In layman's terms, yesterday was bloody awesome! Fifteen fantastic ladies joined Kat and I at the Birmingham Rag Market - from as far and wide as Bath and Merseyside no least - for what was our first ever go at organising a meet-up. Despite my initial nerves, the day was an absolute pleasure in every way, thanks to the easy-going, genuine and good nature of everyone who came.

As an organiser, my mother-hen instincts seriously kicked in and I didn't take as many good photos as I would have liked. I'll summarise the day as best as I can, but if you're after quality photos, you'd best keep your eyes peeled for related posts by blogging friends - all listed at the end.

Kat and I met our brood at Birmingham New Street train station, armed with handmade name brooches and edible goodies to keep their energy levels nice and high.

First we hit the Rag Market - inside and out. Annoyingly, the fabric and notions stalls are really spread out, so it does make for a bit of a 'messy' experience.

After a couple of hours we were more than ready for a sit-down and some lunch at the tried and tested Cafe Soya. They reserved a big table for us at the back and I bet they were very pleased they did by the time we left!



Sitting down for lunch gave everyone a great opportunity to chat and get to know each other a bit better. The conversations were definitely flowing freely, which was lovely to see.

It also gave us all a chance for one MAMMOTH swap. I totally didn't manage to capture the sheer volume that people brought with them, but trust me when I say, it was HUGE!!!

These pictures really sum up what I love about our kind. We're excellent at sharing and not at all afraid to get stuck in! I'm going to guess that super-organised Claire supplied the scissors, then Helen and Rachel got down to business sharing out some fabric.

I did extremely well out of the swap. Not only did I manage to giveaway all but one of my swap items, but I also received some truly wonderful things back: a super cool Hawaiian print cotton from Katie, a beautiful seersucker print from Karen, a really useful bobbin organiser from Claire, a precious lot of vintage notions from Mellie and some pretty floral canvas and funky salmon jersey from Kat!


Re-fuelled and with swapping out of our systems, we proceeded to terrorise the good owners of the Fancy Silk Store and Barry's Fabric Superstore. I'm not joking when I say these shops are overwhelming when you don't have a particular purchase in mind, but an unmissable experience nonetheless.

Now, I'm not intentionally trying to make you all even more jealous, but it's only natural that you would be. The owner of the Fancy Silk Store was so impressed with the size of our group, that he gave us each a free pen. BOOM!!!  


I wasn't quite strong enough to resist buying stuff altogether, but I was relatively reserved and I did keep to my promise of staying away from florals and animal print!

 Finally, here's a beautiful group shot (minus myself) - have you ever seen so many happy faces in one picture before?


Here's a list of attendees in the order that they appear in the group shot, from left to right and back to front:

Roisin - Dolly Clackett

Alice - Moonbeam

Helen - Sew Stylish


Helen - Helen Made




Suzy - Suzy Sewing






Kat - Krafty Kat 

Charlotte (sadly not pictured as she'd left by this point) - Keeping track of things 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you ladies so much for making it a very special day. It was fantastic to catch up with familiar faces and and great to meet new ones too. Hope to see even more of you next time ;o)
Sunday, November 04, 2012
When I saw Dixie DIY's new freebie last week – the Hot Cocoa Sweater – I instantly knew it was for me. I also just happened to have the perfect double knit (animal print of course!) in my stash, but the only downside is that Dixie's pattern is only available in one size / her size at the moment. Although I'm bigger in the chest than the lovely Dixie, I'm probably slightly narrower in the shoulders, so I decided to go for it and hope for the best. I'm so glad I did, I've definitely got myself a keeper!


I love the raglan sleeves and asymmetrical hemline and it's perfectly snug for this colder weather. The best things about this make are that it was a stash-buster and it was simple and quick enough to whip up whilst my sewing room is undergoing major surgery. 


This pattern has clearly written instructions and is deliciously simple to make, with just four pieces. The cuffs and neckband are cleverly assembled and attached just like Sewaholic's Renfrew, so you get a really neat finish. The hem is just turned up once and stitched which reduces bulk - you don't have to worry because knits don't fray. The only change I made was to add 3 inches to the front and back length, as I wanted a bit more coverage for my 'junk'...hehe! I kept everything else the same. 


I know I'm going to get lots of wear from this sweater. In fact, guess what I'm wearing to the Birmingham Rag Market meet-up tomorrow?!? Which is rather fitting really, because that's where I bought the awesome fabric from when I visited back in May. 


Are you tempted by Dixie's pattern? Or maybe you've already made it. What did you think?
Friday, November 02, 2012
Friends, apart from a delightfully easy project I'm hoping to finish imminently – Dixie DIY's new Hot CocoaSweater download - I have to hold my hands up and admit that there won't be much sewing on my part for a little while.

'Why on earth not?', I hear you ask. Well, put simply, my shit's in serious disarray. Just 14 months after an overhaul of my sewing space, I've found myself in an even worse position. It's no secret, and certainly, no joke that my stash of sewing stuff (so much stuff) is out of control.

This time it took a one-man intervention to tackle the issue. When my boyfriend told me we needed to have a serious talk last week, I was ready for the ultimatum I've been expecting – to choose between him or my beloved hobby. Luckily, he's not a drama queen, so he suggested instead that he replaces our furniture with pieces that are more fit for purpose...as an early Christmas present for me! Isn't that the nicest thing ever!?! Sssh, don't tell him...but I do wonder if he's merely enabling me by being so accommodating. To be fair though, seeing it all laid out bare is pretty embarrassing. No one needs this much stuff, ever! But I've already posted about my stash-busting plans, which will be an ongoing adventure.

Jane, avert your eyes! Sadly, this isn't even the worst of it...there's more stuff squirrelled away in every nook and bloody cranny!

For now we'll be spending most of our free time re-organising, collapsing and moving old furniture, ordering new furniture and eventually building it. As you can imagine, I've also been busy de-stashing by listing things on eBay, taking things to the charity shop and by setting things aside for the lovely ladies joining Kat and I at the Birmingham Rag Market this Saturday. To my beautiful blog friends who aren't coming along, don't worry, you can expect a number of delicious giveaways coming your way soon!

Anyway, just wanted to fill you in on my short sewing sabbatical. I sincerely hope I get my sewing space sorted once and for all - it will be much more inviting and conducive to creativity and productivity.

How do you keep your stash under control? Do you even have one?
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
It’s that time of year again when the evenings start to draw in, the temperatures plummet and I get the sewing blues. I have extravagant plans and fantastic resources at my fingertips, but I’d rather curl up on the sofa with a big bowl of cheesy mash, watching episodes of Boardwalk Empire, The Walking Dead, Homeland, New Girl, American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy...you name it. It seems like I’ll do anything not to sew, but I don’t want to get stuck in this seasonal rut again! I always regret it come Spring, especially when I realise I don’t have enough clothes to fully take part in Me-Made-May.

So to ease myself in, I made an easy-peasy, tried-and-tested Renfrew (previous five versions here, here, and here), which also ticks the stash-busting box. Yipeee!


When I saw the Flamingo-print jersey at my local market, I knew exactly (for once) that it was destined to be a Renfrew with a round neck and three-quarter length sleeves. Being on a thrifty streak though, I was determined to squeeze it out of just 1.5m, which meant piecing the back. Been there, done that before with my floral version, doesn’t bother me.


The construction was as straight-forward as ever and super quick. As usual I cut a size 6 for the neck, shoulders and sleeves and a size 8 for the rest. This seems to work pretty well for me - I like that my Renfrews aren’t too tight or too loose, they’re just right for my liking!

Six Renfrews later, I’d like to think I’ve learned a few things about the pattern and about sewing with jersey:

  • The cowl-neck Renfrew doesn’t work for me. I’ve given away both of mine, because they make me too hot and bothered.
  • I’m not entirely convinced the waistband suits my body shape, but it does provide a really professional finish that I don’t want to compromise.
  • All jersey is NOT created equal! No matter how much you spend and what quality you get, jersey can be a little unpredictable. For example, this flamingo print is a little ‘flimsy’, so the neck band doesn’t lie as flat as I would like it to. Yet, my stripy Renfrew (link) is also flimsy, but the neckband lies totally flat. So sewing Renfrews is a bit ‘trial and error’, which I’ve come to accept. In fact, I like how they all fit a little differently as it keeps my wardrobe looking more varied than it possibly is.
  • Don’t over-think sewing with jersey. Yes, it behaves differently to woven fabrics, but don't let it scare you. All you really need is the right needle. For this particular Renfrew I used a needle suitable for 'stretch' fabrics, but you can use a 'jersey' needle too of course. Everything else I did exactly the same for woven fabrics – I kept my tension on 4 and I used a straight stitch instead of a zigzag stitch. See, not scary at all really!



Tuesday, October 16, 2012
I've been thinking about the age-old question of fabric scraps lately. There are so many clever and creative things people do with theirs – I've heard of using them to stuff cushions and pressing hams, to make gorgeous accessories like necklaces and brooches, to decorate household items and to create all sorts of patchwork!

In fact, if you're stuck for ideas a quick Google threw up this awesome Pinterest board, 25 Free Scrap-Busting DIY Tutorials and Sewing projects for fabric scraps.

These are all genius ideas, but what if like me you have a lot of scraps that are also quite sizeable? It would be a shame to cut them up and use as facings and whatnot, but you don't quite fancy making another garment from them.


Well, in the spirit of being thrifty I tried something new last week. I gathered up a few of my best, photographed them and stuck them on eBay. And guess what!?! They bloody sold and I'm totally planning on doing it again! It felt so good to get something back, as it often feels like all I do is spend and accumulate more than I can handle.

So, what do you do with your fabric scraps? Have you had any luck selling them or are you tempted to give it a go?

And just because I can't believe how fast it's growing, here's another update on my Sirdar Raglan Cardigan...


Saturday, October 06, 2012
Hello friends, I have an indecent proposal for you today!

Fancy joining me and fellow Leicester blogger, Kat, for a day of unimaginable fun at the Birmingham Rag Market on Saturday 3 November? I know a lot of you are starting to plan your autumn/winter sewing and some of you are even hoping to sew Christmas gifts, so it'll be a chance to snap up some supplies cheaply.

For those of you already contemplating travel logistics, you just need to get to Birmingham New Street where we'd all meet and the market is just a short walk away.

Kat and I will happily organise the outing in full, so for now it would be really helpful to get an idea of who would like to come. So please leave a comment below and don't forget to include an email address if it's not listed on your blog.

If you need convincing, look no further! Have you ever seen two happier bloggers than Winnie and Catherine? The picture was taken on our little trip to said market back in May and if you check out my post about the day, you'll understand exactly why we were all so giddy!


P.S. I realise the irony of organising a trip like this after my stash busting post, but I'm not going for the fabric! I'm just going for the pleasure of your company of course ;o)
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
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