In Summer 2020, I made a dress that feels like an Italian summer every time I wear it and I knew that I would want to remake the pattern. Instead of hacking the design again …
MINERVA MAKES #13: LADY MCELROY VISCOSE LINEN & MCCALLS 7974

A SEWING & STYLE BLOG
In Summer 2020, I made a dress that feels like an Italian summer every time I wear it and I knew that I would want to remake the pattern. Instead of hacking the design again …
This dress started life as a very, very different dress back in February 2021; I had merrily cut out Vogue 8970, a shirt dress with raglan, ¾ length sleeves, pleats at the waist to give …
This January, I am joining in with the #SewnWithNewLook challenge at Minerva and I have made myself a super unseasonal maxi dress! Minerva sent me 2.7 metres of this tropical Atelier Jupe viscose challis and a …
This month, Minerva sent me 3m of this seriously spooky Lady McElroy viscose challis, so I really embraced the Halloween spirit with my #MinervaMake! I may be a day past Halloween, but better late than …
Greetings from Canada! 🍁 The borders recently reopened for international travel, so I jumped a the chance to visit and meet my boyfriend Simon in Canada for a mini road trip. Obviously I needed to …
I’m over on the Felicity Fabrics blog today, discussing my newest fancy jumpsuit — I was very kindly gifted 2.5m of this beautiful viscose twill that had me smitten the moment it landed on their …
In theory, having a birthday in lockdown should be no fun… but I had a straight-up blast this year! I received some lovely messages, cards and gifts, and I drank plenty of gin cocktails 😊 …
For my fifth #MinervaMake, I had been thinking up a little summer outfit (hey, anything that helps me get through these dreary lockdown days…!). I was daydreaming of an outfit that would be comfortable for …
From bright scarlet to deep oxblood, I feel that red is a colour that just works with my pale skin and dark hair. I usually wear a soft, muted red lipstick as my ‘everyday lipstick’, …
Can you still call it pattern hacking if it is your own poor-planning that is to blame…? While I absolutely love this finished smock top, getting to this point involved plenty of playing jenga with pattern pieces, adding in additional seam allowances and changing a pretty big element from the original design! I think it is only fair to highlight the I mistakes made — making mistakes and working around these challenges are so important to grow and improve as a sewist — but I really don’t think it detracts from the finished garment, which is as swishy and dreamy as I envisioned! […]
At my workplace, we aren’t expected to turn up in full business formal wear everyday — thank goodness! While I could never be one to wear a white button-up and suit each day, I do …