Refining.
Noticing nuance and details improves my making and my choosing. Connecting who I am with what I make, where I do and what I do enriches my memory, my connection, my story, creating an ocean of detail.
Making clothes, travel itineraries and food.
Here, I write about that.
Spring coat in moss Green cotton linen twill from 1960’s pattern
Inspired by the absense of outerwear for spring that actually offers warmth but isn’t made from wool, my journal on making my first fully lined spring coat, working from a 1960’s Simplicity pattern, complete with back vent and gorgeous topstitching throughout, made up in moss green and blush pink twill, cotton flannel interlining for warmth, and rayon-acetete lining.
Manchester to North Carolina: an independent travel itinerary with mountain biking and city break
Travelling in early autumn, my imagined itinerary for 10-14 nights in North Carolina - Charlotte, Asheville & The Blue Smoky Mountains. Ideas for biking, art trails and barbecue…..
Leeds to Turin - 4 nights in Winter
Travelling in winter, itinerary journal of our stay in Turin, Northern Italy
Square neck pinafore dress in grey wool
Stopover in Denver: a plan for 24 hours
My itinerary for a 24 hour stop in Denver.
A-line skirt in Designer’s Guild cotton duck
Experimenting with Designer’s Guild upholstery fabric………..I asked myself: ”how well can cotton duck be applied to dressmaking?”……..what I learnt
Leeds to Småland, Sweden: a leisure cycling and off-road biking travel itinerary
Travelling in summer, my itinerary for 7 nights in Smaland, Sweden, cycling amid lakes, islands, country lanes, and deep forests.
High-waisted trousers in sage green twill from a 1970’s pattern
Journal of my total make time, lessons learnt and pattern adjustments on a high-waist wide-leg trouser made from sage green cotton twill.
Leeds to Swedish West Coast: an independent travel itinerary for leisure cycling and hiking
Travelling in early summer, a twin-centre itinerary for 12 nights on the West Coast of Sweden. Hiking, biking and outdoor dining all feature.
Square neck pinafore dress in navy needlecord from 1970’s pattern
Journal post on making a square-neck, tiered midi dress in navy blue corduroy from a 1970’s Style pattern. Fully lined in rayon acetate and made as a gift. Details on total make time, adjustments and lessons learnt.
Maybe I’ve been doing it wrong all these years
Do I really need to keep changing my wardrobe every 6 months?
Leeds to Bergen: an active city break itinerary for Spring
My imagined travel itinerary for 4-5 days in Bergen and the surrounding fjords. Ideas for biking, hiking and nordic dining
Leeds to Rye, East Sussex - 4 nights in Summer
Travelling in summer, itinerary journal of our stay in Rye, East Sussex, on the south coast of England.
Oversized tent dress with dagger collar from 1970’s pattern
Working from a 1970’s Style pattern, my reflections on making a very loose fitting maxi dress complete with dagger collar and original 1970’s contrast orange buttons. Main lesson: oversized is still a fit.
Manchester to Southern Germany - 12 nights in Summer
Itinerary journal of my jam-packed summer touring holiday in Germany. Castles, cakes, pretzels, bikes, hikes and beer all make an appearance
Cropped jacket in cotton twill from 1980’s pattern
My journal post of my sewing a cropped jacket in sage green cotton twill, using a 1980’s cropped suit jacket pattern as the starting point. Details on total make time, adjustments and seam finishes, and lessons learnt.
Leeds to Central-Eastern Cornwall - 4 nights in Spring
Itinerary journal of my springtime holiday in Cornwall. Where we ate, what we saw and how we enjoyed biking around the countryside
Leeds to New Mexico: an Autumn itinerary for Santa Fe, atomic bomb history, mountain biking and art
Travelling to Santa Fe, New Mexico, from Leeds, for mountain biking, atomic bomb historical sites, art and hiking
High-waisted trousers in linen-rayon blend from 1970’s pattern
Working with a 1970’s Vogue Basic Design pattern, my journal post of my sewing a pair of single pleated trousers in rayon. Details on total make time, adjustments and seam finishes, and lessons learnt.
Drop-waist skirt from 1990’s pattern
Working with a 1980’s Style pattern, my journal on making a drop-waist skirt for a petite frame with high waist-to-hip ratio. Details on total make time, adjustments and seam finishes, and lessons learnt.