Secret Life of a Seamstress

Secret Life of a Seamstress

  • About Me
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • About Me
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Latest from YouTube

  • You Tube

    VLOG | What I’ve been sewing and knitting in September 2021…

    October 4, 2021 /

    Join me for my latest ‘sew and tell’ video sharing all about everything I’ve been making and working on during September 2021. I hope you’ll enjoy it! Happy sewing! Sally xx

    read more
    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments
  • Uncategorized

    How to hack patterns, sharing my hints and tips…

    April 25, 2021 /

    Hi everyone – this blog accompanies my YouTube video on pattern hacking tips. You can watch the video by clicking below, all of the patterns I talk about have been linked below (where possible) simply click on the pattern link and it’ll take you straight there. Tip No. 1 – Take inspiration from the high street, designer wear, Pinterest etc. I love to take inspiration from all around me and keep a Pinterest board of clothes and outfits I’ve seen that I like to use as inspiration for making new garments. I used a combination of the Megan Nielson Sudley Dress and Fibre Mood Mira Dress patterns to make the…

    read more
    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

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

    April 14, 2020

    Five of My Favourite Sewing Tools

    April 24, 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…

    read more
    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    DIBY Club Emmeline Dress

    DIBY Club Emmeline Gathered Dress Pattern Review

    March 5, 2020
  • Pattern Reviews

    The Florence Blouse by Size Me Sewing – A Pattern Review (in collaboration with Makerist.Com)

    January 6, 2021 /

    Before Christmas Makerist kindly asked me if I would like to try one of the patterns from the designers they were featuring in a post Christmas $2 sale.  Makerist have an amazing selection of craft patterns including sewing, knitting, crochet and embroidery, you can visit their website and view their vast collection here. Flicking through all of the lovely sewing patterns on their website the Florence Blouse caught my eye.  I loved the relaxed style of the blouse and the shirring detail at the cuff.  I thought this would be a make for my wardrobe that could be dressed up or down so I knew I would get a lot…

    read more
    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    DIBY Club Emmeline Dress

    DIBY Club Emmeline Gathered Dress Pattern Review

    March 5, 2020
  • Pattern Hacks

    Friday Pattern Company Sagebrush Top and Fibre Mood Norma Blouse Mash Up

    October 8, 2020 /

    The idea… The Sagebrush Top by Friday Pattern Company has been on my ‘to make’ list for a little while now but with autumn and the colder months coming up I wondered how much wear I’d get out of it if I made it with the short, possibly cardigan unfriendly sleeve.  So I started to think of ways I could adapt the pattern slightly to add a longer sleeve instead and that’s when the Fibre Mood Norma Blouse came to mind. I absolutely love the Fibre Mood Norma blouse too and it’s another one that’s been on my list for a while but I’d not yet got around to trying. …

    read more
    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments
  • Pattern Reviews,  Minerva Blog

    Tilly & The Buttons Mimi Blouse Pattern and Fabric Review

    June 26, 2020 /

    I have had the Tilly and the Buttons ‘Love At First Stitch’ book for a long while now and I’ve always loved the look of this blouse.  As seems to be normal for me though, I decided to ogle it for a while before actually getting on and making it.  I absolutely loved the look of this chiffon, navy and red leaf print fabric from Minerva and thought that it would be a lovely match for the Mimi pattern. You can find this gorgeous fabric here. Here’s a review of how I found both the pattern and fabric to work with.  Pattern: Mimi Blouse from the Tilly and the Buttons…

    read more
    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    DIBY Club Emmeline Dress

    DIBY Club Emmeline Gathered Dress Pattern Review

    March 5, 2020
  • Uncategorized,  Pattern Reviews

    ‘Darling Ranges’ by Megan Nielsen |A Pattern Review

    June 18, 2020 /

    I first came across this pattern at the very beginning of my sewing journey and I remember thinking to myself how much I’d love to be able to make a dress like this.  I love a shirt dress and I loved the look of the denim chambray version on the front of the pattern so I made it my mission to improve my skills enough that I could make my own version.  Here’s a look at the pattern.  The cover has actually had a bit of an update since I bought mine – the most recent copy is the one on the left but I’ve included a photo of the…

    read more
    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Five of My Favourite Sewing Tools

    April 24, 2020

    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…

    read more
    Sally Gauntlett 0 Comments





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… 🤫 
——————————————————
Any guesses what I’ve sewn up here??? Answers on a postcard… (anyone old enough to remember those days) 😂
————————————————————-
Stay tuned to see what we’ve got coming up - all will be revealed soon 😉
.
.
.
.
.
#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 🙈😂
—————————————————
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 😫
.
.
.
.
.
#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 
.
.
.
.
.
#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 🐶 😂
————————————————-
Skirt: Bonnie Woven Skirt by @stylearc 
T Shirt @nextofficial 
.
.
.
.
.
#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 
.
.
.
.
#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 
.
.
.
.
.
#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. 
—————————————————-
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
.
.
.
.
.
#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”….!! 
—————————————————
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
.
.
.
.
.
#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 💗
————————————————————-
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???
.
.
.
.
.
#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 💗 
______________________________
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 
.
.
.
.
.
#sewinglyra #lyradress #lyradresshack #tillyandthebuttons #memademay2022 #memadeeveryday #sewingtime #sewinglife #whomadeyourclothes #sewcialists #imakemyownclothes #whatiwore #petitefashion #petitestyle
#sewityourself #diyootd #sustainablesewing #sewover40
#mmootd #petitesewist #sewingjourney #yesisew #sewingbloggersofinstagram
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

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

Categories

  • 2018 Makes
  • 2019 Makes
  • 2020 Makes
  • 2021 Makes
  • 2022 Makes
  • About Me
  • Knitting Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Minerva Blog
  • Pattern Hacks
  • Pattern Reviews
  • Sewing Inspiration
  • The Fabric Guys
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Tutorials
  • Uncategorized
  • You Tube









2022 Secret Life Of A Seamstress ©
Ashe Theme by WP Royal.