Today's interview is a bit of a combo of our Customer Spotlight and Knitriffic Blogs features. We met Abigail at a sewing show in Birmingham and were aware of her lovely makes using Girl Charlee fabrics but we didn't know she blogged about them. After checking out her blog which only started in February, we think she is a blog star of the future!
So Abby, tell us about yourself...
I grew up in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire with my parents and younger
sister where I met my husband Matt at high school nearly 10 years ago. I am now
a secondary science teacher which I have been doing for the last 5 years after
completing a degree in Zoology. I come from a family of sewers, with my mum
being a textiles teacher and my mom-in-law also makes a range of different bags. I did GCSE and AS Level textiles at school but
decided to go down a scientific career route instead so I stopped sewing for a few years between leaving school and
starting my job.
What inspired you to start your
sewing & your blog?
When I started my job I decided that I wanted you
get back into sewing during the holidays. I had been given my Grandmas old
sewing machine so in the Easter break I bought some fabric, found a pattern in
the first Great British Sewing Bee book and started making myself a
pair of matching tie side cushions. However,
I hadn’t even sewn one of the ties together and the machine started smoking...
a lot! As much as I would have loved to use my Grandma's machine I decided that
it was not going to work without setting the house on fire. Having bought all
the fabric I couldn’t just stop, so I went back to the shop and bought a
Brother LS14 machine. Since then I have been on a few workshops including a
couple with Chinelo Bally from the Great British Sewing Bee who gave me so much
more confidence in drafting my own sewing patterns. Which I am doing more of
now than using commercial patterns.
I used a lot of sewing blogs as inspiration for
items that I wanted to make and so liked the idea of using one to keep a record
of all my makes and show family and friends what I was up to. At the start of Feb half term I went
to a fabric printing workshop with my mum, mom-in-law and family friend and
after a very brief conversation I decided to start a blog about my makes and so
that night SewingInstead was born!
This year I decided that I wanted to make at
least two items a month, easier said than done with a full time teaching job! I
managed January fine as the items I made were both simple (Kimono
and body-con midi dress), February was made much
easier with the half term break (maxi dress and cocoon cardigan) and March has
just about been a success with 1 and a half items made (pencil skirt and cami
top). April has been a crazy sewing month
so far because of the Easter hols and I am loving it! I am aiming to document
these makes and any other sewing events that we go to on my blog.
After the workshop, I started thinking up names with my Mom-in-law and
she came up with SewingInstead which is definitely true. I have a long list of
items I want to have a go at making and a large box full of fabric which is
just waiting to be turned into something amazing and so sometimes I would much
rather be sewing instead! I wanted to have a name that was unique and so I went
through loads on wordpress and checking on Google to see which was best but
always came back to this one.
How long you
have been sewing and what are your plans for the future?
I have been around sewing machines and fabric
from a very young age, I cant really remember a time when I didn’t know how to
use one it is just so natural to me. However, it has only been in the last few
years that I have started to experiment more with what I am making and try out
new skills. Sewing with knit fabric was relatively new to me as well as pattern
drafting but I am loving it as they both give me so much freedom in what I can
make.
I would love to continue with my blog
past this year and develop it further into a potential career or something I
could put more time into outside of teaching but as it’s so early on I am just looking
forward to see where it takes me.
What
inspires you/what would you describe as your design aesthetic?
I don’t think that I have a particular
style that inspires me, just whatever happens to be on trend at the time. I use
Pinterest A LOT! If I see something that I like I usually see if I have a
pattern that I can adapt or draft something myself to make it. I haven’t bought
many commercial patterns recently as I have a range of patterns pieces that I
can alter to make my own design or using instructions from other blogs for items
like my Kimono jacket. Having said that I have just bought the Zadie and Rosa patterns
from Tilly and the Buttons and so cant wait to try them out! I tend to mostly
make summer style clothes, I love the summer season and the fashion trends that
come out in the spring/summer so I automatically lean towards those styles.
What is your
favourite thing about sewing?
I love the challenge of making my own
clothes and seeing the finished product. I like trying out different techniques
and making things I have never done before, I rarely make the same thing twice
and if I do I make alterations to the pattern. I love having family members
that are also into sewing so I can ask for advice and share ideas of things to
make. I have only recently started to see how big the sewing community is on
Social Media but I love the support and sharing of ideas which is so inspiring
and I hope it helps to get more people into sewing.
What is your
least favourite thing about sewing or your biggest challenge?
Hand sewing or finishing off. If I
don’t get something finished in a day I struggle to go back to it to finish it
off. My Dad is still waiting for a pair of shorts to have a few buttons sewn on
which I started at least a year ago now! Once I start something I am very
determined to finish it, I completely lose track of time and so will not stop
for food or to drink unless someone stops me! I am not sure this is completely
healthy but once I start sewing I really struggle to stop! I recently tried my
hand at a lot of hand sewing though as I made a lot of ties for Christmas presents,
it wasn’t as bad as I expected but I won’t be rushing back to make lots more.
Ties = lots of hand sewing and finishing off, so my worst nightmare!
Who do you
look up to in the sewing community?
There are so many people I could say so
I will try and keep this short. One of the first blogs I came across was Self Assesmbly Required!.
Emily makes beautiful clothes and so I am definitely inspired by her blog and
her makes. I would also say Chinelo Bally and Jennifer Taylor from the sewing
bee. I have met both of them a couple of times and love how they have made
their experience into a career. Chinelo taught me some amazing skills for self
drafting my own patterns and Jennifer has done so much to inspire people and
get them into sewing.
Any other hobbies?
I have been dancing since I was about 5
and that is partly how I was around so much sewing when I was younger. My mum
used to make most of our costumes and so we got involved with the designing and
making of them as soon as we could. I now go to yoga and dancing every week but
I haven’t yet made anything to wear to the classes, yoga pants are on my list
or a loose fitting top.
What are your Favourite Girl Charlee Fabrics?
1 Black linear chevron. My maxi dress
fabric, it is so striking it really makes a statement when I am wearing it and
it was so nice to sew with (Ed: Also available in Pink!)
2 Colour Geo triangle arrows. I am a huge fan of these types of prints and so made my body-con dress out of it, just need the weather to be right to wear it as I love it!
2 Colour Geo triangle arrows. I am a huge fan of these types of prints and so made my body-con dress out of it, just need the weather to be right to wear it as I love it!
3 Charcoal grey ivory baroque. This was
so soft and I loved the pattern, it made my cocoon cardigan and the effect of
the pattern is so beautiful.
5 Purple Magenta ikat cotton spandex. I
also got this one from the NEC, I am thinking of making another maxi dress with
it as it is so striking and bold.
Thanks Abby! We love your makes and look forward to seeing more on your blog. Check out Sewing Instead to see Abby's makes in their full glory!
If you'd like to be featured in either our Customer Spotlight or Knittriffic Blogs features please email sales@girlcharlee.co.uk, we love sharing your stories!
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Happy Sewing!
~ Mark & The Girl Charlee Team
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