Year: 2020

Nobody needs me to tell them that 2020 didn’t turn out the way I imagined it would this time last year. I’m guessing we’re all in the same boat in that respect. Like many sewists, I found it tough to get motivated to sew for a while and I’ve been really missing the chance to get an occasional break from the kids to get stuck into a project without interruptions. My parents have been unable to do any childcare for us as Mum has a serious lung condition and none of us want to risk it. Sewing in my house with everyone home can be challenging as my sewing space is in the main living area.

I don’t want to dwell on the bad stuff, though. There have been some unexpected pleasures to be found in 2020, and I’ve mostly been pretty happy with life (having a wonderful family really helps–even if I can’t get away from them!). Anyway, to “celebrate” the year here’s my take on the SewingTop5 meme that’s doing the rounds. (I haven’t managed to blog it every year but I’ve certainly made lists and managed to post some years)

And some quick stats: I finished 19 garments in 2020. 9 were for me (1 dress, 1 apron, 3 tops, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of dungarees and 2 pairs of trousers) and 10 were for others (1 for Mum, 1 for my sister, Bek, 2 for Daisy, 2 for Lauren and 4 for Gabriel). These were mostly cardigans and PJs.

I’ve also, like many, made a fair few face masks for the family and some scrubs for our local NHS trust. Here I am modelling some scrubs that are clearly too small for me!

Continue reading “My SewingTop5 of 2020 (aka good riddance, foul year)”

Hey, I’m back sharing a make from this autumn, this time for Gabriel (who’s now 6–doesn’t time fly?!). I used a free pdf pj pattern by new to me pattern company Life Sew Savory. Umm, what’s with that awful name? Makes me think of gravy, not sewing. Anyway, the PJ bottoms are cute:

I ended up making these twice, both times using free fabric from Minerva which was supplied in return for a 500+ word post with 6+ photos over on their site. You can find the navy and red post here, and the yellow and black pair posted here. I’ve written all the details of sewing them up in those posts, but honestly, it was pretty straightforward! I’ve also gushed a bit about the fabric and I wouldn’t blame anyone for being suspicious as I was provided it in return for a review. However, Minerva don’t give any requirements for reviews to be positive, and this is absolutely beautiful quality fabric! I will definitely spend money on it again in the future when I have a suitable project in mind.

I’m less sure about promoting the free pdf pj pattern. There are obviously some great points: it’s free, there are customisation options, and it’s sized for the whole family. But I’m not convinced the drafting is the best as my inseams didn’t match in length. That could be user error, however! I’d recommend them to anyone wanting really baggy basic PJ bottoms who doesn’t want to spend anything and doesn’t mind having to true that inseam.

On the sewing table

I’m currently wrestling with some seriously hairy faux fur fabric which I received from Minerva for review some time ago. An embarrassingly long time ago, in fact. I did start making a gilet using a self drafted pattern back at the beginning of 2020, but it just looked wrong and I didn’t know how to sort it out. I’ve now come back to it with a can-do attitude (I’m trying to develop more of this as I can be my own worst enemy when it comes to getting things done) and have trimmed it down to give a narrower silhouette. With any luck I might get it finished by the end of the year as it’s actually a super simple make.

I’ll be back in a couple of days with a Top Five review of the year post. 2020 has been a year like no other, but I’m sure I can find some positive non-sewing stuff if I really wrack my brains! I’ll be sharing another make for me (some more Jalie Eleanores) on Friday too, hopefully. I have a feeling I won’t be particularly hungover this New Year’s Day!

Hope you’ve all had a lovely (if small) Christmas,

Anna x

And there’s a cheeky chimp wearing it too! Here’s Gabriel modelling his new Ottobre raglan tee and shorts. Back when they were new…

Wow, Gabriel looks so young here! These pics were actually taken last summer, but the post has only recently made its way onto Minerva (I was gifted the fabric in return for a blog post with pictures there-no obligation to post here). You can find all the sewing details on the post here.

This make really marked a turning point for me, as it showed me I could make absolutely awesome kids clothes that they’ll love. The fabric was a huge help as it gave me interesting different parts of the print to play with (panel prints FTW!). Continue reading “The Cheeky Chimp tee and shorts set – an Ottobre boys set for Minerva Makers”