Finally, after 5 weeks, my sewing machine is back!
Apparently it needed more than a service…
Even to my inexperienced eye, this looks pretty broken.
It has now been repaired and my machine is back in place, ready for action.
What I really want to do is to start having a go at making some more of my own clothes.
The only things I have done before from scratch have been heavily supervised, but I want to develop the confidence to start making my very own wardrobe full of my own creations (and it will give me a chance to start using some of my fabric stash..!)
With this in mind, I have splashed out on a brand new book (I felt a bit bad about buying it new, but I couldn’t find it secondhand, and I did buy it from my local independent book shop!)
It’s written by Tilly (you know, from the Great British Sewing Bee!) who has an awesome blog called Tilly and the Buttons, and the tagline is Demystifying Dressmaking.
I could do with some of that. I find patterns quite intimidating.
But I am hoping that this book will be the answer to my problems!
It walks you through each of the patterns, incorporating different techniques with each one, so that you build you skills as you go.
For starters, there is a scarf-I think even I can manage that!
But then it quickly moves onto a proper pattern (the patterns are included in the book) for some PJ trousers
My aim is to work through the book, and hopefully be able to make a version of this dress to wear to my friend’s wedding in August!
I want to make this, but without the sleeves
Too ambitious?
We shall see!
I’ll keep you all posted on my progress….
My Make Do and Mend Year 
Reblogged this on Linda's wildlife garden and commented:
Awesome post Jen thank you for sharing have a blessed day
Feeling inspired to get out my sewing machine. Some of my favorite fabrics are on men’s shirts. Would be cool to see how to slice and dice a fine shirt to style something really special. Are you using a dress form?
You get a surprising amount of fabric from a shirt.
When you say dress form, to you mean a mannequin thing? I don’t have one 😦
Yes, that’s right. I often wonder what I could put together if I had one that’s my size. I would like to try designing this way. Patterns can be trying because it’s been a while since I’ve used one. I used to not feel that way and used to use them more often. It may be that we need more practice using patterns or reading them or something like that. Good luck with your dress! It will be great.
Thankyou!
You also want to start using the Craftsy site. They have some free patterns and lessons to help you get the most out of your machine. I have actually bought a lesson, but its really helping with my confidence in dress making. Good luck!
Great idea, I always forget about Craftsy-must investigate!
beautiful dress! Good luck making it 🙂
Thankyou 🙂 Will keep you all posted!
Such a great idea to work through the book. I keep umming and ahhing over whether or not to get this book.
So sorry, this comment somehow snuck past me until now! I’m loving it the book! Did you get it in the end?
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I’ve got a cool idea for you regarding the lack of mannequin (is this not the blog of “make do and mend”?? 🙂 I can’t remember where I saw the idea, but this is YOUR OWN mannequin (your exact size). with 2 or 3 supermarket bags you cover your body,(from shoulder level to hips) then with packing cello tape you wrap all over your body, until you have a good shape of your body, with scissors you cut in line all your front from neck down and you get it out like a jacket (that is the reason why you cover yourself with bags, the cello tape will stick to the bags and not to your body.) Now you join back where you cut and you fill everything with…cotton, wool, bits & pieces of cloth. You will have a perfect mannequin to work on…..(well, I hope you get the idea 🙂 ) Let me know if it works for you.
Oh my goodness! I’ll let you know if I’m brave enough/have enough packaging tape to have a go..!! Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
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