I didn’t intend this Liberty fabric I bought just before Christmas to become a hack of the By Hand London Flora pattern, or indeed a top at all. But, after making (and failing badly at) a pleated skirt using the fabric, I decided I had enough fabric left to eke out a top from it. And I’m glad I did.
Oh By Hand London, your patterns have stolen my heart once again. I rediscovered this gem of a dress over the festive period and forgot how much I loved it (and how I’d forgotten to blog about it).
What couldn’t I love about this pattern? It’s made from a Liberty print fabric (same as here in fact, if you’re wondering), it has a well-fitted bodice, a high neckline AND a circle skirt. It’s even lined in a beautiful muslin type fabric from Cloth House.
I haven’t made an Anna dress for a while. The By Hand London pattern is one I’ve made once before but when I stumbled upon Elisalex’s pattern hack to add longer sleeves, I knew I had to give this version a go.
Does anyone else get major sewing anxiety whenever they’re away from their machine? I certainly have tonight. In fact, I am so desperate to sew something I’ve been contemplating buying a travel sewing machine to carry around with me. Other ways I’ve been distracting myself include knitting a blanket and pinning to my ‘DIYs and crafts’ board constantly.
Sewing patterns have come along a great deal since I first started making my own clothes back in 2007 (!). In fact, there are so many patterns out there currently that I would have loved to have tried and I really wish that I’d had access to. But let’s not digress.
If you or anyone you know is looking for an easy-ish sewing pattern, I’ve rounded up a few of my favourites. Some are tried and tested and some have been on my ‘to make’ list for ages, but look simple enough to make. All of the patterns below are perfect starter projects for newbies.
Read on for more.