This is the first garment I made for my youngest sister using a Lekala sewing pattern. She needed something new and fancy to wear to Mass, and this blouse is the one she chose. She was a teen, but I just put her measurements into the women’s template and the fit was really good. I made this blouse two and …
Blue Gored Skirt – Sewing Pattern Test
I have posted about my first projects using Lekala sewing patterns: the maroon top, the blue fleece top, and the blue velvet blouse. The next project I did was a test for this sewing pattern from Sewist, Lekala’s sister site. When I first saw the gored skirt I wasn’t sure about it. I thought it looked kind of strange with …
Blue Velvet and Satin Blouse – Lekala Pattern
This is my third project using a Lekala sewing pattern. The first two were my maroon wrap top and my blue polar fleece top, both made with this free pattern. After the good results of the first two projects, I decided to go ahead and try a paid pattern, and this velvet blouse was the one I chose for my …
Purple Velvet Circle Skirt – Free Pattern
Last year when I finally got to making myself a Christmas dress, I decided to use this circle skirt template and simple bodice from The Littlest Studio. After making it and seeing the skirt, I knew that I had to have more circle skirts in my wardrobe. In February my sister went shopping and brought home a whole lot of …
Blue Fleece Wrap Top – Lekala
This is the second project I made using a Lekala pattern. The first one was the maroon wrap top I made in June 2017. I had made some mistakes in the measurements of that one, and so it ended up a bit tight. I decided to make another one with the same pattern, this time using polar fleece for a …
Maroon Brocade – My First Real Corset
After my previous corset attempt in 2017, a year later I decided to try again. This time I started with a real corset pattern: the Cupid corset. This is a beautiful pattern, and it came with a booklet that included a materials list, fabric suggestions, how to pick a size, tips on altering a corset, pattern notes, assembly tips, and …

My First Corset Attempt
I love corsets. I love the way they look, especially over a dress or light blouse. Ever since learning to sew, a corset top was something that was on my list of things to make. After making my white fitted blouse that fit me so well, I decided to use the same pattern from PatternLab to make my first corset. …

White Fitted Blouse AKA The First Blouse That Really Fit Me
When I first learned to sew, I didn’t have any sewing patterns. Instead I drafted pattern blocks for my measurements using an instruction booklet that I’d picked up somewhere. The instructions were sparse, and the pattern pieces never fit me well at all. After the initial test I would adjust and adjust and end up with pattern block after pattern …

Christmas Dress – Inspiration and Free Pattern
I have been planning to make myself a Christmas dress for years, ever since learning to sew, but somehow I never got around to finding just the right pattern for it. Last Christmas I finally made it. And I must say, I’m in love with it. This is a very simple dress style, but it is elegant, and the sleeveless …