This is exactly what I have been looking for. Square shouldered, unfitted, lined, below hip level with long lapels and a single button.

blouse, Jacket, TopCharlotte Wensley9 March 2021Friday Pattern Company, jacke, blazer, mood fabrics, The Fabric Store, linen, silk, top, statement sleeves, winter sewing, indie pattern designers, pdf pattern Comments

The Olya Shirt - thoughts on sewing 'shirts'

I think it pretty much goes without saying that sewing winter stuff is not as light and happy as sewing summer stuff.

blouse, Shirt, TopCharlotte Wensley5 November 2019shirt, Top, olya shirt, button down, lady mcilroy, great patterns, blouse, Blackbird Fabrics, paper theory patterns Comments

A love letter to the Ogden Cami

If you search #ogdencami on Instagram you’ll see close to 13,000 posts. That’s a huge amount in any sphere, but for a sewing pattern that seems crazy big numbers.

blouse, separates, Top, Review, CritiqueCharlotte Wensley7 October 2019ogden cami, camisole, summer, lovesummerhateeverythingelse, summer sewing, pattern repeat, sewing loves, sewing pattern, pattern hack, pattern love Comments

Can home garment sewing be a lucrative business?

I’ve started doing something I aways swore I’d never do. I’ve been making clothes for other people.

Bottoms, blouse, Self-drafted, separates, Skirt, TopCharlotte Wensley10 July 2019Separates, dress, Top, occasion wear, lace, silk, sewing for others, sewing for money, sewing for friends, self-drafted, mood fabrics Comments

The Liberty blouse with all the gathers

This blouse is absolutely everything I hoped it would be. I don’t say that often about the things I make.

Shirt, Top, blouse, Sewing hatesCharlotte Wensley1 April 2019Liberty, The Fabric Store, cotton, tana lawn, mccalls patterns, mccalls 7868, blouse, Top, ease, gathers, pattern review, line art, sewing hates, shirt Comments

Wardrobe Orphans

God, I hate February. Every year it’s the same.

Shirt, Top, blouseCharlotte Wensley11 February 2019shirt, wardrobe orphan, stripes, trend patterns, The Fabric Store, pattern review Comments

A Rachel Comey inspired top

Like many fellow stitchers, I'm a big fan of Rachel Comey. Not necessarily the Vogue Patterns edit

Self-drafted, separates, TopCharlotte Wensley14 April 2018Copycat, rachel comey, knit, peplum, Self-drafted, dolman sleeve, ruffles Comments

Salmon Pink Baggy Pants. On the Roof!

There's this tension when writing a blog post after you've been MIA for a while;

Bottoms, Trousers, TopCharlotte Wensley25 February 2018trousers, pants, baggy pants, corduroy, vogue patterns, new york elegant fabrics, mood fabrics, bodysuit, Nettie bodysuit, blogging Comments

How good fit nearly broke me and other stories

Oh woe, oh woe. The last few months have been an unutterable fetid quagmire of sewing angst.

I made a hat. And went on a march. And before that I made a skirt.

I haven't really been sure how to write this post. I absolutely want to tell all the lovely people who relate

Bottoms, Skirt, Top, Thinking, Modified patternCharlotte Wensley26 January 2017Skirt, velvet, Inari Dress, named clothing, silk Comments

The Big Easy Top

Need a quick sewing fix? Like, the quickest sewing fix? That doesn’t involve pesky stretch fabrics?

Sweater, TopCharlotte Wensley27 November 2016The Makers Atelier, boiled wool, quick sew, Top, sweater, The Big Easy Top Comments

Wedding Season

I claim here and in other conversations that I only really got back into sewing three years ago.

Copycat, Skirt, Top, Sewing Saga, separates, BottomsCharlotte Wensley7 November 2016sewaholic, gabriola skirt, simplicity patterns, wedding wear, occasion wear, mood fabrics, pattern hack, Copycat Comments

Ruffles

Do you ever think there are a finite number of silhouettes and styles?

Shirt, Top, blouseCharlotte Wensley20 October 2016top, shirt, ruffles, simplicity 4122, stripes, fit adjustments, sewing tips, blouse Comments

Copycat: Rosarí + Flutter = Damsel in Dior

Pinterest; presenting street style as if she really does totter around the cobbles of SoHo or indeed Soho

Leggings. Discuss.

That thing on social media of the lady declaring her hatred for leggings being worn as trousers. Yes. Yes and Yes.

Bottoms, Dress, Trousers, TopCharlotte Wensley25 February 2016leggings, espresso leggings, cake patterns, mood fabrics, silk, Inari Dress, named clothing Comments

The wonderfully alliterative Liberty Linden

So 2016 hasn't quite started with the productive, organised, positive focus I’d hoped.

Top, SweaterCharlotte Wensley29 January 2016Top, Liberty, Grainline Studio, Sweatshirt, Linden Sweatshirt Comments

Cocoon

I think I might have found my perfect uniform for the winter. Its winter worthy credentials include:

Dress, TopCharlotte Wensley10 November 2015Inari Dress, named clothing, wineandcheesewithkashi, silk, cocoon Comments

Copycat: Dressing for ice cream. But not maths.

So, I think approximately 15 years ago, I wrote this post about my next planned copycat,

Bottoms, Copycat, Skirt, Top, Self-drafted, Sweater, MuseCharlotte Wensley3 August 2015the fabric store, mood fabrics, Self-drafted, pleats, florals, Seamwork, Skirt, sweater, cotton sateen, Knit Comments

Brumby and Elise

Bottoms, Skirt, TopCharlotte Wensley20 June 2015mood fabrics, North Fork, Fine Motor Skills, Elise Tee, Greys Fabric, Skirt, megan nielsen, Knit, Brumby Skirt, cotton, voile Comments

A style about-face: Shadi pencil skirt and Eucalypt tank

Skirt, Top, BottomsCharlotte Wensley2 June 2015stripes, named clothing, eucalypt tank, megan nielsen, shadi knit skirt, mood fabrics, pencil skirt, tank, silk, Knit Comments