Behind the scene: long time no see !

It’s great to be back after a long time. The Jazz e-book came out seven months ago and since then, no new patterns have been released. It probably looked like Ready to Sew went into hibernation, but quite the contrary – appearances can be deceiving!

It was time for the business to evolve, so I spent the last months creating a range of plus sizes up to 58. To do so, I invested in a high-end plus-size mannequin from the brand Alvanon, an American market leader. I then drape busts, pant and sleeve on the mannequin to get the basic blocks. Following that, I did a course in pattern grading to hone my skills and further develop Ready to Sew’s projects.

Having spent a lot of time up close and personal with the plus-size Alvanon (called Sheryl), I wanted to replace my mannequin, Cleo, with a new size 40 Alvanon one (Shannon). So, I made the wild decision to develop a new, more consistent, standard size chart, which in my opinion is closer to reality. This meant renewing all my measurements based on the majestic Shannon (once again, draping, transferring to paper, digitalising, patternmaking…the list goes on)!

At the same time, I decided to create a new Ready to Sew website, one that could be a real tool for you and me (say hello to copying and pasting 150 blog posts and 36 meetings with my web designer!).

And if that wasn’t enough, I moved my workshop into a space that was fabulous but required two weeks of renovations and a week of setting up/decorating (say hello to plastering, sanding, painting and electrical wiring!).

Amidst all these different projects, I started developing a new collection of patterns that I hope will soon be ready for release. I’m currently grading the first pattern. 

Combine all that with a busy personal life and your brain occasionally melts down!

So, that’s a little update for you, my dear customers! I can’t wait to show you my beautiful collection. I finally sewed one of the new patterns in my size yesterday and am delighted with the result. 

Back soon with more exciting developments!