Great British Sewing Bee Live ticket winners!

Thank you so much to everybody who entered my giveaway to win tickets to The Great British Sewing Bee Live, I loved reading about everybody's first makes! The five winners who each win a pair of tickets to attend the show on either Thursday 21st or Friday 22nd September 2017 are:

Pendle Stitches

Maria Makes

nanacathydotcom

Sharon Pickles

Frankie Baldwin

Congratulations ladies! Please email me your address details and I can arrange for the tickets to be sent out to you.

If you weren't one of the lucky winners, don't forget you can still claim £1.50 off advance adult ticket prices by quoting my discount code HMJ.

Looking forward to seeing some of you there! x

The Great British Sewing Bee Live giveaway

If you're a fan of The Great British Sewing Bee then you'll no doubt be aware that The Great British Sewing Bee Live will be taking place from 21st to 24th September 2017 at Excel London. I loved the GBSB when it was on TV and am really looking forward to seeing how the concept translates to a live show format.

From the information I've had so far, it looks like there will be LOTS going on to attract dressmakers and sewing lovers of all abilities, including:

• The GBSB Live Super Theatre featuring Patrick Grant and Esme Young and hosted by comedian, author, Grumpy Old Woman and red lipstick fan Jenny Eclair
• Workshops and demonstrations by GBSB contestants and top sewing tutors
• Dressmaking drop-in clinics
• A make-at-home fashion catwalk
• The Fashion and Textile Museum's Liberty in Fashion exhibition, specially curated for the event
• 200+ dressmaking and sewing suppliers

If this sounds like a description of your perfect day, then you're in luck as I have five pairs of tickets to give away to UK readers. Please note that the tickets are for either Thursday 21st or Friday 22nd September only so you must be able to attend the show on those dates. 

To enter leave a comment on this post telling me what was the first thing you ever sewed. The closing date is midnight on Friday 4th August 2017 and winners will be chosen at random and announced on my blog.

If you're not one of the lucky winners then don't despair, I also have a discount code - HMJ - which gives readers £1.50 off advance adult tickets bought here.  Come along, it will be a laugh!

Dragonfly Fabrics Giveaway Winner

Thank you very much to everybody who entered the Dragonfly Fabrics giveaway last week. I've pressed a few buttons and can now reveal that the winner of 2m of fabric and a pattern of their choice is.....kaytebell, hoorah! Congratulations Kaytebell, an email is on its way to you for further details.

If you've been tempted by any of the lush fabrics on the Dragonfly Fabric website don't forget there's currently 15% off all purchases with my special discount code. Just enter the code sew40 when checking out of the site. The 15% discount is valid until 30th August 2017. You're welcome!

Have a good week. x

Dragonfly Fabric summer giveaway

The sun is out and the sky is blue in the UK - perfect conditions for summer dressmaking. I love sewing for different seasons and summer sewing definitely allows you to crack open the light, drapey fabrics in your stash. If you don't have quite the perfect fabric for that summer project then don't worry, because I've teamed up with Dragonfly Fabrics to bring you a terrific summer giveaway. One lucky reader will get to choose a pattern and two metres of fabric from the website. Hoorah! Read on for some fabric and pattern inspiration...

My favourites fabrics are the cotton lawns (see below), but don't forget cotton chambrays which are just crying out to be made into shirts or shirtdresses.

Closet Case Files Kalle Shirt & Dress

 Or linens for stylish trousers or shorts. 

Megan Nielsen Flint Pants & Shorts

These are my favourite cotton lawns, suitable for almost any lightweight top or dress pattern.

Floral Print Turquoise

Soft Cotton Lawn - Brushstrokes

 I love both colourways in this two-tone floral print.

St Ives Floral - Yellow

St Ives Floral - Red

Rayon Challis Viscose - ideal for patterns requiring drape. I absolutely love this teal chalked flower print.

Chalk Joyful

I think it would look awesome sewn up as the Named Helga Wrap Playsuit. It's not really my style, I just think it's a lovely combination!

Inspired to start sewing? Good! To enter, just take a look at the Dragonfly Fabrics website and leave a comment on this post telling me what your favourite fabric is. The giveaway is open internationally and closes at midnight GMT on Monday 24th July 2017. 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 the winner.  

And there's more…. readers of my blog can also claim a 15% discount on all purchases from Dragonfly Fabrics. Just enter the code sew40 when checking out of the site. The 15% discount is valid until 30th August 2017. It's also worth signing up to their newsletter for updates on any new fabrics or patterns they're showcasing. There's a sign up link at the bottom of their website.

Massive thanks to Simon and Dorte from Dragonfly Fabrics for offering this awesome and very generous giveaway. Good luck everybody! x

Big Vintage Sewalong Dress Reveal!

May I present Vogue 8875 - my chosen pattern for the Big Vintage Sewalong blogger tour!

The pattern is for a fitted dress and matching coat, but it was only ever the dress I was interested in - I love the style lines on the bodice and the apparent simplicity of its design. Key word here: apparent! When the pattern arrived and I scrutinised the instructions I discovered things weren't quite so simple - but more on that in a minute!

The pattern originally dates from 1955 and has some fab mid-50's details, including kimono sleeves, unusual princess/underarm seams and tucks instead of darts on the skirt front. There are also instructions for adding a self fabric belt and waist stay, neither of which I did, but I think they're nice touches.

What I didn't like about this pattern were the instructions for the princess/underarm seams. These seams are reinforced with bias squares of fabric which are sewn to the outside of the bodice, then slashed and pressed to the inside. This crucial step really isn't very clear at all. It's not actually that difficult a technique once you know how to do it, but you do need a bit more guidance than the pattern offers. I took some step-by-step photos and will be putting together a tutorial soon, which hopefully will make the step a bit clearer. As for the rest of the dress, it was very straight forward to sew, so don't let me put you off!

Because of the shape of the bodice, it's difficult to get an accurate idea of fit without making a muslin. I actually made two muslins (gasp) as I was determined to get the fit right before my fabric was even in the same room as my scissors. I cut a size 12, which was a pretty good fit everywhere except the upper arms and the waist, so I added more room to those areas (see below). I also made the following changes:

- Changed the side zip to a centred zip (no surprise there). There's already a centre back bodice seam so no alterations to the pattern were required, yay!

- Shortened the skirt by a gigantic nine inches!! Mid-50's straight skirts are typically worn well below the knee, but the original skirt pattern was almost maxi length on me.

- The bodice is actually supposed to drape over the waistband in a blousey fashion rather than fit in a smooth line - this isn't apparent in the line drawings and envelope artwork. My first muslin confirmed that this did me no favours at all, so I shortened the bodice by ¾".

- Widened the kimono sleeves very slightly as they were a bit restrictive.

- Added a total of 1" to the waist, divided between the various seams. The dress fabric has more give than the muslin fabric (calico) so the waist did end up a little roomy. I'm not changing it though - it's nice to be able to bend over without stopping my circulation!

- I also tried to reduce the height of the bust darts, but this resulted in a baggy upper chest so I left them as they were!

Fabric suggestions are brief: crepe, shantung or tissue taffeta, but I think anything with a nice drape would be suitable. I went for a luxury crepe in a beautiful teal/turquoise colour from Sew Over It - the colour is a bit of a departure for me but I love it! I first saw the fabric at the Knitting and Stitching Show, which was an advantage as it meant I could play with it a bit before deciding if it was suitable. It certainly was! It doesn't have that weird spongey feel you get on a wool crepe, instead it's smooth and silky and quite weighty. If you're looking for a special occasion fabric this is definitely one to consider, I think it's lovely. The dress isn't lined (I couldn't bear the idea of sewing those reinforcement squares all over again) and the skirt does cling to your legs a bit without a lining, so I'll be wearing it with a slip,

I'm so pleased with the finished dress, it has a chic 1950's feel but at the same time, looks quite contemporary. The fabric instantly elevates it to something special and I can see this becoming a popular going-out dress this year. 

I wouldn't recommend the pattern to an absolute beginner, but if you like 1950's styles and fancy a challenge, then go for it. McCall's UK have kindly offered an extra giveaway copy of Vogue 8875 to one of my blog readers. If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning it, simply leave a comment on this blog post, including your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile. The giveaway is open worldwide and closes at midnight GMT on Thursday 19th May. The winner will be chosen at random.

You can find out more about the Big Vintage Sewalong on my previous post here, including details of the 20 selected vintage patterns and the other bloggers taking part in the Blogger Tour. Remember, money raised from the sale of each pattern will go directly to the Eve Appeal cancer charity, so you'll be directly supporting a great cause.  Right, that's all folks, have a great weekend! x

I'll be wearing it like this after a few drinks...

The pattern and a fabric allowance were kindly provided by The McCall Pattern Company. All views my own.   

Giveaway winner and Saturday Sew In at John Lewis

Big thanks to everybody who entered my giveaway to win a Sew Over It Doris pattern. It was great to read all your comments regarding side zips - definitely one of those sewing features you either love or hate! Anyway, without further ado, the winner of the Doris pattern is…. Joanne from Sew Little Time!!! Congratulations Joanne, please email me your address and I'll get the pattern sent out to you ASAP.

In other news, I'll be part of a Saturday Sew In at John Lewis Oxford Street on Saturday 21st May. John Lewis is now a stockist of Tilly and the Buttons patterns, so I'll be joining Tilly, Marie and Freya for a day's sewing to celebrate this exciting news. If you're in the area, come and say hello whilst we sew, we'll be in the Haberdashery dept from 11am to 5pm!  Have a good day! x

Sew Over It Doris Dress (and a giveaway)

Ahoy-hoy! Today I'll be talking about the Doris Dress, the latest pattern release from Sew Over It. The pattern has some gorgeous design details including short kimono sleeves, pleats to the front and back bodice, a panelled skirt and a low scooped neck. There are two dress lengths to choose from: a longer, below-the-knee length or a shorter version. The dress is semi-fitted and the waist can be accentuated with either a tie belt or a short, buttoned back belt. I tested the pattern for Sew Over It a few weeks ago and there's a lot to like about it!

I used one of my favourite stash fabrics to make it with - a royal blue dotted chambray from Robert Kaufman which was kindly gifted to me by Florence last year. I've been waiting for just the right pattern to pair it with and the Doris dress seemed to fit the bill perfectly. It's the same fabric I used for my second Pussy Bow Blouse but in a different colourway, so I knew it would be lovely to work with. The dots are quite subtle so you don't get the full Minnie Mouse effect and the brighter blue is a great colour for summer. 

This particular chambray is easy to cut out, presses well and has just enough drape for this dress. I say just because the Doris pattern has a seven panelled, flippy skirt that benefits from a lightweight fabric with some drape to it. Rayons, silks and light lawns would work well but I'd steer clear of quilting cottons or anything too stiff. Luckily this chambray is quite soft, so just sneaked through the drape test by the skin of its teeth. The dress also requires six buttons down the front which is a good excuse to use up any vintage beauties you've been saving up. And, the centre front opening isn't functional so you don't even need to make buttonholes if you don't want to. I'm extremely lazy so this was a no brainer - I simply sewed my buttons directly through the bodice front, oh what joy! 

Size-wise I made a size 10 of version 2 - the shorter version with the fixed back belt. It's worth noting that the short version really is quite short - I ending up lengthening the skirt by 1.5 inches and I'm titchy (5'2"). If I was intending to only wear this dress to the beach I wouldn't have bothered, but I have lots of other plans for it so needed a bit more coverage! 

The only other fitting adjustment I made was a one inch FBA (Full Bust Adjustment). The overall fit is good - it isn't as roomy at the waist as I was expecting, which is probably down to my not-quite-size-10 waistline, so I didn't bother adding the back belt. The belt on version 2 isn't actually sewn in place until the end of the construction process, so you can wait to see how it fits before deciding.

Back view without fixed back belt

The dress closes with an invisible side zip, which is the only thing about the dress I dislike. Uurrgh don't get me started on side zips, I bloody hate the things. I had to put one in this version as I was testing the pattern, but I'd be very tempted to replace it with a centre back one next time. They're not actually any more difficult to install than a centred zip, I just personally find the process awkward. Yes, you get a lovely clean line down the back bodice, but I still don't think it's worth the sacrifice. And if you have any kind of chest they're a nightmare when it comes to actually getting the dress on and off! Luckily, the low scoop neck on this pattern makes it easier than most. This is just my own personal sewing gripe though - if side zips don't bring you out in hives, you're laughing.

EDIT: A couple of commenters have made some excellent points regarding side zips. Firstly if functional buttonholes are added to the front bodice this make it easier to get the dress on and off. Secondly, changing the zip to a centred back zip wouldn't work for version two with the fixed back belt. It would still work without a belt (like my version) or for version one, as the ties for the long belt are attached at the back pleats. Thanks !

Because there are quite a number of different techniques used in this pattern, it's classified as Intermediate which I would agree with. There's nothing too head scratchy though, so if you already have a few simple dresses under your belt and can insert a concealed zip you should be fine, I think it's a great pattern to really stretch your skills a bit further.

This dress will get a lot of wear this summer, the chambray gives it a definite casual look, but the design is elegant enough to make you feel pulled together. It's described as a day dress and that's exactly when I intend to wear it - it's a perfect dress for everyday wear!

If you like the look of the Doris Dress then you're in luck, as I have one extra copy of the pattern to give away. To be in with a chance of winning it, simply leave a comment on this post (don't forget to include your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile). The giveaway is open worldwide and closes at midnight GMT on Friday 29th April. The winner will be chosen at random and I'll announce the winner here on my blog. Have a good week! x


The Doris Dress pattern was given to me free of charge for pattern testing. All views my own. 

Liberty giveaway winner

And the winner is…. Amy Brown who had her eye on Dance C from the Bloomsbury Collection! Wahay, massive congratulations Amy, please email me your address and let me know if that's still your preferred fabric choice (you're allowed to change your mind!) I'll make sure your 1.5m of Liberty gorgeousness is on its way to you soon.

A big thank you to everybody who entered the giveaway - I'm just sorry you couldn't all win. You can still find the full range of Sewbox Liberty fabrics here if you fell hard for any of them. And thank you once again to Susan at Sewbox for such a generous giveaway prize.

I'll be back soon with some tie news! x

Sewbox Liberty giveaway

In what is now becoming a bit of an annual tradition, I'm marking the imminent arrival of spring with a suitably spring-like giveaway. I've got together with Susan from Sewbox, who is very generously offering one of my readers 1.5 metres of any of the Liberty fabrics she stocks. Hoorah!

Along with a lovely selection of classic Liberty floral prints, Sewbox also stock a good range of contemporary designs. This large scale fig print - Alma - is the same design my friend Joe made a tie from here, but in a different colourway:

There are some awesome Liberty Lifestyle quilting cotton designs….

Stile Collection - Newbury B:

Stile Collection - Rennie B:

Bloomsbury Collection - Charles A:

Bloomsbury Collection - Dance C:

And my favourite… Bloomsbury Collection - Copeland C:

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me which Liberty fabric from Sewbox you'd choose if you're the winner. The full range can be found here.  The giveaway is open worldwide and closes at midnight GMT on Sunday 20th March. The winner will be chosen at random. 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 the winner.

Good luck! x

Girl Charlee discount code and giveaway winner

Thank you very much to everybody who entered my Girl Charlee fabric giveaway. The winner is….The Quirky Kiwi, who gets to choose 2m of the fabric of her choice!!!! Yay, congratulations!!! Please contact me with your address details when you have a minute.

And for the rest of you, here's a special treat to brighten up this grim Monday morning - Girl Charlee UK are offering a 10% discount for readers of my blog. Just use the code JANE10 when ordering from their website. The discount code is valid for the rest of the month and expires on 31st October 2015. 

Today I'm sewing up my first pair of trousers using my trouser block, eek! I'll be back soon with an update… Happy Monday. x

Girl Charlee ginghams

I'm sure you're aware by now that Girl Charlee recently set up a UK branch and have been spreading the word about their awesome knit fabrics throughout the land. They contacted me a while back to see if I'd like to try out something from their range and I was more than happy to oblige! 

They have a really interesting selection to choose from, including some lovely ponte de roma knits and cotton jerseys. I finally settled on two of their cotton jersey gingham prints in Paloma Grey and Classic Blue. I chose gingham as it's midway between a solid colour and a busy pattern, plus it's a nice change from stripes. My original inspiration was this picture of a simple Diane Von Furstenberg top from my Gingham Pinterest board, not the matching shorts though!

I decided to pair the fabric with the Tilly and the Buttons Agnes top, which Tilly very kindly gifted me when it was first released. 

The fabric is a nice quality cotton T-shirt fabric from the Modern Air Collection. It has 25% stretch and good recovery and the cotton content gives it a bit of stability so it doesn't misbehave and curl up all over the place. It's also quite wide (142cm), so I only needed a metre to make the top.

I chose the plain neckline and arm options - I thought the ruched neckline would get a bit lost amidst all that gingham and ruched arms are just not really my style. Based on reviewer feedback on the tight fit of this pattern, I cut a size 5 all over, which is one size larger than I'd usually sew for a TATB pattern. This was deliberate - the Agnes top is designed to be very close fitting but I didn't want mine to turn out absolutely skin tight and look like a leotard! The fit wasn't bad, but I needed to make a few tweaks to the hips and shoulders, next time I'll grade down to a size 4 in both those areas. Once I'd cut the fabric out, it only took me one episode of Desert Island Discs to sew it up on the overlocker. I then changed to my regular sewing machine and finished the neckband, sleeves and hem with a double needle. I took 2cms off the length of the full length sleeves (T-Rex arms) and that was it!

But let's back peddle a bit, at the beginning of this post I mentioned that I'd received two gingham prints -  grey and royal blue - so what did I do with the grey? Well I actually had the same intention for the grey gingham, which was to make an Agnes top. At the eleventh hour though, I rashly decided to abandon my original plan and make an Agnes dress instead (with 1.5m I had just enough fabric). I used this tutorial from Tilly's blog to make it, but used the half circle skirt from the Lady Skater dress instead of the gathered rectangle from the tutorial.

The colour of the grey gingham is lighter than this in real life

Alas, once I'd sewn it up, I realised it was very much a summer dress - I think this was because of the colour. I chose the grey because it looked like charcoal grey on the website, whereas in reality it has a much lighter tone, more like a dove grey. And when seen as a whole dress (rather than a top), it was just far too light and summery to wear in autumn. So I've decided to save it for next summer instead - I haven't finished the hem and the arms yet, so I may well end up making it short sleeved. For what it's worth, the Classic Blue gingham is exactly the colour as it appears on the website - a bright, royal blue.

So I did get two garments out of my fabric in the end: one to wear now and one to save for next summer. I really like the top - it's already proving useful in this in-between weather. It's a close fit, but still comfortable and the cotton jersey feels lovely to wear. I've worn it a few times already - with jeans (see above) and with a cardigan and red denim skirt.

If you'd like to try out some Girl Charlee fabric of your own then you're in luck as they're very generously offering one winner two metres of their choice of fabric!  Hoorah! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me which Girl Charlee fabric you'd choose if you're the winner. The full range can be found in their online shop here. The giveaway is open worldwide and closes at midnight GMT on Sunday 4th October. The winner will be chosen at random. 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 the winner.

Fabric was given to me free of charge for review. All views my own.

Vintage Shirt Dress giveaway winner

Good afternoon! I've done a bit of randomising and counting and I'm delighted to announce that the winner of my Vintage Shirt Dress giveaway is Mary from Idle Fancy!!! Mary is queen of shirt dresses so how wonderful is that?! Please email me your address Mary and I'll make sure a copy of the Vintage Shirt Dress pattern heads across the pond to you as soon as possible.

Thank you so much to everybody else who entered the giveaway and for all your lovely comments about the pattern. Don't forget, you still have a few days to take advantage of the 20% discount offer - just input the code JANE20VSD at the checkout in the Sew Over It online shop. The discount code expires at midnight on Wednesday 10th June. x

Moody Blues Giveaway Winners

Thank you very much to everybody who entered the Moody Blues fabric giveaway. It seems I'm not the only one who likes blue, so I'm thrilled that the giveaway was so popular!

After a quick session with Random.org to select numbers I've just spent ages counting through the comments… then losing my thread and starting again….then losing count again…and again…Anyway, I finally found the two winners and they are…Suzanna Forsythe from Sea Salt and Stitches who wins two metres of Moody Blues fabric of her choice, hoorah, hoorah! 

Runner up is Fiona from Staring at the Sea who wins a FQ bundle comprising eight designs from the collection, wahay!  I've just noticed that both blogs have the word sea in the title - cool!  Please drop me an email ladies and I'll sort out delivery details for your prizes.

Thank you once again to Dragonfly Fabrics for hosting such a generous giveaway. And don't forget, there are still a few days left to use the 10% discount code on all purchases from Dragonfly Fabrics. Just enter the code HANDMADE10 when checking out of the site. The discount code is valid until 24th May 2015. Happy Monday! x

Moody Blues Giveaway

When it come to fabric choice, you may have noticed that I'm rather fond of the colour blue! It's not my most favourite colour (that would be red), but it's a very close second and I love its differing shades and how fab it looks paired up with white. Which makes today's giveaway especially pertinent, because it's all about BLUE!

Sashiko Bird Navy

Perched Birds

Pomegranate Bird Navy

The new Moody Blues collection by Cloud Nine Fabrics has recently been released and the fabrics look absolutely perfect for either quilting or summer dressmaking. Aren't they just exquisite? They're designed by Geninne, an artist and illustrator living in Sante Fe, New Mexico. 

Blooms White

Cacti White

Dots Navy

"Blue in all its shades has been my favourite color since I was a child and is always prominent in my work. When I dream, I dream in indigos and aqua and rolling hills covered in shibori dyed textiles which are my inspiration for this collection." Geninne, for Cloud 9 Fabrics

Sashiko Tree

Mosaic

All of the fabrics shown above are available as quilting cottons, with the two designs below available as a lighter cotton voile along with Sashiko Bird Navy.

Floral White: voile

Butterflies: voile

If you like the look of this beautiful, new collection then this may just be your lucky day! Dragonfly Fabrics are very generously offering one winner two metres of their choice of fabric from the Moody Blues collection. In addition, they're offering a FQ bundle comprising eight designs from the collection as a runner-up prize.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me which is your favourite design from the Moody Blues Collection. The full collection can be found here. My favourite is definitely Sashiko Bird Navy in voile!  The giveaway is open worldwide and closes at midnight GMT on 17th May. The winners will be chosen at random. 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.

But wait, there's more….! Readers of my blog can also claim a10% discount on all purchases from Dragonfly Fabrics. Just enter the code HANDMADE10 when checking out of the site. The 10% discount is valid until 24th May 2015.

A massive thank you to Dragonfly Fabrics for such an awesome giveaway. I really hope these beautiful fabrics have whetted your appetite for summer dressmaking.

Good luck everybody! x