Patchwork definitely isn't anything new in the sewing community, but it's seriously on trend right now, and I've seen so many amazing patchwork pieces on my feed this summer!
I got to try patchwork for the very first time when filming the Great British Sewing Bee. The pattern challenge for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle week was a patchwork jacket made from scraps. I had so much fun picking all the complimenting colours and fabrics, and found it to be a super therapeutic process. I still treasure that jacket to date, and was so proud to come second in the challenge.
After that experience, I was determined to challenge myself to complete a bit more patchwork, but somehow it took until the summer of '23 for me to have another go! I received a gorgeous Liberty Charm Pack to play around with from Liberty quilting and was inspired to make my first ruffle tote. The pieces were handily already cut out to the perfect size, which made it even easier for me to get started right away. I paired the patchwork pieces with some complimenting colours of Emily Belle, and I'm obsessed with the result!
This bag will always have a special place in my heart- it was a huge hit on Instagram and was the final push I needed to take the leap and open The Crafty Pie Shop! The kits sold out within a couple of hours! Sadly, this charm pack was from a past Liberty collection and is no longer being manufactured, but I did film the process for Youtube if you want to have a go at making you're own!
After the ruffle bag, I had officially been bitten by the patchwork bug...queue the patchwork gilet!
Again in Liberty (because I will always be a die hard Tana Lawn fan!), I decided to play around with the colour placement of hexagons to make a rainbow effect. I made the front pieces symmetrical and I love how they mirror each other. I sewed all my patchwork pieces together before cutting out the pattern pieces. I went for the Newcraft House 'Everyday Gilet' pattern and it was exactly what I was looking for!
For the lining, I went for a 7oz denim from Minerva that I had sat in my stash, and I think it really brings all the different colours together, and the solid colour of the binding prevents it from looking too 'busy'. Despite being a very colourful piece, I've worn my gilet non-stop- I can already imagine making so many more gilets for the different seasons.
Of course I couldn't resist filming the whole process for Youtube, so make sure to watch the video below if you want to sew along with me, and tag @the_crafty_pie in your creations on Instagram.
Lots of love
Brogan
xoxo