Secret Life of a Seamstress

Secret Life of a Seamstress

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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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    DIBY Club Emmeline Dress

    DIBY Club Emmeline Gathered Dress Pattern Review

    March 5, 2020
  • 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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    DIBY Club Emmeline Dress

    DIBY Club Emmeline Gathered Dress Pattern Review

    March 5, 2020
  • 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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    DIBY Club Emmeline Dress

    DIBY Club Emmeline Gathered Dress Pattern Review

    March 5, 2020
  • Uncategorized,  You Tube

    Cosy Rainy Sewing Day | Sew a Megan Nielsen Darling Ranges dress with me

    June 21, 2020 /

    Join me for a cozy, rainy day sewing day where I sew up my latest (there are many!) Megan Nielsen Darling Ranges dress in this beautiful embroidered chambray denim. I’d love to know what you thought of this video and whether you would like to see more of this kind of thing. Also do comment below and let me know if you’ve made the Darling Ranges dress and what you thought of it. Happy sewing! Sally xx

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    Five of My Favourite Sewing Tools

    April 24, 2020

    Beginner Sewing Project Hair Scrunchie Tutorial – easy ‘make in an hour’ project

    April 14, 2020
  • Minerva Blog

    Megan Nielsen Sudley Dress/Top Hack

    May 26, 2020 /

    I think I have an obsession with Megan Nielsen dress patterns, there’s always so much potential to adapt and so many different variations to the patterns.  When I saw this beautiful blue spot crepe fabric on the Minerva website loved it immediately and wasn’t sure what to make with it at first, then the Sudley Dress pattern came into my life and I knew it would be the perfect match.  I wasn’t sure at first whether to make the dress version or a top from this fabric and in the end I settled on something in between.  A sort of hack of the pattern to make a peplum top.  Here’s…

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  • Uncategorized

    Five of My Favourite Sewing Tools

    April 24, 2020 /

    For this blog post I thought I’d do a little round up of my top five favourite and most used sewing tools.  I could have added many more but these are my current favourites J I’ve linked the products in each section if you would like to check them out for yourself.  Burda Tracing Paper Not sure if this can be considered a ‘tool’ but I guess it kind of is.  I absolutely love this stuff, since I trace off all of my patterns now I go through quite a lot of it. I’ve tried various types of paper (I’ve even tried greaseproof baking paper) for tracing patterns and I…

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    Beginner Sewing Project Hair Scrunchie Tutorial – easy ‘make in an hour’ project

    April 14, 2020
  • The Fabric Guys

    Sew Over It Ava Skirt Pattern and Fabric Review with The Fabric Guys

    January 31, 2020 /

    THE PATTERN I have wanted to make a Sew Over It Ava Skirt for ages and when I saw this super pretty needlecord on the Fabric Guys website I knew it would be perfect for this pattern.  I have a similar ready to wear skirt in corduroy and it’s just perfect for the autumn and winter months. I chose to make the mini version of this skirt without the pockets.  Leaving out pockets was not a decision I took lightly because we all love a pocket don’t we but I didn’t want the inseam pockets to interfere with the silhouette of the skirt in this fabric. I made a size…

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  • 2019 Makes,  The Fabric Guys

    The Avid Seamstress – The Blouse. A Tutorial in Collaboration with The Fabric Guys

    November 18, 2019 /

    This pattern has got to be one of my favourite patterns ever and it was a pleasure to make this one in this beautiful floral rayon from The Fabric Guys! I have always wanted a handmade blouse in my wardrobe but been put off by the collar stands and difficult cuffs that come with the making. In my opinion this pattern is the perfect introduction to shirt making, the instructions are clear and easy to follow and there are lots of little hints and tips along the way to help you out. I’ve made two versions now – for my first I loved the pattern image so much I used…

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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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