Inspiration, Tips & Tricks

The Wrap Up:

When I first saw this pattern, I thought it would make such a great winter staple. I love the low V with the option to make it lower or higher by the amount of buttons/snaps you have done up. I also liked the option to colour block, as I often enjoy mixing and matching different fabrics and colours.

I actually got the main fabric, the slub knit from the clearance table at Spotlight where it was marked down to $8pm, plus that week had a further 50% off clearance fabrics. I grabbed 4 metres and I’m glad I did. It is lovely and soft and I think will be good to wear as is during the fringe seasons, and layered in the winter months. The accent fabric is a 220gsm Cotton Lycra I’ve had in my stash for quite some time and I *think* I got it from Fabric by Missy Rose, but it could also have been Dizzy Daisy or Ella Jewel, but my heart say FBMR haha.

As usual I used my projector to cut the pieces and found they were easy to see however I did run the file through pdf stitcher to add 20inches around all the sides to give myself more room to manoeuvre the pieces around my cutting matt. Most of the pieces were ‘folded’, so if you like unfolded pieces, you’ll need to adjust that yourself.

When it came to the construction, most of it came together fairly easily though I had trouble with my placket. I actually ended up cutting a new front which was annoying to have to ditch the fabric, but hopefully I can repurpose for something for Miss J. I think my troubles were a combination of the fabric I chose and I personally didn’t like the way the placket was put together. Others may have less issues, but I just had a few problems hence needing to cut a second front. Luckily I was able to save the placket pieces and use them again on the new front piece.

So all in all a really lovely garment that I think I’ll get a lot of wear out of.

Links:

As this is a Patreon Exclusive pattern, you can only get access to it once you join their program. However, this is a no commitment program and you can literally sign up, download the pattern and cancel your subscription. I would recommend staying on for the month you pay for to get the benefits, but you are not locked into a set period. Click the link below for more information on Sonia Estep Designs as well as the Caroline Pattern

Last year, 2021, I participated in my first 52 week sewing challenge. From the first week, I LOVED it!!

For those that don’t know what it is, let me give you a little run down.

The challenge is run through a Facebook group by 2 incredible ladies, Angie and Lisa as well as a bunch of other Australian based fabric and pattern companies that help sponsor the prizes through the year.

At the start of the year we are given a prompt for every week of the year and from that, we need to sew something that fits in with the prompt. The ladies help give us some direction on what you could do, and what might be considered as ‘too loose’ to fit in with the theme.

While the challenge is called the 52 WEEK challenge, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to sew an item a week. You have the whole month to submit your challenge sews, so its up to you if you sew each week, or perhaps you get all done in one week! As long as you have the items finished by the first Wednesday of the following month you are eligible to enter the prize giveaway.

There were a couple of months I was cramming all the sews in the last week and some where I had it all finished before the end of the first week. haha. It’s all about balance right?! If you miss a few, you can always catch up at any point.

There are also 6 ‘reject’ weeks available which means if you don’t like the prompt or can’t get it done in time, you can use a ‘reject’ and submit another make and you’ll still be able to enter that months prize draw, but you can’t use more than 1 reject in a month, and there are only 6 in total!

So thats the challenge in a nut shell and I am so pleased and proud to say I completed all 52 weeks, on time, with no rejects! Sadly I didn’t win any prizes throughout the year, but I had the best time and was definitely challenged by a few prompts to try different styles and patterns that I would not have normally tried.

I have already signed up to the 52 Week Challenge 2022 and am off to a cracking start. I’m hoping to blog about each week, though I might release them on a monthly basis. I am also planning to release a few more regular blog post documenting my journey’s with pattern testing and various other things, though its a challenge finding the time to sit down and write them, so we will see!

I’d love to see you join the 2022 challenge, so if you think you’d like to come and check it out, follow the link below to be taken to this years Facebook Group.

Lastly, I hope 2022 finds you taking on new sewing challenges, but most of all just enjoying the process of sewing. 🙂

See below each of my 12 months of the 2021 challenge. It was so much fun.

Welcome to my little spot on the interwebs chronicling my sewing adventures and life. 

I have been sewing for over 15 years on and off after being taught to sew by my mum at a young age. Up until I had my first child, a daughter in 2016, I was a bit of a sporadic sewist, mainly only doing the odd project. Just after my daughter turned 1 however, a friend found sewing and started to share her creations and I was inspired to get my machine out and join in the fun. 

I have never looked back. 

Since then I have evolved from sewing children’s clothes to replacing nearly my entire wardrobe with me made clothes and can’t see myself stopping anytime soon. Having my son in 2020 afforded me the necessity to discover cute boy clothes and sewing also offered me a mental haven from the trauma that was 2020 (and beyond). I have been battling Post Natal Depression and Anxiety since his birth and sewing has been a wonderful way to keep my mind calm and my hands busy. 

The main purpose of this space/blog is an extension on the squares of my Instagram to showcase in more detail projects I undertake as well as share bits of advice and tips about things I learn along the way.  

I can’t guarantee it will be consistent, haha, life with 2 kids and a hubby keep me busy, but I love to share knowledge, so my aim is to get what I can out there. 

If you would like to work with me, I welcome collaborations and am currently associated with a number of incredible pattern and fabric companies. If you’re looking to work together on a project, get in touch and let’s see what we can create together!