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Lou Sheffer Sewing & Style 50+

@sewmuchtodesign

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Signature me-made style
50+ Confidence
🧵 BERNINA / Minerva Ambassador
🧵Fashion-forward personal style
🧵Creator of #MyMakes Sewing Challenge

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What a day! Storm Austen has been raging all night and day in Normandie causing a power outage all day. I spent most of the day getting in firewood, preparing candles ready for darkness and cleaning (the old fashioned way and on a hot water ration). By late afternoon I fancied a bit of sewing and got out an old hand crank Vesta which I haven’t tried yet. I thought I’d make a start sewing aprons for my Christmas fundraising stall - I cut out 3 and then the power returned. I decided to use my Janome after all and have finished the first one 😍
Might try the Vesta in the morning before we head for home.
Now I’m sitting in front of a nice fire with a glass of wine 🍷 and we’re toasty warm again!
#sewover50
#mymakesoct26

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I’m super proud of myself for this knitting project.
My first ever cable knit! 💃
Whilst on the inaugural @makergetaway retreat earlier this year, Adam @cleevleyknits showed me how to do cabling - he went in hardcore - teaching me how to do it without even using a cabling needle! 😳
But, for this project, the yarn was fluffy and slippy, so I chickened out and used a crochet hook in place of a cable needle (I don’t have one!).
I sourced the #carvecowl pattern by @knitgraffiti on Ravelry and the yarn @knitsirdar Saltaire Aran from my stash that I found in a charity shop - it only used 2 balls. 🥳
11.5 hours later I’d finished it. And, despite it being one colour, I didn’t get bored! The pattern kept me interested.
It’s a lovely knit and I found the instructions very clear to follow. The yarn was beautiful and soft and I loved the colour.
Another Christmas gift completed! ✅ maybe I’ll add a tag?… 🧐
#mymakesoctober26 @sewmuchtodesign
#2fromstashamonth @salixsews @septemberfaden

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I wanted to sew something for Breast Cancer Awareness Month #sewpink2026 hosted by @kizzys_stitches and @armena_sews .🩷A few months ago I found this pink bedsheet at a thrift store in New Hampshire and I thought it was the perfect color. 💕My jumpsuit is McCalls 7908 and I am adding this to #mymakesoct26 .

I am a cancer survivor. My heart goes out to anyone who has been touched by breast cancer.

. #sewover50 #sewover60 #sewinginorange🍊

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Tauko No 21 is here!

The theme is Redesign.

For the Make and Share, I chose Morph designed by @lore.piar

And this is my Morph in Montreal!!
We are on a getaway to this amazing city and this has been the perfect Top!!

This pattern has many variations! I chose the turtleneck and love it. It is a very oversized top so I sized down two sizes. I love the wider hem band. I think this will be a versatile make as I can style it more dressy or super casual.

Wearing today with my cropped Jordan sweatpants @anna.zoe.sewing and a cute thrifted scarf!

Thanks Tauko @taukomagazine for gifting me this pattern as part of the Make and Share team.🥰

#taukomorph
#taukomagazine
#jordansweatpants
#mymakesoct26

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I have really extended the season for shorts with these french terry versions of the @hisydgraham #avenueshorts 💙

This latest pair for @hazzle.frazzle with the contrast white side stripes looks so cool. Fabric from @pattern_paper_scissors is a gorgeously soft organic cotton and Lycra fleece backed jersey so perfect for lounging!

I finished off the back waistband with a cute @heysewsister.co.uk lucky label and you may not be able to tell but these short have side pockets too!

Another entry for blue blooded #sagamoctopusoctober hosted by @suestoney @sewing_in_spain & @carmen.cose 🐙

Since it’s taken me a couple of months to get around to this pair, I’m also risking a #2fromstashamonth entry. Thanks Helga & Nic.

An entry for #outstandingoctober #mymakesoct26

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The adorable chunky moss stitch hat knitted for @lola_cromp_ as a thank you for sorting my nails out. Modelled by a solitary teddy.
#mymakesoctober2026 @sewmuchtodesign

@purlandpeach had the perfect clay button!

Love the colour change in this yarn and what a dream to knit!

Different colour way but Hayfield Spirit chunky from @purlandpeach together with ‘make it blumchen’ by @rico_design
Recreate Chunky 9948 by Stylecraft. One day I will research how to make a pattern that’s knitted flat into the round to save sewing up!

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My entry into #SagamOctopusOctober started off with the idea of a sewing the @sewoverit Haxby skirt with its 8 godets to represent the 🐙's 8 legs, then I had a thought pop into my head and I decided to take the theme literally and add eight 🐙's emerging out of the dots. I drew them on paper, resized them using my printer to have different sizes, cut them out and placed them on my skirt (before I closed it up with the back seam, zip and last godet), then traced around them with a frixion pen. Once happy I began filling them in with my fabric markers by doing lots of dots, they were going to be all black so they were more camouflaged but decided to add some blue as apparently they have blue blood, then I thought they needed a warm colour because I liked the red of the frixion pen in areas, so added a little orange, the dots worked well as this is a Viscose challis so the colour bleeds when it hits the fabric, doing tiny dots helped to control this. Once the frixion pen was pressed away I was left with my 8 legged dotty friends, except one went rogue and gained a leg 🤣 we can play a game of spot the odd one out when we get bored 🤭
This is why I enjoy the #Sagam monthly challenge, it inspires me with their monthly themes, I mean, who would have thought that I needed a skirt adorned with octopuses 🤔 and I finally got around to sewing this lovely skirt and fabric from my stash.
Thank you @carmen.cose @Suestoney & @Sewing_in_Spain for another inspiring theme 😘

#2fromstashamonth @salixsews @septemberfaden

#MyMakesOct26 @sewmuchtodesign

#soihaxbyskirt

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I couldn’t resist buying a little fleece animal print remnant last year to make a waistcoat. I made my own pattern cutting 2 symmetrical pieces with a single back seam… more details in photos

Although I didn’t make my other clothes I think I deserve extra credit for thrift! The skirt is older than my eldest daughter (she turns 33 next month) and the jumper is over 25 years old 🤣 luckily these items are stretchy as most things from way back no longer fit !!

Thank you to Lou, Helga and Nic for monthly challenges 🍂

#sewover50
#mymakesoct26
#2fromstashamonth

Back shaping achieved with fishtail darts

Buttonhole disaster when my machine gave up half way jnto first one- I decided to finish it and make remainder using a tiny zigzag stitch and hand finish to the ends

All edges bound with bamboo/wool mix jersey strips cut to 5cm width (no need to cut on the bias) although I bought this specially it worked out much cheaper than bias binding and I have plenty of fabric left to make some trousers!

Flat felled back and shoulder seams create neat finish and a rather nice chunky seam!

Shoulder darts to create front shaping

Buttons harvested from worn out clothing

Inner buttons (also harvested) prevent outer buttons pulling holes in fabric

Pleased with my warm waistcoat and I’ve a pattern ready for the next one 🍁🍂

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On this #bagtuesday @fourpatchtextiles here are some photos of the crossbody bum bag I’ve made for Mr A’s important birthday (hubby to @sueleighatkins)
Trigger warning for anyone who hasn’t made up this pattern‼️
The strap length to cut is printed incorrectly! It says 60cm in 2 places and that’s not long enough. 😳 See the last photo…
I had enjoyed making the bag until the last part which was putting the strap through the slider… some overnight thinking resulted in a design led choice to attach an oblong ring along the strap and cutting a longer strap to go through the slider.
Thankfully that worked and as the bag hardwear is such good quality it looks like I meant it!
@thepurplestitches gunmetal oblong rings, slider and zip head.
All other parts of the bag were from my stash #2fromstashamonth @salixsews @septemberfaden Orange label is @little.rosy.cheeks and ‘handmade’ tag from @cosyclubhandmade
It was very well received so I was delighted he liked it.
Thanks to @whatmiannemade for helping me realise I wasn’t imagining things with the strap length! 🙈😂
#mymakesoctober2026 @sewmuchtodesign

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Woven tops are a bit priority for me in my autumn winter sewing plans. I spend a lot of time on zoom and a good blouse or woven tee feels smart and comfy.

Enter the aptly named On Repeat woven tee from @patternemporium_kate made in a gorgeous viscose linen blend from @lamazifabrics

As with all Pattern Emporium designs it comes with lots of variations of neckline, sleeve length and bodice length and shape. And you can mash it with sleeves from their other woven patterns. So clever and useful.

This is the boat neck, 3/4 sleeve, flared regular length bodice.

I made a size 18 as that what I use in their knit patterns. But it turned out a bit too big on the shoulder. I’ve taken it in on the sleeve head so it looks fine now. But I’ve now sized down the top half of my pattern to a 16, grading back out to and 18 from beneath the armscye to retain the extra flare in the bodice shape.

I wore this all day yesterday. Perfect zoomwear!

Next one will be on the cutting table tonight.

@sharesewover50 #MyMakesOct26 @sewmuchtodesign #LamaziMakers #PEOnRepeat

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