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I am SO happy with this shirt. I had lots of fun making it, yes even with easing unforgiving cotton into the armscye. The collar is just *chef's kiss* in proportions and I happily found some lovely brass buttons to give it that "western" look. Even when I had to resort to tailoring topstitching to finish off the sleeve seams for no raw edges, it made me happy to know this shirt had been a labour of love.

And it looks great on me - can't remember the last time a shirt fit me in the sleeves AND the shoulder AND wasn't too fitted or too loose.



Next project is a summer dress for the missus. A viscose/cotton blend print with lots of gathering and I'm going to improvise a lining, continuing my theme of "no I shan't follow the instructions, you can't make me".

Would love to make this shirt in denim or flannel with a contrasting topstitch and yoke, but I'd want it in black and grey and I am tired of sewing dark colours for now.

Tailoring course continues too. Dart-making and shaping on the waistcoat last week and I think this week we start the pockets.

Just a little update -- despite wanting to crack on with projects (back to the purple blouse and a new pair of PJs) -- I just made Circe a pencil case today with some leftover fabric from her jacket. I butchered a 50p cosmetic purse from the charity shop (so the zipper has a fancy Clinique zipper pull) and lined it with a nice contrasting geometric bit of quilting cotton. For batting I used some craft felt. I tried to buy 5 pieces of felt a while ago from Amazon and instead bought 5 packs of 10 pieces, but it's a nice stiffness for a pencil case so yay!



I followed a helpful tutorial that used a burrito method so there was no internal stitching - very clever!

In other news I finally bought Vogue V1966 for the cowboyish shirt pattern despite dithering for weeks between it and other 70s style. Most of the Western-style shirt patterns available nowadays just don't have the deep collars that I love. I nearly went for McCalls 3705 but couldn't find it from a UK seller in my size. And the Vogue pattern has groovy trousers. Going to make this in a Morris print first, then see how it hangs and try denim.

Yesterday's plan to make as much progress as possible on trousers was scuppered when I ran out of black thread. Circe laughed a lot--how could anyone run out of black!! I suppose she is right.

So instead I cut out the fabric for my madras check skirt, no biggie. And today went to the (local independent) craft shop to get more thread. Somehow I spent £70 there -- new Fiskars pinking shears the major cost culprit, but an embrodery hoop and some coloured pencils and other haberdashery also fell in the basket.

Got home, all gung-ho to get going and unwrapped the thread and it is ... thicc. I think it is mislabelled top-stitching thread, or something. Wayyyy too thick for my needle and definitely would be terrible with the trouser fabric. So no biggie, I think, I'll switch to the skirt project. I motor on with for a bit, get the zip in place, try it on and hmmm. I think the fabric just does not have enough drape, or the double-layer construction just adds too much structure. I'm not loving it, which makes me sad because I did have a ~vision~. So I've stopped and will contemplate: whether to continue, or whether to use the fabric in one of the tote bag patterns that lazulus introduced me to.

Sewing does instil a particular kind of thoughtfulness and willingness to stop drop and reconsider. I just did not have the patience for this kind of setback when I was younger - if I couldn't get a project finished in a weekend I lost my mojo so easily. But I feel very chill about this - I haven't gone so far that I can't repurpose the fabric, but maybe I'll rethink it on another day.

Last thing: I came across the Royal Society of Needlework's Stitchbank It is AMAZING!

My tailoring course started this week. First impressions were promising: a very like-minded and enthusiastic group of other learners, and the tutor is an experienced tailor and passionate about the craft. As always with adult education, I have Opinions on how classes are (usually poorly) structured and learning takes place (haphazardly and by being insistent) but I keep them to myself and go with the flow. We spent the first session on introductions, talking about the trade, and doing some basic handstitching. Handsewing is not my best skill and it will take a while to get up to speed, especially with middle-aged eyesight.

Meanwhile in my own home sewing adventures! I've finally found a decent fabric & haberdashery store (Mark Pickles in Bath; the worst website, as is par for the course for any art or craft site). Bought a fabulous abstract print for a summer dress, and an Arts&Crafts-style floral on black to make into a Western shirt. I am eyeing this vintage Vogue pattern for the shirt to make up in the floral (plus I love the trousers), does anyone have any experience with it - or with other Western-style shirts??

I have three projects on the go at the moment:

(1) A Zero Waste blouse that I'm making in a lovely royal purple viscose remnant. You can see the chalking out of the pieces from the rectangle below.



I tried getting clever and bias-binding the armholes, which looked beautiful, but added too much stiffness to the shape to be flattering: I am broad shouldered in proportion and don't need more!. So I've taken it off and just zigzagged the armholes for neatness, but there's still quite a bit of seam stiffness that I'm hoping will go away when the thread is washed. We'll see!

I don't love this pattern. I love the idea, but the ZW concept means using up small pieces in patchwork-like ways that aren't my thing, so I am doing it a bit differently.

(2) An asymmetric skirt (Simplicity 9648) in this (excuse the dreadful hotel room lighting) sort-of madras lime-pink-red wool-blend check that I found in a costume shop in Durham for a fiver a metre. At that price I can't complain that it's a blend. I bought squeakingly just enough fabric--in fact, ten cm too little, but if I use the selvedge I can make it work. I'm tempted to try and line it but I should also just make something according to the pattern, lol. I can always wear a slip*.

(3) Remodelling a pair of 100% wool flannel Pierre Cardin men's trousers, dug out of a bargain bin at a charity shop for literally one british pound. I couldn't believe my luck. The fabric is gorgeous, lined, and I managed to unpick the waistband and fly-front completely, leaving enough intact fabric for a proper remodelling.



It's challenging, though, and because I wasn't paying attention properly today I cut at the wrong place and won't be able to have side pockets. Things I learned in this process? Men's zippers go a lot further down to enable wang extraction. You can know a thing, and then you can unpick a zipper to know a thing.

* Slips. Why. WHY are these so hard to find in plain and simple yet nice styles that don't cost the earth but also aren't from fabric that is highly flammable and/or give me eternal static? M&S make very boring acceptable ones but I'd dearly love something a bit more glamorous without it being A Thing To Have Sex In and full of scratchy lace.

I am not one to dither once I have made up my mind I want to do a thing, so I bought a new sewing machine on the weekend.

As always, one can do The Research and watch all the videos (shoutout to The Sewing Studio for very helpful machine guides), and then actually confronted with the physical objects and the expertise of the vendors, make a different choice. So I have a Janome DKS100, which is an electronic mid-range machine, and came with some nice extras on special offer (knee lift, table extension, walking foot) which have already been useful.



Mahoosive step-up in fine control from my old mechanical, but not so bells-and-whistles as to overwhelm. I'm making an unlined jacket at the moment and using bias binding to conceal and bind the inner seams, so the ability to go slow and precise is so helpful. The precision has also been helpful in extending the life of this sweatshirt, which had an annoying stain on the front. I'd been looking for a use for this crochet doily, which my mum made as part of her wedding trousseau if you can even believe it. It fits so well on the front! I absolutely love lace as a technically skilled textile of gorgeousness, but it's not really my vibe to wear. I think this is a perfect compromise.