Secret Life of a Seamstress

Secret Life of a Seamstress

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  • Pattern Reviews

    My Three Versions of the Davenport Dress by Friday Pattern Company…

    March 23, 2022 /

    Now and again a pattern is released, and you know immediately that you NEED to own it and get it into your wardrobe asap.  This was the case for me when Friday Pattern Co released the Davenport Dress pattern.  I loved the boho style of this dress and the little details involved, such as the gathered yoke at the back, the shoulder flutters, the elasticated neckline and let’s be honest – who doesn’t love a drawstring waist anything! I’ve made three versions of the Davenport since buying the pattern last year and in this blog I’m going to give a short run through of how I found the pattern initially…

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    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments

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  • Pattern Reviews

    Sewing My First Swimsuit | Megan Nielsen Cottesloe Pattern Review…

    March 9, 2022 /

    Buying swimwear is one of my pet hates, along with buying jeans and possibly bras ;0). For some reason I had always sworn I would never try and make my own swimwear, I just didn’t fancy the thought of sewing with all that elastic and lycra. But, when a recent upcoming holiday trip left me despairing trying to shop for a swimsuit I felt comfortable in, I decided that perhaps making something myself might be the best option. There are some lovely swimsuit sewing patterns out there in the sewing world but the one that kept on catching my eye and calling for me to give it a go was…

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  • 2022 Makes,  Pattern Reviews,  Tutorials

    Tilly and the Buttons Pearl Cardigan | A sewing pattern review…

    February 2, 2022 /

    It’s always an exciting day when Tilly and the Buttons launch a new pattern and I was so happy to be offered a copy of the Pearl Cardigan to try out before the launch date.  (This pattern was gifted to me with no obligation to share but of course, I loved the finished result so much that I had to!). Pearl is described as an ‘on trend’ V neck wrap cardigan.  The cardigan is cropped at the waist and fastens at the side with adjustable ties for the perfect fit. There are three options for sleeve style with the pattern; choose from long straight sleeves, short sleeves or (my personal…

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    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments
  • Pattern Reviews,  2022 Makes,  Sewing Inspiration

    How to | Sew a Luxury Loungewear Set using the Hudson Pants and Jarrah Sweatshirt patterns…

    January 28, 2022 /

    I love a good loungewear set, it doesn’t take me long after walking in the door to change into something super cosy to sit and watch the tv in the evening, so this is one I’m really excited to share with you all. Back in autumn, over on YouTube, I made a video listing three high street looks I wanted to recreate for autumn/winter and one was a luxury loungewear set inspired by one similar to this Cashmere set from Debenhams. (My original inspiration was from The White Company but I can’t find that set anymore sadly). You can watch this video here and see what other looks I picked…

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  • Pattern Reviews

    The Hayley Robe by Tammy Handmade – a sewing pattern review…

    October 21, 2021 /

    A new dressing gown, or robe whatever you’d rather call it, has been something that’s been on my ‘to sew’ list for quite some time so when Makerist kindly invited me to collaborate with them again on their most recent $2 sale campaign I of course said yes and after a scout through all of the wonderful patterns on their site, soon settled on the Hayley Robe by Tammy Handmade. I loved the look of this pattern because it didn’t look too oversized as some robe patterns can be. I also loved that there were two length options given and of course you have the option to make it in…

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  • Pattern Reviews

    Sewing my first Lyra Dress by Tilly and the Buttons – A Sewing Pattern Review…

    June 23, 2021 /

    The minute Tilly and the Buttons brought out the Lyra Shirt Dress pattern, I knew it was right up my street and I had to have a go at it. I bought the pattern immediately and then, despite my initial enthusiasm, it sat in my stash for a little while while I admired all of the other lovely versions I saw people making up online. The pattern is described as a ‘romantic shirt dress’ which I think is a great description for it since it has the more formal style ‘proper’ shirt bodice and then the floaty romantic style ‘buffet style’ tiered gathered skirt at the bottom. If you’re looking…

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    Sally Gauntlett 1 Comment

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  • Pattern Reviews

    Making my first (two) pairs of Carolyn Pyjamas – a pattern review…

    June 10, 2021 /

    I have had my eye on the Carolyn Pyjama pattern by Closet Core Patterns for so very long, I’ve been stalking the hashtag on Instagram and ogling over all of the lovely pairs I’ve seen made up online. So enamoured was I with this pattern that it actually made it onto my ‘Make Nine’ for 2021 – if you’re not familiar with the Make Nine challenge it’s an Instagram based challenge whereby makers set themselves a challenge of nine new things they would like to make during the year. I’ve added a picture of my grid of nine hopeful makes below incase you’re interested, you can also watch my YouTube…

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  • Pattern Reviews

    Sewing my first coat | A review of the I Am Merlin Coat by I Am Patterns

    March 17, 2021 /

    When I Am Patterns brought out the Merlin Coat in autumn 2020 I jumped at the chance to buy it. I had been looking for a pattern to try as my first foray into coat making for a while and I loved the oversized look of this coat and the slight cocoon shape in the body. The Pattern I ordered myself the paper pattern directly from I Am Patterns and it arrived around a week later.  This is the first paper pattern I’ve bought from this company and I liked the minimalistic style of the pattern cover with its gold backing and see-through front. Something to note about the paper…

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  • Pattern Reviews

    My (first) three versions of the Billie Sweatshirt by Tilly and the Buttons – a pattern review…

    February 25, 2021 /

    As soon as Tilly and the Buttons released the Billie pattern, I fell in love with it.  I love to wear jersey and sweatshirts have fast become my wear of choice during this extended lockdown period we’ve found ourselves in here in the UK meaning that we’re at home in our cosy clothes far more than we usually would be perhaps.   The Billie can be made as a sweatshirt or as a dress.  I’ve not yet made a dress version but I definitely hope to in the future. You can order yourself a copy of the Billie pattern here. I loved the look of the basic sweatshirt pattern, but…

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  • Pattern Reviews

    Sewing My First Two Myosotis Dresses – A Pattern Review…

    February 3, 2021 /

    It took me so long to get around to sewing up the Myosotis Dress, I think it sat in my pattern stash for almost a year before I finally gave it a go and I really don’t know why it took me so long. I think initially I simply couldn’t decide which version to make.  I loved the frilly sleeve but wasn’t sure how it would sit under a cardigan (a very important question!) and while I loved the bottom frill, I just wasn’t quite sure about that either. So, after a lot of overthinking (who me – never!) and a lot of putting off I decided it was high…

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 Older Posts





secret_life_of_a_seamstress

✂️ Sewing Blogger, YouTuber & Content Creator
🧵 Handmade wardrobe inspiration & tutorials
📍 Bedfordshire
👇🏻 Subscribe to my YT channel and Blog below

Sally | Sewing Content
•Sneak Peek• @cath_craft and I have something •Sneak Peek• @cath_craft and I have something super exciting to share with you at the end of the week and this new make might be something to do with it… 🤫 
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Any guesses what I’ve sewn up here??? Answers on a postcard… (anyone old enough to remember those days) 😂
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Stay tuned to see what we’ve got coming up - all will be revealed soon 😉
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#sewingsneakpeek #sewingcloseup #sewover40 #sewistsofinstagram #isewmyownclothes #isewfashion #mmootd #memadeeveryday #petitesewing #petitestyle #millenialsewing #sewingbee #makersgonnashare #makersgonnamake #sewersgonnasew
Probably one on my most comfy (and most worn if I’m honest) outfits ever…! These Safiya Trousers have been SO worn that the elastic has actually gone in them and they are getting baggier and baggier at the waist 🙈😂
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Does anyone have any tips on how to fix that once already sewn in??? And yes I have also sewn right through the elastic with zigzag to stop it twisting too 🙈 Xx 

PS. Not me today as we left these cushions out in the rain last night and now they are going to take approximately 345000 hours to dry 😫
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#sewingsafiya #tillyandthebuttons #makeitsimplebook #sewover40 #isewmyownclothes #isewfashion #petitestyle #petitefashion #sewinginreallife #makersgonnashare #makersgonnamake #sewistsofinstagram
I made a short sleeve top from the Davenport Dress I made a short sleeve top from the Davenport Dress pattern and I love it!!
I’ll have a little reel coming soon about how I made the changes but in the meantime if you fancy watching more of the sewing process head over to my YouTube channel (link in bio). My latest video is a ‘a day in my sewing life’ where I’m making up this top.
I don’t think I’m done with hacking this pattern yet, next has to be a sleeveless version I think… 💗

Pattern: Davenport Dress by @fridaypatterncompany 
Fabric: @felicity.fabrics 
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#davenporttop #davenportdress #davenporthack #fridaypatterncompany #memadeeveryday #sewingtime #sewinglife #whomadeyourclothes #sewcialists #imakemyownclothes #whatiwore #petitefashion #petitestyle
#sewityourself #diyootd #sustainablesewing #sewover40
#mmootd #petitesewist #sewingjourney #yesisew #sewingbloggersofinstagram
I quite liked this outfit from the other day so I I quite liked this outfit from the other day so I thought I’d take a quick snap. I’m laughing at my little photo bomber - swipe to see 🐶 😂
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Skirt: Bonnie Woven Skirt by @stylearc 
T Shirt @nextofficial 
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#stylearc #stylearcpatterns #bonnieskirt #bonniewovenskirt #ootd #mmootd #diyootd #sewistsofinstagram #petitesewists #petitefashion #petitestyle #sewover40 #fashionover40 #sewingforsummer
•Taika Dress• Out out 😝 I wore this dress o •Taika Dress• Out out 😝
I wore this dress out for a lovely Ruby Wedding celebration a couple of weeks ago, with a pair of heels shock horror!! Can’t remember when that last happened- the going out or the heels… 😂

Ps. Apologies for the very rude statue behind me, I think I managed to crop most of it out but still 🤭

Pattern: Taika by @namedclothing 
Fabric: @minervadotcom 
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#taikablousedress #namedclothing #minervabrandambassador #minervamakes #memadeeveryday #sewingtime #sewinglife #whomadeyourclothes #sewcialists #imakemyownclothes #whatiwore #petitefashion #petitestyle
#sewityourself #diyootd #sustainablesewing #sewover40
#mmootd #petitesewist #sewingjourney #yesisew #sewingbloggersofinstagram
•Style Arc Bonnie Skirt• I don’t think I’v •Style Arc Bonnie Skirt• I don’t think I’ve shared a photo of this here, only on YouTube so here we are 📷 

Despite my troubles trying to work out the waistband instructions, I absolutely love this skirt, the back is elasticated so it’s really comfy to wear and I love the button down style!! Thumbs up for another Style Arc pattern 💗

I have a sewing video on my YouTube making this skirt if you fancy watching the link is in my bio xx

Pattern: Bonnie Skirt by @stylearc 
Fabric: Viscose Poplin from @abakhanfabrics 
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#stylearc #stylearcpatterns #stylearcbonnie #memademay2022 #memadeeveryday #sewistsofinstagram #isewmyownclothes #isew #isewfashion #mmootd #diyootd #sewingforsummer #sewover40
I feel like I’ve not posted for a while so here’s a little close up on the sleeve shirring I did on my recent Lyra Dress hack. Shirring isn’t something I’ve ventured into much so far on my sewing journey, the elastic thread scares me a bit 😝 so I’ve mainly just admired it from afar on other peoples makes. 
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I have to say though,  it was the perfect ‘quick fix’ for bringing these sleeves in a little bit once I’d already hemmed them and definitely easier than elastic channeling them (technical term)! 😂

Is shirring something you love, hate or haven’t tried yet? X
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#sewinglyra #tillyandthebuttons #lyradress #lyradresshack #memadeeveryday #sewingtime #sewinglife #whomadeyourclothes #sewcialists #imakemyownclothes #whatiwore #petitefashion #petitestyle
#sewityourself #diyootd #sustainablesewing #sewover40
#mmootd #petitesewist #sewingjourney #yesisew #sewingbloggersofinstagram
A couple more pics of my Taika Dress by @namedclot A couple more pics of my Taika Dress by @namedclothing (swipe for full pic from a breezy day in Paris) 😉 This was my latest make for @minervadotcom and the full write up is now up on my Minerva profile (link in bio) if you fancy a read. I did have to do a little bit of altering on this one since the pattern is drafted at 5’ 8” and I’m 5’ 3”….!! 
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This was such a lovely pattern to sew up and I can’t wait to have another go at it soon 💗 Is this pattern on your sewing list for summer?? Xx
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#taikablousedress #namedclothing #minervamakers #minervamakes #isewmyownclothes #youcanhackit #patternhacking #sewistsofinstagram #sewcialists #sewingblogger #sewingblog #sewingforsummer
Morning everyone - this weeks YouTube video is now Morning everyone - this weeks YouTube video is now up and I’m talking all about everything I made in May including my Taika Blouse Dress by @namedclothing, my Bonnie Midi Skirt by @stylearc and my button down Lyra Dress by @tillybuttons hack too. The link to my channel is in my bio if you fancy a watch 💗
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I’m so excited for summer sewing season I just wish the weather would warm up a bit for it now it’s still a bit 🥶 🌧 💨 here in the UK! How is it where you are???
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#sewingyoutuber #sewingyoutube #taikablousedress #sewingindigo #sabonnieskirt #stylearcpatterns #tillyandthebuttons #sewingvlog #sewingvlogger #sewinghelp #sewinghacks #youcanhackit #isewmyownclothes #isewfashion #sewingmakesmehappy #sewcialists
•My latest Lyra Dress hack• Excuse the leg - o •My latest Lyra Dress hack• Excuse the leg - oo la la 🤪🤭
I made this one fully button down and I absolutely love it! This was a bit of a wearable toile really just to see how it worked with some super cheap viscose from the market. I didn’t expect to love this green as much as I do - it’s actually really pretty!! I also added a bit of shirring to the sleeves to bring them in a bit and I’m so pleased with how it all turned out 💗 
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I’ll be sharing more about how I made the changes in this Sundays YouTube video where I’ll be sharing my makes for May - don’t forget to subscribe and click the 🔔 if you fancy watching (channel link in bio… 😉 
As always when I made something I love I can’t wait to make my next one haha 😛 

Pattern: Lyra Dress by @tillybuttons 
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#sewinglyra #lyradress #lyradresshack #tillyandthebuttons #memademay2022 #memadeeveryday #sewingtime #sewinglife #whomadeyourclothes #sewcialists #imakemyownclothes #whatiwore #petitefashion #petitestyle
#sewityourself #diyootd #sustainablesewing #sewover40
#mmootd #petitesewist #sewingjourney #yesisew #sewingbloggersofinstagram
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Recent Posts

  • How I hacked the Lyra Dress pattern to make a fully button down shirt dress… June 22, 2022
  • Vlog | A day in my sewing life, sewing a Davenport Top hack… June 20, 2022
  • Vlog | Crafty Catch Up June 13, 2022
  • Vlog | My Top Five Super Speedy Sewing Patterns… June 6, 2022
  • Vlog | What I’ve been sewing in May 2022 June 6, 2022
  • Vlog | Three looks I’ve been inspired to recreate for my spring/summer wardrobe this year… May 23, 2022
  • Vlog | A Day in my Sewing Life… May 17, 2022
  • Vlog | My Top Five Sewing Patterns for Jersey Tops… May 9, 2022
  • The Kara Sweater Kit by We Are Knitters – A knitting pattern review… May 4, 2022
  • Vlog | What I’ve been sewing, making and crocheting in April… May 2, 2022

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