It’s that time again! There is a new issue available at One Thimble. Can you believe it, it’s already issue number 19! Again, so many great articles to read and to get inspired. And if you can’t wait, just get started with the included patterns :).  (please know that some links in this blogpost are affiliated, but all opinions are as always, my own!)

Oh and yes, my daughter is a tough cookie! She fell and hurt her knee but she still wanted to pose for me 🙂 . Just gotta love her!

Where to start? Well I know where to start, a very important one : your sewing space! Where do you sew? Do you have your own room or are you using the kitchen table? If you have the luxury to have your own sewing room, you should think about designing an ergonomic sewing space. Pain while sewing is a sign that something isn’t quite right. The common sewing-related aches and pains of neck and shoulder pain, upper and lower back pain and wrist pain can be eased by straightforward changes.

There are 10 steps that will take you through the things to check in your workstation, to avoid or ease the aches and pains of sewing, without spending large amount on custom furniture. So, only 10 steps away from a better sewing space. And oh, there are some stretch and exercises included as well, you know, just to loosen the wrists and shoulders, so you are able to go on to finish that one project although it is actually already way past bedtime ;).

Oh another one, which I definitely need to discover: eco-dying, also referred as natural dying. This article is so great, it makes you want to start right away. And hey, you could, I mean, I bet you might have an avocado, some berries or red onions at home :). If not, hop on over to your garden (or the park across the street) to get some flowers, leaves or grass seeds. If you have collected what you need, then you have to be a bit patient, as the process does take a while to get the best results.  You could use several techniques like steaming, creating a dye-bath and my favorite: hammering (now isn’t that therapeutical? lol).

Let’s talk about some patterns. Here in The Netherlands Spring has arrived so I just had to sew another summery dress for Isabella. I love the design of the Playtime Dress, a wonderfull pattern design by Lauren from Sew by Pattern Pieces.  The Playtime Dress is the perfect base garment for Summer (and Winter if you don’t mind layering). It’s a comfortable A-line Swing Dress and it can be made plain or make your front a feature with the fabulous circle pockets. Isabella chose a plain version (to start with 😉 ) and I used a super lovely butterfly fabric from Nosh Organic Fabrics. It’s so soft and twirly, I’m a bit jealous. I have been saving this fabric for a while now, and this dress was just perfect for it. Lauren has shared some great tips about sewing with knits in this issue!

So, when you live in The Netherlands, you know Summer is about a few warm days and then suddenly it’s grey and cold again. So I decided another hoodie for Isabella could be useful. The Pixie Pullover is a design by Jennifer from Jennuine Design. The Pixie Pullover is anything but a basic raglan sweatshirt! It has a saddle sleeve with a front and back sleeve, combining the shaping and fit of a set in sleeve and the style of a raglan. It has a relaxed fit through the body, and three (!!) neckline options: a shawl collar, scuba hood or wide cowl. You can either sew cuffs at the sleeve or choose for the thumbhole cuffs. Of course Isabella want the thumbhole cuffs and the scuba hood, how comfy! I think the design is great and even added some pockets on front.

So many more to mention, but you know what? I think you just have to hop on over to all the other lovely bloggers to get some more inspiration. And don’t forget to buy the issue to get started right away!