#jumpingintojune

Happy June everyone!

About a month ago in early May, I signed up as a participant of Jumping into June, a challenge hosted by Handmade by Chris. The basic aim was to sew a jumpsuit to celebrate the arrival of June and (hopefully!) some summer weather. 

For my jumpsuit, I chose Holly from BHL, and chose Version 1 with the shorts in the hopes it would speed up the appearance of some sun! 

Here it is! My very own Holly. I chose to centre my jumpsuit around nice, bright colours, so went with a colour scheme of turquoise and orange, which has always been one of my favourite combinations. 

 

I cut the sleeve cuffs out of a plain orange cotton, which matches the orange flowers of the main print perfectly. There are seven turquoise buttons down the front, with lurrrvely buttonholes completed on my new digital machine! 

 

There were quite a few fitting issues with this jumpsuit, but surprisingly not with the shorts! I stupidly ended up sewing the bodice waaay too small and ended up unpicking virtually the whole thing to let out the side seams and decrease the darts to give more ease around the waist. Afterwards, I remeasured myself just to check, as the size I cut usually fits perfectly. My measurements haven't changed in the slightest though, so I guess this pattern just runs small. Luckily, I didn't give up on it and I'm happy with the finished result! 

Here are some photos I took of me jumping into June! 

 

Have you got any summer sewing projects on the go? I'd love to see! 

Have a great week everyone, 

Beth x

Me-Made-May 2015, Days 26-31

Hey everyone!

It is the last day of May 2015 which means that this year's #mmmay challenge is drawing to a close, but I still have a few documentation photos left to post...

Day 26: Sewaholic Cambie and Colette Astoria

I'm sorry for the awful photograph! You can tell I'm getting lazy at the documentation as the month draws to a close, but at least I have given my Me-Mades the love they deserve, which is really what this challenge is all about. This was just worn for a trip into town with my mum, where I picked up some fabric for a By Hand London Holly Jumpsuit...more on that tomorrow ;) 

Day 27: Sewaholic Belcarra

Yes, I'm wearing my Belcarra blouse again! Sorry not sorry. It's so easy to just throw on with jeans but still feel nice in. Inspired by the beautiful Klara from The Robot That Had a Heart, I also bought a denim jacket this week...thoughts? I wasn't sure of how to style it at first, but the look is definitely growing on me. This outfit was worn out to Shrewsbury for a great day out shopping with my mum and a family friend. 

Day 28: Sewaholic Belcarra and Self Drafted Skirt 

I really love this skirt; even though it was one of my earliest makes, it does still get worn. Nothing new to say on the Belcarra, these blouses are becoming my wardrobe staples. I wore this outfit to see a friend and go into town. 

Day 29: Sewaholic Belcarra

...ok, nothing new to say here, I'll admit. I wore this to go out and pick up some paint for brightening up our garden ornaments with my dad, then to go food shopping with him as well.

Day 30: Lisette 1419 

I call this my Mustard Sunflowers dress...the skirt is unbelievably gathered, I think there's about two metres of fabric tied up in there. Obviously it is FANTASTICALLY swing-y, which is great. I spent all this day sewing on my lovely new digital machine...more on that soon so stay posted! 

Day 31: By Hand London Anna and Colette Astoria

An outfit which is quickly becoming a favourite of mine, I always feel great and well turned out in this. Today was spent sewing, cooking a bean chilli and spending time with my boyfriend. 

Wooooop! Challenge complete! 

Have you enjoyed Me-Made-May? Did you manage to complete your pledge? It's lovely seeing handmade garments getting all this attention, isn't it? 

I'll be back soon with some concluding thoughts on this year's challenge. Until then, thank you so much for reading, and have a brilliant week. 

Beth x

Me-Made-May 2015, Days 21-25

Hello everyone! 

Today is the second to last installment of my Me-Made-May documentation photos! This month has been a lot of fun, but...*whispers guiltily*...I bought a new ready to wear top last week and am really looking forward to wearing it with my jeans! 

Day 21: Sewaholic Belcarra (3) 

A week of repeats I'm afraid! This is my third version of the Belcarra, worn to my final exam of the year (woop). 

Day 22: Sewaholic Renfrew Dress

Now I promise I did wear this on Day 22, when I was still at uni, but the photo was taken a couple of days later when I got home, as I was quite busy and never got round to it at the time of wearing! Sorry about that. This was worn out to lunch with a couple of friends and then to hang around packing up my room. 

Day 23: By Hand London Anna (3) and Colette Astoria (1)

A familiar outfit by now I know, but so comfy and, I think, quite flattering. This was worn to travel back from uni and then to do some gardening with my dad which was nice. 

Day 24: Sewaholic Belcarra (1) 

One of my favourite outfits of the month! I love the Belcarra, since making my first it has become a real wardrobe staple. As you can see, I am not in my room - I spent the day at my boyfriends where we had planned to watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but realising the DVD was missing watched the Extras disk instead...don't, it is boring! 

Day 25: Sewaholic Becarra (2) 

I know, three Belcarras in a week is quite a few, but at least I know what I like! I spent today at a Forties Weekend at the East Lancashire Railway near Manchester, a preserved line which often holds special events. I had planned to dress the part but what with exam revision and travelling back and forth from uni I never quite got round to making anything appropriate. Still, I had a fantastic day, got to travel behind some gorgeous steam engines and picked up another vintage pattern for a skirt, blouse and waistcoat from 1963! 

So, there we have it! I hope you all have a fantastic week everybody and that your Me-Made-May challenge (if you are taking part) is going well. 

Thanks for reading, 

Beth x

Summer

Hey guys! How are you all? 

As you all probably know by now, I'm a uni student, which means that my days are mostly filled with a lot of watching Netflix, the occasional lecture and some essay writing. However, with my final exam of the year completed yesterday, I've officially finished my first year at uni! 

For those of you who don't know, I should probably point out at this point that whoever plans university timetables is extremely lazy. I now have a four month summer holiday stretching out in front of me and no ideas for how to fill the time! Any suggestions?

I've applied for a job in Fat Face (international readers - that's a clothes shop we have over here, I'm not just randomly throwing in insults!) but I'm not guaranteed to get it so fingers crossed. I'm also planning to take a trip down to London with two friends from my course, start cycling in an effort to get a bit fitter and of course...lots of sewing! 

My sewing plans are pretty vague at the moment. I'm hoping to get my first pair of trousers made, and make a start on all my lovely By Hand London patterns - I have Elisalex, Holly, Flora and Kim. I've also recently been asked to be a godmother which I am really excited about, so I would love to sew my new god-daughter some clothes as well, maybe as part of her christening present. 

I started out my four months of freedom by going out with some friends yesterday (I'm still living in halls until Saturday), and had a really lovely time. Not wanting to drink myself, I was able to watch in amusement as everyone else's inhibitions were slowly lowered. I stayed out to make sure my flatmate Medi got home safely, and then we rounded off the night by watching Pride and Prejudice as she sobered up! All in all, a really nice way to end my first year. 

If you have any suggestions for what I can do with the inordinate amount of time I now have on my hands for my summer holidays, please do leave a comment below! 

Have a lovely rest of your week and thank you for reading.

Beth x

P.S. I've just been reminded by a reader that I forgot to keep you up to date with my change in summer arrangements! I mentioned in a previous post that I had been given a job in a hotel on the Isles of Scilly from June-August. However, when I went for a trial run over the Easter holidays, I encountered some difficulties with the management and accommodation, so decided I would be better off looking for a job I would enjoy more closer to home :) 

Me-Made-May 2015, Days 16-20

Hey everyone!

I'm back with the fourth installment of this year's Me-Made-May challenge. 

Day 16: Sewaholic Renfrew Dress

This dress is so comfy! This is one of my favourite outfits of the month so far. I wore it to go into town and pick up my new prescription sunglasses! 

Day 17: Sewaholic Belcarra (2)

This is my second version of the Sewaholic Belcarra Blouse, which is rapidly turning into a favourite pattern of mine. You can see a slight change of background to usual in this photo as I was not at home when it was taken, but at my boyfriend's house. What you can see here is the inside of his very messy bedroom! 

Day 18: By Hand London Anna (2) and Colette Astoria (2) 

My first repeat outfit! I was having a lazy day and have to admit I didn't even get changed out of my pyjamas until after lunch. Most of this day was spent revising and watching Friends, though not at the same time! 

Day 19: Sewaholic Belcarra (3) 

Yes indeed, this is my third version of the Belcarra Blouse! I've already started to act on my wardrobe gaps and have been using my time at home to sew up some new tops. This was worn to do some revision, watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and go to my boyfriend's house for tea. 

Day 20: Lisette 1419

I love this dress, it's always been one of my favourites. Today was mostly spent doing some last minute revision before my exam tomorrow, watching more episodes of Friends than I care to count, doing a bit of knitting (I knit the sleeves of my cardigan waaay too big and have unravelled them to start again), and then to travel back to uni. Not a bad day! 

I hope these documentation posts aren't getting too boring! At any rate, you get to see how I incorporate my me-mades into my every day wardrobe. 

How is your Me-Made-May going? Are you participating this year? 

Beth x

Destiny!

Hey guys! 

As you've probably noticed by now, I wear glasses pretty much all the time. My eyesight is pretty shocking so the only thing I don't actually need them for is reading close up. This year, though, I've been able to get prescription sunglasses for the first time! 

Don't laugh! When I showed my boyfriend he teased me, 'The 1960's called, they want their sunglasses back.' Despite this, I'm just glad I don't have to spend yet another summer with a permanent squint! 

When I picked them up from the optician's, they were given to me in this case: 

The print looked vaguely familiar, so I googled the designer Orla Kiely...turns out they make fabric! Destiny. Now I'm just deciding how nerdy it would be to have a summer dress that matched my sunglasses...hey, it could even be a 60's shift dress! 

Has anything like this ever happened to you? 

Beth x 

And Now For Something Completely Different

I know that this is primarily a sewing blog, but today I wanted to talk about another issue which is close to my heart - feminism.

For too many, feminism has become a cause people are reluctant to identify with as the word has become associated with crazy, bra burning, man hating women. However, it must be made known that these women are not feminists. 

By definition, feminism is the advocacy of gender equality - politically, socially, economically, culturally. That's it, as simple as that. Gender equality. 

I have friends at uni who are very reluctant to admit to being feminists, in case they get mocked by our male friends or because they don't want to be seen identifying with a cause so many have begun to disassociate themselves from. This, in my opinion, is a clear sign that although women's rights have moved on somewhat since the time of the suffragettes, we still have a long way to go to reach true gender equality. In my eyes, the answer to the question 'Are you a feminist?' is a simple one. Yes. Of course I believe in equality for the sexes - and that does not just go for women, but for men as well. 

It seems clear to me that men are just as restrained by gender roles as women, and it's time we broke down those barriers. Males should be able to feel as though they can cry, to express emotion, to ask for help, to report abuse just as freely as women can. As Emma Watson pointed out in a recent interview on International Women's Day, to cry is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of humanity. You can watch her interview here, or listen to the He for She campaign speech made at the United Nations last year here; both truly inspired me.

For many women, myself included, the fight for gender equality is not so much to do with ourselves, but for others. I have the privilege of being part of a family who appreciate me no less because I was born a girl, I have been to primary school, high school, sixth form and now university. When I get a job one day, I hope to be paid the same as my male counterparts. However, for some women around the world, this is not the case. Males are still valued above them, but we need to give these women a chance for their voices to be heard too, for they have just as much to say.

Do you believe in gender equality? Because if so, you're a feminist, and this shouldn't be something to feel ashamed of. Embrace it, and remember:

 

As always, thanks for reading,

 

Beth x