Category Archives: LIFE LOVERS

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.   My name is Aluma Meshulmi, I am 21 years old, and I live in Israel. I am a photographer and creator. At the age of 10, my parents bought me a sewing machine for my birthday, and that’s how I started sewing. Why do you…

When Sergei Diaghilev founded the Ballets Russes in Paris in 1909, he knew he wanted to dazzle and amaze audiences with something entirely new. “Surprise me!” was the famous maxim he would exclaim with glee to artists approaching him with new ideas, but little did he know the treasures that would await him in the…

I have always wanted to make a shirt dress but had always been very intimidated to give it a try. The collar and buttonholes were enough to deter me. Having successfully made a few other FS patterns, I felt up to the challenge. The instructions you get with the patterns are unmatched. I felt ready…

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.   My name is Georgia, I am a 24 year old fashion designer living in Brisbane, Australia. I’m passionate about slow fashion, minimalism, sustainability and ethics. Why do you sew? I have always loved being creative, and sewing has always been a way for me to…

My love for surplice tops continues as I added the JULIA Wrap Top in FS POTTING SOIL brown linen to my wardrobe this weekend! This pattern includes so many of my favorite elements; an elegant wrap top, bias binding neckline, and a tie closure along the waistline. Like so many of FS sewing patterns, this…

Spring has finally arrived in London, the sun caressing our tired gaze, symphony of birdsong erupting outside our windows each morning (what a blessing), the green of fresh leaves so stark after the never-ending shades of grey, pubs finally open, energy flowing faster, hope for the better in life (in general) returning. Nature’s rebirth, timely…

Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev was a formidable giant of the 20th century, fusing ballet with cutting-edge drama, music and art. But by far the most influential aspect of his legacy has to be his ‘Artist Programmes’, in which he invited the world’s leading avant-garde artists to produce daring Cubist, Surrealist and Neo-Primitive sets and costumes…

The Ashton Top designed by Helen’s Closet Patterns is a teeny tank that packs a big punch. Guaranteed to be a wardrobe workhorse, its simple but genius design will carry you through the seasons. It is perfect for the warmer months and is a great layering piece under a cardigan or jacket when it gets…

At the turn of the 20th century artists increasingly broke away from the real world, heightening the visual and emotional impact of colour, pattern and texture. Fabric was still a vital tool for artistic exploration but its depiction became ever more varied and experimental, from the flattened, Oriental forms of the Intimistes to the broken…

It seems like this time of extra isolation provides an opportunity for creating extra amounts of fun. With lots of places being closed, I’ve started creating adventure events for people! I put one together last weekend. Each team had to trudge through the woods to find and decode a series of clues. One clue had…

If you have followed my writings and sewing pattern reviews over the last year, then you know how much I’m drawn to a surplice top. This week, my obsession continued by creating the RUBY Crossover Dress in Midweight LAGOON linen.  The Ruby Crossover is another one of Fabrics-store’s free downloadable patterns. The combination of a…

“Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.” Frida Kahlo London is essentially a great conglomeration of small, independent villages, which over the years have slowly morphed into one busy (less so over the past year) megapolis. Despite it’s size and innumerous postcodes, it is the very essence of…

The late 19th century was an unprecedented period in the history of art, a time when the pictorial reality of earlier generations was gradually replaced with the subjective and symbolic. Although artists moved increasingly towards abstract and experimental styles, fabric continued to play a pivotal role in the practices of many, allowing room to play…

Have you ever had a major crisis come up in your life or a big door closed on something you were putting a lot of hope in? Maybe in a career or relationship or something else you hold dearly? It is devastating when a dream, a hope, a plan goes careening off a cliff edge….

This weekend, I welcomed the first day of spring by sewing a linen dress for Easter. I chose the NOOR Dress in DUSTY Lotus green linen for this occasion, as I was drawn to the long sleeves and flattering wrap silhouette. Of course, I will wear this dress beyond Easter Sunday, but having a specific…