Hi pinups! Something a little different for you today and a topic I've been thinking a lot about this year, it's also a topic which is certainly in the media at the moment too with the popularity of that Stacy Dooley documentary 'Fashion's Dirty Secrets'. But this doesn't just apply to RTW fashion, but dressmakers too and our demand for fabrics. So I've been thinking about how I can make a change with my dressmaking habits, including restyling old makes.

In general, the amount of dressmaking I've done in 2018 has been a lot less than the previous 2 years of having my sewing blog. When I started dressmaking and blogging, I would sew something every week and blog every week so I could share a new pattern review. I wanted fresh content to share constantly as I felt no one would be interested otherwise. It was something that this year I think finally caught up with me, resulting in a total break from dressmaking over the summer after juggling an unrealistic workload resulting in a wardrobe of half loved me-made clothes I would likely never wear more than twice.

I could feel myself drowning in my handmade clothes that weren't making me happy and it was time for a BIG sort out and a reassessment of my sewing. Whether it's getting carried away with creativity or the fear of not keeping up (I've been guilty of both), it's time to change and to sew more sustainably, not only for the betterment of the environment, but also for my own mental health.


I'm lucky that I work for myself, and sometimes my work projects involve dressmaking, sew alongs and reviews. But I'm making a conscious decision going forward to really assess my style, wardrobe and needs, to only sew new clothes that I know I'll get a lot of wear out of, made with higher quality fabrics and sewn with better finishing techniques for longevity.

I'm definitely guilty of getting carried away with the idea of a project. Of sewing a garment I think will be fun and popular rather then 'when will I actually wear this?'. I'm not someone who's going to get dressed up daily, working from a desk all day I need comfort over style. But that's not to say I don't want cute pjs or stylish casual wear for popping out, I just need to sew realistically instead of frivolously. Something which I think I've been achieving recently. I've also never been one to have a large fabric stash, but I have noticed it growing recently (thanks to a new fabric shop opening in my town) so I'm on a mission to get it down to one space in my Ikea Kallax shelf!


So that's what I'm focusing on going forward, but what about everything I've made so far? Well I've been digging through my wardrobe, having a massive clear out (recycling or donating old makes & RTW clothes) and keeping the things I actually wear. I like the rule that if you haven't worn it in a year, it's out. I'm not sentimental at all and hate clutter so having a good purge always feels so good! I feel like when I started sewing blogging I made a lot very quickly without a lot of thought. Makes that now look a little rushed or ill planned. I think it's a difficult thing to confront, but a good lesson to learn.

I thought the topic of this post would be a great time to style up some old me-made clothes and bring them to the front of my wardrobe again with some new life! This Vogue coat is one of my most worn handmade items of clothing ever, and this Butterick 1940s tea dress definitely hasn't been loved enough since I made it in 2016. I thought it was too low cut to wear in the day time (my personal self consciousness!), but I never thought to actually wear a vest underneath before. Paired with tights and boots, this is a comfy and cute outfit with a little nod to vintage.



I just wanted to share my thoughts on the topic of sustainable sewing and how I'm trying to improve my own habits. I also think learning to knit has slowed down my whole thought process on creativity. I'm learning to slow down and appreciate the time and be more mindful, which has then also reflected on my dressmaking.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I'd love to do some more featuring restyling old makes in the future. What do you think about sustainable sewing?

Thanks for reading, pinups!
Abi xo

Designing My Ultimate Jersey Wrap Dress with Spoonflower Fabrics

Hi pinups! It's been a while since my last proper sewing pattern review and vlog, but in this post I'm back with a bang with both! I'm excited to be teaming up with Spoonflower again for another batch of projects using their unique fabric design service. This time around, I've decided to bring to life some of my dream sewing projects, including my ultimate leopard print wrap dress...


I'm a jersey wrap dress addict. I can't get enough of them. After trying out Spoonflower's fabulous Cotton Spandex Jersey in one of my previous posts HERE, I thought this time around I could try one of their other stretch fabric offerings 'Modern Jersey'.

With a jersey wrap dress in mind, I had a browse at some new season patterns and came across the Simplicity 8735 wrap dress pattern. The pattern offers a lot of style variations along with different cup sizes, which is perfect for me. As I've made a few fuller skirt styles recently, I thought this time around, I would try a more fitted style, opting for option A on the pattern.

Here's a peek at the pattern:



The Fabric:

I used to have a leopard print jersey wrap dress in my wardrobe about 5 years ago, but it was a dress I wore as uniform in a retail shop and I didn't like to wear it out of work after that. Ever since I've missed having a sassy leopard print wrap dress in my wardrobe and wanted one back in my life.

Leopard print is such a hit and miss design. Some can be really tacky and cheap looking and some are odd colours and print sizes. I've bought a lot of leopard print jersey over my dressmaking journey and whilst I liked them all enough to want to buy them, I've never come across one as nice as this.

I think that this is a perfect example of what Spoonflower does best. I know I'm not alone in my search for the perfect leopard print fabric and when I searched for it on Spoonflower, there is SO many designs available. I knew I wanted something classic and simple and as soon as I saw this print I knew it was 'the one'.

Get the fabric: Gold Leopard Print in Modern Jersey

I found the pattern very easy to follow and enjoyed the sewing with no headaches to report! I have sewn my fair share of wrap dresses and jumpsuits recently so I have a good understanding of how they go together. This one was nice and straightforward.

This pattern says it's suited to pretty much all fabrics, including jersey and it features a facing around the whole neck edge rather than a neck band. This is where my criticism comes in... I don't think the interfaced facing style of this pattern works the best with jersey. Yes you can do it and there's nothing wrong with it, but personally I don't like to interface stretch fabric and I think a neck band would have suited this more.

I think this pattern would work much better with stable fabrics and I don't think I would use this pattern again for jersey fabric. However none of this will stop me from wearing this dress, I think it just comes down to personal preference, and for me, I'd prefer a stretch neck band.


Pattern: Simplicity 8735 Wrap Dress Pattern

Fabric:  Gold Leopard Print in Modern Jersey

Notions: None.

Sewing time: A couple of hours to half a day.

Modifications: Nothing.

Fit: Really good thanks to the cup sizes and stretch fabric.

Difficulty: Simple.

Watch out for: Make sure you use a stretch stitch on your machine.

Make Again?: Yes. Not with jersey, but perfect for viscose.


If you fancy seeing a bit more of my ultimate wrap dress, it's featured in my latest Sew & Tell vlog, along with a quick look at my next Spoonflower project:




So whilst I wouldn't use this pattern again for a jersey make, any leopard print wrap dress is still a winner in my eyes. Overall, I'm very happy with this dress and it's a welcome addition to my wardrobe and I know I'll get a lot of wear out of it over the coming months. Like I say in my Sew & Tell vlog above, I think this dress will look great with tights and heeled boots, layered with my leather jacket.

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What print would make your ultimate wrap dress? Or perhaps you're also searching for the perfect leopard print design? Don't forget to visit Spoonflower today for thousands of unique designs!

Thanks for reading, pinups!
Abi xo