Simply Sewing issue 121
My draft-your-own wrap front ruffle hemmed maxi dress is featured in this month’s issue of Simply Sewing magazine, which hits the newsagents shelves (or your Readly/Pocketmags app) this week. I really enjoyed drafting this dress – I find creating garments from scratch with a tape measure is one of the most satisfying ways to make clothes.
This dress ticks all the boxes (well, my boxes) for the perfect summer dress – it’s swooshy and long, has grown-on sleeves for a bit of shoulder cover, is elasticated at the waist for easy dressing (and accommodating brunch) and, naturally, it has pockets. Best of all, you can make this dress using your own measurements, no PDF pattern printing required! If you grab a copy and make your own, do let me know how you get on. I’d love to see.
Walking to work
The luxury of being a freelancer is picking and choosing when – and sometimes where – I work. If I’m sewing or pattern designing, I need to be in the studio at the cutting table. I’m probably happiest in that spot, and I get to stand up while I work which, I’ve heard, is a wellbeing goal in the office these days.
Recently a friend told me about her electronic walking mat – she presses a button to raise her desk and then walks while she works. It’s a brilliant plan, particularly if your commute is to the spare room. I thought about getting one for under the cutting table, which would be the perfect height for an on-the-spot stroll. The prospect of trying to draw a line or cut fabric with a rotary blade while striding to nowhere was, however, a slight deterrent. For now I’ll stick to a quick walk around the park after drop-off for my walk-to-work.
Drafting duty
Meanwhile, I’ve been working on a series of PDF patterns for Love Sewing magazine – a few are in the studio so it shouldn’t be too long until they hit the press. A few more are still in the pipeline and need to be graded.
I’ve worked with some fabulous fabric companies on this latest batch, including two of my favourite stores minerva.com and sewsewsew.uk, who have been brilliant supporters of Grinlow Studio and Grinlow Patterns for a good few years now. One of the wonderful things about working in the sewing world is the passion for sewing that radiates from everyone involved – from the makers and pattern designers to the fabric sellers and producers, the enthusiasm is infectious. Whatever stage you’re at with your sewing, get stuck in – there’s a great community out there ready to welcome you into the fold.
Me Made May 2024
It’s that time of year again, when the Insta sewing world becomes a sea of smiley faces wearing fabulous memades. I’m having a lack-lustre stab at it this year. I’ve posted a few times, but can’t shift the growing aversion to putting pictures of myself online.
I’ll persevere. I have so many gorgeous homemade clothes that rarely see the light of day because I can’t resist the lure of joggers and sweaters. Yes, even in summer. So in a way, Me Made May is a useful habeas corpus for the prettier makes and a bash on the head to remind me winter’s over, baby: shed the layers.
Summer sewing
Speaking of Me Made May, the harbinger of dressing for sunshine, if you’re looking for summer-friendly patterns, check out our review of McCall’s 8030 – it’s a great pattern for transitional seasons. For casual dressers, you can read about my top three t-shirt patterns and how to get the most from them here. And, of course, no summer sewing suggestion would be complete without a nod to the marvellous Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory, about which I rave here. Happy sewing!
And finally, a note on practice and commitment
I don’t need any prompts to practice sewing. I sometimes find myself doing it on autopilot, like making myself a brew in the morning. I couldn’t be without making, though sometimes I I wonder if I could do without all the things I produce…
Writing about what I’m doing, or promoting it on social media is, however, another story. Earlier this year I decided to make a commitment to posting on this site every week. I managed it for about three months and then something cropped up in my personal life that delayed the process for a week and, with a blink of an eye, a month passed by. It’s a bit like the old ‘I’ve had one biscuit so I may as well eat the whole packet’: I’ve missed a post, so I’ll never post again.
The hiatus has given me a breather to think about the way I’ve been posting. I’m conscious of bombarding already-overwhelmed inboxes every single week. So, from now on, I’m going to post to the site without dropping endless emails and then publish a little newsletter every month or so with links to recent articles or things that might be of interest. If there’s anything super juicy you may get the odd extra message from time to time. Hopefully this will salve my conscience about your inbox and keep my commitment to sharing stuff in regular swing without too many packet-of-biscuits moments.
As always, please do subscribe and get in touch through the comments – it’s great for me to learn more about what you’re interested in and different perspectives on the topics covered.
Thanks for reading!
Ruth
Grinlow Studio 
nice dress
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Thank you! 🙂
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