Sewing projects I'd love to tackle

I've been sewing clothes for 7 months now and although my skills have improved somewhat there are still some projects that I would like to make but I feel are way above my skill level. Although I'm saving them for another day.

Hacking jacket

I'm on the lookout for the perfect tweed jacket and this pattern would be perfect.
Maybe in something like this Harris tweed.

One of my planned autumn projects (that is if I'm not too exhausted from teaching) is a pair of trousers.

I'm thinking a nice slim fit made out of a soft grey fabric like this one from Merchant & Mills


To add to my work wardrobe I'd love to make a pussybow blouse from Colette, perhaps in a nice cotton lawn like this.

Way above my skill level, and something I can only dream one day of making (perhaps with a more advanced sewing machine) is a pair of jeans. I find getting jeans to fit notoriously difficult and we seamstresses know what it means when you buy something that doesn't fit/isn't exactly what you want.

Perhaps these simple jeans from Dragonfly fabrics would be perfect

Last but not least is this circle dress from Cabbages and Roses

I'd like to make something similar to this dress but I don't like to make exact copies, to make this it would need a franken-pattern of Tessuti's Lily linen dress and Sewoverit's Betty dress circle skirt. This is a fabric muncher so something relatively cheap would have to do. Perhaps a nice soft grey gingham.

I recently hit 2000 page views according to Blogger, and I can't say how much it means to me that people actually read my blog! Please note the name change to whatamymade.blogspot.com.

What do you want to make?
Amy x

5 things you should do when sewing...

...that I don't do

1. Wash fabric before use

When I washed my Dress Shirt there was some serious breath holding and crossing fingers in the hope it hadn't shrunk (it hasn't!) which made me realise I need to start washing fabric before use (but I probably won't)

2. Make a toile/muslin

I know, I know, I'm a bad seamstress. I'm just too impatient! I don't have much time to spend sewing and to take the time to make two dresses would defeat the object. Fortunately I haven't had too many problems with fit....yet..

3. Back stitching

Ooh this is naughty one - for some reason I always forget to secure my sewing by reversing my sewing machine before starting a stitch and before finishing. This led to part of my dress shirt arm coming undone...oops. I might've learned my lesson with that one.

4. Neaten inside seams

I don't see the point of this one, I know it looks more professional but it takes up so much time and you don't even see it!

5. Change the pattern

Other than shortening or lengthening the length I find changing how the pattern fits really difficult, I wish someone would write an intermediate book for dressmaking, there are tonnes of fab beginners books out there but none that explain how to fit clothes properly and thus I'm swimming in a sea of CB, warp, weft etc without really knowing what it all means. Although I never expected to become an expert in a few months! Hopefully this blog will document more tips as I learn them to help others out.

What other naughty habits have you picked up whilst sewing?

More tips for dressmaking

Image from Pinterest

Well I've been making clothes for 6 months now and have learned a few things, here are my tips for starting dressmaking;

1. Start small. I started out very ambitious with my Cath Kidston Birds dress which led to it not fitting properly at the back and thus I never wear it.
Start out making cushions and bunting, something small that lets you understand how your sewing machine works and whether you have the patience for something bigger.

2. Get a sewing machine - don't get one of those cute colourful dinky ones, mine was £80 from Tesco, it's really basic and doesn't have a zip foot (which I would recommend - I avoid zips for this reason). One day I will upgrade, but if you can afford I'd recommend one about £150 with some snazzy extras like embroidery stitches and a zip foot and walking foot if you fancy making quilts.

3. Buy cheap fabric to start with, that way you won't get frustrated when you inevitably make mistakes.

4. Make things you like, model dresses/tops you like and recreate them. This seems like a no brainer but if you know your style you're more likely to wear what you've made.

5. Enjoy it! Dressmaking can be really tough but it's so rewarding, especially when people say oh I love what you're wearing, such satisfaction.

Have you got any tips for dressmaking?

Amy

Merchant & Mills The Dress Shirt Review

Merchant & Mills are my favourite online shop, I spend hours browsing their fabric and products dreaming of combinations of patterns and fabrics. The first pattern I decided to try was the Dress Shirt, I was a bit nervous about this pattern because it's the first "proper" pattern I've used, the others have been from the sewing bee book. I also decided with this pattern I would invest in good quality fabric. Which made this project very scary for me!

The fabric I chose was Doll's Deckchair Linen also from M&M, it's a gorgeous baby blue stripe that feels lovely and soft. For the Dress Shirt I needed a metre and a half, but ordered two.

I had some trouble with the dress shirt's instructions, they come on one piece of thick paper and the illustrations are quite small. The bib took some brain power to figure out how to attach, I thought the sleeves were going to be really tough to fit but actually found them really easy to sew in.
I absolutely love this dress but I wouldn't recommend it unless you've made at least one item of clothing before. Whilst I wouldn't say it's complicated, I would say it requires some skill.
Now to dream of other fabric combinations to make... I think a gorgeous soft white linen could be the next project.

                  

I'm not sure if it was the time taken to make this dress - I made it over 4 days instead of rushing to finish in one day - or the expense of the fabric but I've worn this dress more than anything else I've made and even braved putting it in the washing machine!

I'm subscribing to the idea of slow fashion - making gorgeous items of clothing that I love instead of picking up poor quality clothes in Primark for that quick fix.

I'm already dreaming of my next project - a long summery faded floral dress.

In other news, I'm marking for the exam board and currently in the middle of marking 432 exam papers - nightmare! Come follow me on Twitter or Instagram for more up to date updates

Amy

Content

Life is looking up, the last few years have had their ups and downs (mostly downs but some ups including learning new skills and getting into dressmaking).
I was feeling very content this morning and realised that you do not need pots of money to enjoy life.

I was reading a cognitive behavioural handout at work and it listed some of the common faulty thinking processes which include: if I feel it, means its true, if someone says something negative it's true but if it's positive it's false and everyone is looking at me, they can tell I'm nervous.
Sometimes it's hard to spot these faulty thoughts but they heavily pervade into your everyday life.
It's very important to look on the bright side and not focus on the negatives. I decided there and then I would stop worrying because it had no purpose except to add to my stress levels. Whether I was worrying about it or not, it would happen anyway.

All you need is love and health and le meilleu est encore a venir (the best is yet to come).
Sometimes all it takes is a beautiful bunch of roses to remind you the world is beautiful.
How do you stay positive?

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?