One Week, One Pattern 2016

The past week has seen me wearing different variations of New Look 6217 each day as part of OWOP (One Week, One Pattern) 2016. The challenge was run this year by Hannah at Cinderellis Sews and I had a lot of fun mixing and matching garments made from my current favourite pattern.

I cheated slightly as I've made both tops and skirts from the pattern, so it wasn't actually much of a stretch. But considering the pattern also includes trousers and a kimono jacket I think I was actually quite restrained! What I like about the top and skirt patterns is the fit: they have a fair amount of wearing ease but still skim the body to show off your curves. I already had three versions of the top and two of the skirt, but just managed to squeeze out another last minute top to give myself a bit more choice. Here's what I wore:

Day 1 - Red Swiss Dot NL6217 top and Gap jeans. I was visiting the Undressed exhibition at the V & A museum with Scruffy Badger. 

Day 2 - Denim NL6217 skirt and 1960's Shoulder Tie top (without shoulder ties!) I was at the allotment pretending to help, so this combo was actually really comfortable, although a white top probably wasn't the wisest choice for picking raspberries...

Day 3 - Liberty print NL6217 top and denim Arielle skirt. I hadn't tried this combo before now and was surprised how much I liked it.

Day 4 - Denim NL6217 skirt and Gingham Granville shirt. The Ginghamalong went live today so I wore my new gingham shirt with my New Look denim skirt. It's a bit of a polka dot/gingham clash but I think they look good together! This photo was taken outside my local boozer, complete with splendid old tiles.

Day 5 - Ivory Crepe NL6217 top and Liberty Carline Delphine skirt. This is a new, unblogged version of the top made from a 80cm remnant of prestige crepe from the Fabric Godmother sale. The drape is perfect for this pattern and I loved wearing it on its first outing. Being off white, it's also useful for pairing with garments that are difficult to match things to (like this skirt!) 

Day 6 - Black crepe NL6217 top and Bamboo skirt. Suitably smart attire for visiting the Buckingham Palace state rooms with my mother-in-law!

Day 7 - Black Crepe NL6217 top and Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers. Here I am meeting the lovely Mark from Girl Charlee UK at the Handmade Fair in Hampton Court (more on my visit in the next blog post).

A few reflections on the challenge:

• I'm sooooo pleased I chose this pattern, everything I've made from it feels like such a natural part of my everyday wardrobe. 
• The top is a simple shape and easy to make, but I think fabric choice and colour are key to wearing them often. The fact that I had three solid, neutral colours tops meant they could be paired with anything. Plus the lovely quality of the fabrics made them feel just a bit more special than a T shirt or cotton top in the same colours.
• I love the slim silhouette of the skirt and the quirky little side split - I'll definitely be making more of them.
• I'm still not very adventurous with accessories!

Thank you to Hannah for hosting the challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody else has been wearing for the past week! Have a great weekend. x

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OWOP is back!

Hands up who remembers OWOP (One Week, One Pattern)? Of course you do, it's the group sewing challenge where participants wear variations of the same pattern, every day for a week! The original challenge was created by Tilly in 2012, I resurrected it in 2014 and now Hannah from Cinderellis Sews is hosting a new challenge for 2016. Hoorah! 

My favourite part of both challenges was working out all the different mix and match combinations with my chosen pattern. In 2012 I chose the Colette Ginger skirt, a high waisted A-line skirt that proved to be endlessly versatile. For the last challenge I went for a vintage pattern - Simplicity 4238 - a 1950's button up blouse that's become a real wardrobe staple.

The big question is, what to choose this time round? You may have noticed I've been more than a little obsessed with New Look 6217 of late (I have three versions of the top and two versions of the skirt), so that's currently the strongest contender. However, I also absolutely LOVE my Sewaholic Granville shirts and although I only have two versions (here and here) they're both solid colours, so they match absolutely everything. The Granville shirt would certainly be a greater challenge, but may be a bit too similar to the last pattern, what do you think?

If you'd like to join in, One Week, One Pattern 2016 will run from Saturday 10th September until Friday 16th September. You can sign up and find out further details about OWOP on Cinderellis Sews. There will also be a series of exciting guest posts on her blog over the next few weeks (including ME on August 6th!) and fabulous giveaways for every day of the challenge. Wahay! x

2014 - A Year in Sewing

Happy New Year! I'm rather pleased with my sewing output for 2014, there were a few stumbling blocks along the way (more on that later…), but by and large it was a great sewing year. My favourite make of the year has got to be my Dotted Chambray Bow Blouse.

You all know I love bow blouses, I love Mrs Slocombe, I love polka dots and I love chambray, so the amalgamation of all these things almost finished me off. It's not just my favourite make of the year, it's my favourite make OF ALL TIME! I always receive compliments when I wear it too, the bow seems to be particularly impressive for some reason! Coming in at a close equal second are two dresses I made in the summer: my Kate Spade-inspired Lemon dress….

and my Anna 6696.

They were both inspired by pictures I found on Pinterest (see here and here) and I feel ridiculously pleased that I was able to use the original inspiration pictures to make dresses that were very individual to me. They both fit really well, and although they're quite different in design, I feel they're a good indicator of my style. Plus the lemon dress is yellow - one of the few rogue pieces to step out of line from my strict red, white and blue colour dictatorship this year! 

The most useful item I sewed this year was my raincoat. I won't lie, it did give me grief during the making of it, but that was all forgotten as soon as I donned my vision in navy blue waterproof loveliness! This year I also discovered the joy of sewing my own basic items of clothing (mostly Bronte T shirts and Mabel skirts). As wonderful and useful as they are, I find them deeply boring to blog about, so if any further versions pop up, I'll just mention them in passing!

As mentioned earlier, I did have a couple of misses this year: despite my best intentions, the Cressida skirt I pattern tested for Jennifer Lauren Vintage just didn't work. My first Afternoon blouse has also been shown the door, purely down to the fact that it doesn't fit. It's a real shame as I love the red shirting fabric I made it from, but there's no getting away from the fact that I cut a size too small. That'll teach me eh! And finally, the darts on my vintage red dress defeated me in the end and it's now languishing, dart-less with side seams ripped open in frustration. Maybe I'll come back to it, if I can ever be arsed. 

I think this year was the year I finally learnt to say no to every single sewing challenge I heard about. It's still a bit of a struggle as my natural inclination is to immediately scream "me too, ME TOO" but life's just too short. I did participate in the Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge run by Marie at A Stitching Odyssey but deliberately set myself a low target (to sew up three vintage patterns in 2014). The other reason I didn't commit to everything under the sun was because I found myself hosting a sewing challenge of my own - the return of One Week, One Pattern 2014!

Although it was a lot of work, I really did enjoy organising and participating in OWOP and was overwhelmed by how many people joined in and embraced the challenge themselves - thank you so much everyone! I loved giving my beloved 1950's Simplicity pattern its place in the spotlight for a week, if anything, it's made me even fonder of the pattern than I was before!

As for my sewing plans for 2015, I'm really keen to use the skills I learnt during my pattern cutting weekend to create a well fitting bodice. This kind of thing doesn't come naturally to me, but I would like to get my dart positioning right and conquer the bloody things once and for all. With this in mind, I've got plans to make a simple, collarless coat in the early part of the year. I do have a pattern in mind but I may have a go at self drafting (ahem!) I think it will probably end up as a combination of the two. Other than that I'm going to just sew where the mood takes me,  Exciting!

My favourite picture of the year: with Rachel and Winnie at Goldhawk Road

I've had so much pleasure from sewing this year and met up with some amazingly talented and generous people (both old and new). All I want for next year is more of the same! Thank you again for your support and friendship this year and Happy Sewing, wherever you are! x 

OWOP giveaway winners!!!

And now, from London, only a day later than promised, I give you the OWOP giveaway winners! Whoop, whoop! 

Winners of the Day One Dragonfly Fabrics giveaway are Sew in a Frenzy and Ginny from Alice and Ginny who each win a pattern of their choice.

Winner of the Day Two Village Haberdashery giveaway is Zoe from Hello Zoe B, who wins three patterns of her choice.

Winner of the Day Three Sewbox giveaway is Clarinda Kaleidoscope, who wins three patterns of her choice.

Winner of the Day Four Fabric Godmother giveaway is Jennifer from Jennifer's Sewing Space who wins a pattern of her choice and £20 worth of fabric.

Winner of the Day Five Sew Over It giveaway is Sharyn from Just So... who wins a complete set of Sew Over It patterns. 

Congratulations!! - I'll be in touch shortly ladies to get your details. In the meantime, a big thank you to everybody who entered the giveaways. And an extra special thank you to my lovely sponsors, Dragonfly Fabrics, The Village Haberdashery, Sewbox, Fabric Godmother and Sew Over It for the eye-wateringly generous prizes! x

Your OWOP Week

I've read sooooo many OWOP blog posts this week, it really has been a pleasure to see what everybody's been up around the world! Happily, wearing variations of the same pattern every day for a week doesn't seem to have put most of you off your beloved patterns. Admittedly, there were a few who couldn't wait to see the back of them by the end of the week! But for many of you, OWOP reiterated what it was that you initially loved about your chosen pattern, which is always nice!

I've been taken aback by how creative you've been with your patterns and styling, seriously, there are some amazing outfits out there! Much as I'd like to include them all, my blog's not big enough, so here's a teeny, tiny selection of the ones that caught my eye…..

I like the whole look that Char from T*Rexes and Tiaras put together on day one of the challenge, using Simplicity 2444 as a starting point:

This nautical outfit from Just Sew Jenna is all kinds of awesome. The gorgeous top was created using New Look 6808 and two of her dads old shirts!

I LOVE the fifties look that Emily from To be a Woman has achieved with this dress, using the bodice from Simplicity 1460 and a circle skirt.

Zoe from Tadpegs did an amazing job of squeezing out seven different looks from just two variations of the Deer & Doe Plantain tee:

And Trixie Lixie got herself snapped with my all time favourite movie hunk - Steve McQueen - whilst wearing the Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt!

One particularly thought provoking post to come out of OWOP was by Nicki at This is Moonlight. She put together a week's worth of outfits using the Named Ailakki jumpsuit, including shorts and skirt variants! But it was her thoughts on photographing herself that really resonated. Here's an edited version of what she said:

"I have never liked posing for the camera and have many, many eyes shut, tongue out photos over the years to prove it! But…something has happened over this year. I have had to get used to taking photos of myself, and not just the same old me, but the me as I went through losing my hair and now my breasts. It is like photographing myself going through these stages has helped me shed the layers of self doubt and anxiety.

…I am learning to make clothes and documenting the process helps me order my thoughts and solidify what I have learnt. Along the way, wonderful challenges like this weeks OWOP, where I voluntarily took daily selfies (ha!) have been incredible tools for me in finding my inner beauty."

 

You put together some gorgeous outfits Nicki, but these two were my favourites! 

And finally, the prize for most adorable OWOP participant goes to Dolores from So,Zo...! With a little help from her mummy Zoe, Dolores totally rocked the Playful Kitty leggings pattern from Ottobre magazine. Just look at those teeth!!

That's all folks! You can find more links in the comments section of this post. And if you participated this year, don't forget to check out the fab OWOP giveaways that still have a few more days to run. Have a great day everybody! x

My OWOP Week

Hoorah for OWOP - what a fab week it was! I hope you all survived wearing multiple versions of the same pattern each day. Here's my week wearing vintage blouse pattern Simplicity 4238 - via the wonderful medium of photography...

Day 1 - gingham Hillbilly blouse and Kelly skirt with a Vivien of Holloway belt and cherry brooch. I added the belt as the top two buttons on this skirt are a real pain. The belt keeps them in check and I love how it looks.

Day 2 - 1950's polka dot blouse with Gertie Capri pants, Clarks clogs (from years ago) and Kate Spade bag during a family walk around Richmond Park.

Day 3 - Betty Draper blouse with red denim Delphine skirt. Everything had been very blue and denim up until this point, hence the injection of red!

Day 4 - 1950's white blouse with wide-legged trousers and Vivien of Holloway belt. This was a nice outfit but I felt a bit waitressy with the white and grey combo. The belt helps to break it up a little.

Day 5 - 1950's polka dot blouse and Miette skirt. I have to confess, I misjudged the weather on this day and had to perform a costume change mid-afternoon. As lovely as my Miette skirt is, it's floaty and linen and not very warm, so for the second half of the day I wore my Gertie capri pants…. and a cardi!

Day 6 - Betty Draper blouse and Orla Kiely cardigan. This blouse is made from Liberty Tana lawn, so it's highly appropriate that this (slightly bonkers looking) selfie, with my lovely friend Joe, was taken outside Liberty. We couldn't believe the extortionate prices on that flower stall!!

Day Seven - 1950's white blouse with green John Smedley cardigan, Anthropologie necklace and Gap jeans. I fancied a bit of unexpected colour for the last day of OWOP!

Woohoo, we did it! I'm absolutely staggered by the number of people who participated this year - over 250 at the last count!!! That's over twice the number of participants than when I compiled my ground breaking charts, so I may have to redo them (gulp!) I'm curious to know if the same pattern companies continue to crop up.  Anyway, enough about graphs, I want to share my reflections of the week with you:

• By choosing a blouse pattern, I felt that I had a lot more styling options. I could choose skirts or trousers each day - what a luxury! Fabric choice definitely plays a big part in the success of the garment. The two versions made with top quality fabrics (the 1950's polka dot blouse and the Betty Draper blouse) still look virtually brand new. Sadly the same can't be said for the gingham Hillbilly blouse, which may have to be retired soon as the shoddy fabric is struggling to look good. I love having a gingham version though, so I'll just have to make another one!

• My 1950's white blouse is not made from a practical fabric. It's almost impossible to get the creases out  so it was a bit of a pain to wear to be honest. Plain white blouses are infinitely practical however, so I'm quite tempted to make a second white one in a more everyday fabric.

• I'm never going to be that adventurous with accessories, but I did discover a really useful belt in my wardrobe this week and got to try out a new colour combination. This was the green/turquoise combo on the last day, slightly inspired by this picture on Pinterest.

• And finally…. I still like the pattern! As we all know, you can sometimes have too much of a good thing, which is what I was afraid might happen over the week. Luckily it didn't, I still love all the vintage details on this pattern and it's very flattering. I've already got plans for a few more versions of it.

But how did you get on? I'd love to read about your own reflections on OWOP, so if you've blogged about your week or have a photo set, please leave a link in the comments section of this post. If you leave a link to your photos or blog, I'll assume this means you consent to me borrowing a photo or two for the round-up post - or if you'd rather I didn't, just say so in the comments.

Thank you to everybody who participated in this challenge, I've had a blast! And don't be shy now - leave me your links so I can read ALL about it!! x

OWOP Giveaway Day Five: Sew Over It

Today is the fifth and final day of One Week, One Pattern giveaway week and I have a real belter for you! 

London sewing class cafe and purveyor of fine dressmaking patterns, Sew Over It, is offering one extremely lucky winner a complete set of its five paper patterns. The set comprises the Ultimate Wrap Dress, Betty Dress, Ultimate Trousers, 1940's Tea Dress and Ultimate Shift Dress as well as a digital copy of the new PDF pattern, the Silk Cami! All I can say is WOW! I can't vouch for all the patterns but I have made the Betty dress here, which was a roaring success and I'm currently at the cutting out stage of making a pair of Ultimate Trousers. So far, so good!  To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave a comment on this post.

The giveaway is open internationally and closes at midnight GMT on Thursday 18th September. The winners will be announced on this blog on Friday 19th September. Please make sure you leave your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile so I can contact you if you're a winner.  

Don't forget, you can also enter the other OWOP giveaways being held this week:
Day One giveaway from Dragonfly Fabrics here  
Day Two giveaway from The Village Haberdashery here
Day Three giveaway from Sewbox here
Day Four giveaway from Fabric Godmother here

I hope you've all enjoyed this bumper week of OWOP giveaways and I'd like to say an ENORMOUS thank you to my sponsors: Dragonfly Fabrics, The Village Haberdashery, Sewbox, Fabric Godmother and Sew Over It for being ssooo generous with the prizes.

So, are you ready for the start of One Week, One Pattern tomorrow?! I know I am, I can't wait! Enjoy your week of wearing your very favourite patterns - I'm so looking forward to hearing about how you all got on. I'll be reporting back in a week's time. Happy OWOPing! x

OWOP Giveaway Day Four: Fabric Godmother

Today's One Week, One Pattern giveaway prize has been generously donated by Fabric Godmother. If you've ever wanted your pattern and fabric wishes to come true (geddit?!) then today might just be your lucky day.  Fabric Godmother is offering one lucky winner the pattern of their choice plus £20 to spend on fabric. What a wonderful prize!

There are some fab patterns to choose from and the selection caters for all dressmaking tastes - from everyday basics and children's wear to vintage-inspired and high fashion. The full range can be found here. The fabric department is equally impressive, with a gorgeous range of stretch cottons, organic jerseys, wax print cottons and designer fabrics. To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave a comment on this post.

The giveaway is open internationally and closes at midnight GMT on Thursday 18th September. The winners will be announced on this blog on Friday 19th September. Please make sure you leave your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile so I can contact you if you're a winner.  Good luck everybody! x

Don't forget, you can also enter the other OWOP giveaways being held this week:
Day One giveaway from Dragonfly Fabrics here  
Day Two giveaway from The Village Haberdashery here
Day Three giveaway from Sewbox here
Day Five giveaway from Sew Over It here

OWOP Giveaway Day Three: Sewbox

Good morning! It's day three of One Week, One Pattern giveaway week and today we have a super generous prize from Sewbox.

Well known for their great selection of Liberty print fabrics, Sewbox also has an impressive array of patterns to choose from.  They stock a great range of indie sewing designers, plus a good selection from Hot Patterns and a massive selection of Kwik Sew patterns. Phew! And guess what? One lucky winner gets to win three patterns of their choice! The full range can be found here. To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave a comment on this post.

Hot Patterns

The giveaway is open internationally and closes at midnight GMT on Thursday 18th September. The winners will be announced on this blog on Friday 19th September. Please make sure you leave your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile so I can contact you if you're a winner.  Good luck everybody! x

Don't forget, you can also enter the other OWOP giveaways being held this week:
Day One giveaway from Dragonfly Fabrics here  
Day Two giveaway from The Village Haberdashery here
Day Four giveaway from Fabric Godmother here
Day Five giveaway from Sew Over It here

OWOP Giveaway Day Two: Village Haberdashery

This week I'll be posting a daily giveaway in celebration of One Week, One Pattern. Today's giveaway is kindly donated by The Village Haberdashery.  

The pattern section at The Village Haberdashery is super impressive with a lovely range of contemporary and vintage-inspired dressmaking patterns from indie designers. They also stock a good selection of patterns for baby and children's wear, as well as quilting patterns. Owner Annie is very generously offering one lucky winner the chance to select three patterns of their choice! Whoop whoop! Hop on over and have a look at the full selection, which can be found here. To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave a comment on this post.

The giveaway is open internationally and closes at midnight GMT on Thursday 18th September. The winners will be announced on this blog on Friday 19th September. Please make sure you leave your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile so I can contact you if you're a winner.  Good luck everybody!

Don't forget, you can also enter the other OWOP giveaways being held this week:

Day One giveaway from Dragonfly Fabrics here  
Day Three giveaway from Sewbox here
Day Four giveaway from Fabric Godmother here
Day Five giveaway from Sew Over It here
  

OWOP Giveaway Day One: Dragonfly Fabrics

First off, a big thank you to everybody who left suggestions and information about my mystery fabric roll. I was on holiday when the post went out and didn't expect much interest, so it was very gratifying to read so many useful and interesting comments - thank you again!

In other news, excitement mounts as sewing bloggers all over the world gear up for One Week, One Pattern! We're now just days away from the start and at the last count, nearly 200 of you had signed up for the challenge! 200!!!!! I think it's only fair that we celebrate such dedication to your much-loved patterns with PRIZES!

Each day, from now until the start of OWOP on Saturday 6th September, I'll be posting a daily giveaway, wahay! Giveaways are for One Week, One Pattern participants only, so if you haven't officially signed up yet, you can hot foot it over to this post and sign up now (I'll be checking!)

Today's giveaway is courtesy of Dragonfly Fabrics who are very kindly offering two lucky winners one pattern each of their choice. Dragonfly stock a great range of patterns from both established and up-and-coming indie designers and their full selection can be found here. To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave a comment on this post.

The giveaway is open internationally and closes at midnight GMT on Thursday 18th September. The winners will be announced on this blog on Friday 19th September. Please make sure you leave your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile so I can contact you if you're a winner.  Good luck everybody!

Don't forget, you can also enter the other OWOP giveaways being held this week: 

Day Two giveaway from The Village Haberdashery here
Day Three giveaway from Sewbox here
Day Four giveaway from Fabric Godmother here
Day Five giveaway from Sew Over It here

OWOP Guest Post from House of Pinheiro

The third and final guest blogger sharing her tips on style for One Week, One Pattern is Rachel from House of Pinheiro. Rachel is an excellent seamstress/teacher, super organiser of sewing blogger meet-ups and a wonderful friend to boot. She ALWAYS looks fab, whatever she's wearing and I've learnt a lot from her over the years. I'm thrilled that she's sharing her thoughts on personal style with us today...

Ola Handmade Jane readers, I’m Rachel from House of Pinheiro and I'm so excited to be joining the OWOP series of guest write ups on style. 

Defining the meaning of the word ‘style’ is never easy, there are too many variants and like every ‘rule book’, there are some meant to be broken. 

More than what one wears or how one wears it, style is something that cannot be faked. A fusion between individual personally and vision. What matters is that it isn't an exact formula. 

Style is what works for each individual. If it works for you, it shows in confidence and that’s for me the biggest successful style indicator. Defining one style can be hard. We get bombarded by enticing images, fashion trends and well, our own genetics and lifestyle throw us a curve ball. 

The important thing is to embrace whatever makes you jump of excitement. Sewing can lead to a very interesting journey in search of one personal style.  Today I’m sharing a snapshot of mine.

You know, the kind of outfit that people immediately refer when they think of you. That can be either defined by labels, like ‘breton’: stripy boatneck and capris or by one item of clothing: a trench coat, a scarf etc…  For some people their style path is very clear, for others it requires a little more thinking.

That’s because we are not ‘one’ piece. We have phases, we evolve, change our view of the world with every new experience. However if we look closely in your closet, there are a few clues of a signature style: A common theme like ‘comfortable’, 'clean lines', a predominant colour, predominant hem height, type of print, predominant shape.

My signature is tailoring. A wardrobe consisting of fitted clothes: Blazers, sheath dresses, slim fitting trousers, knit dresses. I also have a favouritism for bold prints & colour.

I have been quite experimental sewing different shapes and patterns, also taking into consideration what was needed in my wardrobe.

Unlike when you try RTW clothes from a shop dressing room where you can immediately decide if something is or not "you", sewing for your style requires a little bit of commitment and imagination. Matching the right fabric to the right pattern becomes more selective as times goes by. Past mistakes are taken into account both on shapes and prints.

Do you have any repeat ‘offenders’, a TNT pattern that you make over and over… comfort sewing? Or do you sew for a 'dream' wardrobe that’s kept in the closet most of the time waiting for the right time? Any of those choices match with your lifestyle?

My lifestyle off-duty uniform (i.e what I dress without thinking, almost always a variation of the same silhouette with different pieces) is consistent of slim trousers, mainly jeans worn with a fitted tee or shirt, statement coat or blazer, a scarf or long necklaces, accessorised with different size bags, hats and sunglasses. When corporate I do fitted skirts, blazers and dresses, rarely trousers. 

My comfort sewing is to sew knit dresses, generally with long sleeves, because I love layering clothes in the winter.

I often have to manage the desire to sew my lifestyle uniform, my comfort sewing projects and the latest challenge ( ie new pattern, new technique etc) and that keeps sewing fun for me. I keep skipping from one area to another, and most times without realising, reinforcing my personal style by my choices of fabrics and silhouettes.

With a very eclectic wardrobe trying to pick odd pieces is a challenge.  Knowing what you are not is generally a great start. I'm not 'vintage' or "street urban". This dress has the fit and colour I like but the fabric print & texture, hem height didn't work because It creates a vintage look which I don't like.

Being tall I can take advantage of bolder styles, proportions (oversize- mini) and prints. Playing individual characteristics can help refine your style choices. Look at areas like, body shape, colour of your hair, nice eyes, legs etc. Complementary colours to your features, silhouettes that highlight your best assets helps when defining your style. Think about your whole package. What do you want to tell the world? 

Throw out every style rule you read that doesn't work for you and trust your instincts. Does it feel right? Does it feel like 'me'? The fun thing about sewing is that YOU are in control! Sew happy!

xoxo, Rachel
You can read more over at House of Pinheiro.

Aw thank you so much for a wonderful post Rachel. What you write rings so true, I found myself nodding along the whole time I was reading it! Sewing IS all about finding your personal style and  deciding what look works best for YOU!

Don't forget to catch up with the two previous OWOP guest posts by Winnie at Scruffy Badger Time here (styling with scarves) and Lizzy at Sew Busy Lizzy here (styling with different accessories). It's been an absolute privilege having three such accomplished stitchers share their thoughts on style for OWOP. I've definitely learnt a lot and picked up some awesome tips - I hope you have too. Massive thanks once again to Winnie, Lizzy and Rachel.

Next week sees the start of a series of fab giveaways, gearing up for the start of One Week, One Pattern itself on Saturday 6th September. Can't wait! x