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Helene Grousset-Rees

@frenchyrees

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I ❤️ sewing. 🧵 🪡
🇫🇷 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Have a nose around my home on my other account 🏠 👇

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A little tour of my recently reorganised sewing room. I was too embarrassed to take some before shots as it was so chaotic. I’m going to try really hard to keep it tidy. But then I have said that before. #sewover50 #sewingroom #sewingismyhappyplace #sewingismysuperpower #walessews #barrybados by @frenchyrees

As a university lecturer, the best day of the year is graduation. It’s wonderful to celebrate our students‘ achievements after having accompanied them and watched them grow for three years. In fact a colleague aptly coined it #jobsatisfactionday. So here I was on Tuesday morning, dressed to the nines and trying to strike a decent pose, before heading off to the Wales Millennium Centre for this year’s graduation ceremony. It was a privilege to watch these young adults cross the stage, then meet their families and talk about future plans afterwards. Of course I’m wearing my best #memadedress the @sewhouse7 #wildwoodwrapdress @sewover50 #sewover50jul2025 #sewingismyhappyplace @t.h.e_cardiffmet by @frenchyrees

A wonderful day at Nantgarw China Works today learning botanical eco-printing with Shirley Doyle.
It was brilliant to see how simple leaves and natural dyes like madder, buckthorn, cutch, and oakgall can create such lovely patterns on fabric.
Swipe to see the process ➡️
Now to figure out what to make with these pieces. A cushion cover, a small tote bag, or maybe frame one for the wall?
Any suggestions? 👇
#EcoPrinting #BotanicalDyeing #NantgarwChinaWorks #textiles by @frenchyrees

Corfu 2026 (and a day in Albania). What a beautiful island ❤️ we had the most fantastic time. I got to wear mostly me-mades and @timsavage2004 wore a couple too! #sewover50 #sewingismyhappyplace #memadeholidaywardrobe #corfu by @frenchyrees

Shoes off, sea breeze, and the most breathtaking sunset to end the evening in Corfu. 🌅✨
Taking my me-made Oh My Godet Dress out for a walk on the beach—all 5 metres of linen viscose catching the wind perfectly 🤍
Pattern: @HouseOfIzzie Oh My Godet Dress 👗- I was lucky enough to test the pattern earlier this summer.
Fabric: White linen viscose lined with cotton voile
#sewover50 #sewingismyhappyplace #sewing #ohmygodetdress #corfu by @frenchyrees

I don’t do these very often but here’s a #FashiononthesofaFriday… pool edition☀️🏊‍♀️
Made the Tessuti Tosca Tunic using a beautiful chiffon my son brought back for my birthday from Athens last year. It was an easy make, though the fabric definitely liked to fray. Since it’s so sheer, I went with French seams to keep everything neat and tidy.
It’s definitely the perfect light cover-up for lounging by the pool 🌊 😎
Pattern: @tessutifabrics Tosca Tunic
Fabric: Chiffon from Athens 🇬🇷 by @frenchyrees

Holiday sewing win in Corfu! ☀️🇬🇷
Wearing my new Rossi Dress by The Bold One. It really lives up to the hype — easy to make, fit, and wear.
This version is made in a floaty viscose crepe, but I’m already planning my next one in linen for a bit more drama and volume in the skirt ✂️✨ Have you made the Rossi dress? What fabric did you use? by @frenchyrees

So glad to finally share this one! I pattern tested the #hannidress for Iggy Patterns a few weeks ago and have been itching to post about it now that it’s officially released.
This is actually my fifth pattern test since Easter—I love the testing process. It’s so satisfying helping to bring a design to life, especially when the end result is as lovely as this.
A few details on the pattern:
❤️ The envelope wrap style is remarkably flattering, with four front darts and two back darts giving brilliant shaping.
❤️ The waist ties offer plenty of flexibility, making it very comfortable for everyday wear.
❤️ The half-circle skirt creates a lovely silhouette, and the boat neckline keeps it feeling effortlessly elegant.
I used a very fine black embroidered cotton lawn that’s matte on one side and kind of sparkly on the other side. I really like the effect so decided to use the sparkly side for the front panel and the matte for the back. I think it works great. I’ve already worn it a handful of times, and there will definitely be more made in the future— and I’ll be adding pockets! by @frenchyrees

Loved pattern testing the beautiful new Cherry Blossom Dress for the talented Fauve & Asmaa from The Great British Sewing Bee 2023! 🪡✨
I made mine in a luscious viscose crepe, and the swish factor is absolute perfection! 💃
To tailor it to my personal style, I made a few small tweaks:
Added pockets (because... pockets! 😉)
Widened the sleeves and omitted the sleeve binding
Lengthened both the bodice and the skirt
Huge thank you to Fauve and Asmaa for including me in the testing process—it was an absolute joy! Huge congratulations on the upcoming pattern release. If you’re looking to add a fabulous, versatile piece to your sewing queue, I highly encourage you to check out their brilliant patterns! ❤️
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#PatternTester #MeMade #GreatBritishSewingBee #ImperfectlyPerfectByFNA #SewOver50 by @frenchyrees

Spent last weekend pattern testing the new #OhMyGodetDress by @houseofizzie , and I’m absolutely thrilled with how it turned out.
It took a full 5 metres of white linen viscose to get that lovely, swishy drape, fully lined with a crisp white cotton voile. I can’t quite decide if I prefer it left loose and breezy, or cinched in with a belt. What do you think?
It is officially packed and ready for Corfu next month. ☀️🏝️
A massive shout out to Isabelle at @HouseOfIzzie for designing such a beautiful pattern and letting me be a part of the process. It was a joy to make! by @frenchyrees

Happy Birthday to @timsavage2004! 🥳🎂 We’ve had a brilliant day so far, including a walk over to Barry Island for the annual vintage car event. A BBQ is planned for later with the lovely @emsav17. ❤️

For his present, I made Tim these shorts using the Wardrobe by Me Cargo shorts pattern, in a beautiful cotton linen fabric. The latter was sourced from a recent trip to the most excellent family run fabric store Higgs and Higgs in Gloucester.

They were a bit of a challenge! I managed to mess up the waist facing, so they came up rather massive initially. After spending some time taking them in earlier, they fit better now. The real challenge, however, was getting Tim to strike a sensible pose for the camera... 🙄😂

#BirthdayShorts #Sewover50 #BarryIsland #sewingismyhappyplace #SewingForMen by @frenchyrees

I’m a lucky girl. A very kind lady gave me this gorgeous #VintageSinger sewing machine last weekend. A quick change of plug and it works! I can’t wait to have a play with her. ❤️ by @frenchyrees