Me-Made-May 2015

Hey guys!

May is nearly upon us again and that means only one thing: Me-Made-May! If you have been living under a rock for the past few years and have never heard of M-M-May, it is the brilliant invention of Zoe from So Zo... and you can read all about it here.


I took part in M-M-May last year where I pledged to wear an item of self stitched clothing once every two days. At the time, I'd only been sewing for about five months so I was really pleased with myself when I managed to complete the challenge. This year though, I have a far bigger range of self stitched clothing in my wardrobe, so I've modified my pledge to reflect this. Here goes!

I, Beth Holmes of www.sewingsoothesthesoul.blogspot.co.uk sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May 2015. I endeavour to wear at least one self-stitched or refashioned garment or accessory each day for the duration of May 2015.

With just over a week to go until the start of the challenge, I'm digging out all my older makes from the depths of my wardrobe to see if I can fit them in throughout the month. M-M-May is all about showing love for our handmade garments and I know that there are many old makes of mine that are more than a little neglected. I've also featured refashioned items in my pledge because I've recently had a bit of refashioning spree, turning old dresses that are now way too short for me into summer tops, which I want to try out and give a chance to make it into my regular wardrobe rotation. Finally, accessories! With no chance to sew up a pair of trousers before the challenge begins (Zoe makes it clear panic sewing is not condoned!) and very few self stitched tops, I know there are going to be times this coming month where I'll feel like wearing a very ready-to-wear outfit. So, I've featured handmade accessories into my pledge so that on days I'm wearing shop bought clothes I'm still channelling the M-M-May vibe.

So, with May fast approaching keep your eye out for my documentation posts where you can get a glimpse of how I fit my self stitched clothing into my regular everyday wardrobe. If you feel like taking part too, hop on over to So Zo... and get yourself signed up as a participant! You can choose a pledge that suits your own needs and it is so much fun, bringing a real sense of achievement and love of our handmade clothing.

Have a great week everybody,

Beth x

My First Blog-iversary!

Happy Saturday everybody! Today is an exciting day for me - Sewing Soothes the Soul turns one!

A year ago today, inspired by the likes of Tilly and the Buttons, Kitchen Table Sewing, So Zo... and Tea for Two, I took the plunge and started writing my very own sewing blog! Looking back, the blog has been a great way to track my progress in this crafty little world of ours, and I love being able to read through old posts and see how far I've come. 

When I first set up Sewing Soothes the Soul, I only had four months sewing experience in me and was a total newbie really. My first post features pictures of everything I'd made up to that point, and comparing those to pictures from the last few months it's clear to see how much I've improved as a sewer! The vast majority of those early makes never get worn anymore (and luckily my self-photography skills have improved dramatically during the past year as well!), but without each and every one of them I would never have reached the level I'm at today.

I've still got a long way to go in improving my skills, but what I love about my sewing is that you can always keep learning and developing. There are new patterns constantly being released, and new things to try as our style choices change through life as well. Recently I've undergone a bit of a wardrobe shift, from my usual girly dresses to a more casual zip up hoodie, top and jeans. However, I'm excited about this! I can't wait to get stuck into sewing my first ever trouser pattern. I also know that my tastes will inevitably tire of trousers at some point in the future and change back to dresses, so I know the effort I put into my handmade wardrobe so far hasn't been wasted. I've always been a bit of a 'one or the other' type girl - stages of being girly and stages of living in jeans, but for some reason never a happy medium! 

So, whether you've been following my progress from the start, stumbled across my ramblings somewhere during the past year or if this is your first ever visit to my little corner of tinterweb - a heartfelt thank you to you all, and here's to the next year! 

Happy birthday Sewing Soothes the Soul. 

Beth x

Another Top!

Guys, I sewed another top! What is going on?!?! 

I know I'm normally a real dress girl, but just recently I've felt drawn towards top patterns instead, so that's what I've been making. I figured there's not much point continuing to sew dresses if I'd get a lot more wear out of a top. 

This is another New Look 6483, this time in View B (the blue one on the top right of the pattern envelope). The shoulders on this version are a little wider than the first, which I like as I'm not so worried about my bra straps showing. 

The fabric is a drapey cotton lawn from Abakhan that I picked up the same time as I got the fabric for my first top, and I love it. The navy and white colour scheme is just perfect for me! 

Apart from me misreading a part of the instructions which led to me sewing the facing on wrong and having to unpick it, this top came together easily. I sewed the side seams with French seams to stop any fraying, as this fabric was a bit of a pest in that respect. 

The back! This keyhole is even nicer than the last one now I've had some practice with the technique. I used a little wooden button to fasten it which I really like the look of. Mmm...wooden buttons. 

I can definitely see more of these tops in my future! View D (green version, bottom right) definitely needs to occupy a space in my wardrobe. 

I hope you are all having a great week! Have you tried sewing anything a little out of your comfort zone recently? 

Beth x

New Look 6483

Hello all! 

As part of my New Year Sewing Resolutions, I've sewn up a top! 

I decided to make New Look 6483, View C (the red one on the bottom left of the pattern envelope). I've never made a proper top before, but it was a really satisfying change from the dress after dress after dress approach I normally take to sewing. 

And here it is! 

I used a really lovely drapey cotton lawn from Abakhan. This pattern is so fabric saving! It took less than a metre to make up. 

I love both the pattern of the fabric and the pattern of the top. It was really quick to sew up, about two hours from start to finish, and I think the floral design is really pretty. Green is a colour I rarely wear but often feel I should wear more. 

I cut out a straight size 6 and it fits really nicely, just as well as any of my ready-to-wear tops. I've recently started wearing jeans a bit more often (I'm usually a dresses girl as you've probably noticed!), and I think this top will go really nicely with a lot of the pairs I own. 

Here is the back. There's a simple keyhole that fastens with a button to help get the top on and off. The facing that helps finish off the keyhole edges is so nifty! I will definitely be trying this technique again in the future. 

All in all, I am really happy with my new top and can't wait to sew up another version! 

I hope all is well with you all :) 

Beth x

A Tale of Two Tops

Hey guys! 

Today I want to talk colour palettes. Most sewers have one - what's yours? 

It's become apparent recently that I have two very clear, seasonal colour palettes. When sewing I think it's important to bear in mind which colours you wear most often, so that when choosing fabric and trims you don't get bewildered by the amount of choice available. This also helps in creating a cohesive wardrobe - if everything you make uses the same basic colour palette, everything in your wardrobe will match! 

For me, these two tops embody my colour palettes for winter and summer: 

Navy and white are my obvious go-to winter wardrobe colours. For summer, I tend to lean towards pink and white. 

To give an example of my colour palettes in action, here are a couple of dresses that I've been wearing this winter...

...and a couple of dresses which I hope to be wearing this coming summer. 

Now obviously not every piece in my wardrobe will fit into these exact colour schemes. Colours like red, purple, burgundy, black and green also make an appearance, but the overriding themes are certainly navy (winter) and pink (summer). This means that I've been able to build a real capsule wardrobe! 

To build your own colour palette have a look at your current wardrobe - are there any colours that stand out to you? When fabric or clothes shopping what colours do you naturally gravitate towards? Try picking two matching colours that you can build your wardrobe around, then add in other accent colours to add a bit more interest. 

I hope this helps! Thank you very much for reading, have a brilliant week all of you :) 

Beth x

Change

Hey guys, how's it going? 

Just a quick one today to show you all the evidence of my first haircut in three years! 

Yes! I got a fringe! 

At first I was a little dubious; my hairstyle (if you could call a straight middle parting a style) had been the same for soooo long, I didn't know if I'd suit anything different. But I have to say, I love it! I'm really glad I made the decision to have a proper haircut. 

I hope everyone has had a good week :) 

Beth x

I Made a Liberty Dress!

Guys! Guys! I made a Liberty dress! 

Months after buying some totally droolworthy Liberty poplin at an astonishingly expensive £25 a metre from their store in London, I've finally got round to sewing with it. 

Here is the finished result: 

Regular readers are sure to have noticed by now that I have a particular soft spot for the Sewaholic Cambie, which is the pattern I paired with this awesome floral fabric. 

This is my fifth Cambie, and I have to admit...three of those were practice tests for this one! They all went totally fine and are totally wearable, but I was so worried about wasting such expensive fabric I wanted to know the pattern inside out and back to front before making it up in Liberty. It's a good job I love the Cambie so much! 

At the moment it's still a bit chilly here in England so for now I'm wearing the dress with my cream tights and a red cardigan, but when summer arrives it'll be perfect with my gladiator sandals. 

The dress came together easily in the end, and I squeezed the dress out of as little fabric as possible so as to have enough left for another project - my mum suggests a matching bag! 

I made a straight Size 0 with no fitting issues, fully lining the entire thing (all my skirts/dresses have linings to avoid the whole sticking-to-tights issue). It is most definitely the most expensive thing I have made so far, taking the record off my Dragonfly Lilou, which you can see below. 

I really am a Liberty convert now, but how often I'll be able to sew with it in future depends on how much money is in my purse! It's certainly not a type of fabric that will be appearing on here regularly any time soon, but totally worth the occasional splurge. It cuts and sews so cleanly! I can't wait to try my hand at the tana lawn (I have a metre waiting to be sewn up into a Belcarra Blouse). 

I hope everyone is having a good week. I'll leave you with a photo of a pencil draught excluder I made for a friend... yes, he bet I couldn't make one! 

Thanks for reading, 

Beth x