Last week I was a parent helper on Sid’s year 6 school trip to the air raid shelters in Stockport. I have been wanting to help out on this school trip for several years, but always had a small child or two at home to take care of. This year I didn’t and jumped with joy at the opportunity to help out. I do love local history, but mostly I just really wanted to dress up! ...

Very much feeling the need to clean up around my blog and my Etsy store, so having a little sale. All my PDF patterns have been reduced to £5.00 plus VAT where applicable, and the remaining tweedy brooches also reduced…they make a nice little Christmas gift. So, if you’ve been meaning to buy either Weekend Doris or Maude as an instant download then now would be a very good time to do it. I’m thinking about no longer selling PDF’s, sticking to printed patterns only, would love to know what you think about that, let me know in the comments. What do you prefer? The instant gratification of a PDF pattern or a printed pattern popping through your letterbox? ...

I had this notion that now I’m childfree during school hours I would have so much time to complete all the projects I seem to constantly have on the go, but somehow that hasn’t happened! I’ve been working every weekend at Ministry of Craft , the only weekend I haven’t worked I was hosting the La Leche League Great Britian National Workshop along with my co leaders from LLL Manchester. Add to that general Mumming and it’s all been a bit hectic! So no, Nora, Nell and Nancy my newest pattern is not yet available to buy, but soon, soon, I promise. I’m currently looking into alternative printing options for my paper patterns, but I’ll update here as soon as they are ready. Of course, no time to sew for myself means I have to plan and planning means shopping…I think? My sewing friend and neighbour offered to let me tag along next time she went up to Burnley to Immanuels, and all I can say is WOW!!! I may have won the competition to see who spent the most out of those of us who went. I only spent £38, but I got a huge amount of scrummy fabrics for that price. Including this odd, yet somehow divine quited yumminess! ...

My recent trip to Anglesey meant a trip of course to Abakhan in Mostyn, North Wales, much to my children’s dismay…although Eden likes to shop with me and the others can be placated with treats from the cafe. I bought a few lovely pieces there including this chocolate brown linen blend, which I knew had to be a Nell dress. I’m still slowly working on the grading and sampling of all the sizes of my Nora, Nell and Nancy designs. I wish I were quicker, but I do all of my drafting and grading by hand with pencil, ruler, tape and scissors. Technical I am not, although one of these days I’m going to invest in a course to teach me how to draft and grade on the computer. ...

Wow, this weekend was a busy one! Saturday I was teaching the new “Clone Your Closet” class at Ministry of Craft , A busy fun day was had by all, and everyone went home with a clone of one special garment, we had trousers, dresses, vintage coats.. Cloning a much loved item in your wardrobe is so satisfying. The lovely lady in the photos above copied beautifully a fit and flare dress…and btw how fabulous is her Weekend Doris dress? ...

Starting this post with a silly but happy photo of me. After my last post full of doom and gloom I decided this place needs a bit of silliness and some smiles. Summer is tough around here, and it’s hard not to let that affect everything. Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and messages of support after my last post, I appreciate every one, you are all wonderful! This photo was taken last week in my mother in law’s garden in Anglesey North Wales. We stayed there for five days, and it really was a lovely break from routine. Eden and I had a lot of fun taking photos in the garden of one of my new designs. Yes, despite my low mood I’ve still been working over the summer, planning classes (see my learn to sew page for more details on those.) and designing three new dresses. Nora, Nell and Nancy are not only the names of two of my friend’s children that I have always loved, but the names of the three new dress patterns I plan to launch this month…..yeah I know I should probably keep quiet for now, have a big launch when they are ready, but come on, you should know me well enough by now to realise that’s not really my style. ...

I don’t look too happy do I? I spent today making this plaid circle skirt to distract myself from the thought of a dentist appointment at the end of the day, and because yesterday I saw a deeply unflattering photo of myself, so the need for something pretty to cheer me up was very needed. A simple mid length circle skirt with large patch pockets, high waistband and belt loops. Fabric from Abakhan, thanks to my lovely friend Mary who keeps an eye out for fabric she knows I’ll love. I already have a dress in this same fabric, in the yellow colourway, and I love that! ...

It seems a few of my friends are turning 40 this year, and of course any excuse for a new dress. I’m still refining this self drafted princess seamed bodice, and am now I think finally happy with it. The fabric I’ve used for this dress was bought in three small remnants from a local soft furnishing fabric shop for 50p!! I do love the challenge of making a whole dress out of a few pieces of fabric. These pieces were fun to work with because the right and wrong sides of the fabrics are equally beautiful. Not being able to decide which sides I liked best combined with such small pieces to work with meant that I used all sides in a kind of (hopefully) successful way! ...

I sew a lot, a heck of a lot and for lots of reasons; I love clothes, I don’t often like clothes available on the high street and if I do I can’t afford them or they don’t fit. I have a compulsion to create and make, sewing is my preferred method. Sewing eases my heart and my soul. I can’t explain it, but something about the process brings peace. It’s my job! I love designing patterns, and I love teaching at Ministry of Craft or one to one classes in my home. Although I sew lots, not everything works out. I rarely am 100% satisfied with anything I make, I am always striving for a better finish, but sometimes things just really don’t work, like this skirt. The beautiful fabric was picked for me by my fabric dealer friend, Mary. She knows my taste so well and often picks things she knows I’ll love. ...

There is an acre of woodland in Wigan that is dedicated to our youngest daughter Florence, we always take a walk there on her birthday, and as often as we can throughout the year. While we were there yesterday India took some photos of me in my latest creation, another self drafted summer dress. The weather was showery, though not cold. India and I found a lovely clearing in the wood to take photos, tiptoeing carefully in peep toe sandals ( I wore wellies for the rest of our walk! ) through the long wet grass I spotted the cutest little field mouse! He was just there at my feet, we both looked at each other with mild surprise, I said “Hello little mouse”, and he scurried away before I could take a photo. He really was the sweetest little creature, and it made my day to have seen him. ...