Hi all!

Can you believe that I haven’t blogged since November! I’m so sorry, life has been quite upside since I’ve been diagnosed with b12 and Vit D deficiencies, I’ve been back and forth to GP fo injections, medication and appointments. Fingers crossed things will be on an even keel soon but thankfully some of my energy is returning and managed to get some sewing! But then to top it all off i’ve gone and fractured my knuckle!! So I’m a little bit annoyed that everything has come to a stand still yet again!

A part of my treatment is to get exercise back into my week but slowly and not to overdo myself which will set me back so I attend my local leisure centre at least once a week with a PT session to see how I’m getting on and making sure I don’t over do it lol, easier said then done though!

So I thought to get my sewjo going I’d make myself a Gym top.

I choose the awesome Saturn Spandex which is more like a scuba in the way it drapes and it’s thickness but it’s really good quality. It’s perfect for activewear! Just look at how cute Sammy packages your goodies!!

I’ve had Melissa book of sewing your activewear for a while but not dared to make anything from it till now! I put on Instagram that I was going to tackle my first activewear project and Melissa kindly replied to tackle the loose fitting top.

First of all, i read the instructions and carefully looked at the sizing chart to make sure I get the correct fit.

So armed with my tracing paper, hello kitty pencil, grading ruler I made a start of tracing my block. Melissa’s instructions are really good to get the perfect fit. At least i did remember to add the Seam Allowances too! 

The loose fitting top is only 4 pattern pieces – front, back, sleeve and neckband. Gotta love simplicity!

Armed with Mr and Mrs Singer I was raring to go!

To give my top an extra special touch I decided to use a twin needle finish to hems and it didn’t take long to get the tension/stitch length right for the fabric.

So here we are the finished results!

My Gym Gear and of course Moi in the leisure centre changing rooms…. I like to be colourful!

It’s also a fab too for running in too as it didn’t ride up  I started back to running/walking last week with the eldest wanting to join in. Well at least i managed to get this made before my accident so its been washed and put ready with my Gym clothes to make a return soon as i’m all healed!

Happy Sewing!!

Sal xx

**All Fabrics and Habersashery were given to me to free of charge for promtion of SewCrafty Shop**

The post Sew Crafty Design Team Project -My 1st activewear Top! appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

So, as we announced on Instagram a little while ago, Becca and I are all geared up for the next round of Sew Up North! We, and hopefully some of you, will be hitting the coffee (and cake) shops of Leeds, probably buying lots of fabric and charity raffling our hearts on September 29th in Leeds city centre.

We will once again be supporting the fabulous Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity. We have got THE most incredible list of raffle prizes, even more than last year, and so we’re hoping to be able to top our fundraising record of £724. So if you’re coming, bring your raffle ticket pennies!

Tickets for the event will be released in the near future (watch this space) as will more detail on the specifics of the day, but we wanted to let you know the high level at this point.

As has already been spotted by some keen previous attendees on Instagram, Costa have cold-heartedly closed the branch on Briggate at which we formerly kicked off proceedings. But never fear! We have located another venue and sweet talked John Lewis into letting us meet up at their 4th floor cafe in the new Victoria Gate store. (To be fair, when I asked whether we’d be OK to bring over 100 fabric mad shoppers together in their usually reasonably calm and quiet cafe on a Saturday morning, they didn’t argue!)

After grabbing a drink (and possibly a bun or a bacon butty?) we will once more disperse into the fabric shops of Leeds. We’ll be leaving this to happen organically (ie we won’t be forcing you to pair up and form an orderly crocodile around the city centre!) but don’t worry if you’re thinking of coming alone; sewists are an unusually friendly bunch and I’ve never yet seen anyone stranded.

After shopping time, we will meet up once more at the Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen, where you will be able to buy lunch and/or drinks from the vendors downstairs (assuming they’re granting us the same space as last year, we will be upstairs), enjoy a grand fabric and pattern swap, grab any last minute raffle tickets and then sit back and enjoy watching more sewing related prizes than you knew were possible being won; who knows, you might be one of the lucky ones?

There are a couple of small changes from last year. Firstly, as mentioned, we’ve changed the initial meeting point, but since John Lewis is a fairly large landmark and definitely still sells lots of nice drinks and snacks, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Secondly, to reduce the stress levels for Becca and myself, we have decided not to hand out goody bags this year. I’m really sorry to anyone who’s disappointed by this, but they took a lot of time and a fair amount of personal investment and this year, we neither of us have the headroom for it. It also stopped us being able to mingle and chat to people ourselves, so we’ve decided to make things more straight forward all round.

Thirdly, and again in the interests of our sanity, there will be another blog post in the next couple of weeks asking for volunteers to help out with certain tasks on the day. So many people kindly offered to help on the day last time, and we were a smidge tired at the end, so we’re going to be sensible and accept some willing volunteers this time around! We hope no one’s offended by this!

Finally (and this is the good bit), according to Becca I’ve got the gift of sweet talking to the Belgrave into allowing us to have more people this time around within their Health & Safety limits. 150 tickets will be available in the next couple of weeks; there is no charge for these, but it does allow us to be sure that we’re not breaching the requirements set by the Belgrave who let us use their space free of charge.

So, pop the date in your diary and keep an eye out for the posts over the next few weeks. We have been absolutely stunned by the generosity of our raffle prize sponsors and we’ll be whetting your appetite with all the goodies on offer. And there will be a post when the tickets go live.

Hope to see you there?

Sally and Becca x

The post It’s been a while crocodile!!! Sew Up North 2018 appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Sorry I’ve been  missing in action… I’ve had the dreaded Cold/flu bug which knocked me for six and has taken me nearly a month to get over it!! So i am behind on my Blog and keeping you all updated on my Social Media but i am still here honest!

So January’s Make is the lovely Sunny Top by  Friday Pattern Company. Did you know that Friday Pattern Company donates 5% of all proceeds of the pattern to Against Malaria Foundation, how lovely is that!

I opted to make view B and according to my measurements i cut out a large for the bust and graded out x-large for the waist and hips.

Now look at this pretty Fabric from Girlcharlee! This Coral Peach Floral on Slate Grey Cotton Jersey Blend Knit Fabric is just gorgeous. It has amazing colours of peach, coral pink, cream, mocha, burgundy flowers and roses on a pretty grey background. Fabric has a very smooth hand, good stretch, and is light to mid weight. The Largest rose flower measures 2.75cm.

There was only 20 pages to cut and stick together so this was quick to assemble compared to other patterns!

With only 3 Pattern Pieces, this was a breeze to assemble as i ignored the instructions…. i felt it was taking the long way round of assembling so i sewn the shoulders together first, then set in the sleeves and then sewn from the sleeve hem, pivot at the underarm and continued down the side of the top. Then hemed the necklince, sleeves and bottom of the top by turning it under by 1cm and then stitching in place.

Upon reflection, i would lengthen this top by about 2″ even though i am on the short side (5 foot 2″) i felt that the top was a little short.

But here is the ever so pretty top on ‘Dorris’

I do love the curved hem and the arms are roomy so it’s perfect for everyday wear or even work as it is quite smart looking in this gorgeous fabric!

A very big thank you to Mark at Girl Charlee for providing the fabric for this project, so if you haven’t made your way across to their fantastic online shop of  a vast array of jersey fabrics, then what are you waiting for.. go and treat yourself!

It’s also 1 make down from #2018makenine list! Yay! I will get all 9 made, i hope….. LOL

Sal x

The post January’s #Sewmystyle Project and 1st of my #2018makenine complete! appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Yeah a little bit late of posting about my entry for the #littlereddressproject which is run by Reneta  and Rosa and thought I’d get a Deer and Doe Belladone sewn up using this ever so gorgeous red polka dot cotton from Adam Ross Fabrics that had a fab sale for Black Friday where i picked up 3m for just over £10 and its extra wide too! Yay!

With it being extra wide i was able to get the most out of my fabric which was needed later on as i need to make a new Bodice as there was too much excess fabric! In the end i had to size down (size 42) and make an adjustment to  the upper back bodice piece of by 1/4″ for it to lie flat. Thankfully, I didn’t need to shorten the Skirt for a change! So overall i made Size 42 from the Shoulders and Bust and graded to a 44 for the Waist and Hips.

I also made matching Bias Binding even though it is hidden underneath i wanted it to match inside and out!

For some reason i love installing invisible zips, i find them totally easier than normal zips! Yes…I am a bit of freak! Also my waistband matched up pretty well too for a change!

This is the first time i have used a Skirt facing to finish the hem of a dress before but i do quite like it but instead of overlocking the edge, i used my Blind Hem foot to finish off the neatness of the dress.

I added an hook and eye to the Dress for my personal preference and look what was left on my bobbin after i finished! Talk about cutting it fine eh?! I like to live dangerously!

So here is the Dress! I am in love the cutout detail at the back!

Of course moi modelling it at my Mum and Dads on Christmas Day, you have to wear Kitty socks right? I love the slanted pockets it gives the dress such a cute detail to it and not forgetting the cut out back!

I would recommend that this Pattern is for intermediate sewers as the instructions are a little vague on certain techniques and the bias tape width – where i made 18mm wide for mine and i thought it was just right. So you there you go folks my Belladone on show at last!

All the Best for 2018!

Happy Sewing

Sal x

The post A Christmassy Deer and Doe Belladone – #Littlereddressproject appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Hi All! Merry Christmas!! I hope Santa has brought you lots of nice goodies!

My Product Review of Prym Espadrille DVD Kit is now live over on the Minerva Crafts Blog!

Now I have never made my own shoes before, I didn’t even know where to start but with the help of this DVD this project was fairly easy, so I’d definitely pop it on you’re ever growing to do list! Espadrilles are usually associated with a summer wardrobe but I thought I would get ahead of the game for a change and make a start on my spring/summer wardrobe!

So pop on over to the Minerva Crafts Blog on how easy it really ease to make your own shoes!

Happy Sewing

Sal xx

The post Minerva Crafts Product Review – Prym Espadrille DVD 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.

Now not to blow my own Trumpet or anything but I seem to be on a roll these past couple of months regarding myself appearing in Sewing Magazines!!

September was my 1st ever article in print offering my advice on Sewing your own lingerie.

Good morning! It’s a Happy Friday indeed today my 1st ever Sewing Article about Sewing your own Lingerie is in print today in @sewingworldmag!!! I’ve written a blog post with more info – link in my profile ?#theyorkshiresewist #sewingworldmagazine #blogger #sewistofinstagram #article #lingerie #sewyourown #handmade #nice #1sttime #inprint #makeitsew #exciting #dailyseam

A post shared by Sally Kendall (@theyorkshiresewist) on Sep 15, 2017 at 12:14am PDT

October, I was the Back Page Blogger and my Wrap Dress in Reader’s Makes in Sew Now.

Just having a lazy saturday morning reading through my Subscriber copy of @sewnowmag enjoying my cuppa in bed and guess who’s the Back Page Blogger of this Issue? Don’t wanna give ought away till it’s out in the shops ? #sewnowmag #sewing #sewingblogger #bloggerofinstagram #sewist #theyorkshiresewist #backpageblogger #inprint #2monthsinarow #dailyseam #maker #makeitsew #lazysaturday #peaceandquiet #kidsdownstairs

A post shared by Sally Kendall (@theyorkshiresewist) on Oct 14, 2017 at 3:18am PDT

Now this!! My Tutorial to make your cute Cookie Cutter Heart Pin Cushions!

It was great fun playing around to get the Project right and of course getting to use some lovely Liberty Cotton Tana Lawn from the Exclusive Collection 360 which is avai

lable here.  Also the fab Sammy who owns Sew Crafty and which I’m on her Design Team for also have a lovely Wreath Project to make in this issue too! You can buy Simply Sewing Magazine directly here.

Think I’m done this year….. well no…. I tell a lie! I’ve got a Guest Post for the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network, coming soon!

Now I’ve got a extra copy of the current issue of Simply Sewing Magazine which comes with a awesome jumpsuit pattern that i giving away to one lucky reader!

All you have to do is a leave comment here and for extra chances leave a comment on this Giveaway Post but you can also comment on my Instagram, Twitter or Facebook Page for extra chances to win!

Giveaway open to the UK residents only due to postage and  ends Sunday 3rd December 2017 at 5pm.

Let me know if you do make any of my Pin Cushions!

Sal x

The post My 1st Project Tutorial for Simply Sewing Magazine and a Giveaway!!! appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Hi All! Sorry for the gap in Blog Posts! I’ve been busy making but not been writing them up! Lol!

Now with the Weather turning….I’m drawing back to snuggly jerseys and making separates again!

When I saw this Pattern on Instagram, i fell totally head over heels in love with it!! It works great for everyday and work clothes and Ana kindly let me have a copy of the Pattern in exchange of a Review, thank you Ana!

First, you can opt for the sweater with three bow options or the top with the same alternatives. Version A of either of them has a lovely circular opening at the back that closes with a big bow; version B sports four bows at the back closing the bodice; and option C offers a more subtle bow alternative with a nice slit or vent at the shoulder seam.

The top has a slightly longer back and two slits at either side of the hem; but i decided not to add them for some reason, think i was just having a lazy day… I just wanted a quick sew!

I’ve used the ever so snuggly Navy Ponte Roma from GirlCharlee its such a great quality knit and a freebie Swallow Print Ribbon from Cloth Magazine that was released many moons ago but unfortunately had stopped being published.

I made the majority of this Top using my Overlocker and finished the hems using my Sewing Machine using my even feed foot to get a lovely stitch all the way round.

When it came to inserting the Ribbon, i made sure that the ends were finished off nicely to stop frying by double folding the end and then hand stitched it to secure it and also stitched my bow together to stop it from unraveling!

Here is the finished Top!! It’s so cute and girly! I love Bows!!

So here I am in My Mum and Dad’s Back Garden, after finishing a day’s work in and it still looks fabulous! Hence the geeky Glasses!!

This is such a snuggly top but next time I’ll size down as I do like a more fitted top but that’s my preference but I’ve had lots of nice comments at work

I can see myself making the different versions of these to be a staple for my cute winter wear!

A big Thank you to Ana and Mark for supplying the Pattern and Fabric! Such a fantastic combination of a great well made PDF pattern and Superb quality Fabric, It’s had about 4 washes now in the Washing Machine and no sign of fading or bobbling!

Also….

If you didn’t know already, there had been a Sew-a-long going on over at Cocowawacrafts Blog which started on Monday 16th October

Week 1. Getting ready!

16th of October. Meet the Chestnut Sweater and Top. All you need to know about the new CocoWawa pattern, options and versions.

17th of October. Inspiration. A round up of images to help you decide which option to go for.

18th of October. Fitting, sizes and fabric requirements.

19th of October. The basics on how to assemble a PDF pattern.

20th of October. Main tips on cutting and sewing with knit fabrics.

Week 2. Let’s sew!

23rd of October. Stay stitch necklines, stabilize shoulders and finish slit and bow version C.

24th of October. Bow, facing and neckline versions A and B.

25th of October. Sleeves, cuffs and side seams on both options. Bottom slits and hem’s top.

26th of October. Waistband sweater option.

27th of October. Pattern tester’s round up pics for more inspiration!

After this, they will crown the best ‘chestnuts’ out there (there might be one or two cheeky little prizes waiting for you too) and for this you will just have to post your finished garment with the hashtag #ChestnutSewAlong on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter from the 27th of October till the 12th of November. Easy peasy right!

So it’s a win win situation!!

Sal xx

The post Cocowawacrafts Chestnut Top – A Pattern Review! appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

I’ve been wanting to make these PJ’s since it was a freebie that landed on my doorstop with Issue 10 of Sew Now Magazine…. trouble was that I didn’t have the perfect Fabric in my stash!!

Now surely when making your own Pj’s you want them to be –  A) comfortable and B) the most craziness Fabric print!!!

So the search went on….finally came across Flamingo Fabrics that sold this ever so awesome Unicorn 100% Cotton Fabric for such a steal at £2.39 a metre and its 60″ wide too!! Yay! I’m sorry but who can’t say no to Unicorns?!

Now I haven’t been blogging in a long time, with my 1st post in 2 months was posted a couple of days ago…. so i’m finally get back into the swing of things and came across Laura’s #Wardrobebuilder August Project which is Nightwear and Jo’s #sewingthescene which has Prizes!!!!!

The idea for Sewing The Scene is to sew something for your normal wardrobe (not a costume) inspired by film or TV, then share a photo on Instagram with the tag #sewingthescene.

Now if you haven’t seen my Insta feed I posted the delightful Agnes cuddly a Fluffy Unicorn!!! I love the Minions/Despicable Me franchise…even more than my kiddies i think! So i decided to dedicate my PJ’s with Unicorns!!

via GIPHY

According to the measurements, I decided to make a medium for the shoulders and bust then grade to a large from the waist and hips as PJ’s are meant to comfortable!

Now for some reason…I’ve not made an old fashioned type PJ before as I’ve recently made Tilly and The Buttons Fifi which i loved making to truth be told the PJ’s were pretty quick to sew together espically when using Mrs Singer to finish my Seams before hand

I seem to like making buttonholes at the moment, you’d think since making 15 for my Hawthorn Dress I’d be like “hell no!” but who couldn’t resist sparkly buttons!

For the length of the Cropped Trousers, i still took a massive 10″ off them so the sit nicely just under my knee Yeah…..I’m a short ass!!! So for the Hem on these I decided to do a double hem instead of an overlocked one just for a change! Hahaha!

With using 0.6mm aka 1/4″ Seam Allowance for Sewing them up, it allows for this truly nice finished inside the PJ’s

The only downside I had with this Pattern was the instructions to make the casing for the Elastic for the PJ Bottoms. I just thought it was a fiddly way of doing that step so i resorted to what i know!

I made the channel 1st by pressing it 2cm to the wrongside (to the inside of the Bottoms) and then stitched in place, remembering to leave a gap and then thread the elastic through with a safety pin and then stitch the elastic together and sew the gap! One Easier way of making Casing!!

So in a couple of days (probably be a full day if i wasn’t at 9-3 at work lol) I made these beauties!!

I just love the Collar on these its so crisp!!

And of course nothing else isn’t compete without a Cuppa in bed with your Unicorn Jammies and no work!!! Bliss!!

Enjoy what ever you are up to today! I’m off School Shoe shopping for the boys…..wish me luck!!

Sal xx

The post Kwiksew 3553 – Unicorn PJ’s!!! appeared first on The Yorkshire Sewist.

Hello!!! Well Sew Up North s happening this week!!! Ekkkk!! I’m not sure if i’m nervous or excited!!! Becca and I have put a lot of hard work into this and i just want it all to go as smoothly as possible as we never expected 120 people to sign up as we only had 60 last year!

We have nearly come to an end of our very kind sponsers for Sew Up North. Becca and I was going through them on Saturday and couldn’t quite believe the generosity of them! How on earth are we going to part with the goodies?!!

The Lovely Leanne who’s the Co-Editor of Sewing World Magazine has kindly donated this lovely bundle of Sewing Goodies to the Raffle!

Now this alone is a fantastic bundle even for a beginner to the more advanced seamstress!

I’m sure we will raise plenty of monies for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance!!! They save lives across Yorkshire, one day it could be yours. They need to raise £12,000 per day to keep both of Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s helicopters maintained and in the air. The donations received go directly into the life saving service provided. However, as an independent Charity they rely on the generosity of those who support the service to continue to save lives across Yorkshire.

So if your attending soon Saturday make sure you get your Raffle Tickets!!

Only 5 more sleeps to go!!

Sal xx

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