Back in 2011, I took part in a very fun challenge called One Pattern, Seven Bloggers. Two and a bit years later we've 'reunited' to have another go! I'm relieved that this time round I'm much more confident in my sewing abilities - last time I was pretty nervous about the whole thing and my finished dress wasn't up to much. 

So, what's the premise of One Pattern, Seven Bloggers?

It's pretty simple really! The seven of us are tackling the same dress pattern - the Macaron from Colette Patterns - which we can make in its true form, or adapt should we want to. We're hoping that our finished makes will showcase just how versatile any given sewing pattern can be. We also think it's interesting for people to physically see how patterns can be interpreted and to see how individual sense of style comes into play. 

We're kicking off with an epic giveaway today, followed by an inspiration post on Monday 26 August and our big reveal on Monday 2 September. 

Who's taking part?

Miraculously, despite the time that's elapsed, we've managed to secure exactly the same line-up as last time! Alongside little ole me, there's also:




Rachel - My Messings



Celebratory giveaway!

To celebrate One Pattern, Seven Bloggers we’re hosting an epic giveaway thanks to 8 fabulous sponsors! 

The Prizes

1 x Macaron Pattern thanks to Colette Patterns 

1 x Macaron Pattern thanks to Guthrie & Ghanie 

1 x Macaron Pattern thanks to Stitch 56

1 x Pattern of your choice thanks to Sew Squirrel

1 x Colette Pattern of your choice thanks to Indie Stitches 

1 x Colette Pattern of your choice thanks to The Haby Goddess

1 x $20 gift voucher thanks to Fabric Worm 

1 x $30 gift voucher thanks to A Fashionable Stitch 

Terms & Conditions

To enter the giveaway comment on this post before Saturday 31 August with your email address so we can easily get in touch if your name is drawn.  

One entry per blog please, but make sure you head on over to all of the other participant's blogs for up to 7 chances to win!

The winners will be drawn at random and prizes randomly allocated to each of the 8 winners across all 7 blogs. The winners will contacted by email on 2 September. 


Monday, August 19, 2013

You may remember that not so long ago I reviewed an upcycling class offered by The Amazings. Well, their newest online class sounds like another absolute corker - Machine Embroider a Textile Necklace. And best of all, if you sign up to the £18 class, you'll receive an email about entering a prize draw to win a £300 sewing machine! Not too shabby, eh? The draw is open to crafters worldwide...all you have to do is submit your details by Sunday 15 September.



Personally, I've been curious about free motion machine embroidery for a while and who better to learn from than an international textile artist!?! Although I'm pretty snowed under at the moment, I sincerely hope I find some time to try the class out soon. In the meantime, you can see the wonderful necklace that Rachel machine embroidered after following the class.

Are you familiar with this machine embroidery technique? Is it as fun as it looks?

Friday, August 16, 2013
After examining how Google Reader's closure may affect our blogs, I totally forgot to claim my own blog on Bloglovin'. D'oh!

Better late than never I guess...

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Wednesday, August 14, 2013
When Tilly posted about this cute little baby dress back in May, I knew it would be the perfect gift for two very close friends of mine who are each expecting their first baby (girls obviously) within a week of each other.


The Itty Bitty Baby Dress pattern from made by RAE is a free download and super easy to make, with plenty of variation possibilities. It’s sized for newborns, so it comes out very tiny and takes minimal fabric and time to make. I stayed true to the pattern for these two versions because it’s too cute not to really - I just cut out the larger of the two sizes and lengthened the shoulder ties a smidgeon.



There’s just one seam at the back of the skirt which I french seamed, I overlocked the waistline for extra strength and I finished the lined bodice according to the Elisalex instructions so there are no exposed seams there. If you're interested, Rachel has had a successful go at making an equally adorable reversible version.



To give you a sense of how small these dresses are, I thought it would be fun to photograph them against my two Mathilde blouses. Bonkers isn't it?!?



And thanks to your sound patchwork advice here, I was also able to make a colourful blanket for each friend and her baby! I don't know why, but these were so much fun to make. They are much smaller than my first patchwork project - a bunting tablecloth - so they came together with a lot less hassle. I was even surprised when all the squares actually lined up perfectly!



To make these I sewed the squares together in rows and then sewed the rows together to make the full blanket. I decided to press my seams to one side instead of open this time and ironed vigorously. I then smoothed and pinned on a plain flannel backing (a lot of smoothing and pinning on a flat surface was required) and finished the edges with some wide bias binding.



I made these cute bundles with so much love and knowing that they have gone to very appreciative homes (not everyone 'gets' handmade after all!) has quite literally made my month...or maybe even my year! I now can't wait to meet the itty bitty recipients, but we're still waiting for them to make an entrance!

 

I should say that I attribute much of the success of these projects to the gorgeous fabrics I had at my disposal. They were all sourced from two excellent shops - The Village Haberdashery and m is for make - both of which have amazing fabrics in their 'sale' sections, yearlong it would seem. In fact, thinking about it, I picked all of these up in their respective sale sections!
Monday, August 12, 2013
I'm back from another relaxing and enriching holiday in Portugal! My parents moved out there ten years ago and despite visiting them each year, I'm always struck by the country's beauty. This is why I can't help sharing some holiday snaps, but I promise some stitching-related posts are coming your way soon, including some delightfully teeny tiny sewing, a couple of secret projects, an Anna dress and a Hawthorn blouse. Oh, and about a squillion other makes that are on my ever-expanding wishlist!

Kooky restaurants

Mouthwatering food, of the sweet and savoury variety

Gorgeous architecture

Stunning tiles and paving

General beauty, everywhere you look

Badass graffiti 

Have you been on holiday this year, or better still, do you have one coming up?
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know that I'm sunning myself in Portugal at the moment, whilst visiting the parents. Bliss!

I thought I'd take this opportunity, as Portugal is where a number of my sewing mistakes and gifts reside, to share a few photos proudly taken by my mum. She was so overwhelmed by the patchwork tablecloth I made for her, that she wanted to show it off in her living room. She then thought she'd rub it in and pose with my makes-gone-wrong that ended up fitting her perfectly - nautical Crescent Skirt and floral Lonsdale Dress.






Doesn't she look super cute in these makes? It's as if they were made just for her! Mum's a little bit sad though that I haven't been making as many fitting mistakes lately. Don't worry mum, I'm sure I'll trip up again soon...or maybe I should just make you the occasional clothes out of kindness instead of by mistake ;o)
Thursday, August 01, 2013
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