Feed update required!

Hello, is anybody out there? Anyone?

Well, if you’re getting this message in your feed reader, then it means you need to update your blog feed should you wish to keep following my blog. Here’s the new addy:

http://annajosews.com/?feed=rss

I’m still blogging regularly, and there’s been some important news lately so head on over if you need to catch up on any posts 🙂

http://annajosews.com/

Hope you’ve had a lovely Christmas, and are looking forward to a fun and productive 2018!

Big love,

Anna xxx

I’ve got a new blog!

Time to update those RSS feeds, everyone!

Yep, if you subscribe to this blog via a feed reader then you might need to update the feed address if you want to carry on receiving news of my latest makes. Here’s the new feed for my self-hosted site:

http://annajosews.com/?feed=rss

It could be that you’ve had your feed updated automatically–I certainly hope so as that’s what I’ve tried to set up. However, my tech skills are somewhat lacking so I’m not 100% sure it will have worked for everyone. I was surprised it worked for me, to be honest. Yes, I subscribe to my own blog. Is that weird? Well, I have to check out what my posts are coming out like, don’t I?!

Hope to see you all over on the new blog. Do take a look and say hello if you have the time–I’d love to hear from you 😀

http://annajosews.com/

Anna x

PS – this WordPress.com version of my blog will no longer be updated, but should remain online for the foreseeable future. If you’ve followed an old link here then you should be able to find the same post on the new blog, simply by editing the URL and removing the wordpress and date info. For instance,

https://annajosews.wordpress.com/2017/08/30/the-baby-leopard-kimono/

has become

http://annajosews.com/the-baby-leopard-kimono/

That method might not work in every single instance, but it’s a good rule of thumb!

The Baby Leopard Kimono

This is one of those rare occasions when I seem to have jumped on a trend bandwagon (last seen with the Cleo dress). Kimonos are everywhere this summer, and I’ve been growing increasingly annoyed with my selection of summer cardies. In the past I’ve always gone for bolero styles, often with a tie front, but they don’t necessarily look right with the clothes I’ve been wearing this year. Or maybe I was just bored with them. Anyway, I’ve been hankering over something loose and flowing to go over my close-fitting clothing. Hence the kimono. And you know what, I reckon it’s exactly what I was after! Read on for more…

In a Nutshell:

A versatile summer layering cardie, which can also be used as a beach cover-up. That was the idea, at any rate. And it’s kind-of animal print. Abstract animal print, at any rate. I’m calling it that, anyway. It’s my kimono so I can name it whatever I like 😛

Pattern:

This is a self-drafted kimono, following the instructions in Portia’s excellent tutorial. Those who’ve followed this blog for a while might remember I made one of these last year, using a striped hacci knit. I do still wear that one but I’m always wishing for a bit more width at the front to wrap it around me, so for my second version I widened the body piece by 2″ at the back and 1″ on each front piece. This extra 4″ in width allows me to wrap the kimono fully at the waist, which in my mind is a must for a beach cover-up!

The Little Jenny Wren dress

My wardrobe was in serious need of a really lightweight sleeveless knit dress for the summer (and autumn/spring when teamed up with cardie and leggings), so this project jumped all queues and demanded in no uncertain terms that I MAKE IT NOW!!! And you know what? I wish I’d made it earlier in the year to get even more use out of it. What a perfect dress!

NB: the title comes from the extra verse to Sing a Song of Sixpence which I found in a nursery rhyme book for my daughter, which goes like this:

She made such a commotion that Little Jenny Wren

Flew down into the garden and put it back again.

I’m not sure if this is a modern addition because someone feared small children would be traumatised by the idea of the maid having no nose (I never was!), but I thought of it while making this dress as I was effectively giving myself back a favourite dress that’s now too big. So yeah, Little Jenny Wren put it back for me. Although it’s not a nose. It’s a dress. Because having a nose in my wardrobe would just be weird 😛

In a Nutshell:

A retro-looking, super comfy and practical summer dress with pockets. What more could a girl ask for?!

The Flintstones Bikini

So it’s come to this. Me, sharing pictures of myself in a bikini online. A leopard print one at that! But you know what? I’m more proud of this make than any other so far, despite it still needing a few tweaks. Read on for more about my first (but definitely not my last) plunge into swimwear sewing…

 

Yabba, dabba doo!

 

In a Nutshell:

A retro-style, halter neck, high waisted bikini. In leopard print pulled from the stash. What’s not to like?! I should just stick a bone through my hair and go full on cavewoman glam 😛

No, honestly, I did save a chicken bone for precisely that purpose, then forgot to use it in the photoshoot!

July round-up and August sewing plans

So, I set myself a pretty ambitious sewing list for July, but I did well with it and have enjoyed trying some new-to-me patterns, and getting some more summery clothes in my wardrobe. I’m scheduling this to go live while we’re chilling in the south of France, hopefully wearing some of my new makes! Anyway, here’s what’s been going on with me lately, sewing-wise:

Blogged in July:

Clockwise from top left: The Vintage Flowers Blouse, The Barcode Skirt, and the “Who Likes Short Shorts?” Shorts.

The blouse blog was my first guest post for Minerva Crafts, and I also wrote a guest post for the Sewcialists blog, and gave a six month update on my Make 9 plans.

Sewing done in July:

L-R: Leopard print bikini (Seamwork Reno and Dakota), Colette Crepe Dress, Animal print Hacci Knit Kimono, Colette Wren dress.

I did pretty well with my planned makes for my holiday, although I have had to bump a couple of patterns to this month instead (Simplicity 8342 top and the Pedal Pushers). Not all the holiday makes are completely finished, but I reckon I can get the thread ends dealt with on the plane over to France. #lastminutesewing

Money spent: £10.86

Patterns: £0 , Haberdashery: £5.87 , Fabric: £4.99

I needed this to be a thrifty sewing month, and it was. All those spends were for my bikini, which was much cheaper than buying a RTW bikini. August will need to be a budget month too, although I might let myself buy a little bit of fabric while on holiday as a souvenir 🙂

August sewing plans:

I know I should probably be thinking ahead to the cooler months of autumn, but for August I’m still all about the summer makes. But hopefully summer makes that can transition into autumn, with the addition of a cardie and shoes rather than sandals 🙂

So, this month I’m definitely going to get the Pedal Pushers from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual made up, along with the Simplicity 8342 Rockabilly top (I have a great navy anchor print jersey for that one–thanks again, Minerva!). I’m also thinking about making a cropped blouse, and have the now out of print Butterick 5895 in mind. It’s another Pattern by Gertie, so it should be a good’un. I’d also like some woven exercise shorts and am wondering about the Seamwork Nantucket pattern as a possibility. Finally, I’d like to make that shirtdress I’ve been threatening all summer. Maybe it will happen this month. If not, I suspect it will have to wait till next summer!

What are you planning to make this month? Are you getting into autumnal sewing yet (or spring if you’re south of the equator!)?

I’m a Sewcialist!

Check out my first post on the Sewcialists blog, where I was forced to narrow down my sewing heroes to just five inspirational women:  

https://sewcialists.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/sew-inspirational/

Sorry to all those I left out! There have been lots of great posts over there this month and I’ve picked up lots of new blogs to follow 🙂

Who are your sewing blog heroes? And what do they inspire you to make?

The Barcode Skirt

This is one of those projects that was so simple to sew it hardly seems to warrant a blog post of its own, but hey, it’s my blog and if I want to blog the super-easy makes as well as the complicated ones, I absolutely can. And I seriously love this skirt, so there’s that 😛

Also, I’ve been meaning to blog every week and clearly that didn’t happen last week. I’m not going to apologise because I don’t believe in feeling guilt for no good reason, but I felt like I owe an explanation. Life has been busy and time got away from me, plus I’ve been sewing rather than writing about it–oh, the pressure of an impending holiday deadline! You’ll get two blog posts from me this week, though, as I’ve got one scheduled to go live on the Sewcialists blog tomorrow. I’ll post a link here when it does 🙂

Anyway, on with the sewing stuff…

 

In a Nutshell:

A knit pencil skirt that fills a gap in my wardrobe I didn’t even realise was there!

The “Who Likes Short Shorts?” Shorts

Okay, you know the weather must be hotting up in England if I’ve made a pair of shorts. I mean, I haven’t even owned a pair of shorts for…. I don’t know, a decade? Before kids, I’m pretty sure of that. Anyway, it would appear I still have legs 😛

The location shots are at our local river, where it widens into a lovely paddling spot in the woods. It was Andy’s idea to take them there. Thanks, Andy!

Gabriel was seriously unimpressed by getting his feet wet at first, but it didn’t take long for him to join in!

In a Nutshell:

A great, vintage-inspired shorts pattern with quality details, but the fit needs a little more work.

June round up and July’s sewing plans

I’m really getting into the swing of blogging regularly now, and am getting things up pretty promptly. Yay, me! Here’s last month’s round up if you’re interested in seeing how I did compared to my overambitious (as always) plans.

Blogged in June:

L-R: The Bucket and Spade Hat, The Starry Starry Dress, The Some Like it Hot Dress, The Striped Sweetheart Tee.

Phew, lots of makes blogged last month! I also wrote a post all about my current sewing set-up at the end of our main living space (living room/dining room) in the hopes of inspiring anyone else struggling to sew in a limited space.

Sewing done in June:

I didn’t get many projects completed in June. Just two. But hey, they involved making toiles and more complicated, time-consuming sewing than a simple t-shirt.