I’m really excited to share a little project I worked on earlier this year… a new book! And it’s very different to the other book I released this year (read about my first book, Modern Paper Piecing, here)… About ‘Celebrate With Me’ This new book, named ‘Celebrate With Me‘, is a children’s book that celebrates the wonderful variety of holiday traditions that happen across the world. It was published in partnership with No Kid Hungry, a charity that aims to end child hunger. 100% of my royalty fees from the book will be donated to the charity, to help support the vital work they are doing. ‘Cel ..read more

How long does it take to write a craft book? It’s a tricky question to answer – and one I was definitely interested in when I signed my first book deal! In this post, I’ve broken down every single minute of time I put into writing my craft book. Every meeting, email and phone call. Every photo shoot and writing session. Everything. I’ve analysed the data and displayed it in a few very simple charts, so you can see how long it takes to write a craft book – and also where the majority of the time is spent. I hope this is a useful resource to any aspiring craft authors out there! If you’re intere ..read more

The fabric used to make this men’s summer shirt sewing pattern (the Hackney shirt by Sew Over It) was gifted by Minerva. There was no requirement for me to blog about it. Project summary Sewing pattern: Hackney mens shirt sewing pattern by Sew Over It Fabric: Art Gallery Fabrics 100% Cotton Poplin in Underwater (affiliate link) Amends: Short sleeves, narrowed the back panel Men’s summer shirt sewing pattern: Hackney shirt review I’ve had this project in my ‘half finished’ pile since the end of last summer… With selling my house, moving across the country, starting a new job and writing my book ..read more

ad: This project is sponsored by Good Fabric, who kindly provided me with the Oliver men’s trousers sewing pattern by VikiSews. Unfortunately, due to the developing situation in Russia, this sewing pattern is no longer available (at the time of writing). However, the review below is applicable to other, similar men’s trousers sewing patterns. Introducing Good Fabric Good Fabric is a UK-based online fabric store, with a focus on eco-friendly and sustainable sewing. Sadly, fabric production is a huge contributor to global microplastics, greenhouse gas emissions and water usage. As sewists, it’s ..read more

Okay okay, I say this about every item I sew… but I think this is my FAVOURITE ever make! It’s the Foreman Jacket by Merchant and Mills, sewn in an electric blue cotton drill. I love how it’s turned out! It’s got the classic, timeless feel of a traditional chore jacket – but in a bright, bold colour-way. I’m obsessed. ? I can’t wait to wear it through the transitional spring months, and into the summer. Pattern: Foreman Jacket by Merchant and Mills Size: 42 (I’m 6 foot) Fabric: Electric blue, 100% cotton drill from Abakhan Amendments: Redrafted the front and back slightly, and changed the shap ..read more

I’ve been sewing for around 15 years – I love it! It’s my favourite type of crafting, although don’t tell the others ;). Over the years, I’ve tried lots of sewing techniques, from quilting and appliqué, to free-form and, more recently, garment making. But one of my absolute favourites is Paper Piecing. I’ve taught quite a few Paper Piecing classes over the years. I’m often surprised at how few people have heard of this amazing craft technique before! So I thought I’d write this post to introduce you to it, and answer the key questions beginners might have. If there’s anything else you’d like t ..read more

It feels like a lifetime has passed since I signed my book deal! It was back in the early autumn of 2020, a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic – although discussions regarding the book started 6+ months before that. You can read that story here. (Also, don’t miss my guide to getting a craft book deal, which includes everything I’ve learned about the process so far). It also feels like a lifetime has passed since I shared an update about it! Well, I’ve been busy working away during my social media/blog hiatus …and I’m excited to share that I’ve finished writing it! I submitted the final manu ..read more

AD – In this post, I make a mens Ilford jacket by Friday Pattern company, in a colour-block needle cord. I was gifted the pattern to try it out. I’ve been super busy lately, juggling my book writing with my day job and moving house*. As a result, I’ve barely had time for anything else, including any just-for-fun sewing! I’ve really missed sitting down at my sewing machine for an afternoon, without needing to photograph every single step. So I was excited to have been asked by Friday Pattern Company to try out their Ilford jacket pattern – a good excuse to have a break from book projects for a ..read more

I’ve got some pretty cool news to share… I’ve been offered a column in Reader’s Digest magazine! The editorial team reached out to me a few months ago, as they’d been enjoying my blog. They asked if I’d be interested in writing a monthly column for the magazine, with a double page spread in each edition. Of course, I said yes! Every month, I’ll be sharing a craft tutorial with simple, step-by-step instructions and photos. I’ve had 3 published so far (April, May and June), and I’ve just submitted the next few months’ content too. I’ve been in a lot of magazines over the years (see my press page ..read more

This is a blog post I never thought I would share. It was actually a pretty hard one to write! I’ve been putting off finishing it for a long time – I was worried about the implications, and how it might be interpreted. But it’s important I share this. This is the story of how I hit (and exceeded) my business goals – and the sharp, transformative realisations I came to when I did. I hit 10,000 Instagram followers, then this happened… When the pandemic began in 2020, my whole lifestyle changed in just a few weeks – as it did for so many others. I found myself working from home with no commute, c ..read more