I've been meaning to make a black, funnel neck Coco dress for a loooong time. In fact I actually attempted to make it months ago, but I took in the side seams to make it more fitted and overestimated the amount I needed to remove. The resulting dress was uncomfortable and unwearable! In a way… Continue reading A slightly austere Coco dress
Author: oolongstitches
Hi there! I'm an amateur seamstress with a keen interest in fashion history. I've been sewing (and occasionally knitting) my own clothes since August 2018.
‘Pretty Thing’ cowl by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Back in the summer, I went to Copenhagen and did a mini yarn haul. My favourite purchase was a skein of incredibly soft 4ply Baby Alpaca yarn in a moss green, heathered with some purple here and there. I spent ages trawling Ravelry for the perfect cowl/scarf/snood pattern, but most of them needed slightly more… Continue reading ‘Pretty Thing’ cowl by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
The Maker’s Atelier ‘Unlined Raw-Edge Coat’ in squishy boiled wool
This winter I'd originally planned on making a fully lined, 1960s style coat (I even bought the fabric for it!). However, I soon realised what I really needed was something basic that would go with everything. I also accepted that I just don't have the time or the energy to make such an involved garment… Continue reading The Maker’s Atelier ‘Unlined Raw-Edge Coat’ in squishy boiled wool
New years resewlutions and what I plan to make in 2020!
I tried doing the Make Nine challenge last year and failed miserably- I'd only been sewing for a few months and hadn't really settled on a personal style at that point. The (since deleted) list was full of vintage style patterns from various decades, most of which were big four. Soon after making the list… Continue reading New years resewlutions and what I plan to make in 2020!
Dressing like a crayon: Stellan tee dress hack and Salut Cheri beret
Wow, that title is a bit of a mouthful... A couple of my recent makes combined to make the perfect autumnal Dress Like a Crayon outfit: The dress is a hack of the French Navy Stellan tee, a free pattern for a loose fitting T shirt. To turn it into a dress I literally just… Continue reading Dressing like a crayon: Stellan tee dress hack and Salut Cheri beret
Natural dyeing and yarn shopping in Oswestry
About a month ago I went to stay with family in Oswestry, and whilst I was there I partook in several yarn themed activities. Day One: Firstly, I went to Ewe and Ply, a small and lovely yarn shop. The staff were so friendly, and they even gave me a goodie bag on my way… Continue reading Natural dyeing and yarn shopping in Oswestry
Two Stevie tunics, one hacked into a smock dress…
Stevie #1 I made my first Tilly and the Buttons Stevie tunic in preparation for my trip to Copenhagen (which you can read about here) using a tencel twill from Merchant and Mills in the colour 'Pluto', an unusual grey/purple. This was the first time I'd worked with tencel, and since then I've fallen completely… Continue reading Two Stevie tunics, one hacked into a smock dress…
Self-designed circus socks
I was so happy with my first pair of self-designed socks that I decided to make another! I'd just bought a beautiful skein of hand-dyed sock yarn, and my original pattern was for worsted weight, so I had to make up another one to suit the finer yarn. On the first pair one of the… Continue reading Self-designed circus socks
Nixie Briefs and some tips for batch sewing
I put off sewing a batch of Nixie Briefs for weeks because I thought it would be soul crushingly dull... When I finally got around to it, I actually found batch sewing really relaxing! I thought I'd share some tips in case you want to try batch sewing for yourself 🙂 Batch sewing basically means… Continue reading Nixie Briefs and some tips for batch sewing
Socks for my Docs
I haven't mentioned sock knitting on here for quite a while (the last and only other time being in this post), but since then I've become slightly obsessed with them and have made a couple of other pairs: A while ago I bought my first pair of Doc Marten shoes, so I wanted to knit… Continue reading Socks for my Docs
