It’s a bit rainy in Yorkshire today so it feels slightly less bonkers to be sharing my new Cambria Duster (last week it was too hot to even talk about outerwear). I made this a couple of months ago (still had pink hair) but I’ve finally got round to writing it up. The pattern is by Friday Pattern Company and I think I’ve made almost all their patterns now – they are definitely one of my go-to pattern companies! I had planned to make what I thought would look like a sort-of elevated cardigan but what I’ve ended up with is an elegant coat that I am completely in love with. The wool is a heavyw ..read more

Hi pals! Back to sewing this week! I recently made the Sew House Seven Remy Raglan (max chest measurement 65.5in) out of the scraps leftover from making this Milton Pinafore. I didn’t have loads left so I had to make it cropped and I had to cut the back on the fold but I think the cropped length works well for high waisted garments so I’m not disappointed! I love finding creative uses for scraps and managing to get these big sleeves out of a small piece of fabric is no small feat! This pattern was a complete bargain – I got the standard size Remy Raglan paper pattern (max chest measurement 4 ..read more

As we’re nearing the end of June, I wanted to do a quick round-up of my Me Made May project before I forget all about it! After several years of taking part in Me Made May, and wearing me-made pretty much every day anyway, I found it hard to come up with a new challenge for 2022. Somehow I was reminded that earlier in the year I had seen Waterstones had shared some social media posts where they had found book covers to match famous red-carpet-outfits. I thought to myself “wouldn’t it be cool if someone dressed like book covers ON PURPOSE?” thus an idea was born… I set myself the challenge of ..read more

This blog post was written for The Avid Seamstress as part of my role in their blogging team, The Avid Makers. I am thrilled to be back on the Avid Seamstress blog with my newest make – The Raglan Dress. I love the style lines and a-line shape of this pattern. I have a dress a similar shape that I wear loads, it’s just so easy to throw on and go (great for when I don’t have the brainpower to pull outfits together) so I know I am going to get lots of wear out of this! I deliberated for a long time about what fabric to use. I have some navy blue suiting that would look very smart, and not too d ..read more

I took pictures of this hat in January but didn’t know what to say about it. I knit it for a job interview I was invited to (and was incredibly excited about) which I had three weeks to prepare for but then was cancelled two days before. The business owners simply changed their minds and decided they no longer wanted to hire anymore. I had done a lot of preparation for the role (including knitting this hat) and I was truly gutted as the opportunity was one I really wanted. I don’t know about anyone else, but I get emotionally invested in knitting in a way that I don’t with sewing. When I wea ..read more

Each year around this time, I update this list so that I can add new free patterns, check/update all the links and remove all the patterns that are no longer available for free (TIP: they don’t always stay free, so if you see a pattern you like, I recommend you download it!) As always, the patterns include maximum size information and I do not ever include ‘One Size’ patterns. This year I have painstakingly reformatted the whole database to include an image for each pattern – making it more user friendly than ever before! It is my goal to improve on this list every year and am confident this ..read more

Anyone else completely obsessed with checks/gingham at the moment? I cannot get enough! It fits so well into my cottagecore / hobbit aesthetic which is definitely my 2022 vibe. I originally ordered this fabric to make an Anthea Dress but after feeling how thick and stable it is I decided to make a pinafore – this fabric is lovely and weighty it would also be amazing for trousers or even jackets. I have a little bit leftover – not enough for trousers or a jacket but definitely enough for shorts or a top! The pinafore pattern I chose is the Peppermint Milton Pinafore which is a free pdf patter ..read more

My apologies that this post is a little image-heavy, I am so happy with this photoshoot! It just screams Spring and I am absolutely delighted with those vibrant Daffodils in the background! Did you know that the Narcissus flower is the flower of the Greek underworld? It was the flower Persephone was picking when she was kidnapped by Hades and from then on sacred to the God of the underworld. It was said that the Narcissus flower grew alongside the river Styx. I have fully been swept away with the current renaissance of Greek mythology retellings in popular literature and I am not mad about it ..read more

The spring weather is here! When this fabric arrived I definitely knew it would get so much wear in spring! The florals are so beautiful and the colours so pretty. The pattern I have used is the Anna Allen Anthea Blouse which you may remember I have made before and I think it is perfect for quilting cottons which is always good to know! I love a good quilting cotton but often struggle to find good patterns to make with them – this simple but elevated shirt pattern is the perfect solution! With the collarless design and big sleeves, it’s fashion forward while still looking smart enough to wea ..read more

This blog post was written for The Avid Seamstress as part of my role in their blogging team, The Avid Makers. I am going back and sharing makes that never made it to the blog. I think it is important to not just create content when things are ‘new’ – sharing older makes is always worthwhile! Today I am talking about The Avid Seamstress Gathered Dress which I made in autumn of last year. This was my first time sewing an Avid Seamstress pattern and I was very impressed with the clarity and depth of the instructions. I have been sewing for over ten years and I would say these are some of the mo ..read more