It was with a heavy heart that I announced I'm taking a break from hosting the #VintagePledge this year, but I promised to celebrate your beautiful makes from 2017 and celebrate we shall!

Thanks to the generosity of lovely sponsors, I have SIX fabulous prizes up for grabs. 

If you haven't yet pinned all your 2017 makes to the dedicated #VintagePledge Pinterest board...get to it!!! To give you plenty of time, I'll be picking winners on Sunday 11 February and announcing them on Tuesday 13 February. 

PRIZE 1
A £25 gift card to spend on a range of knit fabrics at Girl Charlee UK and two vintage-inspired PDF patterns of your choice from Decades of Style.



PRIZE 2
Three vintage-inspired PDF patterns of your choice from How to do Fashion and a 12-pack of delicious Doughnut Pattern Weights from Oh Sew Quaint.



PRIZE 3
A £30 gift card to spend on your choice of fabrics and sewing patterns from Sew Essential.


PRIZE 4
A £30 gift card to spend on gorgeous sewing accessories and tools at Beyond Measure.


PRIZE 5
A beautiful dressmaking fabric hamper worth £50 from Minerva Crafts.


PRIZE 6
A Simplicity gift hamper including three sewing patterns of your choice and from their 90th anniversary range a tote bag, iron-on transfer and sewing planner stickers.

As I've said before, even though I'm not up to hosting this year, I'll still be sewing vintage so feel free to keep using the #VintagePledge hashtag on social media so we can stay in touch and continue to inspire each other!
Sunday, January 28, 2018

Hi friends! We're halfway through January already and I'm still getting around to sharing all of my 2017 makes, one of which is this faux leather McCall's 7253 I made for Charlotte as one of her Christmas presents.



The pattern was a freebie with Sew Now magazine and a dead ringer for Charlotte's favourite faux leather RTW skirt. I knew it would be a big hit with her, especially when I found the perfect print from Fabric Godmother. Sadly, this gorgeous floral faux leather is all sold out, but Jodi has plenty of other beauties to chose from!

With just three pleated rectangles and a waistband, the pattern couldn't have come together easier and the sizing was spot on too.

I made a couple of changes, including installing an exposed zip for an edgy finish. It's really not my neatest zip ever, but I'm letting myself off as this was only my second time sewing with faux leather. The other change, inspired by Charlotte's RTW make, was to finish the waistband with bias binding and secure it by topstitching from the front. This RTW technique was perfect for reducing bulk and I'll definitely be using it again.



Tips for sewing with faux leather

Sewing with faux leather is nowhere near as tricky as you may think. Here are some tips I've picked up along the way:
  • A lot of faux leather can be pre-washed at 30 degrees Celsius, but test a small piece first
  • Always use a needle suitable for leather fabric
  • Pin your pattern pieces within the seam allowances to avoid unsightly perforations
  • A walking foot will save the day
  • If you don't have a walking foot, try masking tape on the bottom of your sewing foot for less resistance/drag
  • Increase your stitch length slightly
  • Set your iron to a low heat and always use a pressing cloth to avoid direct contact with your faux leather



So, what do you think? Doesn't Charlotte look peachy in her skirt/outfit?

Have you made McCall's 7253 or sewn with faux leather before? I'd love to hear your top tips...
Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Happy New Year, friends! I'm kicking off my 2018 blogging with a heartfelt apology to my #VintagePledge family, as I've totally let you down. Sure, 2017 started well and we even had a fun #VPJuly fortnight with daily photo prompts and generous sponsors. But since planning and starting comprehensive building work at home in the autumn, my mental and physical capacity to host the pledge fell by the wayside. 

The good news is that I've been busy organising belated end-of-year prizes and thanks to generous sponsors I can reveal them next week and announce winners in early February. So what are you waiting for? Get those half-finished #VintagePledge makes done and shared on the dedicated Pinterest board!

With our building work overrunning and life/work being as busy as ever, I've made the difficult decision to pause the #VintagePledge this year. I've absolutely loved running it for the past four years and it's my HUGE privilege to have had so many of you take part. But I don't feel I can give it my full attention and it's been a struggle keeping on top of it these last couple of years.

I'm so sorry, but I hope you understand!

Hopefully, once I've recharged my batteries it will make a return, but in the meantime, feel free to keep using the #VintagePledge hashtag on social media so we can stay in touch and continue to inspire each other with our vintage makes.  

Finally, I wanted to round-up some of the gorgeous makes added to the Pinterest board during the last quarter of 2017.

Although it's the wonderful array of coats/jackets that really caught my eye, a special mention has to go to the absolutely stunning 1930s wedding dress by Annotations of Jenny, who also made the 1930s bed jacket as outerwear below that.



Vintage Gal: 1930s winter coat in wool teal


Verity Vintage Studio: 1940s red coat


Stitch and Kitch: reversible 1960s coat


Kat Klebenow: 1950s plaid jacket


By Gum, By Golly: 1940s plaid jacket and 1950s swing jacket



And this is just the tip of the iceberg! There are countless beautiful dresses to list, fabulous knitwear, lovely bottoms and adorable kidswear. I encourage you to go have a look for yourself and can guarantee that it's a total treat.

While you're at it, why not check out previous contributions on Pinterest? Make a cuppa and immerse yourself in 2014, 2015 and 2016 too. 

Thanks SO much for your unwavering dedication to #VintagePledge...keep stitching up a bygone storm!
Wednesday, January 10, 2018

In my head, this photoshoot looked more 'winter wonderland' and less 'construction site', but anyone who's lived through building work will know how trashed a garden gets. Nevertheless, the novelty of photographing a festive dress during snowfall was far too strong a pull.




This is view B of the Pauline Alice Aldaia Dress with sleeves from view A (minus the cuffs), in a silver pleated velvet jersey from Fabric Godmother. Although it doesn't actually look that festive, I can't help but associate shimmery velvet with this time of year.

I expressed my love for this pattern when I made view C, but sadly I don't think this version will get any wear in its current state. I just don't feel comfortable at all in a figure-hugging skirt. Despite wearing big spanx and tights, I still felt super self-conscious of my bumpy/lumpy hips and I don't see that ever changing.

Also, I'm not so sure that my large bust looks at its best draped in shiny pleats. However, I do like the bodice and could probably overlook this issue if the skirt was to my liking, so I'm quite tempted to order some more fabric for a fuller skirt. Doing so would make this a really pricey dress though!



If you're curious about sizing, I made a 42 and graded the hips up to a 44. The sleeves were a little loose so I increased the seam allowance on those and I also shortened the skirt by 7cm. I then had to unpick some of the side seams to make the slits longer again, so something worth thinking about if you need to take up the skirt. 

Working with pleated velvet was no problem at all thanks to my walking foot and a stretch needle. Just like the last time I made this pattern, I added clear elastic to the waistline. I really don't get why the pattern doesn't call for it, but I do know that heavy velvet needs something to stop it from sagging and losing its shape. 



If you're wondering where the cute rabbit fits in, it's not every day I make a dress that matches my velvety Birdie bunny! For this happy accident alone, I'm tempted to throw more cash at this dress to make it wearable for me. What do you think? Should I get more fabric and replace the skirt with a fuller shape? 
Sunday, December 10, 2017

Happy Friday friends! I'm thrilled to be sharing my Vogue Patterns Cocktail Hour dress today, supporting this year's charity sew-along from The McCall Pattern Company in partnership with The Eve Appeal. There are 20 gorgeous patterns to choose from, with a proportion of the sales going to the charity which is raising awareness and funding research into five gynaecological cancers. 




Months ago, when I first chose to make Vogue 8997, I had visions of a romantic version in a dark floral with floaty sleeves. Then along came this stunning Cocktail Hour cotton lawn from Fabric Godmother and I had to seriously rethink my plans. I mean, aside from it having the perfect name for this sew-along,  I was powerless to resist the mid-century print and delicious colour palette.

I immediately knew that the print needed showing off with as few distractions as possible...which was problematic given the fussy design lines of Vogue 8997. The only solution was to hack the pattern - a difficult decision, but the right one I think.

I kept the princess seam bodice and re-drew the front pieces for a straight waistline. I wanted to add a circle skirt, but I soon realised that my fabric wasn't quite wide enough. Luckily, the By Hand London Flora Dress skirt came to the rescue! The whole dress is lined with anti-static lining which makes it swish nicely when I move around.

One impressive thing about the pattern is that the bodice pieces come in a number of different cup sizes. I cut out a size 14 in a D cup, but could probably have gone down to a C cup as I ended up taking out a bit of fullness. Overall though, the fit was pretty good. I just had to pinch out a little excess to prevent gaping along the neckline and tighten the 'straps'.



What I really wanted to include in this photoshoot was a sexy cocktail...but could I find an appropriate glass anywhere? With 90% of our kitchen packed away due to building work, I didn't stand a chance!

Anyway, have you been following the #SipAndSew action? Browse the beautiful makes by participating bloggers and keep an eye out for the remaining three contributions to the sew-along. 

And to see what a true Vogue 8997 looks like, check out this wonderful version by Almond Rock!
Friday, November 03, 2017

OMG you guys! Let me introduce you to my dress pattern of dreams, the Pauline Alice Aldaia Dress. Admittedly, my version of view C looks almost identical to my beloved Tilly and the Buttons Martha Dress, but Aldaia is actually intended for stable knit fabrics so that's a bonus. Also, how tempting are views A and B? Personally, I can't wait to pair the faux wrap-front with the full skirt.

This pattern has everything I look for in a dress - fitted bodice, flared skirt, modest neckline and short sleeves. I love that the front bodice is shaped with princess seams and the back with flattering waist darts. I'm also smitten with the panelled skirt, which provides all the fullness of gathers and none of the bulk.




What makes this dress extra special though is the deliciously autumnal jersey from Stoff & Stil. I think they've sold out of this print, but they have so many lovely knits to choose from!

Shockingly, this was my first time using a Pauline Alice pattern. The packaging is super cute and the pattern is printed on quality paper, which makes such a difference. The instructions are on the short side, but sweet enough for a simple jersey dress with clear illustrations. 

I made a straight size 42 and it fits really well without the usual neckline gaping I tend to get. I shortened the bodice by 2cm (though I might just go for 1.5cm next time) and added 2cm to the skirt, so be warned that it's quite short considering I'm only 5ft 3". 

The only thing I found perplexing is that the pattern doesn't call for elastic to stabilise the waist. Even though it recommends using stable knits, they too tend to stretch out over time, so I added elastic to mine for a snug fit.


One thing I was initially put out by was the way the neckline and sleeves are finished with facings. I mean, the beauty of sewing with knits is that you don't have to finish seams and you can just turn raw edges under and topstitch...amarite?!? 

I'm so glad I didn't cut any corners though and that I bothered to hand-pick the facings down. I love how sleek and professional the finish looks. I definitely won't be skipping this step in future...because gorgeous knits deserve better!



In fact this dress looks so smart that I wore it to a wedding recently, when I ran out of time to finish my intended wedding-guest dress. I paired it with this electric blue cardigan, chunky necklace, cute shoes and mustard clutch (not pictured...booo), and I felt like a million dollars. Oh, and did I mention how comfortable I felt too...secret pyjama dresses for the win!

Have you made the Aldaia Dress yet? Are you tempted?
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
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