Making Nicole Akong’s Beach Kaftan
Last year I did a collaboration with Nicole Akong for a kaftan cut from beach towels (read about it here, order the pattern here, and here are three ways to style it). Nicole had gone on holidays and whipped up a kaftan to take. When she got home, people asked for the pattern and she…
Read MoreOn Designing Toy Faces
Do you like sewing soft toys? If so, how do you choose a project? I would bet the toy’s face is the main decider. If the face isn’t right, it’s a pass. I quite like making toys. I liked making them when my children were little and enjoyed doing a pattern for a cloth doll…
Read MoreTwo Crowns of Splendour
The final part of my Me Made May pledge has been fulfilled. It was to finish 3 UFOs (UnFinished Objects). One (pinafore) was finished and worn during May, and for the others I’ve just finished off two sunhats. We’re now into winter but I’m sure they’ll get worn. Both the sunhats were crownless, and both…
Read MoreWrapping Up Me Made May 2025
May is over, and another Me Made May is finished. This was the ninth time I’ve done this wardrobe challenge, and to my surprise it was the most fun one yet. It’s easy to get a bit jaded if you do this every year, especially if you wear me-mades every day. My pledge was: 1.…
Read MoreThe Re-Styled Smith Pinafore
Thank you for the excellent comments on the Smith Pinafore in last week’s UFO post (A Catalogue of UnFinished Objects, new edition). I got all enthused and determined to do that one first. This is the first sample I made of the popular Smith pinafore pattern. The red stripe hides the fact that I didn’t…
Read MoreThe Catalogue of UFOs (new edition)
We’re halfway through Me Made May, a wardrobe challenge with the goal of wearing your handmade items more often or differently. My pledge for May was: 1. Choose one item to wear for the whole week, styled with different things, aiming for comfort, fun and variety. 2. Make a list of sewing UFOs (UnFinished Objects)…
Read MoreBook Recommendation: Mountain Style
Mountain Style – British Outdoor Clothing 1953-2000 by Henry Iddon & Max Leonard (Isola, 2024) celebrates the history, style and heritage of British outdoor clothes. I bought it on the strength of Well-Dressed Dad’s podcast interview with the authors. It’s a fabulous book, SO interesting. I could hardly put it down and read the whole…
Read MoreHumpty Dumpty gets BIGGER!
Coming up later this month, I’m presenting a workshop at the Making Zen Online Retreat. This is a free event, and I highly recommend it to you. Read more and register here for FREE. The retreat runs from 26th-30th May. If you decide to order a VIP pass, you can start early and view all…
Read MoreMaking Zen 2025 – FREE Online Retreat
Registrations for Making Zen are now open! Making Zen is a FREE five-day online event for hand stitchers and crafters. 30+ textile artists will guide you through workshops on a range of stitching techniques and creative processes. Making Zen runs from 26th-30th May. Each day, there will be new workshops available for 24 hours which…
Read MoreThe Lost Wedding Dress Photos (and) The Curious Tale of the Green Neckline
Suddenly, 26 years have gone by and Mr H and I are about to celebrate another wedding anniversary. Here’s what we looked like on the big day: And here’s us in 2022, the last time I tried on the wedding gown: My dress trying on days are over, however, I’ve tried it on in previous…
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