March 2020 - Anna-Jo Sews

The Mother’s Day Hug Cardie – a Seamwork Oslo Cardigan

Thanks to the current coronavirus lockdown in the UK I can’t hug my mum right now. This last Sunday was Mother’s Day over here, and I was feeling really sad about the prospect of missing that hug.

Then I realised that the fabric I had earmarked for a wearable toile of the Seamwork Oslo Cardigan would be absolutely my Mum’s style. And what better substitute for a warm hug than a warm, snuggly cardigan? It’s like wearing a hug!

You’ll have to put up with some poorly lit pics of me modelling said cardigan, as obviously there are real difficulties taking pics of my Mum in it. She’s roundabout the same size as me so it looks about the same on her. But it suits her better, I reckon! Continue reading “The Mother’s Day Hug Cardie – a Seamwork Oslo Cardigan”

The Ride-Sallie-Ride Dress – a monochrome Sallie Maxi Dress

Oh wow, what a week….

When I wrote my blog post last week I was in a state of extreme agitation and worry about my mum, who has a chronic lung condition and seemed to be in a state of denial over how serious the COVID-19 threat was. I tried to distract myself by writing a post that didn’t acknowledge the situation in any way, and I hope it didn’t seem too frivolous to be posting sewing projects at this time.

The thing is, I think we need some distraction and things to lift our spirits right now (and for the forseeable future). So I’m going to continue blogging my sewing projects. There probably won’t be many party dresses because I don’t think there are going to be many parties this year. There might be more in the way of practical sewing–I can’t buy toilet roll so who knows, I might have to make washable wipes out of fabric scraps!

I’m less emotionally shaken now that I know my parents are self-isolating reasonably strictly, although I’m somewhat apprehensive about having everyone (including my teacher partner Andy, who also has a lung condition) at home ALL THE TIME. For who knows how long?

I think I’ll be going out for lots of runs and get myself fit again. Also sorting out my garden. Silver linings…

So without further ado, here’s a share of a Minerva post I wrote some time ago, about my joint favourite dress of last summer. Continue reading “The Ride-Sallie-Ride Dress – a monochrome Sallie Maxi Dress”

The Wedding Guest Dress: Charm Patterns Rita dress hack

I’d been meaning to make the Charm Patterns Rita Blouse ever since it first came out, and finally I got around to it. Only as a dress!

I’ve got to admit, it had been years since I’d been to a wedding. Maybe it’s my age: most of my friends got their weddings out of the way in their early thirties (if they got married at all, that is), and there’s been a bit of a dry spell since then. So imagine my delight when Andy and I were invited to a friend’s daughter’s wedding last September, and I got to put my fancy-pants sewing skills to the test!

Continue reading “The Wedding Guest Dress: Charm Patterns Rita dress hack”

#OneYearSewn: winter 2018-19 – a wardrobe analysis

This is a bit of a hodgepodge of a post, but I’m starting out with a quick run through and wardrobe analysis of the four items I sewed last winter. Here goes!

#OneYearSewn wardrobe analysis

First up is my Plum Pudding Cardigan (Jalie 2919) which definitely scores the highest in wear count, clocking up an impressive 57 wears so far. It’s no surprise to me really, as I tend to wear a cardigan layer pretty much every day of the year. Our weather out here in Somerset is highly variable, so layers are key to being able to keep a comfy temperature. Continue reading “#OneYearSewn: winter 2018-19 – a wardrobe analysis”

The Sweetheart Dress: sewing the Ottobre Bubu Dungaree dress

So, this is me sharing a make from last May, and the photographs are from back then too. Lauren definitely doesn’t fit this one anymore! It’s the Bubu Dungaree Dress from Ottobre 1/2019. I meant to share this last week, but I completely forgot! Never mind. Here it is:

Doesn’t she look a little cutie? I love dungaree dresses, which I’m sure won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following this blog a while. I’ve made three Cleo dungaree dresses for myself, so it was about time I made something similar for my baby girl. Continue reading “The Sweetheart Dress: sewing the Ottobre Bubu Dungaree dress”