So you might gather I’m quite a sucker for the “Moneta” by Colette Patterns and the fact that it’s been a few months since I’ve last wrote a blog post, would be too good an opportunity to miss to give the wee blog a bit of a boost!
So in no order here’s my “Moneta Collection”
🧵Fabric from Pin & Sew
🧵Hacked neckline and sleeves from Seamwork Alice and added a polo neck!
🧵Fabric from the Edinburgh Dress Fabric Company
🧵Hack – scoop back
🧵The Moneta that started it all!
🧵Fabric from John Lewis
🧵Fabric from Fabric Focus
🧵First scoop back hack
🧵The Scoop back with petal sleeves dress
🧵Fabric bought from Fabricate Mirfield
🧵Made it for my 39th Birthday
🧵Fabric from Sewisfaction
🧵Scoop back – ooo er.
🧵Made this for going out to dinner for our 10th Wedding Anniversary
🧵Fabric from Fabric Focus
🧵Scoop back hack
🧵Fabric from Holm Sown
🧵My Christmas Day 2018 dress
🧵Fabric from Fabric Focus
🧵Scoop back & 3/4 length sleeves (must be my favourite combo)!
Would it surprise you if there a few others that are works in progress? Once they are completed, I’ll share them on Instagram @sewdoitemma.
Ok, well hopefully it won’t be as long as last time until I write a blog, but until then … see you soon!
It’s taken a little over a year and half for this make. It’s made up of a heck of raw emotion plus skill since my Mum started making it for me but never got the chance to finish it because cancer decided to take hold on her (f£&* cancer in every form).
The coat itself is made of Harris Tweed bought from Fabric Focus alongside the silver paisley lining.
Kevin, the owner of fabric focus has been eager for me to finish the coat but understood how emotional the make was. He always asked when I was going to finish it, very gently pushing me to do it!
Sometimes I felt like working on the coat and sometimes not. When it got close to her Birthdays, Anniversary of her passing or Mother’s Day, I just had to put the coat down and only started working on it when I felt I could. It’s a bit like counselling (not that I’ve managed to go, nor feel quite ready for) but I know I’m working with mum on this on each step.
It’s quite nice finishing it now just before this year’s “Mother’s Day”.
Mum did most of the tacking (thank *%&@!) I hate tacking, I know it does wonders but I still actually hate doing it.
Bagging the outer and the lining literally to played tricks on my mind but wanted a neat finish. Making sure that the outer and the lining were all level was time consuming but boy does it pay off!
I don’t think finishing this coat would’ve been possible with the helpful tips and excellent guidance that I received from Abi, sewing teacher to both my mum and I, so thank you Abi for helping me on this journey.
By adding little details such as the Kylie and the Machine “one of a kind” and Harris Tweed labels it really finishes it off. Also “One of a Kind” kinda puts a nice touch on the memory of my mum.
Not to forget to mention the beautiful frogs that make that statement piece, also sourced from Fabric Focus.
I’ve been thinking about going for it for a while and have finally taken the crunch!
Also it’s my first day of my fabric buying hiatus! It gone well so far. I’ve put my time into doing this domain, house stuff and walking the dog.
In my head I’ve got hundreds of ideas with what fabric from my collection should go with what project/pattern. Sure, they’ll be limits because of meterage/yardage or what type of fabric but I’m going to start to try and categorically organise them.
This has been on the cards for ages but it’s not going to be easy with the amount of fabric I do have.
First of all, I think I’m going to set fabrics and patterns that are in my make nine.
Next I’m going to take all the fabrics out of the small Billy’s then (or maybe do a shelf at a time) measure, photograph and record each piece. Either spreadsheet it first and then add it on the Cora App, which I’ve had for yonks and not really made use of it.
Once I’ve done the fabrics, I think I’m going to go through my big four patterns as I bet there’s patterns I’ve forgot about and have either doubled with a newer style or no longer “has that sparkle”. This could be another fabric destash as well but we’ll come to that bridge when it happens!
This is going to be a long process for me as I am planning to sew a few things, some with deadlines and also I’ve got things that I need to do around the house (boo, hiss).
Ok this is quite a ramble but it’s kinda good to put it out there and then you can see the difference when it’s done.
I thought it was high time for my blog to get a wee spruce up. It’s take me a while to figure out what I like, don’t like and for some creative juice to flow but I’ve got there.
You may have noticed that there’s a fresh new logo, which I’m now also using on my IG @sewdoitemma.
Hope you like it.
Using the Canvas App on my phone, I settled on this design. I feel it’s a lot cleaner and has simple lines. It’s amazing what you get up to at 6am after letting the dog out.
With a new logo comes a new theme – I think I am finally happy with this one.
Hopefully this will encourage me to write more blog posts as I’m really finding confidence with regards to using my sewing machine and overlocker and learning to sew with jersey/knits has definitely wetted the appetite!
Having “had” to sew in living room because of my lack of tidying up mojo of the sewing room this week I’ve been focusing trying to find the floor of it.
I had a great idea last year to wash all of my fabrics, iron, fold away whilst measuring and recording them. It was such a monumental task, it all became quite overwhelming to dealt with. It was all very well in idea form but when you decide to get a puppy all things and plans go out of the window. I’m not blaming the puppy nor myself here, I’m simply addressing the matter that I took too much on and something had to give.
Move on 4 months and I finally can sneak up to the sewing room and finally get to grips with the hoarding of fabrics and goodness knows what else! Don’t think for one second did the puppy stop me from buying fabric nor the billion bags of fabric already up in the S.R. Ha!
I’m seeing a clear path now. It’s looking pretty organised now. There’s a plan to go through all the magazines and pull out projects that I might get round to. I’m going to be stopping my magazine subscriptions as I’m finding I just don’t have the time to read them just now and feel I can keep up to date with other methods. Plus I’ve got to keep the momentum up with my make nine and need space to concentrate on that!
Here’s some photos of the progress so far – sorry don’t have any “before photos” but just imagine lots of bags on the floor!
Flipping heck! What a wave of fresh air in fabric gooeyness.
I’m feeling very happy with all my purchases and date I say it I could have bought so much more but resistance was in control. (Thank heavens as I would have bought double the amount of fabric!).
It’s the second year for the show in Edinburgh and I think it was better even though I noticed a couple of stalls not being there from last year (yes, I did miss them!) but hey, you can’t have it all.
My TATB Cleo is getting her grand day out! Ready, Set, GOOOO!
I bought three fabrics from fabrics galore!The grey textured fabric is for a Saunio Cardigan. The flamingoes and the black & white fabrics are for M7094.
I chatted to Lauren of Guthrie & Ghani and watched her demonstrate top tips at the creative living theatre on sewing with stretch and jersey fabrics. I also bought a lovely viscose.
The lovely Lauren, demonstrating with stretch and knit fabrics!Ben (@Sewcialogist) gave me some helpful hints regarding the collar in M7094 using the Viscose and how to use the Prym “Wash off Tape” instead of using pins or basting/tacking, which is a winner in my book (I hate tacking). He was wearing his newly made shirt, which was perfect on G&G’s stall. The viscose is a long term staple of G&G too, so it’s good to know that lots of people have bought this!
I wasn’t alone for long as I met Shirley (@Beatgirl9091) and Lesley (@sew_sleep_deprived) – because I arrived at 10 am ready for the doors opening and did two circuits of all the stalls. looking back I should have looked at the needlework exhibition in that time, but hey ho. Whilst I did two circuits of the stalls I totally missed Girl Charlee stand. Luckily Lesley and Shirley informed me – I am a numpty! And, yeah that would be rude not to check it out.
And yes I bought lovely some lovely cotton jersey from Girl Charlee! In fact the same as Shirley – as I ❤️ teal too!
But it’s not all fabric, as I picked up the very cute pattern from the Emma Garry stall – it wasn’t a hard sell as Emma was wearing it herself and it was a beautiful version with some classy hacks! I’ve never heard of Sew Different Patterns before, have you? Let me know if you’ve tried any of the patterns! Emma Garry is based in Yorkshire and runs classes as well as designs and sells patterns.
It’s definitely a better show than last year. Maybe TATB and Sew Over It could make the journey as we’d love to see you up here!
This year was definitely busy than last year but there wasn’t any pushing or elbowing to get to any stalls from anyone. Plus there was plenty of lovely fabrics left from all the stalls. I think I will be getting one or two more from Fabrics Galore that I fell in love with!
Amy – Collette’s’ sorbetto? And if you think that was all the fabric I added to my next shopping list, think again because I spotted more whilst I was at the M stall … cue fabrics from Montreux Fabrics that will also somehow magically appear into my stash soon!
My TATB Cleo had her grand day out and I got so many lovely 😊 comments on her! We all know we are our own worst critic but I’m truly humbled to receive so many nice comments on my first Cleo.
But in the evening at home, I must have pulled the dress at the buckle bit and it’s torn!! I’m distressed 😩- s7&*!!!
Should I patch it and reinforce it with interfacing and then add a bit of material to both sides to avoid this happening to the other side? I will have to get another stud as the current one has ripped through the fabric 😩. Any help on this matter will be gratefully received. B&££#%!!!
Moving on quickly to avoid me get all angry on (I am 😤) that matter would be a good idea.
So did I enjoy the show?
You betcha! I sure did! Meeting Lauren and Ben at the Guthrie & Ghani Stall was total amazeballs, as was spending the afternoon with Shirley and Lesley – they made me have a good chuckle! I wish I had a bigger budget for all the material that I walked away from but I now have regrets about not buying it but then again, if I did I would regret being skint for the rest of the frigging month!
I can’t wait until next years show! Eeeek, what will it bring?
Disclaimer: All views are my own! Please ask if you want to use my photos – Cheers!
So I’m scrolling through my instagram feed and there’s this image of a lady wearing a little red dress with @runningwithstyle ‘s handle and a hashtag #thelittlereddressproject and I’m immediately intrigued. And before I question it, I’ve signed up – eeeeeeek!
Why on earth would I go for red? It’s not a colour I would normally opt to wear but it’s probably because I’ve haven’t found that perfect red shade. Well now’s the time to change that then! Positive thinking and all that jazz.
So the dear old Pinterest came out and I’ve made a board … yes another board of umpteen ideas of ooooohsss and ahhhhhhssss!
The biggest problem at the moment is choosing the pattern. I have a love affair with the Butterick 5748 as I’ve made a emerald number (which needs hemmed) a navy number (a tad more work) and a summer number (skirt bit done) – there is a pattern with the 5748 pattern and I’m determined not to not finish the red dress. It’s a great challlenge, so why would I not want to finish it?!! It’s a stunner of a dress but there a few other contenders …
Flippin’ sew the hem Emma!The good old classic option navy here!Summer colours here with a contrast purple for the top partButterick’s 5748, a firm favourite!
Next pattern – contrast to go there or not to go there? I’ve not worked with lace before, like ever. So is this the challenge to do such a thing? So I’d love to do something in lace but I might just hold my horses and do a simple number!
Ooooh nice contrast with Butterick’s 6280Beautiful lace from Remnant KingsCotton stretch sateen from Remnant Kings
I’m still floating back to a cotton stretch sateen. Perhaps because I’ve worked with it before. I would love to add a black edging to give the dress an extra element but I’ll see how I cope!
Then it’s actually hunting down a red that I would like to work with and wear. I’m going to troll the local fabric shops in November as I’m off for a week then. I’ll also order a few samples from online fabric shops and then I’ll decide from there. I’ve not came across much online though … it’s quite meeeeh. I’m thinking of going for a wine red but if forced to do a red like in the image above, I will.
Patterns, patterns, patterns … I’ve still not homed into my final choice but here’s just a few of my options …
Butterick’s 5748Butterick’s 6280 Another easy option with red drawing me in towards the dress!Another lace option with B ? I don’t make it easy for myself, do I?I’m liking this option C – it floats but I think it’s too long for a LRD?Something cute for the back detail with option C!Grading up option A would be nice!Should I go all retro with option B?I love C – but is it because of the Red?!It would have to be C or D for this one!
That’s all for the moment but I will give you an update on my final choice!
Using the Canvas App on my phone, I settled on this design. I feel it’s a lot cleaner and has simple lines. It’s amazing what you get up to at 6am after letting the dog out.
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