Knitwear

January Blues (and Pinks and Yellows)

January Blues (and Pinks and Yellows)

Today is “Blue Monday” - so called because of a pseudoscientific calculation that it is the most depressing day of the year: Christmas is a fading memory, the days are short and grey, everyone’s still broke and payday is still a week away. Along with many others, I experience Seasonal affective disorder, so to combat the instinct to hibernate the month away, I like to focus on planning and action, looking forward to the year ahead. I know that resolutions aren’t for everyone, but I find setting out plans and goals to be a really positive exercise for me.

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Quick Fitted Sweater Refashion

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Quick Fitted Sweater Refashion

This simple refashion is perfect for turning a slightly shapeless knit into a retro pinup sweater - and it literally only involves three seams! My original is a wool-blend cardigan from Primark - the design was cute, but the sweater was shapeless (basically just a straight rectangle) and too long for my preference (since I generally wear skirts I like sweaters to hit the waist), plus the buttons gaped at the bust. I’d hung onto it because I like the design and colours, but it just never got worn. Prime candidate for a restyling project!

1940s Slash-neck Sweater Refashion

1940s Slash-neck Sweater Refashion

I had so many requests for a tutorial for the boat-neck sweater refashion I posted on Instagram a few weeks ago, and I finally got around to putting together a full tutorial - with pictures! The instructions are based on the steps I followed, but I was pretty much making it up as I went along and doing it by eye

My handmade and vintage #Goodwoodstyle over the years for @goodwoodrevival, in paper doll form! For 2018 I recreated the yellow and green outfit worn by Betty Grable in the 1944 movie Pin Up Girl. In 2019 I wore coral accented with chocolate and aqu
I had the most amazing day at @goodwoodrevival yesterday - after a last-minute change of outfit plans thanks to the less-than-clement weather, I was beyond thrilled to be selected as a finalist for the #goodwoodbestdressed #goodwoodbestdressed24 cont
I was chatting with a good friend recently and she told me about a conversation she’d once had wherein someone shared a mistaken impression of me as some kind of… tradwife or something? Because I’m married and I’m into vintag
I think I’ve described every one of the patterns I’ve released through my Patreon as my favourite, but there are definitely some I come back to time and again. The #daytripperdress is one - it was among the first patterns I released, and
Another throwback to Madagascar last year and my fishy beach cape. I’ve long been obsessed with the concept of beach capes, which were popular in the 1930s-50s, often made in chenille or terrycloth fabrics. I’ve used this one on beach hol
Throwback to our Madagascar trip last year, and this tropical dream of a pattern, the #waterfalldress from #charmpatterns. Inspired by an original “Polynesian pattern” edition, it works great in a floaty viscose challis like this for the
Another of my favourite patterns is the #mimosadress, which I released last year. I’ve made five versions of it now. I like that the relatively simple silhouette lets a bold print like this shine. It’s also another one that comes together
More views of the #catskillshalterneck bodice (paired with the #sightseeingskirt). It was fun playing with geometry with this stripe fabric! For this version I cut the bodice front on a bias, aligning the grain with the neckline to create the V effec