SEWRENDIPITY
High-low cocktail strapless dress | Orange Lingerie Esplanade bra hack
HANDMADE WARDROBE

High-low cocktail strapless dress | Orange Lingerie Esplanade bra hack

Like the last of the summer wines, the last of the dresses I’ve been sewing for the summer are making their way on the blog. Even if they do come with the sprinkling of goose bumps for accessories… I’m so happy to be showing you one of my favourite makes of the year, which brings back amazing memories of my wedding in the Caribbean and another awesome wedding I attended in Italy in May this year. This is a hack of the Esplanade bra pattern from Orange Lingerie into a glamorous dress. Also, I have tales of jeopardy and crazy…

11 September 2017
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High-low shirtdress with bell sleeves| Sew Sew Def Katie Dress Review
HANDMADE WARDROBE

High-low shirtdress with bell sleeves| Sew Sew Def Katie Dress Review

When I first saw Mimi G wearing Sew Sew Def Katie dress, I was immediately in love! And I knew I must make one right away. Then came the perfect excuse too: the #SewTogetherforSummer Instagram Challenge that Sarah (from Sew Sarah Smith), Monika (@rocco.sienna) and Suzy (@sewing_in_spain) have hosted earlier in the summer. I did finish it like Cinderella by the stroke of midnight on the 21st June to take part in the challenge and wore it the very next day for my birthday. But what do you know? Yet another project that I made ages ago and did not get…

29 August 2017
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Red Knit Jumpsuit | McCalls M7444
HANDMADE WARDROBE

Red Knit Jumpsuit | McCalls M7444

I feel that I definitely did not make enough jumpsuits this year! And as you guys know, I absolutely LOVE them. I had planned this one for ‘Jumping into June’ challenge, but I didn’t even get close to finishing this one in by then. So here I am showing this red knit jumpsuit in mid-August, but with my track record and the backlog of unblogged projects, this is really not too bad. So, as I was saying, I’m a sucker for a new jumpsuit pattern. And I was looking for a new summer TNT pattern for a while, as an…

14 August 2017
18 Comments
Raglan tunic dress in lilac crepe | Burda Style 10-2014 #127
HANDMADE WARDROBE

Raglan tunic dress in lilac crepe | Burda Style 10-2014 #127

As I wrote in my previous post, August is #TributeMonth in the #sewcialists world. I wrote on the Sewcialist blog about 5 inspirational bloggers and instagrammers, 5 ladies whose style and attitudes I love. But there are so many more sewists I get inspiration from. So I want to dedicate my first post in August to some more of my favourite sewists. As you already know, I love Burda Style Magazine, in spite of the copying sheets bonanza and dodgy instructions, so I take a lot of inspiration from sewists like Mokosha and Chris from Said and Done, who bring…

7 August 2017
16 Comments
ASYMMETRIC SUMMER DRESS WITH TIES | Vogue 9186 hack
HANDMADE WARDROBE

ASYMMETRIC SUMMER DRESS WITH TIES | Vogue 9186 hack

You guys, the summer seems to be holding on in London, and it’s absolutely amazing! Nothing makes me happier than hot, long days and balmy summer nights. And wearing summer dresses and other delightful projects that I get to only put on a few days a year. And because I only get to enjoy them for a short time, most of my summer clothes are stored away for the majority of the year. But that’s ok, it’s even more fun to unpack the summer wardrobe and rediscover clothes you almost forgot you had. Though sometimes there’s a downside… Things I…

9 July 2017
8 Comments
Tulip-shapped short sleeve dress | RTW copy
HANDMADE WARDROBE

Tulip-shapped short sleeve dress | RTW copy

I’m sure you guys have learned by now that I am probably the most selfish sewist ever! I HATE sewing for other people! I don’t like how hard it is to get hold of them for fitting, how they always want things I quite dislike (ditzy florals, beah!) and how in the end, I have no new item to add to my wardrobe. Selfish, I told you! Plus half of them are blinkin’ ungrateful! With one exception: my sister. We are virtually the same size, so I don’t really need her for fitting, I can just take my measures. She…

27 June 2017
11 Comments
Flounce sleeve blouse with ties | McCalls M7542
HANDMADE WARDROBE

Flounce sleeve blouse with ties | McCalls M7542

I am embracing #YearoftheSleeve, at long last! As you might remember, I am still on a retail fast (only one emergency pair of trousers bought since 1st Jan 2015), so the only way to access trends and fashion is through sewing my own. Flutter sleeves are everywhere this year, both in shops and in our very own sewosphere. And McCalls made it all easier with this pattern, M7542, a simple top with a lot of sleeve variations, that can be a great starting point for all sort of yummy designs. And so I jumped on the bandwagon and bought the…

18 June 2017
13 Comments
Green Rib Sheath Dress | Burda 11-2015 #114
HANDMADE WARDROBE

Green Rib Sheath Dress | Burda 11-2015 #114

As I was planning this post, I was thinking that yet again, I am being very weather inappropriate. This is because of course I’m behind on my blog pictures and did not post this when I actually made it. Then again, what’s new? However, when I stepped outside to take the pictures it felt well suitable, it’s really nippy in London. So, let’s pretend we’re in the Southern Hemisphere and it’s autumn rather than summer.

4 June 2017
9 Comments
BALLET WRAP TOP | SEAMWORK ELMIRA
HANDMADE WARDROBE

BALLET WRAP TOP | SEAMWORK ELMIRA

Hey guys, I’ve got the post-holiday blues! You might have spotted on IG that I was in Tuscany in Italy last week. I know it’s now almost a cliche to rave about how amazing it is, but it really is. I had been dreaming of going to Florence since I was 14 and got an A+ for my essay on Lorenzo the Magnificent in History, but this was the first time. And I was truly blown away! I absolutely adored Florence, in spite of the hoards of tourists being spewed out of tour buses and the ridiculous queues for anything…

23 May 2017
8 Comments
Rib turtleneck dress |Vintage Simplicity 8977
HANDMADE WARDROBE

Rib turtleneck dress |Vintage Simplicity 8977

I’m finally getting around to posting about a little dress that I made ages ago (I’m sure you’re seeing a pattern here…). I took picture last weekend, while enjoying the fantastic weather we had in London. In hindsight, good call, Batman, because it went back to being freezing here (although quite sunny) and those toes would not have lasted in sandals even for a few seconds. And I had it in my head that this dress requires chunky heels. I feel like I’m impersonating Mimi G while wearing this dress and you can’t do Mimi G without the heels.

16 April 2017
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