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Make Of The Month; Katie

Hi, my name is Katie, I am a Yorkshire lass masquerading as a southerner living in the beautiful city of Oxford, although my accent still gives me away! When Hayley contacted me and asked to feature my Mayfair top as ‘Make of the Month’ I could not have been more excited.

I found SewHayleyJane during lockdown when I was looking to improve and challenge my sewing skills. I had been sewing on and off for around 10 years, always choosing the same kind of fabrics and pattern styles. After signing up I eagerly awaited the arrival of my first box ‘Riviera’ in July and I was instantly hooked.  I would never have chosen the fabric for myself but sewed it up as soon as it was washed and dried! The boxes are a real treat and I relish every moment carefully unwrapping the contents, reading the magazine and planning my make. As a self-taught sewer I have learnt so much from checking out what other SewHayleyJane subscribers have made using their boxes and I love an unboxing video on YouTube! I have tried both the Classic and Luxury boxes and have settled into a regular classic box subscription.

September’s box ‘Art Class’ came with a lovely viscose jersey featuring an abstract foliage design, which was opaque and with a good weight to it. After only previously sewing with bargain basement poly-cotton jersey I found this viscose a dream to sew. I prewashed the fabric in my usual way and found minimal shrinkage even after tumble drying. The jersey had a lovely drape to it and after previously making a test version of the Nina Lee Mayfair Dress, I thought this viscose jersey would be a perfect pairing. The dress features an all-in-one grown-on collar and facing, a gathered waist at the centre-front, with an attached waist tie. I only had 1 meter of fabric so decided to hack the Mayfair Dress into a top and I had just enough for the short sleeved version. The jersey was lovely to sew with, no stretching out or puckering and the fabric gathered beautifully at the front, making attaching the waist tie easy.

Sewing with this viscose jersey has given me the confidence to try out other jersey patterns which I had previously tried, failed and stashed at the back of the cupboard.

As a working mother with 2 small children it is not always easy (or relaxing anymore!) to get to a fabric shop and so a SewHayleyJane subscription is the perfect solution for me. Receiving new and interesting fabrics from Hayley has really pushed me out of my comfort zone and I look forward to seeing what arrives in my next box!

You can find Katie on Instagram @winter_wonders81

The Make Of The Month is chosen by Hayley from those who post their makes to Instagram, Facebook or via email and they are then gifted their next box.