Michelle Sews

Mimi G Simplicity s9114 trousers

May 31, 2020by Michelle Sews4 Comments

As soon as I saw this pattern, I knew I had to make the trousers. I really loved the clean lines and rounded pegged shape to the legs – and how amazing does Mimi’s white version look?

In this linen version I’ve slightly cropped the trousers and – forgive me – I haven’t got quite the right bar and hook in my stash for the waistband, so I just secured with a couple of pins in order to take these pictures on the day that I was photographing my McCall’s 7948 sundress!

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Dresses, Reviews

McCalls 7948 Sundress

May 29, 2020May 29, 2020by Michelle Sews1 Comment

This dress was a departure from my usual style of sewing, in many ways. It features a bold, colourful print, gathered tiers, a cotton blend fabric and not even short sleeves with which to combat the office air conditioning. Let’s face it, “the office” (as opposed to my working from home setup) feels a million miles away at the moment.

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Reviews, Self draft / Pattern hack, Tops

Closet Case: Ceilo Top

May 13, 2020May 13, 2020by Michelle SewsLeave a Comment

The first thing that struck me about the Cielo was its versatility. As I did my usual stalking of the hashtag before deciding whether to buy the pattern, I came across quite a few sewers who had made several versions of the Cielo – always a good sign – and had hacked it in interesting ways. On the face of it, it’s a basic woven boxy tee / shift dress, with an interesting statement sleeve variation. But if you know me, you know I love a good basic – give me a simple, classic silhouette and I am sold! So let me tell you how I got on with the Cielo top…

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Reviews, Tops

Kalle shirtdress

May 1, 2020May 1, 2020by Michelle Sews2 Comments

I know, I know.. I’m seriously late to the Kalle party. As I write this, the #kalleshirtdress hashtag features on over 5000 posts on Instagram. And they all look beautiful!

And yet, somehow, I have shied away from Kalle for the longest time. It’s one of those patterns I find myself looking at from time to time, wondering whether to go for it. My usual silhouette is fairly fitted – I don’t have a lot of oversized garments as I’m always worried about the ‘tent-like sack’ look. And yet I do like the look of perfectly proportioned RTW ‘baggy shirts’. So I gathered my courage and decided to give Kalle a chance, in a vibrant red linen. As you’ve probably guessed, I love it and I’m just kicking myself for not having made one sooner!

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Tutorials

Let your wardrobe be your guide

April 21, 2020April 19, 2020by Michelle Sews2 Comments

Have you ever come to draft something, or hack a pattern, and realised you have no idea what size a part of the garment should be? Like, how long should a shirt placket be? How wide should a collar be? What’s a “standard” waistband width? The beauty of sewing is that “standard sizes” go out of the window, as it’s all a matter of personal preference. That’s why, in moments like these, I look to my wardrobe for guidance.

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Tutorials

Tips: Use a thread colour chart

April 14, 2020April 14, 2020by Michelle Sews4 Comments

If, like me, you do a lot of your fabric shopping online, you may find yourself lacking a suitable colour of thread to match a particular fabric. One of the advantages of bricks-and-mortar fabric shopping is being able to choose a matching thread, zip and lining in one trip, if you have access to a nearby haberdashery! Whilst a lot of the online retailers who have haberdashery departments will offer a thread matching service, one tip I’d like to share is to find yourself a thread colour chart for your favourite thread suppliers, if possible. Continue reading “Tips: Use a thread colour chart” →