PatsyPoo Makes

The Sew House Seven  Toaster Sweater  has been around for a long time and I never paid too much attention to it. That is until my BFF made this version  and then I immediately realised I needed one of them in my life. This was such a quick project! I started sewing at 12.17pm and finished at 13:30, just in time for dinner. I love an instant gratification project. I made the size S as it comes. Mine is the raglan version with a funnel neck because the other neckline is not something I'd enjoy wearing.  Plus, I really love a raglan jumper. The fabric is gorgeous. I have this thing with prints that look like watercolours and I can't seem to resist them. I bought this last year as soon as I saw it precisely because it looked like watercolours. I can't remember where I bought it from though. It was somewhere in Germany I think but I really can't be sure. Anyway, the fabric is a lovely and soft French terry and it's really great quality. The print is beautiful as well. I ...

These trousers have been in the making for a very long time... I made my very first pair 4 years ago almost to the day. I believe they were my first pair of trousers as well - no, I didn't go back and read the post. I still have that pair and a linen pair I made shortly after. In fact, I wear them all the time and I was wearing my first one on Friday while I was making these. How very... wait for it... FITTING! Wahey! See what I did there? I've also been watching How I Met Your Mother a lot, can you tell? Usually, I don't blog about things I've made for the 4th time. However, having had such a big gap in between I decided it was worth it. I want to talk about things I did differently last week, having gained 4 years of experience in the time that has elapsed. The first issue I needed to address was how tight the calves were. I've made the exact same size as 4 years ago, which was a 10. The fit has always been great except around the calves. They are fine if I am st...

It seems I am feeling motivated enough to keep on blogging, doesn't it? I'll keep riding this wave for as long as I can but I'm not making any promises... Today I have another shirt to share. Yes, another shirt. No, no one is surprised. But wait... What? Maybe you will be a little bit surprised if I say it's a pattern I haven't made before! Whut? 🤯 Yep, it's the Hey June Handmade Cheyenne Tunic . Hey June Handmade Cheyenne Shirt That's right. I've finally moved on to a different shirt and I think it is now my favourite casual, loose-fitting shirt pattern. I will tell you why. Reason number 1: there are several variations. Different sleeves, neckline, length and all sorts of smaller details as well. I'm already planning a v-neck option soon. Reason number 2: the instructions and drafting are outstanding. I've made a few Hey June patterns and they are consistently good and informative. Reason 3: maybe I just needed a change? I mean, I still love t...

Yesterday, while I was working on my shirt - yes, another! - I decided to do a quick photo tutorial to post on my Instagram stories. I was sewing my sleeve plackets and I thought I'd post it here as well. Tower plackets can be really fiddly to sew and I remember from my beginner days how baffling the illustrations on instruction booklets can be, especially if you've never sewn one. Just a couple of disclaimers before we dive in: these photos are all from my sewing room and taken with my phone, so the lighting isn't the best. Also, I had already started sewing before I decided to document the process, so for the first couple of pictures, I'm already a few steps ahead. Right, let's go! Firstly, ignore that slash you can see here. As I said, I was already a few steps ahead by this point. What you need to do first is fold the outer edges of your placket by whatever your pattern specifies (mine is 6mm) and press in place. You also need to press the top of your tower as s...

I know I said I didn't think I could be bothered to get the blog going again but this top came into my life and I love it too much not to ramble on about it for longer than I should... Meet the Sagebrush top from Friday Pattern Company. Isn't it brilliant? I never thought I was a ruffle and puffy sleeve kind of person, but maybe I am because I bloody love this! It was another buddy sew with Mel, but this time not only did we make the same pattern, we used the same fabric as well. We fell in love with a few yellow versions we saw on Instagram and when Mel found this fabric , we had to. 🤷‍♀️ The fabric was a joy to sew and is great to wear. It's perfect for this top: it has fluidity and drape but it's still got some body to cope with all that volume. There is a lovely slubby texture to it, too, which I really like. The instructions are really clear. The pattern is of very simple construction and a very good option for beginners. But it's also an enjoyable project fo...

First of all, hello again! I hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected while we're powering through the increasingly hot garbage fire that is 2020 so far. Second of all, I'm not sure I still have the motivation to get this blog going again so this doesn't necessarily mean I am back, but I thought it was important that I write this blog post.  Lastly, I will take no pleasure in writing this post but I have just finished making a pattern with my friend Mel, we've both had lots of issues with it and there is no sign of any of that anywhere that I could find. So I thought I should be honest about my experience and leave a searchable record of it on the internet. The pattern in question is the  Turia Dungarees  by Pauline Alice. Before I get into all the problems I had with it, let me say that I still think it's cute. Mine ended up going to my daughter because it was very snug around my thighs and I knew I wouldn't wear it very much. That's on me though,...