when life gives you lemons...

normally i would go directly to a lovely fabric or yarn shop to cheer myself up, but as i'm on a self-imposed stash diet, i decided other measures had to be taken:

number 1: buy a book.
under advice from Di, i went to a really good bookshop to get a crafty magazine. it's good in theory because you get some fresh ideas to use what you already have.sadly there was nothing new that caught my eye so i wandered to the books for a browse, and whoops, i bought myself an early Christmas pressie, not one but two books from some of my favourite bloggers.

gerties book for better sewing

i've always loved vintage clothing, especially from the 1950s, so Gerties book was a must-have. i particularly like all the information on couture sewing details, as that's what makes dressmaking so worthwhile. when you pop on a handmade garment that's been well finished and fitted, you feel utterly spoilt. years ago i hand tailored coats and jackets without any qualms about time or effort, so i'd like to get back into that frame of mind.

granny chic

if you've read this blog before, you'll know i love dottie angel and her granny ways! recycling fabrics and making do with found objects is a subject close to my heart, so buying her new book Granny Chic was a no-brainer. i have "high hopes" of starting the new year with a challenge of the utmost kind, and have already put some rules into practice as a bit of a test to see how i go. wish me luck everyone!

number 2: drag yourself into the 21st century.
although i have a large number of commercial sewing patterns, i'm not that keen on using them. i've used Burda and Knipmode sewing magazines for just as long, and i prefer them for fit and style. however, it's all too easy to get stuck in a rut and forget to explore all the new exciting options out there. i've never used a pattern download off the internet before or joined a sewalong, entered a pattern contest or used an online video teaching resource.

basic knit wardrobe

when i was offered a really good discount on a class with the online resource Craftsy, i thought i'd give it a go. the course is called "Sewing with Knits" and includes patterns for five basic items. so far i've made three of them and i've enjoyed re-learning how easy knits are to sew. in my opinion, the use of an overlocker or serger has only made sewing with knits more stressful. in this course you go back to basics, using simple stitches the way Mum used to sew knits years ago.

simple stitching

there's not much that can go wrong with a line of basic zigzag and there's more control with a normal sewing machine. it all fits with my new motto: "simplify".