Some classic and trendy necklines you should definitely learn to sew.

28 June 2020

There's something about the neckline of a garment that speaks volumes and will make you stand out from the crowd.

Some of them are timeless really and you should definitelyldefinitely to sew them properly.

What really makes such necklines look sloppy is when the points/edges don't look sharp.
It's makes the style look less captivating.

The necklines I'm talking about today are

- A scalloped neckline
Very lovely and unique neckline, there's nothing quite like it out there.
You can use it on a variety of ways too, for a pocket and also a hem line.

- A stepped neckline
 (I don't know if there's an official name for it) which if you really look at it you can turn it into a square neckline.

Like I said these necklines are always in trend, they are classic and I'm going to teach you a little trick about how to sew them properly.






                                      
                                                

Cool dolman sleeve tops like this happen when you upcycle.

25 June 2020




I'm not going to say the dreaded words but we all know it's given us ample time.

Sooooooo, I've been a busy bee, apart from starting a fashion collection complete with mood boards, fabric swatches and croquis I also started on some upcycling/refashioning I've been putting off.

There's this skirt co-ord set I've had for almost 15yrs that I obviously can't fit into anymore. 
It never washed or went out of shape and it's got this whole colour blocking with prints things going for it(sorry there are no before pics but if you watch the video you might get an idea).

There's also a top I've made before, it was my first attempt at a dolman sleeve, it's gotten so much wear that I felt another one was in order.

Here then starts our story.....

 

 

 

This is what the front of the top looks like, from the right and wrong sides.
On the insides, I didn't bother serging. First, because the fabric doesn't fray, thank you sweet Jesus, and second, at the time I made this top, the lockdown was in full effect.

 

 

These are pictures of the back. 


 

 

 I didn't have enough of the main fabric left to make the sleeves one piece with the main body of the top, so I added this bit of fabric to it. the original fabric had waist ties which I used to make a slight gathering effect.

I think it's nice, no???

 

 

 I also used the plain fabric to do a bias binding for the neckline. 

It gives a clean finish especially when there's no lining.


 


 From my last dolman sleeve top, I realized that the length of the top didn't let me tuck it in, something I've gotten into lately.

So, I also made use of the same fabric to extend the top, but, you can't really tell it's there when I have it tucked in.

 









 
 

Fathers day gift ideas - Sewist Edition

10 June 2020 Nigeria

This blog post has been burning a hole in the drafts section of my blog for years now, I just never got the timing right. I'm finally getting to it and in good time too, my joy knows no bounds.

I want to celebrate dads the way I think a sewist would, not that our way is best but I kinda like the idea of a sewists spin on the occasion.

I am going to be giving out pattern suggestions but please note that some might not be pdf patterns and as such delivery might be an issue with all that's going on unless you have a store near you that carries the patterns.

Also, I have never used any of these patterns so I can't speak to how good the instructions might be, etc but like I said before this



text hat fathers day 

is just to help get the ball rolling.

Now, we love our fathers and they all come in different, shapes, sizes, personalities, etc, so I hopefully have created this list to reflect that as best I could.

There are many more out there, I'm sure but I hope you can seek inspiration from this list, and with that said
HERE GOES...........

SPORTY DAD

Raise your hand if your dad is the type to get up before the crack of dawn to workout at the gym, or maybe even a jog around the estate.

He's even asked you to join him a couple of times. 

Yeah, I'm sure we all know these dads pretty well. So I know you'll agree with me that he'll love a

-gym/duffel bag

 there are some nice bag patterns out there, and if you start sewing now, I'm sure it'll be a big surprise for him.

-workout wear



     Fehr trade made this










-jogging armband



  This particular gift I feel he'll use for a long time   because you can customize it to fit his phone   exactly





GEEKY/TECHY DAD

This dad is all about staying indoors, mostly in front of his keyboard.
For him 

-skinny tie

Name more than one movie where you've seen the geek/techy guy with a big tie?????


-laptop/iPad bag

This would go down so well, I CAN SEE IT


 This iPad case is very beautiful, feel free to make it up with fabric & colours your dad would love.
          
Same thing with this laptop bag.

 


OUTDOOR DAD

This dad is all about the great outdoors, you can't catch him indoors for too long.
He has to be outside communing with nature, fishing, or looking for his next big adventure or idea.

-sunglasses case

These could look cool in different fabrics & colours













-face cap












-cargo shorts

This looks really good I'm sure he'll love all the pockets.





FASHION FORWARD DAD

This papa right here, is the fly papa, always on the latest trend. he'll even give your mum a run for her money in the shoes or accessories department.

-shirt

This shirt would be right up his alley IMHO













-toilet bag

You can make this up with some nice oilcloth fabrics, he's sure to love it.













BUSINESS DAD

Business dad is always busy and on the move. He'll need things that make his on the go lifestyle quick and easy

-dress shirt













-shoe dust cover/ garment bag


ARTSY/CREATIVE DAD

A dad very much like us, in tune with his creative side

-apron

Is your dad always in his toolshed fixing up something? Then this apron will be right up his alley.

If your dad is more in the kitchen cooking up a storm you can still make this up with some nice cotton fabric but maybe ditch the pockets













-Sewing classes

There are not a lot of sewing classes out there geared towards men. But MiMi G has a sewing academy where you can learn to sew online and the best part is that it's also for men.

ECO-FRIENDLY DAD

Very in tune with the earth and its sustainability is this dad.
Any gift will suit him. But use

-eco-friendly fabrics
-no plastic



This list has been great and lots of fun for me to compile for you, but I must admit, IT WAS SLIM PICKINGS ALL THE WAY.

There are just not enough patterns out there for men, let alone being diverse enough. Changing that would really be a great idea.

Also, these wonderful diverse dads of ours can fall into several of these categories at the same time, so please pick and choose from as many categories as you like THIS IS MEANT TO BE FUN.

Before I forget, in like of everything happening in the world right now, I'm doing my part by offering free face mask patters for download.



                                                       
                                                                   

Free Breathable Face Masks Pattern To Show You Care

1 June 2020



Hey people,

I'm super excited to announce that I have something new to bring to you.

Honestly, I've been looking for what else I can do for this lovely community to say 

THANK YOU

for all your love and support all these years. 

And in the wake of everything the world is going through right now ( in my head I'm calling it an extended holiday ) 

I think the only thing that will make any of this make sense is to participate in making things safer & better.

With that said, I have 2 types of masks as free downloads for everyone.
Just go to my downloads page at the top or with this link here.

Whilst sewing the masks you'll need 

Elastic (quarter-inch elastic is most preferable)
Cut (2) six-inch-long elastic strips to go on the sides of the mask
Sew them and the whole mask at a half-inch seam allowance

Let's all try to do our best & together we shall overcome.

Thank you everyone for coming back time & time again.

If you do indeed sew up these masks, tag me on Instagram and Facebook so I can share with others and leave a comment on what you think of the masks.

Again thank you all so much, my best to your loved ones & community.

https://www.chi9ja.com/p/downloads.html?m=1


                                                     
                                                             

 
   

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