really get you down but sometimes the knock backs can show you how fragile life is and to be grateful for everything you've got. 

I'm trying to be less reliant on possessions for happiness and I haven't been shopping or bought anything for two months now. Originally this was not through choice but now I find that I am much happier focusing on what I have instead of what I need. 

I feel very grateful when I look at my life and instead of thinking of what I need, I am content and happy with what I've got.

Of course this does not stop me browsing Cath Kidston looking and sighing at pretty things!

How do you keep positive?

Adventuring

Ever feel like you're just working and coming home and working then coming home? I'm a total homebody, there's nothing I love more than being cosy on the sofa watching something on Netflix, however occasionally I get cabin fever and have to get out and about.

This is when we go on what I call an adventure. I love revisiting all the places I went when I was younger and Yorkshire is such a beautiful place there's endless towns and villages to visit.

Here's a few places we've visited recently:

Lindley reservoir which was on the way to Pateley Bridge, we had to stop and take a photo of the gorgeous scenery (despite blocking the road a wee bit). Why are phone cameras so rubbish sometimes? This picture does the scenery absolutely no justice in the slightest.

Brimham Rocks, a fascinating rock formation near the Yorkshire Dales. I wish it wasn't so windy when we went because I really wanted to climb up to the top but when I tried to get a photo I nearly blew away!

Obviously we HAD to get some sweets from here, I have a major sweet tooth.

Please excuse my finger, this is Gary's photo taking stance (to stop being blown over!)

He wasn't happy with the wind

But much happier with tea and cake inside him.

Is there anything better than a Yorkshire tea room??

Mmmm, jam then cream...people who put cream THEN jam on are certifiably insane.

Pateley Bridge was a tiny village, it had one main street (but 4 pubs and 5 tearooms - that's yorkshire for you!)

This is New Miller Dam in Wakefield which is a lovely walk and we were blessed with some sunshine.

Near Castle Hill in Huddersfield

This was in the peak district, a place I forget the name of, we climbed to the top of this rock formation and felt like we were on top of the world!

Hardcastle Crags, near Hebden Bridge, which is another lovely walk.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Although a lot of the places we visit are in and around Yorkshire we have been abroad too. Most recently:

A surprise trip to Paris for my 25th birthday!

We have been many places in the short while we have been together and I envisage many more, to find someone who shares my love of these day trips is quite fantastic. I love our adventures, getting in the car and going on a road trip, full of bacon sandwiches and dreaming of high tea or a pub lunch and then coming home at the end of the day. Perfect.

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Dressmaking wishlist

My head is full of ideas I'm just a little short on time!

Here's my wishlist of things I really really want to make:

This gorgeous blue gingham dress is beautiful, but I'm not entirely sure it's me and will probably stay as inspiration for a shorter dress (I really dislike midi lengths on me despite having long legs, it just doesn't look right).

This is a Cabbages and Roses skirt I saw on eBay but didn't buy, I dislike the C&R over the top silhouette and so will recreate this skirt to be a little more wearable day-to-day. I'm still looking for wool felt that comes in metres.

This is a basic circle skirt, I tend to wear dresses more because matching an outfit is very simple, but I would like more variety in my wardrobe and a basic skirt (with a bow, obviously) will be perfect.

This is Tilly and the Button Coco top which can be modified to make a dress, after a quick scout on eBay for striped jersey I've decided it needs to be added to my handmade wardrobe. Also I am OBSESSED with stripes which makes this a total no-brainer for me! It would work really nicely with the skirt above as a basic but fabulous outfit.

This is Tessuti's Eva linen dress which is doing the rounds on instagram, a beautifully flowing dress which will be perfect in white linen (£3 pm on eBay!)

Every time I see my first handmade dress it makes me smile, it's not perfect by any means but it was made by me and that sense of pride is worth more than any dress you can buy.

I've decided to write a blog post every weekend (work makes me exhausted and brain dead which is not the ideal mind frame to be writing with!) so please follow me on Bloglovin or Instagram to see what I'm up to during the week.

Have you got the dressmaking bug?

Amy

Tips for dressmaking

I am a complete sewing amateur. I started sewing in January 2013 when I first bought a sewing machine. I've done some hand sewing here and there but lack the patience for it. 

Dress making for me is a real no brainer. I like sewing, I'm really stingy and I like to be a little bit original. I admired the Cath Kidston Garden Birds dress but it sold out, I found the fabric on eBay and so decided to make my own!

Here are some tips for complete total amateurs like me:

First up, you know how sewing blogs and books etc tell you to measure your pattern and adjust it to your size? Well yeah. Do that. I stupidly assumed because I fit a certain size in a shop it would match the pattern. Nope. It didn't. Which resulted in me having to do some DIY on the back of the dress to make it fit. Make sure you measure the usual, bust, waist, hips but also across your shoulders, the length of your torso etc. 

Next up, make sure you have enough fabric! I can imagine you reading this rolling your eyes and saying "how much of an amateur are you!?" The answer is very and I still managed to make a dress! It's that easy.

Anyway, I did not read my pattern and realise that you have to double it up to have enough fabric which resulted in me having to do some jimmying of fabric and the back being a teeeeny bit longer than the front (but it looks like it's supposed to be like that, result!)

The whole thing took about 4 hours and cost £15. I highly recommend it, it's a very satisfying and makes you feel very smug when someone says "I like your dress" and you reply "oh thanks, I made it".

Next up, a felt wool skirt and a floral tea dress. When I have some pennies that is!