Selfless sewing

As you will of seen from my Valentine’s day selfless makes. I’ve been quite generous to the hubby for a change! I made him a Wendy Ward Felix Tee and Thread Theory Comox Trunks.

Blogger Project

Guess what? I finished my Felicity Fabrics Blogger project, here is a sneak peak…

A bit of pattern testing

Hi All, How are we all doing? Good news about the Lockdown gradually easing, we will get back to some normality! The lovely Faye of Studio Jepson asked if I would like to pattern test for her latest release, the Wow Jumper. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity as after all, I love to help Indie Designers rather than the bigger companies!

As you will of seen from my Sewing Goals for 2021. I did vow to make more comfortable loungewear, this pattern ticked all the boxes with added Sass!

My fabric stash was waiting to be raided upstairs. Thankfully, I just had the fabrics I needed, phew! Which meant no unnecessary spending and waiting for fabric to arrive.

I picked out this pale blue French Terry from Sew Anonymous. Ochre French Terry from the Maker’s Merchant. The floral jersey was from Gemma from her destash.

The Pattern is really easy to sew together and the only adjustment I made was to the sleeves. I shortened them by 2 inches, which is my usual adjustment to make on other patterns.

Et Voila, here is my Wow Jumper!

Piccadilly PJ’s

I did start my buddy sew of the Piccadilly PJs with Laura, which I have co-insided for my Samantha Claridge Studio Design Team Project and using this beautiful Celestial print with contrast black binding.

My word there is a lot of prep and bias binding to sew. However, the end result will be so worth the time and effort put in before sewing the actual PJs.

What makes have you been up to?

Happy Sewing

Sally xx

The post February’s Interesting Makes appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Now who doesn’t love a good PJ pattern, don’t know about you guys but when i get in from work, i’m straight into my PJs (Once i’ve been for a shower and put clothes worn outside of the house into wash… dam you Covid-19!!!)

So here is a little about the Pattern if you haven’t come across it yet!

The Whitechapel Pyjamas have a boxy style shirt with a button front. The trousers are comfy but not baggy with a slightly tapered leg and an elasticated waist. We provide full instructions for stitching them up with fancy French seams for a comfortable and professional finish – but don’t worry there aren’t too many of them! 

There is also a free short-version pattern hack here.

I would say suit this as an Beginner pattern as it quite simple to construct, you just need to allow yourself time to make the french seams but it is sooo worth the added effort!

The trousers couldn’t be easier – just 3 seams and some elastic. The top is an easy introduction to french seams, flat construction sleeve insertion and a simple collar. You’ll also need to make some buttonholes. Start with the trousers if you’re a complete beginner and wear them with a t-shirt while you complete the shirt!

Thankfully i could get all my supplies from Boyes in Town (Its a chain of Department stores that have a vast array of goods ranging from clothes, electrical items to Arts and Crafts) My local store has a good Sewing department and bought all my supplies for just over a tenner! That includes 3m of Polycotton, Thread, 6 buttons and elastic.

The Pdf assembles really quickly it was just my adjustments that i needed to make due to my short arms – 1″ taken off the length of the sleeves and legs needed to be shortened by 1 1/2″ too. Oh yeah not forgetting that Raylan ‘helped’ too hahahaha! For reference i made Size Purple (18) for the Bust and Graded to Navy (20) for the hips.

The trousers were super quick to make and love all the french seams as they are just so comfortable and pretty on the inside too!

Now the tricky bit for me was the collar to be honest but i got there in the end, i think sometimes that i need to rush a garment when i don’t have to and actually sat down and did some hand sewing was quite satisfying.

Then onto the button holes which my Mr Singer does really well and quite glad that i have buttonhole foot and 1 step stitch it makes my life so much easier. Still can’t believe i managed to find matching buttons to the fabric print!

After man french seams, buttonholes and hand stitching later here are the completed Pjs!

Of course moi modelling said PJ’s with a good brew in one of my many souvenir mugs

Happy Sewing!

Sal xx

P.S. Alice & Co are offering a 20% launch week discount on this pattern i think it’s on till 6/4/2020 and are also running a giveaway on instagram with Storrs London – the company that gave the fabric to Alice & Co for their own samples.

The post Whitechapel PJs by Alice and Co Patterns appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Hannah of Evielaluve asked me if I wanted to pattern test her new bra pattern The Mighty Sports Bra as she is branching out into larger sizes and of course I snapped her offer!

I’m finally getting to some sort of normality still have pain but I’m persevining and not letting get me down and with being on steriods for 2 months there has been unwanted weight gain so its back to healthy eating and getting exercising again!

Also, with my local Gym they offer a discounted rate on Les Mills on Demand with a 30 day free trial and before my health detoratied I was always there taking part in Body Combat and RPM classes and now I have access to these from home and in manageable class times ranging from 15 mins up to the full class so it’s ideal of getting back to it which I’m happy about.

Thankfully I had the majority of the supplies all ready at hand with Grey Saturnus Spandex Scuba and Stretch Mesh from Sew Crafty Shop which is just perfect for that support us busty girls need.

The pattern matched up really well when cutting and sticking and for ease of reading through the instructions and making any notes I could do easily as I printed the instructions off also but normally I would transfer it to my iPad and save a tree. Now, you can’t go without a cuppa in your fav mug can you?

For some strange reason I decided to go for glitter foe which I got from eBay for a couple of quid and kinda wish the magpie in me decided not to go for it as it turns out when wearing the bra it’s quite scratchy on our skin and isn’t comfortable sso you are best sticking to normal foe.

To say this was my 1st sports bra it came to together really well and I would highly recommend using a wide plush elastic for the band at the bottom as I feel it stays in place better and no fear of underboob ?

The only adjustments I made was adding a layer of power mesh to the front in-between the layers just to add more support especially as I’m a 34ff ? I measured 42″ for my bust and went for size 2xl and it fitted spot on.

I took part in Body Combat on Demand and it passes the bounce test with me!

Here is my finished version:

I will be definitley making more of these as I’ve never had this much fantastic support from RTW Sports bra!

Now a little cheeky disocunt for my readers! Hannah has kindly let you have a nice 10% off this pattern but only for a limited time only!

Use code ‘SEWMIGHTY‘ at the checkout

Its valid from Thursday 11th July till Midnight Sunday 14th July 2019 GMT

Happy Sewing!!

Sal xx

The post Pattern Test of The Mighty Sports Bra by Evielaluve appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Hi All!

I was lucky enough to be selected by Melyssa for her 1st ever PDF Pattern to test! The Wearable Studio are a new Indie Pattern Company based in Australia and their patterns are designed to embody beauty, femininity, comfort and elegance. 

When i received the lucky email from her, i knew i had the right fabric for this top in my stash… this lovely Suzy Viscose in Sky from Sewisfaction! It’s such a beautiful print and such a dream to sew with too, no issues whatsoever!

The Franki Top is a versatile transitional piece. It has a boxy, relaxed feel which can be made into an everyday casual top or an elegant feminine piece, both of which will be a staple in your wardrobe.

This pattern will be a breeze for sewists with a little bit of experience but the detailed instructions (written and photograph guides) will gently help build the skills of any beginners too.

Both versions have a flattering hi-lo hem line.

Version 1 features a flirty ruffle hem and three-quarter sleeves with pretty ties.

Version 2 is cropped at the waist and has short sleeves.

I made a Straight Size 12 and had no fit issues with regard to the shoulders where i am petite in that area on some pattern brands lol the only thing i would change in my next version which has to be Version 1 with the ruffle hem and tie sleeves is to lengthen it by 2″ just for personal preference… Don’t think i can get away with the crop look in my early thrities!!  Overall though the instructions were very clear and the pieces fitted well where they should!

So grab yourself a copy now and make your own Franki’s!

Happy Sewing!

Sal xx

The post The Wearable Studio – The Franki Top appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

I was lucky enough to be a pattern tester for this lovely easy to sew top! Now i am advocate for indie designers as a lot of hard work goes into making patterns and i must admit i strangely like piecing up all the papers when it comes to a pdf pattern too!

The Lilly Cami works really well with woven fabrics that can easily be worn to any casual or formal setting.

It’s a staple in your wardrobe for any season. There are 2 different versions included in the PDF, classic and fashion variations. So it can cover an array of occasions

Its such a very beginner friendly sewing project with a detailed tutorial with step by step instructions and photos.

I had bought some lovely Teal Viscose from my Local Boyes at a steal at £2 a metre but unfortunately it was only 44″ wide so instead of lining it fully, i made facings instead but I’ll know for next time…. Buy more than needed!

Of course you need a M and M Cookie Snack to keep you going on a Sunday night!

I made a us size 10 with the fashion back and didn’t grade out to the hips but on my next version I will just for a bit more wiggle room!

But this is such a versatile pattern too as i can see this pattern coming into my nightwear!

With the newly released pattern for the 1st time ever from Sinclair Patterns the pattern is gradable by 2 sizes and you can easily adjust the pattern with fba or a sba with the instructions provided too! Yay!

You can new head over to Sinclair patterns website and grab your copy in the sale for only $7.99. that’s roughly just a mere £6 bargain! https://sinclairpatterns.com/product/lily-classic-cami-woven-top-pdf/ 

Happy Sewing!

Sal xx

The post Sinclair Patterns The Lilly Cami – A Tester Version appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Hello Everyone!

At last this beauty of a Biker Jacket is released today!!! It’s been hard not to show you the final piece but I have been naughty and gave you sneaky peaks on my insta….. #sorrynotsorry

When the lovely Karen put the call out for her 1st ever PDF Pattern to be tested, I couldn’t say no!! I’ve not made a Jacket like this before and was intrigued by the Hong Kong Finished Seams and fully lined!!

This came at a good time to get myself out of my rut of not doing a thing sewing wise when we had Mr K in Hospital so it gave me something to focus on! So armed with my Sew Crafty Journal i was ready to start testing!!

To say it’s Karen’s first Pattern it is really easy to follow, i did have an issue with the placement of the Zip but that’s me and Zips…. I can insert invisible zips ah-okay but get my head blagged when it comes to external!! Figure that you out as I can’t?!! I’ve had a glance at the final release of the pattern and instructions and it is explained quite clear what you have to do

It is such a great fitting Pattern, i do love the Princess Seams! It gives it such a lovely fit without faffing with Darts. Normally in the Big Pattern Houses i have to make a narrow back adjustment but not at all with this! Yay! All i had to do was to take off 4″ off the arms to make them three quarter sleeves ,dam my short arms lol

I made the Size 16 so i had room to wear with a thicker Top underneath, just something to keep in mind if your making this for winter wear!

Even got to use my Huby’s tools….. a digital angle measuring tool! Yep, you make your own binding to use for the Hong Kong Seams which really does give it a ‘Designer/High-End’ feel to the Jacket.

Also a little tip if you are using a thicker fabric like i did, mine was in my stash for over a year from B and M Fabics but couldn’t tell you what it is as it is quite thick yet frays like something not right…yeah i do like a challenge!! I used dental floss to gather my sleeves to ease them into the jacket as i found the traditional way of using 2 rows of long stitches was breaking my Gutermann thread!!

So here is my Pattern Tester version of the Kempton and I am really pleased of how it turned out!!

Look how pretty it is on the inside!! My 1st ever fully lined Garment too!!

Also not forgetting there is a lovely 15% off the Pattern use Code LAUNCHPARTY So click here to get your copy now!!

Happy Sewing!

Sal xx

The post Pattern Tester for The Kemptown Biker Jacket appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Well this blog has only been live for a couple of months, but there has been a lot going on!! These are just my popular posts!!

November 2016:

Sew Up North 2016 – Myself and Becca’s 1st Sewing Get Together – we were that we organised!!

Giveaway celebration

My 1st Tutorial for Simplicity as a Simplicity Sewing Expert- 8228 Soft Bra and Knickers. It’s also up on Simplicity’s Blog too

December 2016:

Review of the S_Box

Signed up to Project Sew My Style 2017

Taken part in Stitching Santa 2016

Then of course receiving these beauties from my Stitching Santa Tracy aka @madaboutbags 

Taken part in Linden Swap 2016

Simple Sew Pattern Tutorials – Nancy Tunic with Contrast Cuffs, Raglan Dress, Pleated Trench Coat and Lizzie Dress

Also working with the lovely Lisa the Owner of the Avid Seamstress as a Pattern Tester for the newly realised Raglan Dress which is available to buy here. You can either make the top or the dress, 2 different sleeve options and 2 different pockets! Such a versatile pattern!

As you can tell, I’ve had a very busy couple of months of the end of 2016, so 2017 will be jammed pack full of Sewing, Pattern Testing, Organising, Meetings etc but it will be well worth it and I hope you lovely lot will join with me in my Sewing Adventures!

All the best for 2017 peeps and see you in the New Year!

Sal xx

The post 2016 in Review! appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

When Melissa from Fehrtrade was requesting Pattern Testers for some new Men’s Active Wear last month, how could i so no and signed myself up quite promptly!

As you will probably know my hubby is quite a keen cyclist and has recently taking up running to keep up his cardio fitness in check in these winter months coming and he wanted a pair of Running Shorts, so win win from eyes!

Here’s what Melissa has to say about them:

“The Lightspeed leggings are specifically designed for active men, with a roomy front pouch, rear panel with optional zippered pocket, and elasticated waistband. The one-piece leg has no side seams to interrupt a crazy print, and your choice of biker short or full length means they can be worn all year round, even as base layers or underwear.

The optional back pocket is big enough for even the phattest of phones, plus it’s got a secure zipper closure and the clean finish inside means it won’t chafe or bounce as he moves, either.

Now i must admit this was my first time with Men’s Active Wear but Melissa’s well explained instructions kept me on track and to say i whipped them up in a couple of hours they are that quick to make!

I used Premium Italian Spandex Nylon Lycra Stretch Fabric with a 4 Way Stretch and it was a whopping  59″ Wide so no wonder i had plenty at the ready!

Now on the measurements i cut out a Large size to begin with but they were too bag round the crotch and bum lol so thankfully i had plenty of spare left over and cut out a medium and they fitted a lot better! My Hubby is used to skin tight apparel so he wasn’t overly keen that were some comfort room in there but i did tell him its for maneuverability! LOL

I couldn’t get a pic of the hubby modelling them as he felt the world wasn’t ready to see his goodies hahaha!

Here are front and back view of the Shorts, they look fantastic on!

Now if you want to make some for your male loved ones then you go and buy the PDF pattern at http://shop.fehrtrade.com/products/lightspeed-leggings

Use code LIGHTSPEED for 15% off all sewing patterns at shop.fehrtrade.com until 18th October 2016!!

Happy Sewing!

Sal xx

The post The Lightspeed Leggings/Shorts for Men! appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.