Alice in the Polka Dot Palace

What do you get if you cross a Kielo and a Gable?

Peanut butter and jam. Joe Pesci and slapstick. Cocktails and umbrellas. And now, the Kielo and Gable. Sometimes, two things that work so well separately can join together to double up the awesome and create something unique and brilliant.

Last summer I made my first Kielo wrap dress from Named Clothing and it was a game changer. It’s comfy and feminine but still a bit edgy, so I basically lived in the few I made (alongside the Nina Lee Kew dress) all summer. I also discovered my favourite jersey top, the Gable from Jennifer Lauren Handmade, an everyday basic with a lovely 50s style high neckline.

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Haute Stuff: Translating the trends for 2019

Haute Stuff, sewing

Happy 2019, everyone! The new year brings with it promise and excitement for the months ahead; it’s the perfect time to plan sewing projects and it’s been brilliant seeing so many seamstresses sharing their Make Nine for this year (see here why I’m hesitant to go down that road!). I love looking to high fashion for inspiration, so this is the first post in a series titled ‘Haute Stuff’ where I’ll share inspiration, hacks, reviews and ideas for translating haute couture for everyday life.

So what are the predicted trends for 2019?

Animal house

Animal print had been creeping up on us for a couple of years but it came full pelt (sorry, I had to) in 2018 and it’s hanging around for 2019. Leopard print in particular appears to be the one to go for, this time with an air of elegance and femininity. This viscose crepe from Fabric Godmother would work a beaut with the Dominique skirt from Tilly and the Buttons for your own take on this Burberry gorgeousness …

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Stitched with a Twist

sewing, Sewing Challenges

I was so excited to be asked to be an ambassador for a new sewing challenge – Stitched with a Twist, created by Chantelle (@i_seam_so_happy) and Lou (@oh_liverpool_lou). It’s a fantastic idea getting us to unleash our creativity by sewing something and putting our own twist on it; it can be adding embroidery or embellishments, franken-patterning by mixing and matching different patterns, hacking designs…anything goes really! Continue reading “Stitched with a Twist” →

Trace, cut, bag, repeat

sewing

A new approach to prepping my sewing projects has completely changed the way I sew. As I’m sure you pretty much all identify with, spare time is a rare luxury! Finding dedicated, decent time to sew can be a tough feat and I’ve been seeing more people share their approach to sewing in short bursts; a dart sewn in before the school run, a sleeve inserted before going to work, and it’s definitely something I’ve adopted.

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Join the Kew

sewing

This blog post was originally written for the Sewalicious blog, and I was so happy to review one of my favourite patterns this year: the Kew Dress from Nina Lee. I love this dress. It’s a button up dress with so much variety – you can make it with sleeves so it’s got a 40s tea dress vibe to it, sleeveless and strappy with or without cold-shoulder sleeves for the summer weather, and there’s a skirt option too. That’s all before doing any modifying or pattern hacking. I decided to go with this dreamy cotton lawn covered in flowers and birds:

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