My Sewing Mood-board - Autumn/Winter 2018

So knitting may be taking over my life right now, but I've still got my eye on some sewing plans now we're heading into a new season. I love sewing for Autumn and Winter, they are much more my seasons and I love layering up my me-mades. This year I'm hoping to tick off some sewing bucket list items like a faux fur leopard print coat, a polka dot denim jacket and some super snuggly pjs...

My Most Worn Make of the Summer!

Hi pinups! It feels like it's been ages since I last wrote a sewing pattern review. But if you follow me on social media or over on YouTube, you'll know I've been in a bit of a sewing funk this summer. No matter how many patterns I was lusting after, or fabric I bought, I just couldn't gather the enthusiasm to actually make anything. I touched on this in my last post HERE so I won't dwell on it now and we'll move on to this pattern review!


Every so often a pattern comes along that is an instant hit with me. That was simple to sew, easy to fit and fun & flattering to wear. That's pretty much all I'm looking for when it comes to sewing these days! I've been hooked on wrap dresses since last summer, and now I'm even more hooked on the jersey variety. So I'm currently on my quest to test out all the jersey wrap dress patterns I can find! The Simplicity 6301 will be hard to beat...

Here's a peek at the pattern:


There are some great variations with this pattern and it's a great pattern to start with if you're new to jersey wrap dresses. I used the body of A/B, you may notice I've used a different sleeve. Like I have before on a couple of makes, I pinched the Sew Over It 'Eve' dress sleeve (another favourite wrap dress pattern!). I'm obsessed with flutter sleeves, I don't know what it is about them! I think they balance out my larger bust, whilst also cover the tops of my arms which I can feel self conscious of. The combination worked perfectly!


This pattern was a great sew from start to finish. The fabric is one of my all time favourites, like a 1940s style ditsy floral tea dress print, I could wear prints like this forever and never get bored. The weight is perfect for this dress and it provides a lovely drape, whilst holding it's shape and isn't see-through.


The sewing process was also nice and simple. The bodice has a couple of darts/pleats to create the faux wrap, which I think is a nice design feature. I also like the added touch of binding around the neckband. I do have a bit of gaping, but it's nothing a safety pin won't fix and I'm very happy with the overall fit.


Thanks for reading, pinups!Abi xo

I never thought I'd see the day when I wrote a post about knitting, but here we are! I recently took the opportunity since becoming a Skillshare ambassador to finally learn how to knit following a simple scarf class - now I'm hooked! I've knitted in the past, in fact I created a brief at art college around knitting, making samples out of knitted copper wire, knitting with broomsticks & using a knitting machine. So I'm very familiar with garter stitch!


But after watching my mum create beautiful knitted garments pretty much monthly for as long as I can remember, I no longer just want to put in the odd cheeky cardigan request, and actually knit one myself. I also trawled Instagram for some cool knitting accounts and that was it, my knitting aspirations have gotten bigger and more ambitious by the day. And yes, I am still just knitting my first jumper *face palm*.


I raided my mum's knitting patterns and she had the Wool And The Gang 'Total Eclipse Sweater' in her stash. It's an 'easy' pattern with a body consisting of pretty much 2 squares, knitted all in garter stitch. Although whilst the WATG yarn looks beautiful, it's a little out of my beginners yarn budget so I settled on a budget yarn incase this was all just going to be an awful memory.

My supplies:

Pattern: Wool And The Gang 'Total Eclipse Sweater'

Yarn: Stylecraft Special Aran Yarn in 'Fondant'

Needles: 5mm Bamboo Needles



I've been knitting every evening for around a month now and it really has brought a lot to my life. I know it sounds silly, but it's really had a positive impact on my evenings. Instead of fiddling with my phone, or working on my laptop, I'm taking that time instead to knit and it's far more enjoyable. If I feel like my day hasn't been particularly productive or it's just been super stressful, taking the evenings to work on my knitting means I am being productive (however slow the process may be) and it relaxes my mind.

I've also been struggling with my sewing and motivation this summer, and finding knitting came at a great time for me where I felt guilty for not sewing and failing with my summer dressmaking. I finally had that rush of excitement again that comes with learning a new skill and the possibilities that come with it.

I've always enjoyed crafts and I've lost count of the creative subjects I've dipped my toe into (with varying success). But recently I've found myself without a hobby and I'm craving something creative to focus on in the evenings instead of working at my computer or watching TV. 

In July I attended my first workshop, creating a simple macrame wallhanging. It was something I had never tried before but loved the look of. I really enjoyed the class and even though I found it tricky at first, I soon got into a rhythm and started to enjoy watching my knotted mess come together. I came away feeling accomplished and excited to go away an finish my project ASAP. The time I spent cosy on the sofa concentrating on creating felt far better for my mental health than working on my laptop. Whilst my first attempt at macrame is a little rough around the edges, it's sparked something in me and now I want to try all the crafts!

So when Skillshare approached me about become an ambassador, it was almost a little spooky. Since discovering the online world of Skillshare, I feel so excited to fill my evenings with creativity and learning instead of my usual practice of TV or my phone.



Skillshare is an online community of students and teachers where you can access over 18,000 classes. They're kind of like Netflix or Spotify but for creative learning with subjects from photography,  business and blogging to sewing and all the crafts you can ever imagine!

Usually when you sign up to Skillshare Premium you get 1 month free, but when you sign up through me you get 2 MONTHS FREE! That's 2 totally free months and 100% access to all the classes on offer.

GET 2 FREE MONTHS OF SKILLSHARE WITH MY LINK - CLICK HERE!

I have already spent hours on Skillshare browsing all the classes and dipping my toe into lessons. I have put together a list of subjects I want to research, along with compiling my 'Saved Classes'  on my profile for ones I want to join!

Here's some of the business-type subjects I'll be delving into:

• Photography & editing on Lightroom & Photoshop
• How to use Illustrator
• Email marketing & e-commerce
• Blogging & blog design

There's lots more, but I'm still looking!


So things are about to get real crafty around here and I'll be sharing all my projects with you. Once you're signed up, you can also follow my Skillshare profile too to see which classes I'm a part of.

You can cancel your membership at any time, so if you just want to snap up your 2 FREE MONTHS of Skillshare, there's no commitment. Or if you want to continue learning, it's only £10 a month. But what I love about Skillshare is that your membership fee supports the teachers to be able to continue to create professional and engaging content, and it helps fund students in need on Skillshare's scholarship program. Other perks include absolutely no adverts and you can download your classes & watch them offline at any time!

GET 2 FREE MONTHS OF SKILLSHARE WITH MY LINK - CLICK HERE!

This is a partnership I feel really excited about and I hope you will be too! Working from home my work hours can run up until bed time, and after a while that routine really takes it toll on my mental health and can effect my sleep pattern. I love having a craft project to work on, it takes me away from screens and thinking about all the work I have to do (small business owners can relate - there's always so many things that need doing). Feeling productive, learning new skills and focusing my brain on something other than work really helps my mood and I'm excited to learn some new creative skills to improve aspects of my blog, business and life! And you can do it all from the sofa - heaven.

What would you like to learn on Skillshare? I'm off to buy a loom!

Thanks for reading, pinups!
Abi xo

Minerva Craft Blogger Network: Sew Over It - 1940s Wrap Dress

Hi pinups! This vintage style Sew Over It pattern has been on my to-sew list for a while so once again I'm using the wonderful Minerva Craft Blogger Network as an excuse/reason to actually make it! I did wonder if the pattern might be a bit formal for me, or look to much like work wear, so I made sure to choose a bold, colourful fabric in hopes to make it a little more stylish and modern.

SMYLY 'Abi' Jumpsuit & An Honest Talk About Body Image

What an absolute honour to have a sewing pattern named after me! Before I get in to today's exciting new pattern release I wanted to start things slightly differently.

Everyone has their battles that they don't share online and I'm no different. So when the lovely ladies of new sewing magazine & pattern company 'Sewing Makes You Love Yourself' asked if they could use me as inspiration for their next pattern and name it after me, I didn't know if I was going to be a good fit for their brand.

Mental health and body image/confidence has been a big part of my entire life. Which I know may seem odd as I film YouTube videos and post pictures of myself online. But this is something I have control over, but come at me with a camera in any other situation and I'll be having an internal breakdown. I can't stand conversations about appearances or weight, as they bring up a whole lot of feelings I battle against every day and as I write this post I feel uncomfortable and find it near impossible to voice my feelings on the subject. Whilst I don't want to get into the nitty gritty of my own story, I hope you're getting the gist...

So initially this opportunity made me feel a little scared. Whilst sewing has brought a lot to my life and introduced me to a wonderful online community of creative women, its also forced to address some things about my body I would probably rather ignore. But I hope I can just spread the message that no matter what people are posting online or how confident they make look, everyone is battling something and you're never getting the whole picture. I'm not ashamed to say that I do share the best bits online. I have no intention of sharing anything else! But for me, I can look at my Instagram account for example and feel proud of myself and what I've achieved and that even though I have a world of insecurities about myself, I'm battling them, putting myself out there regardless and I couldn't have done that if it wasn't for sewing.


So with that being said, you guys know that no sewing pattern makes me happier than something easy, quick and comfy. The SMYLY 'Abi' jumpsuit is a dream! And I swear I'm not just saying that because my names on it!


Firstly the whole sewing process of this jumpsuit is so simple and straight forward which, the instructions the SMYLY girls have put together are easy to follow and well laid out. It also comes together pretty quickly too.


If you've watched my latest vlogs, you'll know I've been sewing jumpsuits all over the place, with varied success. Knowing this one is all jersey and nice & stretchy, I hoped fitting this style would be as simple and straight forward as the sewing. Luckily it was! I cut out the size 12 and made no alterations. The jersey fabrics allows for a comfortable fit across my bust and hips, but most importantly when it comes to jumpsuits, this is SO easy to get in and out of (I'm looking at you Simplicity 8608 grrrr).


Can we just take a moment to obsess over this fabric? I don't know what came over me, and even I can't tell you what my style and taste actually is, but I know I needed this fabric. I love prints with a darker background as I find them personally more wearable and I feel less self conscious in them. I love this fabric and sewing pattern together!


Sewing Summary:


Fabric: Icons Jersey Fabric

Sewing time: A couple of hours.

Modifications: None!

Fit: Spot on.

Difficulty: Easy, great for beginners! 

Watch out for: Finishing your jersey seams, I used an overlocker for mine.

Make Again?: Hell yes! I want to make a black & white polka dot one next.


Overall, the Abi jumpsuit (still so weird to type!) is everything I love in a sewing pattern, especially with my current changing style I'm certainly gravitating more towards comfortable, simple projects. I think this pattern would be great for beginners or those new to sewing jersey. I also think if you aren't confident sewing trousers, like me, something like this jersey jumpsuit is a great way to test the waters. The fit is pretty easy because of the stretch and the style, it's like wearing pjs!



Thank you so much to the lovely ladies Athina and Hattie for involving me in their venture, it's a honour to be a part of it. Whether you can say sewing makes you love yourself or whether you're on that journey like me,  we can surely agree that sewing is a wonderful creative hobby to have and no matter your age, ability or style, there's something for you.

Thanks for reading, pinups!
Abi xo

Minerva Crafts Blogger Network: Simplicity 8608 Ruffle Wrap Dress

Pattern: Simplicity 8608
Notions: Elastic for the waist (which I ended up skipping).

Sewing time: A day.

Modifications: No elasticated waist, plus a couple of mistakes...

Fit: Good!

Watch out for: A lot! Mentioned in my review.

Make Again?: Yes, but with some changes.
If you'd like to see everything I've made so far for the Minerva Craft Blogger Network, you can view my profile HERE.