Back in 2017 I was just starting my sewing journey, I was enjoying learning the skills needed to design, create and craft, imaginative and unique clothing for my son Xavi.
I had been working on a particularly challenging project. I wanted to make Xavi a smart suit jacket, but I also wanted it to have a casual fun twist. I found an old tweed coat of mine in a box in our loft, the fit was poor and the style out dated, but I loved the fabric and that is why I had kept it. Now was the perfect chance to give this preloved coat a new lease of life. I set about creating this suit jacket for Xavi, it was based on a Burda Sewing Pattern and was a real labour of love, I really struggled with some of the tailoring elements, particularly the vents at the back and the lining, the instructions were very brief and I had to rely on the help and support of my sewing teacher Emmy at Sew and Reap… But after a few weeks, some tears and a lot of unpicking eventually it was completed. Lined in a fun, bright cotton print and finished off with a mix of brightly coloured buttons… finally I had realised my vision. I was delighted and so was Xavi!
It was about this time that my sewing teacher suggested I enter the garment into the Dressmaker of the Year completion, the judging process was very thorough and I had to send the jacket away to be judged alongside the other finalists garments which were all fantastic, so stiff competition!
Finally the results were announced and published in the Make it Today! Dressmaker magazine – I was awarded Dressmaker of the Year in the Children’s Wear category; I couldn’t have been more delighted!
This experience gave me the boost I needed to take my sewing more seriously and played a big part in giving me the confidence to start the teddyand.me business.