MingMakes Newsletter

December 2021

Happy New Year!

Hello all you marvellous subscribers and welcome to my last newsletter of 2021. I love the end-of-year pause to reflect on the previous year and plan for the one ahead. This was the year that MingMakes.com was born and what an incredibly joyful journey it has been. It combines my love of learning to sew and fit garments, my nerdy attention to detail and a passion to share with those along the same path as we help each other grow. 

Thank you for joining me on this path - it has changed my life immeasurably for the better. The fact that you are reading this means you are likely on a similar path. Let's walk hand in hand into 2022 and unleash more of that creativity!

Liberty Zina Wrap Skirt posts

My latest MingMakesMistakes post is out for the Liberty Zina Wrap Skirt, which I only found out after I finished was a reprint of the Simplicity 8606 pattern. It's a relatively simple sew but I did try some new techniques including drafting anchored pockets and using a laser level to line up the pattern pieces with the grainline and level the hem (a must read - this was a total game changer for me!).

I detail my entire process, somehow there was a lot to write about on this one as some things didn't go to plan, and I needed to shorten the length by quite a bit (see below).

Halfway through the project I realised the length was much too long and I needed 11cm off the ruffle. This wasn't the simple affair I imagined due to the ruffle being a curved piece and therefore an even amount off the hem wasn't going to work. I figured out a way of making a new piece that still had a good curve to it that took 11cm off the length at the side seam, going to nothing at the top of the skirt. Read my post for a step-by-step tutorial with photos.

Work in progress

The wrap skirt was meant to be a quick win to sew up whilst on holiday. It was a win, but not that quick! I now return to the second pattern in the Tilly and the Buttons book Stretch which is the Freya dress. This is a little more winter-appropriate and will further improve my skills at sewing with knits as I progress through the book.

I am also learning how to fit knits for which I found this Craftsy class using the Palmer Pletsch method really useful, as it demonstrates a fitting process from start to finish. I signed up for membership at $80 (about £60) a year to access their classes and based on this one, I feel it is well worth it. With limited spare time on my hands, I am very open to 'buying' time and these courses allow me to pick up good hints and tips fairly quickly.

Warm wishes to you all, see you next year :)

Read previous newsletters here.