I’m back – I’m sure you are asking yourself – was yer wan away?? 

It’s taken over 6 months and  I have been busy so hadn’t time or energy to do anything with this website except let it sit. After a nice long break over the festive period and with nowhere to go (thanks Corona) I sort of got back to normal (whatever that is).

I sewed a lot over the break – starting with Christmas jammies for the boys, and some sweats for them. Always a good way to get warmed up! I moved on to a few jumpers and tshirts for myself – some old favourites, the Megan Nielsen Jarrah Sweatshirt and The Sewhouse Seven Toaster. I picked up a few new patterns like the Love Notions Tessa sheath Dress in their regular Friday $5 offer (check it out – their patterns are great with a huge size range). Find more detail on the outfits below over on Instagram for now. More details coming to the blog soon.

After that I actually can’t remember, I will take photos and share them here eventually. I have bought some fabric over the Autumn – you’d think I’d have a great stash but I was really restrained over the years at not building up a fabric stash – my one regret!! I have lots of plain jerseys and sweatshirt fabric but not nice viscose and cottons. Not to worry – I will do my bit supporting all our local online fabric shops. You will see I have developed expensive tastes for designer European fabrics – Eglantine and Zoe and Mind the Maker. 

My plan for the future – I want to get back to blogging regularly, sharing my sewing projects. I might do some video – expand my sewing machine basics course. I am interested in making tutorial style videos as it goes hand in hand with the day job.

 I don’t think I am ready to launch into regular vlogging right now – I admire all the amazing vloggers out there – I’ve tried it but I find it hard. I am happier sitting tapping away on the keyboard.

What is the day job?? Well, since September I have been a part time tutor with LMETB. I teach sewing/crafts and English for speakers of other languages. It was a steep learning curve getting to grips with all it involves working for an institution, lesson planning etc. Leaving the house every day was a big adjustment in itself, I have been working from home in some form for almost 20 years. I’m enjoying the work and I know there will be hard days but in general it’s nice to work for someone else for a change. (FYI if you qualify theres some availability in a number of  classes in Adult Learning Services – contact your local etb to find out. It’s worth a try to get on the waiting list).

I think my next blog will be a run down of my Make Nine for 2022 (#makenine2022). I was totally not giving this ‘craze’ any notice until I sat down to scribble some blog plans. It sort of made sense, I have a few things I would like to do and some accountability with you guys might motivate me to get them done. A lot of the sewing I’ve done in the last 6 months have been geared towards my working wardrobe cos let’s face it – working from home for 20 years, 18 months of on / off lockdowns – I had a lot of lounging gear but not much smart stuff!! I tidied my wardrobe over the xmas break and I kind of have enough work clobber for now so my focus is changing (I think that’s where the make nine came into being). More to come on that.

• #Makenine is a sewing challenge found in various sewing blogs/ vlogs/ instagram (use the #makenine2022)

The website needs a good bit of tlc, probably a rebranding – I don’t want to lose everything I’ve built up here so will probably make small incremental changes over the foreseeable. I have a budding graphic designer in the house but I need to have an idea of what I want first. I find these things come to me with time and reflection – they can’t be rushed and there’s no pressure.

This is beginning to sound like a journal entry or something like that so I am going to say Goodbye and I will be back very soon. 

To reward you for reading this far – here is your treat:

Pattern to Paper  Pattern Printing

We have a discount code for you to use to for A0 pattern printing. The lovely Sandra has given us 20% off with this code on their Pattern to paper website:

Get a 20% discount from now until the end of February with the code MAEVE22

Thanks Sandra for the discount – it’s an amazing service and I have a list of patterns ready for printing. Discount does not apply to postage.

Have a lovely weekend – hope you get some sewing done

Maeve

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