There comes a time when you´re confronted with your limits, sewing wise, and you just have to accept the outcome is the best you could do at that time. I was part of the testing group for the Acton dress back in February (or was it March?) and, similarly to the Rushcutter, the pattern just blew me away.

I don´t feel like I made it justice; I envisioned it in this beautiful silk from Maçãs d´Amor and a pair of more professional hands was definitely a requisite to handle it properly. The pattern has an inverted V shape at the front, princess seams, understitching, an invisible zipper and bodice lining, you know, all of the good stuff we want, with a great picture tutorial and instructions to go with it. Now imagine all of these steps in a flowy, slippery, perfect 100% silk that completely lost its shape right after cutting and there was no basting or staystitching to save it. My pieces got tottaly out of control so I finished the best I could.

I did the view B with the loose A line skirt but I used view A´s high back instead, and I also lenghtened the skirt (can´t really remember how much, in fact I think I just lenghtened it so I could use my whole fabric). The artistic photos, or at least an attempt to get artistic, came out blurry, which you should be grateful for, it just means you won´t burn your eyes with my mismatched seams, ha!

You should definitely take a look at Emily´s In the Folds, there´s much more information there (and wonderful tutorials too!). As for me, lesson learned, silk is for the Gods, but I´ll still be patiently waiting for next Summer and a light breeze so I can twirl around some more.

Welcome baby #4! Good thing he´s out already, otherwise Sara might get into labor with this little suprise, ha!

So Sara from Made by Sara just had her baby number #4 and it´s the cutest little baby boy. Congratulations my dear, and all the best to you and your family. Obviously, we can´t pass on a good opportunity to sew, so some of her sewing blogger friends joined for a little sewing baby shower.

A few years ago, I used to do these ponchos / capes for kids and sell them on FB. But back then I was also working and I just couldn´t keep up with maintaining a business, even if at a small scale. Also, the wool I found was very very good but only a limited quantity was available, so I ran out of resources within a few months. Ah, ain´t I a good business woman, ha! Those days are long gone and I don´t think I would ever do it again (just too much pressure and stress), but I thought about how I loved seing my kids in theirs and how practical and easy it is to dress a baby.

The pattern is self drafted from back then, quite an easy semi circular shape with the hood, and I made this version for a 1 year old. I´m guessing, depending on the baby, that it can fit from around 9 months to around 1 1/2, 2 years if lucky. The wool is thick and quite warm and it´s fully lined in cotton twill.

Sorry for the bad quality pictures, but during the good light hours I haven´t been able to shoot anything. Hope you like it, Sara!

Here´s the link to the rest of the party!

I am wriiiiting!! In DA blog waahoo! After Summer months lazyness, when I thought I would still have some time to juggle work and pleasure, my plans got all mixed up. I didn´t think I would be so caught up on school agenda, but in the most positive way; going back to work really lifted my spirit and I´m back at a phrenetic rithm thinking and planning for my "adopted" kids for the year.

Still, I miss sewing at the level I was doing it oh so much, but for now I can only commit to smaller projects like testings I can´t say no to and others that I have time to plan and sew little by little.

Califaye Collection has my heart from day one and I can´t resist Sarah´s sense of style; I always know her patterns will fit me like a glove and turn to staples on my wardrobe.

The Rumi pullover is just an easy going pattern, one of those perfect for the 15 minute soul cleansing I allow myself everyday, ha! I used a very light and open wool knit, which is not the best recommendation for the pattern, but I made it work with a couple of changes; I added the neckband and skipped the side vents. Also I made it a little smaller by removing 1 inch on fold on both front and back pieces, and shortened it by 2 inches. You know the drill with me, my 5´2" and petite stature always require a bit of sizing down.

It has just gone to my TNT pile and I´ll definitely try it with a heavier wool knit and longer sleeves. You can drive back to Califaye´s blog to check the awesome tester versions and how the pattern looks with other knits (so different but so good!).

I know it´s rather hot for tea right now, but bare with me for a couple of minutes because this kind of Tea is really a summer cool down if you´re needing one. The lovely Nelleke and some other talented ladies had this pretty cool idea for a tour and I must confess I was pretty intrigued by the pattern so challenge accepted, ha! The Tea House by Sew House Seven can either be a top or a dress, has cuffed dolman sleeves, a V neck with a front yoke accent and ties around the waist. It´s not my usual cup of tea as the style I usually wear, but I could see the pattern´s potential.

I had this fabric already used up as a kimono I made a couple of years ago when I knew nothing about sewing techniques; really, the finishings made me weep everytime I picked it up and I was just waiting for the perfect pattern to come along to save it.

In order to make it work, I had to make a few changes to the Tea House; I removed the back pleat and made the back yoke as part of the back piece so the back fabric panel would shine - back, back, back, haha! Then for the front yoke, since I wasn´t doing the ties, I joined it to the lower panel as a whole piece. The fabric had this band print that looked perfect for me as an accent but to make it work I had to add a center front seam. Also, it´s cut on the crossgrain so extra pins, basting, glue, whatever you can think of was used to keep it nice and steady when I joined it to the front side panels. I used the same band print as an accent on the cuffs.

Inside it´s fnished with the front and back facings the pattern includes (just shortened the front facing a bit because I didn´t need it that long), understitched and tacked down at the shoulder seams, you know the drill. The pattern is beautifully drafted with impeccable instructions, so it´s perfect to play a bit with the pieces if you need or want to change something to make it more you.

The fabric is a really light silky viscose with a Zara print (which they sold as a kimono, hence my inglorious try to copy it, ha!) and a nightmare to press. I did my best to match the print at the front side panels; still, is it too busy at the eye? Maybe I should have broken it up with some piping... Paneled fabrics are hard to use and match up and the fact that I was upcycling didn´t give me too much room to play around with the fabric pieces. Neverthless, the boho summery feeling I was looking for is there, the top is loose but still with a bit of fit, I´m a happy happy gal!

August 9th: Rebel and Malice / Gaafmachine / Stahlarbeit
August 10th: In a manner of sewing / Sew happy / Mottenfrosch
August 11th: Sew Mariefleur / KreaMino / Fairies, Bubbles and Co. / Frölein Tilia
August 12th: Made by Sara / Just Add Fabric / Little Cumquat

And what about some cookies to go with that tea, hehe? Would you like to win a pattern of your choice from Sew House Seven? Peggy from Sew House Seven has generously offered to sponsor this giveaway, thank you! And UPDATE, La Finch Fabrics is also on board, offering each winner 6 yards of apparel fabric, woohoo! So, come on and write a comment on GAAFmachine´s post! We will pick two lucky winners next Monday 15th of August using a random generator. Good luck and put those kettles on!

London Sew Social was definitely unforgetable, it was all about getting to know the girls, spending some amazing time with them but also doing some fabric shopping, or window shopping. There are fabrics there to die for but my wallet was too small for them. Still, I made some special buys and this Liberty french terry (or loopback fleece) was my sewvenir, ha!

I only got half metre as I knew it would be just enough to make yet another Linden sweatshirt. My only mod was having to make 3/4 sleeves to fit it all and also one of the sleeves has the print upside down *sigh* I can surely live with that.

There´s not much to say about the pattern, I´ve made it a gazillion times and I know it by heart. But this fabric, awww, it just upgrades it from a regular sweatshirt to one with a very special place in my heart and it just makes me smile when I look at it in my closet. And look! Liberty is having a sale and there are some fleeces there, I couldn´t recommend it more as a special treat, go on you know you deserve it.

It wouldn´t be fair not to show everything we will be making with our goodies from our amazing sponsors (and also our little splurdges), we will we will, but also share with everyone some of those goodies. Here´s THE mother of all giveaways!

There will be 4 very lucky winners!

Here's what the goodie packs include:

What is it that, at some point, makes blogging so boring and dull? We still wanna share and show off everything we´re working on but the writing, gaah, the editing, I believe it´s these little perfectionist bits that live inside all of us that are kind of ruining the fun. I decided to lay back and relax a bit, if the pictures are not with the best lighting or completely focused, whatever man, for now it´s Summer and I either do it like this or not at all. Plus, I gain extra time for sewing haha.

I´ve been doing lots of indulgence sewing but there are some testings still going on: here are the Havanna blouse and shorts by Califaye Collection.

The blouse has a cool and summery vibe, with no closures and all.the.gathers necessary to satisfy a 5 year old twirling game, ha! My version is from a first part of the testing so it´s finished with facings but there´s now an option to fully line the bodice as well. The shorts are just quick and easy, with inseam pockets and a topstitched waistband for a professional look.

For the shirt i used some poplin with embroidered icecreams, from Sweet Mercerie and it´s just the yummiest fabric. Also if you take a look at this dress at Anthropologie you might find some similarities, how cool is that! The shorts are in light tencel from the same shop.

I decided to close up the front with some tassels rather than a button; the purpose is just to add a bit more closure to that area and still have a fun detail. Also, in the shorts I ran out of grommets so I went with the traditional buttonholes.

Check some other tester versions here. It´s just an easy and quick summer outfit and you can save 30% off on your purchase at Califaye Collection (or at Etsy). Sale ends July 2nd 11:59 pm EST. coupon code - NEWRELEASE.

This post contains affiliate links but all opinions are my own.

It´s impossible to talk about this event without refering the moment of excitement when I got the invitation. I was picking my girl from kindergarden and just scrooled thru my mail real quick to find one from Annika; I had to read it twice to make sure I wasn´t crazy. When I realised it was indeed what I was thinking about a big teenage-OH-MY-GOD came out of my mouth right in the middle of the street, then pretty much that was all I was able to say for the rest of the day. I just said to my husband "I´m going to London with my sewing friends", there was no "oh, let´s check if it´s possible" or "hmm, it´s a tricky month" hell no, I was going even if the world was ending bahaha!

It was actually so wonderful to meet everyone in person. The truth is since we spend so much time online chatting and following up with what we all sew, it really is like we already know each other. It was also my first time in London so I was trying to absorb as much as I could. I was one day early there and got to spend it with Marta and Liesl and seriously, Marta is just the best guide! Then we got a really fun night of partying at Olu´s: haha, not really, we were just so tired we left the party for the next days (thanks for having me in your house Olu! And for that wonderful breakfast full of cheese hehe ;) ) The day after we met up with the rest of the group and for the rest of the weekend I think we pretty much did half London by foot, ha! We also got to meet wonderful Rachel from House of Pinheiro and our dear Maria João from Fairies, Bubbles Co met us too for what would be known as my disgrace at Liberty of London, ha!

Now, about the fabric shopping and such: comparatively with what I usually buy and can afford, it´s quite expensive, but that didn´t stop me from doing some splurdges. Also we had incredible and generous sponsors that send us all sorts of goodies for an amazing goodie bag. I don´t even know where to start!

There are some more group pictures at the girls blogs and around IG if you search for #londonsewsocial. All these incredible ladies I got the privilege to meet: