Sunday - Day Dreams of Summer

Sunday’s are, in my opinion, best reserved for pottering about. I seem to have picked up and put down half a dozen tasks today but have made at least a little progress with each. I spent a fair part of the day looking out of the window at a seriously grey day and hoping that thinking hard enough about summer might somehow bring it about. I worked a little more on my summer designs and, although the colours are purely for decoration and will not represent the fabrics that I will eventually use, I felt drawn to bright, summer colours. 

I’m currently working on several new knitting and crochet patterns which I am loving.  Yet again I am being drawn back to this super chunky cable jumper as it both serves to ward off the cold and brings a sunny flash of colour. I hope to have the first draft ready for some friendly pattern testers within a week or two. 

I have added a few things to my to do list and have a batch of post it note ideas to mull over. I have two new projects in the works which should be finalised in the next week so I feel all set for Monday morning! 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekends, SJ  

Saturday - Designing & Drawing Clothes

For me Saturday is a half way house between the working week and the weekend; I start late, have a proper breakfast while I check the headlines, check social media then I set about having a leisurely tidy up and start to think about some new projects.

Without the structure that I impose Monday - Friday I tend to get on to the little sparks which haven’t quite germinated into proper ideas yet. One of my goals for January is to finally settle on my Spring / Summer designs. I have some sketches and vague notions of frills, linen, and some colour palates but nothing is set in stone. Saturdays are perfect for settling down at my desk with pens, pencils, and paints ready to get those fancy notions down in ink and paper.

Essentially, Saturday is a day of ideas and I am content just to make mental progress without having to end up with a finished product at the end of the day.

Drawing patterns has been a new experience for me. The amazing designs that inspire me so much seem so effortless with sweeping lines and drafted female forms. When it comes to making my own my first attempts were shockingly bad and I was more than glad that they were just for my eyes. I have since done some research online and have found so many amazing resources to help budding designers like me.

Step 1 - Get a template form, known as a croquis, and use this for every design, this will keep your designs consistent and will ensure that you’re covering all aspects of your design in each set of drawings.

You will need to find a croquis that suits you and the designs that you are making. There are two styles that I have found, one uses regular person proportions and the other is a more ‘catwalk’ style which elongates the form, this is supposedly better for showing off your designs. You can find templates and inspirations here: (NB: I don’t have any affiliations with these sites I just found them useful)

How to draw your own croquis

• https://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/how-to-make-fashion-sketches/

• https://www.fashionistasketch.com/draw-fashion-croquis/

Get some ready made templates

• http://pretatemplate.com/download-fashion-figure-templates/ - this page also has an app that you can use for free or pay for a full access

• https://www.idrawfashion.com/croquis/all-free-fashion-templates/

Once you have your template you can be modern and make your designs digitally, or, like me, use regular pencils, paints, and pens for your designs. I have my forms on paper which I then trace when I make a new design.

Once I have a drawing that I like I go back to the drawing board and consider how to make this design possible. What fabrics will work to create that particular drape, how will the pieces be joined, how practical will the finished piece be to wear? My final designs come in three stages; the pretty croquis, the blue print style diagram with exploded detailed sections, and, finally, the pattern pieces sketches with basic joining instructions.

Over the next few weeks I hope to have my new designs penned and I will be happy to show these to you. As ever I would be interested in hearing from you about your experiences of drafting, designing, and of making your own clothes. Thanks for reading, SJ.

Friday - Taking Stock & Making For Myself

This week has seen my start my New Years Resolution part of which is to take stock of my progress.

I first began to sew when I was unable to find clothes to fit my taller-than-average frame. I was a teenager and was approximately 6” taller than any other girl I knew. My ankles were routinely shown off to the world by trousers too short, my sleeves constantly pushed up to the elbow to hide the fact that they didn’t reach my wrists and don’t get me started on finding a swimsuit. Being a teenager is hard enough without feeling like you will burst out of your wardrobe!

I would to buy larger clothes and cinch them in at the waist, albeit very roughly, until I began to get a sense of how clothes were made and how they could be taken apart and put back together. Frankenstein-ing my way through my wardrobe I learned to tailor what I could and to hide my height and size.

As an adult I invested in a dress-makers dummy and soon I had requests from friends and family to tailor jackets, to lengthen tops, or to shorten hems. All was practice which lead to me to feel that sewing and creating was what I wanted to do all day every day. I started to feel that I could make clothes to fit my body and that I would not have to try in vain to fit my body into ‘off the rack’ clothes. Not only was my wardrobe (and confidence) building but I knew that I wanted to share this new skill with others.

Inspired by a good friend, Nina, who had launched her Etsy shop to great success, I ventured tentatively into the world of online selling. I created some cushion covers and opened my Etsy shop. Cue a nervous wait of over a month until my first sale ‘cha-chinged’ its way into my life.

It was another few months before I gained the courage to leave my full time job in London. I knew if I was ever to make this business viable I had to remove the excuses and safety net of a paying job. Since then I have increased my online sales, taken stalls and pop-up markets by storm, and have now created my own website. I am still learning a great deal every day and I have a long way to go but I now feel that I have a solid grounding on which I can build my own future. That may sound a little trite but the sense of freedom and responsibility that comes from owning your own business, being both free to choose and entirely responsible for the consequences of your choices is quite surprising and, I am now realising, what I have always wanted. I always sensed that the 9 to 5 life was not for me…

This week alone I have settled into my new routine, bolstered by the new year I aim to write everyday, to reach out to people everyday, and to complete at least one new project everyday. I am finding that sharing my progress helps me to take stock, to evaluate, and to appreciate how far I have come.

You can see my latest projects below and, as always, I would love to hear from you. What’s your new goal or resolution? Have you tried any new projects or been inspired to take a big step? Have a great weekend, SJ

This week I have:

~ Created a new hat pattern - Chunky Cable Hat Pattern

~ Posted a new beginner’s crochet pattern & tutorial - Super Chunky Crochet Throw

~ Ventured into the city to pick up some fabric and inspiration….

~ Used that fabric to create some new PJs for myself!

~ Started work on two new patterns ~ Super Chunky Horseshoe Cable Jumper & Chunky Ripple Crochet Blanket

~ Added new products to my website shop ~ Double Duvet Cover Set

Thursday - Chunky Cable Hat Knitting Pattern

The weather has been completely up and down today and the need for knit wear is still very apparent! We’ve had rain, bright blue skies, snow, and hail. Some of my most popular knitted items and knitting patterns feature chunky wool and cables, there’s something quite special about a cable knit item.

My latest pattern uses plaited cables along side garter stitch to make a soft, repeating design which is easy to master for those just starting out with hat making. You can find the knitting pattern here or, if you’d rather have the hat ready made, you can find the hat with your choice of pompom here.

The hat is knitted from the bottom up with circular needles; this means that the hat can be made without the need for seams. Sewing seams is a great rival for least favourite thing to do, just one place behind weaving in loose ends…

I use Cygnet Chunky wool which is 100% acrylic, I like to use animal friendly materials where every possible and I love Cygnet products. The chunky wool is, as you might expect, lovely and chunky but also soft and itch-free for all of us who don’t like to wear animal wools. You could use any chunky wool for this pattern and, with a little scaling you could adapt this pattern for use with a thinner or thicker wool.

I like to finish my hats with a pompom, sometimes a wool pompom to match the hat and sometimes I go all out with a faux fur pompom, you can find these hand sewn faux fur pompoms in my shop, too.

The pattern is available now in my shop and also on Ravelry. I would love to hear your thought on the pattern. If anyone is keen to start making their own hats but you’re unsure about knitting cables or about knitting in the round please let me know - I am always looking for new ideas for my ‘How to…’ blogs. Happy knitting, stay warm! SJ

Wednesday Morning - Getting Out & About

Every Wednesday morning I set out by bus for the city centre for a driving lesson. Years of living in central London have left me completely reliant on public transport and the occasional taxi. Moving to the country and starting a business has been a major change and the need for my own means of transport is becoming more and more apparent. Whilst the driving lesson fills me with nerves I love the uninterrupted journey time on the bus as it gives me two sessions to design time, I usually devote this time to knitting which helps the journey to pass in no time at all.

Knitting out in public always seems to bring a few odd looks and, more often than not, a comment or two. I’m always pleased to have a chat and to explain what I am making, many people like to share their own experiences and to swap tips on techniques or favourite yarns. Some of the most heart warming comments are from people who remember fondly a loved one knitting; a grandmother, a mother, a spouse, always kind memories of treasured knitted items. I often find myself reassuring those interested in knitting that it is easier than it looks and that anyone is capable of creating something beautiful with a bit of practice. I hope that while I make progress with my projects I might also infect others with the knitting bug!

Another great benefit of visiting the city each week is a chance to visit the independent shops and market vendors. I picked up some beautiful cotton fabric which I plan to use for some PJs. The market is such a great place for shopping, there is a great mix of established vendors and pop-up stalls which change on a regular basis meaning that there’s an ever-changing source of inspiration.

All this means that my regular day starts a little later on a Wednesday but with an added boost of inspiration from the bustling city and a little extra progress made with my latest WIP (see my Super Chunky Jumper Pattern post to follow…). SJ

Tuesday Morning - The Average Morning Workspace

Something that surprised me a little about opening my little shop was the time that is eaten up my admin and social media. I worked for many years in an intense office-based job yet somehow in my dreams of a creative business all those emails, invoices, and paper chains were mystically missing.

In an effort to keep organised and focused on creating I devote my early mornings to admin, a little social media, and keeping my shop up to date. I start with a coffee and, when possible !, a clear work space. I work through my listings and I check my emails and shop enquiries.

I love to hear from shoppers, sometimes its a new order, sometimes a request to make something new just for them. The best messages of all are those thanking me for the items that I made for them. Often when an order is sent off I don’t hear much in response, sometimes just some stars in a review but no comment so its extra special to receive a comment of thanks and a photo of the finished item in its new home.

Today, I am updating the shop with the new products that I made yesterday. My Duvet Cover Set that I worked on yesterday is ready for the virtual shelves so that means some set-dressing and a mini photo-shoot. I am so happy with the way that it turned out and I now have the template pattern ready I can work on some matching new designs.

The rest of today will be working on my bedroom designs and finishing a new knitting pattern - I am in the trial phase and am close to finishing my last trial piece so I hope to have the new Chunky Cable Hat pattern posted this week.

I’d love to hear from you, how do you start your day? Any tips for a small business owner trying to get to grips with working from home? SJ

Monday Morning - Creating New a New Product

Tools of the trade: fabric, cutter, tape and ruler, and coffee...

Working from home can lead to some blurring of boundaries between home life and work life, especially with a creative business. I have spent the past year turning my hobbies and passions into a job so knowing when my work day ends and my relaxing time begins can be tricky to decide.

My plan for 2019 is to make a plan and stick to it; to focus my energy on those essential projects that will meet the demands of my little shop. All too often my personal passion for creating and helping others to invent their perfect item leaves me working furiously on a series on one-offs while my ‘to do’ list gets ever longer.

This year I am starting as I mean to go on by ticking off those essential items that have been waiting patiently for so long! Last year I made a series of bedding sets which sold out so quickly, I knew straight away that hand made bedding with interesting designs were in demand yet I never quite found time to plan, design, and create a new range.

This beautiful grey song birds motif cotton is perfect for the bedroom, I am beginning with a duvet cover set and I will be working on a range of other bedroom textiles to match; bed runners, throw pillows, curtains, etc., all to be added to my ‘Home’ shop in the weeks to come.

Once I have the patterns made and I have tested these patterns I can start the next exciting part of the process - hunting for fabrics. Choosing fabric is such a personal thing, I try to look for two things - something I would love to have in my home and, secondly, something that I know I would see in a friend’s home and be envious of! The best part of creating for others is being able to use fabrics and materials that you would never choose for your own home or your own wardrobe; pushing boundaries and hoping that your clients will fit neatly within those boundaries.

So that’s my Monday morning planning / thought session. Updates on my new bedding sets will follow. In the meantime I would love to hear from other creatives about your process, SJ.

Super Chunky Crochet

Its been a hectic start to the new year but I have finally found some time to relax with a bit of super chunky crochet.

Wool is my favourite @cygnet_yarns Seriously Chunky in cream

Every pattern that I design starts with a tester session. Even the simplest design needs some careful thought and consideration to get the right tension and texture. This simple crochet throw uses a basic stitch making it a great beginners pattern. 

I’ll be posting this pattern with a guide for new crocheters soon, watch this space! If you have any comments or questions that I could add to my crochet guide please get in touch, I’d love to hear from you, SJ