Author: Susan Goodwin

Since I was three, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I filled sketchbooks with drawings and ideas and picked all my school subjects based on what I needed to get into fashion college. After three years of college, I got my start in the industry and have been working ever since. Full time, freelance, part time or a combination of them all. I have had dream jobs, terrible jobs and jobs you do to pay the bills. Through it all I have continued to sew. I make most of my own clothes, am partial to a bit of hand stitching in the form of embroidery. Here I share my tales of my sewing.
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Sewing Adventures – Mary knickers

It’s been too long since I used my Mary Knickers pattern. I forgot how much I like th low slung on the hips fit and the little almost legs to them.

As part of my Make nine topics was “Operation Lingerie Drawer and I couldn’t be more pleased with how these first 2 pairs of Mary Knickers have gone.

The lace is a super soft floral print from Pitt Trading. The fabric stretches one way but not both ways. The Mary is great for this type of fabric as it doesn’t really need too much give through the height but it does mean these ones are ever so slightly cheeky but I’m ok with that. If you want to avoid that just cut them with a longer back rise. Always be sure to cut with the greatest stretch going around you.

I’ve used an organic cotton jersey also from Pitt Trading as the gusset, you can just use the lace but I prefer the cotton.

Make wise I just overlocker them all together. The gusset is actually a floating gusset but I decided to use my coverstitch machine and stitch it to the lace. Sometimes with a delicate fabric it helps give them a little extra strength and longevity.

At the last Pitt Trading pop up store I got some of these beautiful patterned elastics and put it to the Instagram hive mind to see which one got to be the waistband.

Stripes won and I attached it using my coverstitch. I often get asked about my coverstitch machine and it is my least used machine but I’m going to try and use it more and basically get better at using it. Sometimes I forget to have time to just practice at getting better so I’m going to see if I can squeeze in some practise time with it.

Now I had a metre of this fabric and I’m determined to leave no scraps unused so after I had cut some other bits and pieces I had enough for another pair of Mary’s. This time I just used a picot I had on hand for the waistband. It’s fine and very functional but not as cute at the stripes.

Pattern: The Mary Knickers by Measure Twice Cut Once

Fabric: stretch printed lace from Pitt Trading, patterned elastic from Pitt Trading

Alterations: none

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Sewing Adventures – Nina Lee Kew Dress in vintage embroidered cotton

This is more of a wearable toile but I’ve been wearing it so much despite a few issues that I thought it was well worth it’s own blog post.

Last year when Pitt Trading did their Summer Soiree Nina Lee offered a discount code so I picked up the Kew Dress after seeing so many lovely versions online.

Because I wanted to make a wearable toile I used this vintage embroidered cotton from the stash. It’s got marks on it after the fire and while I loved the fabric it’s so very close to my skin tone that it was destined to be a dress I wore at home only. To combat the eyelet holes it’s fully underlined in white cotton voile.

The pattern itself went together with ease, all the seams line up and things just fitted which is such a pleasure in a pattern.

This one I cut without any alterations and in hindsight there are a few things I’d fix. It wrinkles at the back, the straps are too long for me (though I have a sneaking suspicion I actually cut them at the wrong length) and I need to adjust the position of the straps to cover my bra.

You can also see where it pulls at the centre front on the waist seam. This is not a pattern problem, this is because I’m lopsided after surgery and it causes things to gape there. Honestly I’m not that bothered about it on a dress I had always intended to wear at home or over my swimmers going to and from a swim. If it was intended for fancier purposes then I’d do something about it.

However, it has been such a great dress in this heat. It’s easy to wear and move about in, I particularly like the slightly dipped back hem. The buttons (awesome unicorn shimmer ones from Pitt Trading) also mean it’s not as tight feeling as a zippered dress which is good when you feel like a sweat puddle.

Pattern: Nina Lee Kew Dress

Fabric: vintage embroidered cotton from the stash originally from the Fabric Cave. Buttons from Pitt Trading

Alterations: next time shorten straps, eliminate back gaping and potentially look at under bust wrinkles (or just stand up straight!)

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Sewing Adventures – Jalie Cocoon cardigan

Ever have one of those moments where you are searching for a pattern but you aren’t entirely sure what it is you are looking for and then a sewing friend suggests something you are “yes, that’s what I was after!”

That is how I discovered this pattern the Jalie Cocoon Cardigan. I am so glad because it’s really kind of fabulous even in an over exposed photo. Note to self don’t take photos on really hot days where you have the entire house enshrouded to try and keep it cooler…it makes every grey looking.

Small number of pattern pieces, huge size range and it goes together perfectly with no issues at all. The only one tiny change I made was to shift the centre back join to be at the shoulder seam. Centre back joins make things look so obviously homemade and they kind of make me cringe at how unnecessary they are. The band itself went on so smoothly, so good when patterns go together with such little effort.

Apart from that loved it was made for a present and they like it and I know I’ll be making more of them as presents in the future. It also wraps up tiny so perfect for presents that need to be posted or to make and take travelling.

Pattern: Jalie Cocoon cardigan
Fabric: merino wool jersey with a good drape to it. From the stash but originally from The Fabric Store
Alterations: moved the band join from centre back to side neck seam

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Sewing Adventures – The Rutland Collection wrist warmers

My “to make” list for Christmas is always blowing out as I start with stupidly ambitious plans and then need to rescale. This pattern is one I wish I had known about earlier because it would have been everyone’s present I love it so much.


These are wrist warmers made in merino wool jersey from The Rutland Collection E Book from MIY Collection by the very talented Wendy Ward.
Wendy has written a number of books in recent years as well as putting out her own patterns and the gems that make up The Rutland Collection had escaped my notice until I saw another sewer using them on Instagram.
These were a simple make but for once I really had to follow the instructions as they are so wonderfully ingenious that I simply couldn’t figure it out until I went step by step. It was brilliant and taught me some cool things. So a double plus of learning and an awesome pair of wrist warmers to give as a present!
Pattern: wrist warmers from The Rutland Collection by MIY Collection/Wendy Ward

Fabric: Merino wool jersey from stash originally from The Fabric Store

Chages: None

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Sewing Adventures – Modified Myosotis in blue and white with insertion lace

When I first made the Deer and Doe Myosotis I had no idea how much I would enjoy wearing it. I’ve made mine in a more relaxed fit and it is ridiculously comfortable. The two Liberty ones I made last year are in high wardrobe rotation.

So when the hot weather started to kick in before Christmas I had this idea to make a floaty barely there dress with tiny straps and no fuss that would be perfect for those days at home where it’s just so hot you can’t do anything and just spend the whole time drinking cold drinks and reading books.

This “Chia Blue” dense cotton lawn with embroidery and Japanese shibori style printed motifs from Pitt Trading was perfect for such a concept. So I didn’t have to worry about underwear colour I grabbed some cotton voile to line it with.

Then this gorgeous circular insertion lace came in at Pitt Trading and suddenly my idea morphed into something else and I found myself reaching for the Myosotis bodice and skirt.

The skirt is the longest length main skirt of the Myosotis and the ruffle is the width of the fabric just gathered in to fit. It’s possibly a little long but I ha thought of adding more rows of insertion so wanted some extra length so I could cut it and add the insertion without having to worry about adding and subtrcting seam allowances.

As it was I ended up only doing one row and now it sometimes feels slightly long but not enough to stop me wearing it. The insertion lace I cut where I wanted it to go, overlocked the raw edges of the fabric, turned it up and then stitched in the insertion. Doing it that way hides the tape along the side making it look more integrated into the garment and not like a trim plonked on top.

The bodice is the Myosotis without the collar, with the neckline modification I figured out the second time I made it to reduce the weird neck wrinkle I get. I also laid my own bodice block over it to reshape the shoulder and armhole to make it a more appropriate shape to being sleeveless.

The bodice is fully bagged out with the cotton voile and the skirt is lined to just above the insertion trim. I don’t actually need to undo the buttons I can pull it on over my head so I just stitched them on through all layers.

It’s light and breezy and perfect for hot weather.

Pattern: Myosotis by Deer and Doe

Fabric: Chia Blue purchased at Pitt Trading as was lining and insertion lace

Alterations: longer skirt, added insertion, no collar, re shaped shoulder and armhole for sleeveless, eliminated need for button holes and scooped out neck to fix neck wrinkle.

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Sewing Adventures – Pre Printed Tights panels from Pitt Trading

After the utter success of making tights from the Pre Printed tights panels at Pitt Trading, when I saw a new print I jumped on them and whipped them up straight away…..it then took me forever to get photos because I keep using all my tights!

Make wise incredibly similar to how I did it last time but I made sure to use my coverstitch to hold the elastic on the top of the waistband down. I haven’t done that in some of the others and every so often it will twist a bit and become a rub point.

Now I’ve had lots of people asking how the fabric performs so here is how I’ve been wearing them and what I’ve felt. When working with athletes and sportswear companies one of the things I always strive for is that the garment is not thought about during the activity. If you are thinking oh that pulls, that feels wet, thats itchy etc etc then the garment design has failed you. It should feel like you are wearing nothing at all while aiding your performance not detracting or distracting.

I’ve been walking most mornings in heat up to about 32 degrees with high humidity. While walking you don’t feel wet or damp at all. Very occasionally (on really hot days) I could do with having a 3/4 pair for walking to allow a little more ventilation but that’s due to sheer heat not the fabric.

At the end of my morning walks I’ve often been going swimming so I change from my walking stuff to my swimmers. My sports bra and parts of my top will be saturated but my tights are only damp around the waistband, crotch and back of knees. All expected places for sweat to be gathering in an upright activity. The fact that they are damp and not wringing wet like the others certainly suggests the moisture wicking capabilities are high.

I’ve been running in them a bit and I’m experiencing very similar results to the walking except at the end of the run the tights are wetter but I’m yet to feel damp while actually moving. I’ve deliberately made mine extra high waisted to cover the swelling and scar post surgery. considering they are high enough to meet some of the bands on my sports bras I’m still not feeling too hot through the torso which surprised me a bit.

Even stretched in use they retain their bright colours and don’t grin white and stay opaque even when damp with sweat.

All in all I’m very impressed and I’ve noticed the have the cherry blossom print back in stock too!

Pattern: Pre printed onto tights panel with a modified Jalie Clara waistband

Fabric: Pre Printed panels from Pitt Trading

Alterations: none

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Sewing Adventures – Sock G’Raff

Making sock toys is something I love making and giving to family and friends with kids. They are so cute and make an awesome handmade gift for anyone expecting a little one. You can see others I’ve made here

This little giraffe was a gift to one very excited grandmother to be, she went straight home and placed it on the toy ladder so it is ready and waiting for the little girl due soon.

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Sewing Adventures – Seamwork Almada

I love this robe, its such a lovely shape and so very very fast to put together. It’s the Seamwork Almada. If you ever need a speedy present then this should be your go to pattern.

This one was made for a present for a family member from a lovely silk viscose at Pitt Trading.

Surprisingly the fabric wasn’t every shifty at all, I had been expecting it to move a lot but because it has a slight crepe like texture to it I found it remarkably easy to handle. However I was sure to use a brand new fine sharps needle as it did not like a heavy needle at all.

I cut approximately a medium but kept the arms and body length as long as possible as I was making for someone much taller than I am. This robe can come up short so be careful of that if you are using it.

Using French seams I joined the front to the back at shoulder seams, side seams and then attached the sleeve cuffs so no seam edges were visible and topstitched on the front ties. Learning from the last time I made this I cut the ties to the length they are meant to be. On my own one, I made them longer and spend 95% of my time tripping over them or untangling the cat after she has been on my lap.

The pattern calls to just turn the front edge under and topstitch down but I find that always turns back and doesn’t look good for such a luxe garment. Using a polyester satin store bias binding I went all the way around the neck and hem, there is a slight amount of roping visible but I think it will press out. I really didn’t want to unpick the fabric as I needed to get it in the post pre Christmas so just accepted it and moved on.

So there it is, a speedy pattern that makes for a great present. I’m already thinking more people will be getting a version of this next Christmas!

Pattern: Seamwork Almada

Fabric: Silk Viscose from Pitt Trading.

Alterations: French seams, bias at decline, cut longest length and arms

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Free Pattern – Picc Line Cover

I have some family members going through Cancer treatment at the moment. One of the things they requested was a stretchy Picc Line cover. I did some research and came up with this design.

It’s a stretchy cover that has an opening for the line to be threaded through. The lower half can then be folded up to cover the line. It is not a medical aid, it helps hold the line in place against the arm and makes it visually look a bit nicer for the patient.

Get your free downloadable pattern here If the link doesn’t work, the pattern is also listed in the shop.

Suitable for stretch knits with spandex/elastane/lycra only. Must have a high degree of stretch in at least 2 directions.

All fabrics used in these samples available for purchase at Pitt Trading.

This pattern was created to help a family member who had a line put in during treatment. I’m offering it for free to anyone it may help as I couldn’t find something suitable during my research.

I am not a doctor or a medical professional. I watched some clips of the covers and did some research and came up with this solution. It is a cover only, do not use it if it inhibits your line or treatment in any way.

If in doubt make one and show your healthcare professional before using.

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My version of Make Nine for 2019

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to sew during 2019.

On Instagram, everyone has been showing their plans for Make Nine and it’s fabulous to see the amount of thought and planning happening.

While there are a few patterns I want to make this year I know that there are some very specific areas I want to work on. Using those areas is how I’m structuring my goals for the year. In no particular order, here they are

  1. Be more sociable – already this year I have caught up with some sewing friends from near and far and it is always so inspiring. With some fabulous exhibitions happening this year I want to try and get out and about more, recharge the batteries and be inspired.
  2. Make a Vintage dress from a vintage book – this one has been on my mind for awhile. I inherited a wonderful collection of Lutterloh patterns from my neighbour Joan. Thankfully the collection survived the house fire and now I want to use it to make a vintage dress. Possibly more than one but I’ve never used the system before so let’s start with one and see how I get on?
  3. Release Patterns – the last few years have been an ongoing disaster where I feel like I lurch from one crisis to another. There have been lots of things done in the background that I haven’t shown publicly. One of those things is a large number of patterns that are fully graded and really close to being released. This is the year I’m going to get them out into the world. Look out for swimwear, lingerie, dresses, sportswear and so much more coming your way.
  4. Operation Replenish Wardrobe – I’ve got some key items missing from my wardrobe. Namely a proper winter coat and some jeans so it’s time to get some made.
  5. Make a Quilt – in trying to be more sustainable I’ve been saving my scraps. Bigger ones get made into bags and things but there are some smaller ones that I want to recycle into a quilt. My grandmother makes quilts for the entire large family. None of the fabric is bought it’s all leftovers from garment sewing. Using that as inspiration I want to see what I can come up with?
  6. Sew the Stash – my stash was huge then the house fire destroyed quite a lot of it. Now, what is left deserves to be used so my goal is to use as much of it as possible in ways that are not wasteful.
  7. More Embroidery – we are not huge tv watchers, we like cycling and documentaries but the tv isn’t on all that much. I, however, read a lot and endlessly scroll Instagram and Pinterest. None of these things are bad but I read or heard something last year that has stayed with me. “What if instead of scrolling you did something with your hands? what could you achieve by the end of the year?” So I’m going to find out. I’ve even got an embroidery specific instagram to help keep me accountable @_measuretwicestitches
  8. Learn Something New or use skills I don’t often use – so far I have zero idea what this one entails but I love learning and want to do more of it.
  9. Operation Lingerie Drawer – I spent most of 2018 living out of a suitcase and moving multiple times. My bras and knickers are now a mess of stretched out, bent wires and just worn out. It’s embarrassing and is affecting the way some of my outer garments fit. So my goal is by years end to have a beautiful drawer filled with lovely pieces.

So that’s my goals, I’m keen to get started and see how the year unfolds. How about you? are you making specific pattern goals or just going with areas like I have?