SEWRENDIPITY

WARDROBE TRACKER | JAN -MAR 2020 UPDATE
STYLE

WARDROBE TRACKER | JAN -MAR 2020 UPDATE

Not even the pandemic can stop my wardrobe tracking. Ok, since I am staying at home for the past 3 weeks now, there was not a whole lot to track lately, but I already got the bulk of this period in before that, so here I am with the update for the second quarter of Year 2. If you are wondering what I am on about, check out how I decided to record every single thing I wore every single day for a year. I called it One Year Wardrobe Count project.

So, I’ve got numbers for you from January to March.

7 April 2020
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DIY CAMEL COAT | THRIFTY STITCHER DAWSON COATIGAN
HANDMADE WARDROBE

DIY CAMEL COAT | THRIFTY STITCHER DAWSON COATIGAN

[GIFTED] Last week I was a bit down about blogging about sewing and sustainability and style in these dark times, but hey ho, a week of lockdown puts things in perspective. We’re going to be here a while, folks, and if I’m waiting for normal life to resume, I might disappear into blogosphere oblivion before long. So here I am with some ‘lalalala hands-over-ears’ mindless distraction talking about sewing. So, for your viewing pleasure, here we have the Dawson Coatigan from Thrifty Stitcher, a project that was soooo long in the making and soooo long in the blogging as well…

31 March 2020
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SEW IN TIMES OF COVID
ACCORDING TO ALEX

SEW IN TIMES OF COVID

Other than this cheesy pun (hands up if you recognised the reference to Gabriel Garcia Marques’s Love in Time of Cholera, one of my favourite books), I really don’t know how to start this post. I have so many things going through my head, so apologies for a bit of a rambly post, but I guess I just wanted to share how I feel in relation to our beloved hobby in these crazy times. And it’s perfectly ok if you don’t feel the same, or even don’t want to read anything more the dreaded c-word (the new one, not the…

24 March 2020
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3 WAYS TO STYLE AN ASYMMETRIC PLEATED GREY SKIRT | BURDA STYLE 03/2015 #104
STYLE

3 WAYS TO STYLE AN ASYMMETRIC PLEATED GREY SKIRT | BURDA STYLE 03/2015 #104

I have been debating whether, in these times of uncertainty, worry and even panic, such a perhaps frivolous post is the right thing to talk about. But I feel that, as we take the measures that our national governments require, as well as any sensible actions that we feel we must, we still need a degree of normality and keep on carrying on. For me personally, and I do consider myself lucky that I have so far been little affected, this means continuing to do what I would normally do. This is sewing, blogging and keeping up the conversations with…

17 March 2020
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RTW vs Handmade | Is it really a competition?
ACCORDING TO ALEX

RTW vs Handmade | Is it really a competition?

Ever since I have been part of the sewing community, I came across two recurring themes. First is that RTW is bad, poorly made, using terrible fabrics and could never compare to handmade clothes (especially couture). The second is the fear of people who make their own clothes that they are not good enough and could never stand to scrutiny when compared to shop-bought clothes. So I really wanted to explore this apparent conflict between homemade and RTW and whether there is a place in our wardrobe for both. To note I am not talking about handmade but rather of…

10 March 2020
18 Comments
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SUSTAINABLE COTTON CHOICES
SUSTAINABILITY

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SUSTAINABLE COTTON CHOICES

Today, we’re talking about one of the most used fibres in the world, cotton, which is well-loved and often chosen by sewers and fashion lovers alike. But what are your choices for more sustainable cotton? I’m so glad to see so many more conversations lately around sustainability in fashion and also in the sewing community. But as a sustainable fashion professional, I often get really frustrated and annoyed at the crazy amount of greenwashing and false claims that are being made by brands and retailers. Some I’m sure, come from not knowing, but I do suspect some cases of wilfully…

3 March 2020
20 Comments
BALLOON SLEEVE QUILTED TOP | FIBRE MOOD NALA HACK
HANDMADE WARDROBE

BALLOON SLEEVE QUILTED TOP | FIBRE MOOD NALA HACK

After 10+ years of sewing, I find that it’s quite hard to just sew something right out of the pack. I just get this itch to add a twist or change even a small detail, or downright hack the life out of a pattern. Case in point, the Fibre Mood Nala top. This is from the very first issue of Fibre Mood magazine. If you’re not aware of who they are just yet, check out my review and more details here. I can call this my ‘name day (or saint day) jumper’, as I bought the fabric with the money…

25 February 2020
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3 WAYS TO STYLE A STRIPED CROP TOP | SEAMWORK ASTORIA
STYLE

3 WAYS TO STYLE A STRIPED CROP TOP | SEAMWORK ASTORIA

I really wanted to share this striped Seamwork Astoria crop top with you, but not sure it was worth a proper post on its own. So I decided to make it the feature of my blog series on how to style a handmade item in three different ways, for work, for comfort and for fun. I previously styled my beloved pink culottes and my favourite summer pattern from last year, the Fibre Mood Mira dress. Firstly, a quick work on the Seamwork Astoria. I wrote a review back in the day when I made my first version, and there is…

18 February 2020
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SEWING CHALLENGES | IN OR OUT?
ACCORDING TO ALEX

SEWING CHALLENGES | IN OR OUT?

The Sewing Community sure love their sewing challenges. And of course, they all come with a hashtag… Myself, I am a bit on the fence, with my bum probably hanging slightly on the ‘against’ side. So, I wanted to explore this subject in one of those ‘conversation opener’ posts that I indulge in on the blog from time to time. I also did a quick straw poll on Instagram, and very much looking forward to discussing the pros and cons and getting your thoughts on the matter as well. Let’s dive right in. Sewing challenges – what are they? If…

11 February 2020
22 Comments
13 SUSTAINABLE FASHION PODCAST EPISODES YOU MUST LISTEN
SUSTAINABILITY

13 SUSTAINABLE FASHION PODCAST EPISODES YOU MUST LISTEN

Only a few years ago, podcasts were such a Noughties thing, but they are back with a vengeance. Seems like the word and their wife are launching one. And honestly, at some point, there are just too many of them out there. I tend to get choice paralysis when faced with too many options, so I wanted to make life easier for you by curating a list of my favourite ones. That is sustainable fashion podcast episodes, the gold nuggets of whole podcast series, so you don’t have to trawl through loads of loads of them. While there are a…

4 February 2020
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