In this three hour, morning workshop, learn to sew this pretty William Morris flatlay make up bag with wipe clean lining and optional quilting for decoration.
The bag has a drawstring closure, a velcro cover flap and a carry handle.
Great for holidays and travel and perfect for keeping all your bits and bobs safe.
A little bit of previous sewing experience will be useful but help and instructions will be given throughout.
Edlesborough Pavilion
Thursday 30th April 10.30am – 1.30pm
Hi everyone,
Well, I still can’t really believe I’m able to say this but ‘I have a new sewing room/studio’!! Eek, I’m so excited about this, it really is something I’ve dreamed about for so long.
I wanted to make this room both pretty and practical. My aim was to create a calming and inspiring place which made it easy for me to sew and create.
In my latest YouTube video I’m sharing the complete tour of my new room, sharing furniture and storage ideas and also giving you a peek into my drawers, cupboards and current fabric stash.
If you’re looking for sewing room or sewing space organisation ideas and inspiration (or even if you just fancy a nose around), I really hope this video will be enjoyable!
Let me know what you think of my new space and if you would do anything differently, I’d love to know!
Happy sewing!
Sally xx
Ps. You can also save this to your sewing room inspiration board on Pinterest to return to at a later date đ
Have you ever wanted to make blinds for your home but thought they looked a bit too intimidating? I used to feel the same until I gave them a try and realised that actually, it’s just a bit of calculating and a lot of straight sewing!!
In this YouTube video, I’m sharing the process of sewing up a new Roman blind for my daughter’s bedroom using an easy, beginner friendly method. I talk through the different types of Roman blinds you can make, tips for making the process easier and more budget friendly and how I like to choose fabrics to co-ordinate with the room I’m making the blind for.
I really hope today’s video will give you the confidence to try making your own blinds for your home, it really is so satisfying đ
Happy sewing!
Sally xx
If youâve sewn plenty of clothes but still feel like you have nothing to wear, this post is for you. Welcome to episode three of my Intentional Sewing series!
In the first two posts, we explored why handmade clothes often go unworn and how to choose sewing projects youâll actually wear. Today, weâre diving into how to plan a handmade wardrobeâso your creations actually work together and get worn. This is about what to do before you buy fabric, choose a pattern, or start sewing.
As always, Iâm right here on this journey with you. Iâve moved from sewing anything and everything to slowly building a more curated handmade wardrobe that suits my lifeâand Iâm sharing whatâs worked for me in case it helps you too.
You can watch the third YouTube video in this mini series here đđ»
One of the biggest mindset shifts for me has been thinking of my wardrobe as a system, not just a collection of individual garments. Wardrobes work best when pieces support each other, rather than standing alone.
Think about how your items mix and match, layer, and coordinate. When everything plays well together, getting dressed becomes easier and more joyful.
Your core garments are the pieces you reach for most oftenâthe ones you wear multiple times a week without thinking.
For me, my core looks like:
I used to feel guilty making the same thing over and over. But I’ve come to realise that repetition is what makes a wardrobe work. You can then complement these core garments with supporting pieces like jackets, shirts and knitwear.
Some of my favourite repeating pieces:
Action point: If you only made 10 garments this year, what would they actually be?
A limited palette has transformed my wardrobe over the past few years. I wear a lot of neutrals, accented with earthy tones that work together well. Having my colour analysis done has also helped me make confident choices in what suits me best and I would highly recommend it (and that’s coming from someone who was initially highly sceptical!).
Benefits of a limited palette:
A simple way to start:
This isnât permanentâyou can add more colours as you discover what works for you. The surprise? It doesnât feel boring; it feels calm. And it makes saying ânoâ to fabrics that wonât coordinate so much easier.
This step alone prevents countless unworn garments. More and more these days, I ‘try’ to have a plan for each fabric purchase: I try to make sure that know the pattern and purpose before I shop.
Ask yourself a few simple questions:
This isnât about guiltâmy fabric stash is still growingâbut I try more so to think of fabric as a future garment, not just a project.
Planning your wardrobe doesnât mean stripping the joy out of sewing. Itâs a mindset that keeps you intentional, especially if youâre feeling overwhelmed.
Remember: wardrobes evolve with your:
Seasonal check-ins are a great way to see whatâs working, and remove pieces that no longer serve youâwithout guilt.
If you want help planning your own handmade wardrobe, I have a wardrobe planner and extra resources on this topic over on Patreon. These tools make it simple to take what youâve learned here and start building a wardrobe that works for your life, your style, and your sewing goals.
If youâve been following along with all three parts of the Intentional Sewing series, I hope you now have the tools to help you to sew a wardrobe you love.
Hereâs a recap of all the episodes in case you missed any. You can catch them all in this YouTube playlist too:
Here’s a question for you: Whatâs one garment your wardrobe really needs right now? Let me know in the comments…
I’d love to know what you thought of this ‘Intentional Sewing’ mini-series. Let me know if you’d like to see more of this style.
Thanks so much for reading! Happy sewing…
Sally xxx
Want to save this for later?
Pin this guide to your sewing or handmade wardrobe board on Pinterest so you can come back to it when planning your next project.
Have you ever finished sewing a beautiful garment â only for it to quietly collect dust in your wardrobe? If so, youâre not alone and I’ve been there too more frequently than I’d like to admit. Many sewists find themselves with clothes they love making but never actually wear. In todayâs blog post (and in my latest YouTube video), Iâm breaking down the real reasons this happens â and, most importantly, what you can do to fix it.
In my opinion, there are five reasons why your handmade garments aren’t getting worn and these are as follows:
Those vintage style dresses might look beautiful and be fun to sew, but if you’re a busy mum running around after small children and spending most of your time at home or out in the park, those dresses might not be practical for the season of life you’re currently in (I speak highly from experience here as this was me in the early days of my sewing).
This is a tricky one isnât it because, lets face it, getting the right fit is hard and it can be tempting to just brush over the fact that the shoulders feel a little tight in that dress or that top is pulling over the bust. We – and I very much include myself in this – would much rather rush through to the end and get the satisfaction of sewing and finishing a garment. Unfortunately though, it doesnât take long for that garment to also start to gather dust in the wardrobe when after a couple of wears we really actually we feel completely uncomfortable and would rather change into something ready to wear!
Iâve spoken a lot recently about how Iâm trying to change my relationship with buying fabric. Learning about the types of fabric that I love to wear has been a real game changer for me. I have thrown out, passed on or donated far too many handmade garments that I have not wanted to wear because I donât like the fabric on me. I’ve learned over time that I hate to feel restricted in any way so crisp cotton shirts and dresses, most often arenât for me. Instead Iâll opt for viscoses, rayons and twills which are softer and have more movement and likewise when it comes to jersey and knits, Iâll spend a little more on good quality fibres, knowing that in the long term the cost per wear will work out better.
Please donât judge me when I tell you that as a beginner, I would actively skips the steps of a pattern because I didnât understand the purpose of the technique or the longevity that just taking that little bit longer to sew something would give a garment. Some embarrassing examples might be, skipping understitching resulting in a facing that just would not stay to the inside of a garment or not taking the time to wait for a hem to drop overnight and rushing to finish. Please let me know in the comments if you were the same – I donât want to feel alone here!
Intention for me looks like asking myself why do I want to sew this garment? Is it because it will teach me a new skill or technique, is it a garment or garment type that is currently lacking in my wardrobe and by making it Iâm going to open up a whole range of other outfits I can put together. Is it because it will keep me warm on my dog walks or comfortable but put together on my work at home days when at the moment Iâm just working in my scruffs (also me). And just so that you donât think Iâm trying to rip all the fun out of your sewing, is it just because you love the look of the pattern, or the garment or you want to make use of a particular fabric and thatâs ok too (as long as the fabric fits in with point three and youâre actually going to wear it of course!)
So, how do we change this potential cycle that we might find ourselves in of having a handmade wardrobe full to bursting but not actually wearing any of it??
Here are some things that have helped me to intentionally sew a handmade wardrobe that I love to wear:
Regularly take stock of your wardrobe, see what youâre wearing and what youâre not (I do this with my ready to wear and handmade clothing). While you’re sorting, experiment with putting a few outfits together and taking photos of them on your phone so that you can refer back to them when you feel uninspired. If thereâs a make or a garment that isnât being worn, ask yourself why. Is it because you have nothing to wear it with (and thatâs where the wardrobe gap sewing comes in). Is it because it feels uncomfortable to wear – a fit problem. Is it because you hate the fabric or the colour or the pattern and completely regret choosing it, I know Iâve had a few of those. If the reason for not wearing is the latter – remove it from your wardrobe and pass on to someone who can benefit from it or reuse the fabric if you can. One of the most uninspiring things in my opinion is having a wardrobe that youâre not only not wearing but that makes you feel guilty every time you open the doors.
This is also something Iâve taken on in my own sewing life over the past couple of years and itâs worked wonders for creating a wardrobe I love. Iâm really thinking quality over quantity where fabric is concerned. I would much rather these days, invest in a quality fabric that I know Iâll love to wear than buy lots of sub standard fabrics resulting in more garments but less that Iâll actually get the wear out of. Likewise slowing down and enjoying the process of sewing the garment, particularly if you’re using a beautiful fabric, making sure to be present and enjoy the techniques, even the ones that feel more boring than others. Slow down and enjoy all the parts of sewing yourself something well fitting and beautiful and that will last rather than rushing to churn out garment after garment. In my experience too, the garments that Iâve really taken my time over and put my best into are often again the ones I most love to wear and feel good in.
Every time we sew something, weâre given really useful information. We learn about fit â where we like ease, where we donât, and how much shaping we enjoy. We discover which necklines we actually like wearing. Each make also teaches us about fabric: what feels comfortable, what creases too much and makes us dread ironing, or what feels too stiff to enjoy.
Our garments even teach us about how we like to sew â the techniques we enjoy most, and whether we prefer quick, simple projects or slower, more thoughtful sewing that challenges us. When we ignore all of this information, we often end up repeating the same frustrations.
So, to close…
All of what Iâve said today is intended as a growth mindset for sewing an intentional handmade wardrobe. When youâre starting out in sewing itâs normal, and educational, to want to sew all of the things and actually thatâs fine because thatâs how you learn not only in terms of learning sewing techniques and skills but also about what does and doesnât work for you.
Head over to my Patreon to download by âHandmade Capsule Wardrobe Planner‘ plus more behind the scenes videos, sew-alongs and tutorials and stay tuned because I’ll have more coming up on YouTube on this topic over the next few weeks!
Thanks you for reading and happy sewing!
Sally xxx
Want to save this for later?
Pin this guide to your sewing or handmade wardrobe board on Pinterest so you can come back to it when planning your next project.
