#thelittlereddressproject 2017 - By Hand London Alix dress

Last year my little red dress project took a little longer than I had planned, and only appeared on the blog in February! This year I've been a bit more organised and have one ready for the reveal date, although I feel it is a mixed success. This is a perfect example of when everything goes right, but somehow ends up wrong.........

#sewmystyle 2018 launching!

I've had a few messages asking if I'm continuing the #wardrobebuilder next year. Initially I planned for it to last for one year, and I am going to leave it as a 2017 project because I feel it has come to a natural end. It's been great fun; I've loved finding inspiration from the sewing community, and discovering more about how to make my handmade wardrobe successful. However, it is quite lonely, and I wanted to spend more time in 2018 getting involved on other projects..... and then Jessica Lorraine put out a call for leaders to get involved in the 2018 #sewmystyle. I have found having a monthly project really helpful in focusing my sewing and making it more purposeful, so tossed my hat in the ring to join in .................

Deer and Doe Belladone dress in Scuba fabric

I am now officially sorted for New Year's Eve (well, what I'm wearing, nowhere booked yet). I have had the Belladone pattern cut out and ready to sew with since June....the only problem was I couldn't find the right fabric for it. Really, I wanted what was on the model on the Deer and Doe website, but haven't found anything close to it. Everything I did find that I thought might have enough structure for the skirt looked like I would be wearing a pair of curtains. That was until I was window shopping in a high end high street retailer, and noticed that a lot of their skater dresses were stretch fabrics....and of course I thought...'I'm not going to buy that, I can make it!'

Named Sloane Sweatshirt in Atelier Brunette dazzle French terry

This is already my favourite make of this season....it's so comfortable and I've hardly taken it off since it was finished! This fabric is gorgeous and perfectly suited to the Sloane. I knew a while ago I wanted more tops that I could wear in the cold weather, but not necessarily too casual. The Sloane sweatshirt has some shaping through the use of darts, straight set sleeves, along with neck, cuff and hip bands. The pairing of this pattern and fabric has left me with a secretly comfortable top that looks fabulous. You can see how much I love it in these photos!

the #wardrobebuilder project - Party Dresses

It's the last month of the 2017 #wardrobebuilder project, and I'm super excited about this month's theme. Party dresses are my absolute, most favouritest ever, things to make. I love finding patterns and fabrics for them as well as the making process itself. These are the makes that I like to take time on and try to achieve a polished finish. If I'm going to toile anything it will be one of these!

Threadcount Suit Jacket - finally a matching set!

Though I'm posting this for the #wardrobebuilder project, I have to admit that this was started over 18 months ago! I started it in Feb 2016, managed to mainly complete it this Easter, and finally hemmed it this month. It was intended to pair with the Megan dress that I made from Love at First Stitch as an outfit for work....and that is exactly what I have been doing with it!

Sew Over It Alex shirt and Seamwork Astoria...again! Tried and True....

November's #sewcialists theme is all about Tried and True (TNT) patterns. I don't make second versions of a lot of my makes, partly because I'm trying to keep up with the #wardrobebuilder project, and partly because I have too many ideas in my make list! That said, I have found that there are a few patterns that have made themselves into the repeat list - two of which are brand new makes today. Often I alter the pattern a little from the previous make to suit a new purpose, or from lessons learned after wearing. Here are my top TNTs...

Camel coloured Burda 6736 Coat

After looking around at lots of patterns for coats I finally settled on the Burda 6736. It has a simple shape that I felt wouldn't be too tricky for my first coat project and would look good with skinny jeans. It really was a simple coat to construct because it also doesn't require a complicated collar......and I loved working with wool for this coat.

the #wardrobebuilder project - Coats and Jackets

This one is definitely more challenging than some of the other #wardrobebuilder themes, but I'm looking forward to getting stuck into a larger project. There are some amazing coat and jacket patterns out there just itching to add themselves to our handmade wardrobes! I have a feeling that taking on a coat project has the potential to feel like going down the rabbit hole in terms of fabrics, notions and new techniques....let's see!

Beginner's baby quilt

A slight deviation from my usual dressmaking focused sewing this week! Our boy heavy family has been eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new baby girl, and as a gift from her loving auntie, I decided to attempt to make her a quilt. I have never made a quilt before, so used all my Internet research skills to figure out how to put my sewing skills to a new use. (It didn't turn out too bad at all!)

An Interview on Vintage Dressmaking with The Crafty Pinup

As it's Vintage month on the #wardrobebuilder project, I could think of no more appropriate interview on vintage dressmaking than one with Abi aka The Crafty Pinup. She is Simplicity's Vintage Ambassador and the designer behind 'My Retro Closet'. I particularly love her You Tube channel, and when I asked who your favourite sewing bloggers and vloggers were, a lot of you were fans too. To help us out with our #wardrobebuilder makes this month, she took the time to tell us a bit about her thoughts on 'sewing vintage'....

Amelie Tuck Blouse by Til The Sun Goes Down

Til The Sun Goes Down have a huge range of vintage fabrics and patterns in their online store, and they are offering this pairing to one lucky winner. Some are original pieces and others are vintage inspired modern productions....they are all fabulous! Seeing as October is Vintage month on the #wardrobebuilder project, they kindly let me find out what their patterns and fabrics were like for myself with the Amelie Tuck Blouse. This was the perfect project for my #wardrobebuilder garment. It's easy to head straight for a dress when thinking of vintage, but this blouse can work with so many other pieces and has a very feminine style because of its 1930's inspiration.

the #wardrobeuilder project - Vintage plus pattern and fabric kit giveaway

There is a definite trend and appreciation within the sewing community for vintage styles. Not everybody is into sewing vintage, but I do think there is a wide spectrum of involvement that you can engage with to incorporate this into your wardrobe. Whether this is creating clothes using vintage patterns and fabrics or taking inspiration from previous eras into design choices, this can definitely be a part of a handmade wardrobe. So, this month I'll be looking at vintage inspired patterns a well as originals. Anything goes in the link up so add anything that you think counts as vintage! This month's giveaway is from 'Til The Sun Goes Down' and features a beautiful pattern and fabric bundle to get your vintage sewing fix going.

'Love at First Stitch' book review

Regular readers will be familiar with my reviews of online classes, but as my sewing library expands I realise how handy it would have been to have a little more detail to hand before I bought some of my books. This is the first of one of my more in depth book reviews where you'll hopefully see what projects are like to make as well as what is in the book and who it might be suitable for.

If you are brand new to sewing or want a handy reference book for your essential techniques, then 'Love at First Stitch' by Tilly Walnes is a great place to start. It's perfect for complete beginners, but also has some great patterns in there for anyone with more developed skills. I know this book has been out for a while, and there are quite a lot of reviews, but it's always new to someone....

Visiting New York City for the first time....part 2

Welcome to part two of the essential guide to visiting New York City for first timers. This week is about getting the most out of those iconic sights that you just have to see in NYC...what to book, how to plan your trip and how to save a little cash too. You can find travel, food and other money saving tips in part one here.

#wardrobebuilder Trousers - taking an online class

So far I've been nervous about taking on trousers. I tried making jeans earlier in the year and was pretty pleased with how those turned out but thought that trousers might require more skills in terms of adjusting for fit. That's why I signed up to the Sew Over It Ultimate Guide to Sewing and Fitting Trousers Online Class. The class comes with two sewing patterns, videos and a whole suite of fitting guides to help perfect your trousers. Such a useful class!

the #wardrobebuilder project - Trousers

Every wardrobe needs a good pair of trousers! For me, they are usually plain so that I can pair them with patterned tops, and often reside in my workwear section. However, this month I'm turning my sights to the casual end of my wardrobe and thinking beyond classic tailored trousers to cropped capris and activewear....they won't fit in anywhere else on the #wardrobebuilder schedule so I'd better take advantage of this month! Will I be able to fit a pair of trousers properly? I have a feeling they will be trickier than the dresses I usually sew!

3 Michelin starred lunch at restaurant Alain Ducasse, The Dorchester

 ©Pierre Monetta

When I booked this lunch I didn't realise it was for a 3 michelin starred restaurant! I had an inkling there might be one given the location and name attached to the restaurant. I always look on Bookatable for deals which appeal and liked the lunch offer here - 3 courses plus two glasses of wine and tea/coffee and a bottle of water for £65. I know £65 sounds pretty steep for lunch, but considering there is wine included in that I thought it moved more into 'reasonable'....you could easily spend this on a champagne afternoon tea. I have to say we were very impressed with the quality and quantity of food. If you think 3 michelin stars means you get tiny morsels, then you would be wrong in this case!

Tilly and the Buttons Lilou dress

I know I'm meant to be focusing on nightwear this month, but I enjoyed the summer dresses #wardrobebuilder theme so much I made more than I could blog about in one month! The Lilou dress is from Tilly and the Buttons Love at First Stitch. I've been toying with the idea for this dress for a while, having the fabric and the pattern to hand then found the perfect accessory during a massive wardrobe clear out. I discovered a lot of pretty features to this dress that really make it a wardrobe staple.

Tilly and the Buttons Fifi pyjamas in Liberty print

Seeing as this month's special offer is for the Fifi pattern, I felt I really had to have a go! I've always liked this cami set but never really got past all the dresses to properly look into it. That's why I'm particularly glad that this month's #wardrobebuilder project is sleepwear! This set is made up of shorts with a delicate camisole top and is a fun make. Working on intricate details requires some slightly more advanced skills, but is also incredibly satisfying. It's been one of my most enjoyable projects to date. Today's photos are modelled on Lady Penelope (my dressform) for obvious reasons!

Luxurious Liberty Pyjamas

Confession - I actually made these a while ago and never shared them on the blog. Seeing as the #wardrobebuilder doesn't have to be all about new makes I think it's totally okay to share them now!

* * *

Inspired by an email full of beautiful Liberty nightwear I decided to have a go at creating my own. I already had a beautiful Liberty cotton lawn sitting in my fabric stash and a pattern that could be customised to emulate the real deal.  I had just attended a class on buttonholes and piping so this seemed like the ideal project to test these skills out on. Really, how hard could it be to add some piping? For me, very. That said, I have ended up with one of my most prized clothing items ever, at a fraction of the cost that it would be to buy ready to wear pyjamas.

the #wardrobebuilder project - nightwear

Will this be the comfiest month of the #wardrobebuilder project? Does everyone love cosying up and chilling out in their pyjamas? or are you a seamstress who loves a little more luxe in your nightwear? This month it's all about pyjamas, slips, dressing robes and beautiful boudoir sets. There's a special discount from Tilly and the Buttons on the Fifi pattern, and another discount from Sew Essential so you can buy the perfect fabric for your makes.

The Orla affair

July was all about summer dresses here at the petite passions because of the #wardrobebuilder project. It was also the month of 'the Orla affair', hosted by Maddie Made This, Maker Style, Anna-Zoe and (my favourite sewing blogger) Allie J. The idea was incredibly simple - take one free downloadable pattern and invite everyone's take on it. I loved seeing everyone else's creations and managed to squeeze in my own Orla hack....

When sewing gets sticky - problem solvers

Yes, weirdly there are times when a needle and thread won't cut it on their own. I thought a sewing machine was all I would be needing when I started dressmaking....and then I discovered fabrics didn't always behave themselves! Here's a few of my 'get out of jail' finds that have made life a lot easier for me. If you've got some add them in the comments...the more advice the better!

Sew Over It Eve Dress

I have been waiting to get my hands on this pattern for so long! Sew Over It schedule their patterns as classes and then eventually bring them to wider scale production as patterns or pdfs. I saw this dress over a year ago and have been patiently waiting for it to be available. I was so excited I even went to the release party in April! And then...waiting a little longer to keep in theme with the #wardrobebuilder project. It's totally been worth the wait.

La Maison Victor lands in the UK

It's the last day of the UK leg of the blogger tour celebrating the launch of the English language version of La Maison Victor magazine....and I'm hosting today! Previously La Maison Victor has only been available in Belgium, France, Holland and Germany, but now we can get hold of it in the UK, USA and Australia. I was sent a copy of the magazine to review and used the Malia top pattern to create a floaty summer maxi dress ready for the holidays. Having given all of La Maison Victor (in print and online) a good old look, I think it's really exciting that we can get our hands on an English language version now.

Top summer dress sewing patterns for beginners

This post first appeared as a guest post on the Penguin and Pear dressmaking blog. I throughly recommend that you check it out!

Now that the sun is finally present a little more, and as the holiday season really gets underway, it is the perfect time to put together a cute summer dress. If you are a more experienced sewer looking for a quick make, or a beginner looking for a pattern that is easy to understand and assemble then this is the top 5 for you! Plenty of these have found their way on to my dressmaking Pinterest board as there are so many awesome variations already out there for inspiration!

The #wardrobebuilder project - Summer dresses with a Splendid Stitch voucher to be won!

As a dressmaker who is addicted to sewing dresses particularly, I have been really looking forward to this month. Summery dresses are my favourite patterns and I have a cupboard full of them, waiting to be made. This month there's also a brilliant giveaway from The Splendid Stitch - a £20 voucher to spend in their online store. They've just moved and are going to have some fabulous summer fabrics coming!

My June #wardrobebuilder makes - a trio of vests

I was determined to use a free pattern for this month’s #wardrobebuilder project. If you look around you can find a couple of vests and camis available to download. Given that Colette have recently re-released their Sorbetto, I thought I would give this one a try. Whilst looking around on their site I also dipped into a couple of Seamwork patterns. I do subscribe to the magazine so used some of my credits for the Aurora tank and the Gretta vest. I've ended up with three quite different tops....read on to find out more about each of them. (Be warned, it's a long post!)

Visiting New York City for the first time....part 1

If you are planning your first trip to New York City you need to read this! Although we were able to plan quite a lot ahead, there were things we discovered along the way that would have been helpful to know to start with. In this two part post I'll guide you through what went well and what could've gone better for us so that you can smash your first visit.

The #wardrobebuilder project - Vests, shorts and playsuits

What was I thinking back in January?! Each of these should have their own month! I think I was of the opinion then that I might not need something from each of these categories, but that at this time of year many of us are planning to make at least one of these for the summer.

#wardrobebuilder skirt 3 - the Delphine

Another lined skirt! Actually this is an older make - one of my first and one I posted a very long time

ago. However, I never really reviewed the pattern properly, or took photos. Whilst looking at skirts for the #wardrobebuilder I returned to this one and it really is quite a solid pattern!

#wardrobebuilder skirt 2 - Clemence skirt

My first skirt for this project was a mixed success. I think it turned out really well, but I'm not totally convinced it will be something that I will wear very often (which is the point of the project!). So I've had a look around and come up with a second project - the Clemence skirt from Tilly and the Buttons' book 'Love at First Stitch'. This is a 'no pattern' skirt that you can make just using your measurements, and is quite a quick make. I'm glad I did because I think this skirt will get a lot of regular wear in the summer.

#wardrobebuilder Skirt number 1 - Lined Pencil Skirt

This month I have really struggled to choose what to make. I have looked at so many patterns but haven't been able to really choose something I could wear a lot. I do wear a few pencil skirts for work, so this is my attempt at making a pencil skirt for non-work wear.

Feast on London Lunch at the Landmark hotel

Throughout April there have been some fabulous deals if you are looking to eat out in London. Most take the form of a set menu with a cocktail or glass of bubbles for a good price. We happened to have an evening event planned in the middle of April so I had a look around on Bookatable for something that would guarantee a good meal. One of our party has a fairly limited choice available so we looked at lot and lots of menus and found that the one offered by the Landmark suited us all.

The #wardrobebuilder project - Skirts with a free pattern bundle from Sew Over It

I included skirts in the #wardrobebuilder project back in January because I thought they are a key separate. However, now I look at my wardrobe I can see that I hardly wear them. So this month I am going to experiment with a few different skirt shapes to discover if there is more of a place for them in my collection.



This month there is also an awesome Sew Over It pattern bundle to be won. One lucky reader can win a Sew Over It Ultimate Pencil Skirt along with two patterns of their choice. To be in with a chance of winning this pattern bundle all you need to do is link up on social media! This month if you tweet about the project and follow on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest then you could win this brilliant package.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Skirts I really want to add to my wardrobe this year

Burda 6880 - I love the floaty nature of this skirt. I have to admit I'm also wishing that I could style this just like the pattern envelope! (first picture above)
Vanessa Pouzet Fatale Sister skirt - This pencil skirt has a zip along the entire length of the centre back (middle picture above), tres chic!
Hot Patterns 1132 Deco Vibe Deceptively Skinny patchwork skirt
Clemence skirt from Tilly and the Buttons' Love at First Stitch
Named Patterns also have quite a few skirt patterns that I particularly like. Unfortunately not all of them are available anymore! However, I like the slim and sleek look of the skirts here.
I'm also interested in finding out more about using a knit fabric for a simple skirt. I'm combing through my sewing magazines which have some tutorials so if I do make something successful with these I will share!

Fabrics I'm loving right now for this project

So, I'm still trying to work through my fabric stash so I've got a linen lined up that would look beautiful in a pencil skirt. 

Other than that I'm not so sure.....denims and chambrays work well for casual skirts. There are also a lot of medium weight cottons that normally aren't appropriate for the dresses I like to make that will be fine for skirts.

I've also been looking more at thicker knit fabrics such as ponte roma and scuba for a pencil or tulip style of skirt.

I have a feeling this is going to be a tricky month for me! Please add your makes to the link up and to Pinterest - I need your ideas!

An InLinkz Link-up

One entry that was a little later than the link up close was this skirt from the Seamracer blog. Still worth checking out!

Floral chiffon Alex shirt dress from Sew Over It My Capsule Wardrobe: City Break ebook

My second dress for this month's #wardrobebuilder took a lot longer to make than my first, but was definitely worth the effort. I've had this fabric sitting and waiting to be used for a while, not being able to decide on a project. Do you ever have a fabric that you love so much you can't bear to cut into it? This was one of those. All I needed was some inspiration which I found in ready to wear fashions.
I had seen floral chiffon dresses online and in stores that I liked the look of, and in typical dressmaker's style thought to myself 'I can make that!'. So, I've made myself a dress for a summer's evening - perhaps I'm wanderlusting for a holiday and some balmy evenings after a sunny day? As I was making this the Shirt Dress Challenge was also launched so this is my submission for that too!

Beginner's guide to sewing your first dress

Thinking of making your first dress but not sure where to start? This post is for you!

'How do I make a dress?' ranks pretty high in sewing questions asked on Google because it's often the aspirational starting point for those taking up sewing and garment making. It can seem somewhat daunting at first but there are some simple choices that will help lead to a successful first project. Knowing what to pick appears obvious to most people, but it didn't to me as a beginner. I had literally no clue about what to pick for my fabrics and it's taken a while to understand what will really work. These are the main questions I had that made a difference and can help get you going quickly towards successful first dressmaking projects.

Alex Shirt from Sew Over It My Capsule Wardrobe: City Break eBook

As you all know I'm a Sew Over It addict. Last year I bought the My Capsule Wardrobe: City Break eBook and have made a Molly top, a Molly dress and a pair of Mia jeans. I did want to make an Alex shirt for my February #wardrobebuilder, but never was able to get around to it then, but had a lovely weekend of sewing that meant I could really get on with this long awaited project. This is also a toile of sorts as I'm hoping to make a shirt dress for April's #wardrobebuilder too.

If it's good enough for Kate Moss...#wardrobebuilder Day Dress

As I said in the monthly #wardrobebuilder feature post, I was already pretty set on the Day Dress pattern by The Avid Seamstress for at least one of this month's make. I could see that I would be able to make either an evening dress with sleeves or a nice work dress from this pattern, depending on fabric choices. It has a fitted bodice, short sleeves and a gathered skirt with pockets. I suppose that in the end I've created something that actually could do both evening and work wear, but I'm intending to keep this Day Dress for evenings.

The #wardrobebuilder project - Dresses with a pattern giveaway!

I think dresses are my favourite sewing project. I am constantly drawn to fabrics and patterns that I think will look fabulous as a dress. However, I don't end up wearing them very often. In fact I have made dresses that have almost, or actually, never been worn. I even swore to Rachael (my fellow sewing addict) that I would leave off them for a while, such is my addiction! For me, the challenge this month is to make dresses that I will wear, and that fill a gap in my wardrobe, rather than be guided just by what I want to create.

(Notice 'dresses not 'dress'. Taking full advantage of this month's theme to indulge).

Mid Rise Skinny Ginger Jeans in Black; March's #wardrobuilder part 2

Last week I posted my progress on my project for this month's #wardrobebuilder. It's not often that I spread my make over two posts, but it seemed appropriate given the amount of prep work that was going into trying to make sure that these jeans turned out really well. You can also see that I've been heavily researching successful jeans making from my '5 tips for sewing your first pair of jeans'. I've been taking it slow and steady and am pretty pleased with what I've ended up with now.

Mid Rise Ginger Skinny Jeans for March's #wardrobebuilder: Part 1

For March's #wardrobebuilder I set myself the challenge of making a pair of jeans. There really are a lot of patterns to choose from but I felt that I had to give the Ginger pattern from Closet Case Patterns a go. I've envied many a pair that other sewist have made and thought that the Closet Case website had a lot of help in their sewalong (always welcome). And so, I join the Ginger Jeans tribe...I'm currently working my way through my masterpiece so you'll have to wait another week to see the finished article but here they are so far.

5 tips for sewing your first pair of jeans

Making a pair of jeans feels like one of those milestone steps in learning to sew for me. The sense of achievement I had with my first successfully completed pair was the same as I had with my first cushion, my first skirt and first dress. There are a lot of posts with great advice for sewing with denim and making jeans which I'll link to; however, I always think that the first time you make anything there are things that you especially need to know before you start. These are my top 5 tips for first time jeans makers.

The #wardrobebuilderproject - Jeans and a T-Shirt with pattern giveaway!

This month you could be the lucky winner of a Morgan Boyfriend Jeans pattern courtesy of


All you have to do is add your make or tutorial to the link up below. The winner will be chosen at random at the end of the month, so there is plenty of time to get your jeans made!

Closet Case Jeans: Morgan Boyfriend, Ginger Flared and Ginger Skinny