At Dresses & Me you’ll find a great blog about all the cool things I’ve sewn and New Zealand’s largest online indie pattern store. I am an amateur seamstress, sewing enthusiast and lover of all bright and beautiful fabric.
The first garment I made was a yellow dress when I was about 14. Looking back it wasn’t the best fit and the skirt was kinda see-through but I was super proud of it and wore it dozens of times! I sewed it using my maternal Grandmother’s Elna Grasshopper (read the blog here). When I was at university (the wilderness years) sewing took a back seat as I prioritised the fine art of staying up all night writing essays that should have been done weeks ago. So when I go my first full-time job (and an income) I couldn’t wait to spend my time doing something I really enjoyed! I hit the ground running and have never looked back! I love to sew! Won’t you join me?
You can also check out an interview with me on Kat’s Blog
The Shop
Dresses & Me is New Zealand largest retailer of By Hand London, Victory Patterns, Simple Sews and Cake Patterns as well as New Zealand’s cheapest provider of Sewaholic Patterns. Isn’t that great?
Dresses & Me aims to provide superb service and friendly, helpful advice for all our customers. If you have any queries about the store, blog or anything at all please contact me and I will do my best to answer your questions or point you in the right direction.
Let’s get social – say hi on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Hi! Is your pattern shop still running. I keep getting 404 errors.
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Hi there, it sure us! I’ve just recently changed to a new website and have edited the links now 🙂 thanks for notifying me!!
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Bingo! I see it…looks great and liking the new range too! Nice one 🙂
The links on this page called ‘The shop’ and ‘pattern store’ are still going to weebly so they might need a bit of fixing too.
Thanks for getting back to me!
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Hey there! I love your posts and they have helped me a lot in my own (poor) attempts at getting back into sewing. I have nominated you for a Liebster Award http://singingunderwater.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/a-liebster-award-why-thank-you/
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Hi and thanks so much for stopping by my new blog! I’m still finding my blogging feet so it’s encouraging to hear from other sewing enthusiasts in the blogging community. I love your blog by the way.
Christine
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Thats alright Christine! I hope you enjoy your blogging adventure!
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I’ve nominated you for the Super Sweet Blogging Award! http://enchantedbybooks.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/super-sweet-blogger-award/
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Hey Penny.
The Winter Meet Up button is not working – it goes to an error page.
Also, I really like what you blog, so I’ve nominated you for a Super Sweet Blog Award. If you’d like to join and show your love for some bloggers that you follow, just check out the post here. Thanks for being awesome! http://carolinelarnach.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/super-sweet-blog-award-yay/
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Hi Caroline! That’s because it was lined up to post tomorrow morning – not very sneaky was I?! Thank you for the blogger award – that’s awesome!!
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I enjoy your blog and have nominated you for a Liebster Award! Check out my post at http://superstayathomemommy.com/2013/05/07/the-liebster-award/ for more details!!
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Thanks so much for the award! Its always nice to know people like the blog 🙂
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Hi Penny, just nominated you for a Liebster Award because I love your blog! Hope it sends some new visitors your way. Check out the post here http://sewamysew.com/2013/04/18/a-blog-award-me/
Amy x
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Hi, my name is Latrice (Trice) from SewTell. I really enjoy reading your blog.
I would love to nominate your blog for the Liebster Award.
However, I need to make sure your blog has less than 200 followers.
I hope to post about the award by the end of the week. Thanks
Best
Latrice
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Hi Latrice! That’s so nice to hear that you wanted to nominate me, I’m so flattered!! Sadly I do have only just 200 followers. I’ve just been looking at your blog – I love the stuff you’ve been making! Thank you
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I’m envious of your lovely grasshopper. My baby is much newer and, while I love her (Beatrice), she does lack the charm and simplicity of the older machines.
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I think she is quite charming too. Thanks for the kind words!
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Thanks for liking my post. I love what you have made. The velvet dresses are beautiful!!
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Oh, wow! I have a Grasshopper, too. I bought her off Craigslist and hope to start sewing on her soon. Meanwhile, Bernadette, (my Bernina 140),remains faithful.
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That is so cool! I’ve never met another Grasshopper before! Is yours in working order?
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I’m sending a blog award to you! http://enchantedbybooks.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/blog-awards/
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Wow! Thanks 🙂
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Hi there, as a subscriber to my blog I’d like to say thank you so much for your support and would like to invite you to participate in my current giveaway (my latest post) – it’s open internationally and you could win £40 fashion store credit plus a cute pair of cubic zirconia earrings! Thanks again and best regards, Dapperdolly
P.S – I love the name grasshopper!
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Thanks for checking out my blog! Good luck on Your future sewing projects :)!
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Thank you for checking mine too. Thanks for the well-wishes 🙂
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I knew I had to follow you once I found out you named your machine – love the name too! Mine are all named and I was starting to lose hope that anyone else did also? 🙂
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Why thank you. “All named” – How many do you have?! Lucky thing!
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I actually had *red faced* five two moves ago, but when the movers hinted that we might be over weight I relented and handed two over to some dear friends I love. (Only to find out we had plenty of weight left) I know have 3. A regular machine “John David”, yup even a middle name. “Brutus”, my treadle and “Todd”, my serger. It helps when they’re having issues so you can sweet talk them. 😉
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Though I have to admit, Sewing is not my thing, how ever, I have read a few of your blogs. I have to say, you have a great writing style and I like it. Plus your presentation. Its good. I will be following from now on, cos I think I could learn somthing here. Thanks for the like on the tea-lights by the way.
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Wow that’s such a nice compliment, thanks Ruben!
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Congratulations! You won the bunting competition on http://www.repurposedmind.wordpress.com! Please contact me on leo.robertson@yahoo.co.uk with your postal address so I can send this your way.
Leo
x
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Wow! Thank you!
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Grasshopper! 😀 What a fun name for your sewing machine!
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Thanks Bonnie!
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hey girl. Thanks for stopping by my blog page 🙂
Happy blogging :)!!
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