• Uncategorized,  Minerva Blog

    An Ogden Cami Hack and a Fabric Review

    I loved the look of this beautiful John Kaldor Floral Print Slinky Satin Dress Fabric as soon as I saw it, mainly because I loved the yellow and black print, but when it arrived, I have to admit, it was a little more silky and sheer than I had imagined so for a little while it sat in my stash until inspiration for the right project arrived. If you’re on Instagram, I’m sure it didn’t escape your notice that August was Ogden Cami month and as more beautiful versions of this pattern appeared in my feed along with some lovely dress hacks it suddenly hit me that maybe this beautifully…

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    VLOG – an autumn fabric haul and some sewing plans…

    In this video I’m sharing some lovely new fabrics I’ve picked up for some autumn/winter sewing and what I’m planning to make with them… I would love you to watch and subscribe if you haven’t already 🙂 You can also follow me on Instagram for more photos of the things I make @secret_life_of_a_seamstress. Thanks so much for your support as always 🙂 Sally

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    VLOG – What I’ve been sewing during July and August (part 1)

    Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel and to a bit of an overdue ‘sew and tell’ all about what I’ve been making over July and August. As there are quite a few makes to get through I’ve decided to split the video into a part one and part two. I would love you to subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already and don’t forget to hit the notification bell to be notified of any future videos I make. Happy sewing and thank you again for your support! Sally xx

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  • Uncategorized,  Pattern Reviews

    ‘Darling Ranges’ by Megan Nielsen |A Pattern Review

    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…

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    A Quick Fabric Haul and More Sewing Plans

    Join me for my latest fabric haul and sewing plans video… I would love you to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already and give the video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing you in my next one 🙂 Sally xx

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    My Sew Over It Top Collection Vlog

    In this video I thought I’d show you all of the Sew Over It top patterns I’ve made. Click the link below to watch and don’t forget to subscribe if you’d like to 🙂 Thanks so much for watching! Sally xx

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    Sew & Tell – What I made in March and April…

    Join me for another Sew and Tell video all about what I’ve been making in March and April including the Megan Nielson Darling Ranges dress and the Tilly & the Buttons Mimi Blouse. The links to everything I talk about can be found in the YouTube description below the video 🙂 Thank you for watching Sally xx

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  • Uncategorized,  Tutorials

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

    These pretty hair scrunchies make an excellent little project for beginner and more experienced sewists alike.  They are brilliant for using up fabric scraps and you can even make them to co-ordinate with your handmade clothes! In my instructions I’ll be sewing on my sewing machine but you could also sew all of this pattern by hand if you don’t have a machine available.  They make a great starter sewing project for children who want to learn to sew too. Step 1 – cut your fabric Choose the fabric you would like to use for your hair scrunchie.  If you don’t have any fabric available or can’t get to a…

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    Fabric Haul and Sewing Plans…

    Thank you for joining me for another fabric haul vlog for March/April 2020. Everything I talk about and links to all fabric and patterns can be found in the YouTube description. Thank you for watching! xx

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    My thoughts on slow fashion and trying to shop more sustainably…

    I LOVE clothes and I love fashion. You probably wouldn’t know this if you saw me on the school run these days. but I do.  In my younger, more carefree days I would spend a large proportion of my wages on clothes every month often only wearing something once, it was almost like a hobby, clothes were my interest and I wanted something new pretty much every weekend.  I’m almost ashamed to admit that now but maybe there wasn’t actually anything wrong with that at the time, it’s where I get my love of sewing from after all.  I also liked to study the clothes and see how they were…

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