Made with Love by Brenna

Made with Love by Brenna Self-taught sewist since 2017. Newcastle, NSW. I love creating practical, cute, and sustainable handmade pieces that bring a little joy to everyday life.

Every stitch is made with love. Thank you for stopping by and supporting my creative journey.

Creation of the Month — April(Posting late again)I missed March. Life got in the way, and that’s okay.This month’s creat...
03/05/2026

Creation of the Month — April

(Posting late again)

I missed March. Life got in the way, and that’s okay.

This month’s creation is the Juni Dress from .ordinaryfolk
The pattern was a great investment, with lots of modification options to customise the style of dress you want to make.
Pattern: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/4384271609/juni-dress-sewing-pattern-peter-pan?ref=share_v4_lx

I chose the full front bodice, long sleeves, straight waist, and mini dress length. The fabric is Boho Ditzy Floral Organic Cotton, with Sage Broadcloth used for the contrasting collar and sleeve frills, both from

There were definitely a few obstacles along the way (see previous post). I completely failed my toile, but learnt a lot from the process and was able to correct those mistakes for the final version — which is really the whole point of making one.

The vision for this dress was to wear it to a backyard high tea party for my thirtieth birthday.
I’ll admit that because of the failed toile (which took up my long weekend), I ended up sewing every afternoon/night after work just to finish it in time.

But I’m so happy with how this one turned out. I think it looks really cute, and it was actually very comfortable and breathable to wear.
I’ll definitely be making more versions of this dress.

Sewing fail. I decided to make a toile (practice dress) for the Juni Dress pattern from .ordinaryfolk My plan was the fu...
03/05/2026

Sewing fail.

I decided to make a toile (practice dress) for the Juni Dress pattern from .ordinaryfolk
My plan was the full front bodice, long sleeve, scalloped waist, mini skirt.

I used the Kristen Katz Duchess Proteas poplin from , which I’d picked up on sale and thought would be perfect for testing the pattern and checking the fit before cutting into my “good” fabric.

I printed the pattern at home, but the scale was wrong (the 4cm square printed at 4.5cm instead). Even though I know how important that is… I ignored it and kept going anyway.

After a lot of hiccups (including my sewing machine strongly disliking gathering stitches in this thin poplin), I finally finished the body of the dress and tried it on.
As you can see… it was huge.
I laughed instead of crying and tried to treat it as a learning experience.

Things I learnt:
1. Pattern scale matters. This is obvious. And I already know this. I can’t even explain why I used the pattern anyway..
2. Poplin probably isn’t my ideal toile fabric, especially for trying a more detailed pattern for the first time.
3. It’s okay to fail. I still learnt a lot, and I think this dress can probably still be saved with some adjustments (it’s currently sitting in my growing pile of sewing projects to finish).

I ended up reprinting the pattern correctly, taping it all together again, recutting everything, and starting over for attempt number two with my “good” fabric.
Keep an eye out for the next post to see the finished version.

madewithlovebybrenna

Creation of the Month — FebruaryThis month I made a pair of drawstring shorts using the Udo pattern from and the Madras...
28/02/2026

Creation of the Month — February

This month I made a pair of drawstring shorts using the Udo pattern from and the Madras yarn dyed check fabric from

I’m pretty happy with how they turned out. It was my first time sewing a drawstring waistband, and I focused on neat finishes with top stitching, clean hems, and overlocked seams inside. I also love this fabric.
I’d like to make another pair, possibly sizing up for an even more relaxed, oversized fit.

I used my sewing planner to plan the project and make notes along the way. It’s available as a download on Etsy (link in bio).

When you’re packing for a trip and realise you don’t have a big enough toiletry bag, so you quickly make your own. 😁Made...
22/02/2026

When you’re packing for a trip and realise you don’t have a big enough toiletry bag, so you quickly make your own. 😁

Made using fabric from my scrap fabric stash, including the Furry Family Printed Buzoku Duck for the outer fabric, a plan black cotton lining, and a bright contrasting zip for fun.

Such a quick and easy project. It worked perfectly on our trip and made me smile every time I used it. 😻

This year I’ve set a goal to make at least twelve garments, one per month, and to share each one along the way.This midi...
01/02/2026

This year I’ve set a goal to make at least twelve garments, one per month, and to share each one along the way.

This midi dress was a bit of a pattern hack, I loosely duplicated the shape of the Princess Highway Irene Midi Dress. Oh, and I made a matching scrunchie of course.
The fabric is a black and white cat cotton from Spotlight.

It’s definitely not perfect, but I’m trying to focus on the positive. I’m proud of the inside finishes — overlocked seams and neat bias binding around the neckline and armholes. Next time I’ll lengthen the front bodice and add some waist darts or a waist tie.

I’ll admit I finished the final touches today (1/2/26), but I’m still counting it as my January creation.

I’ll be sharing each month’s creation as a story and saving them to a highlight as I go.

04/01/2026

Rosery Apparel DIY pinafore dress.

I made this dress following the Rosery Apparel YouTube tutorial (https://youtu.be/5d-3wSUTLSQ?si=ke0qOUCzZLHAuWrm), which shows how to hack the Rosa dress pattern into a pinafore style, great for layering. I went with the knee-length version.

I’ll admit, I started this project in June 2025, finished it in November, and I’m only just wearing and sharing it now.

The fabric came from my stash and was probably bought 1–2 years ago. I think it’s a yarn-dyed cotton check from Spotlight, but I can’t be 100% sure.

Really happy to be finishing projects and sharing my makes again.

Christmas Outfit 2025 🎄I’m sort of sad but also laughing that my last post was my Christmas outfits from 2024..This year...
28/12/2025

Christmas Outfit 2025 🎄

I’m sort of sad but also laughing that my last post was my Christmas outfits from 2024..

This year’s outfit is a self-drafted, oversized skater dress (same pattern as last year) paired with a modified men’s troop shirt by Tadah! Patterns & Sewing.

I skipped a few steps and details (like interfacing for the collar 👀), but overall I’m really happy with the outcome.

I’m feeling really excited that my sewing passion is starting to reignite, and I’m hoping to create and share more again in 2026

Fabric: Christmas-themed cotton from Spotlight

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Newcastle, NSW

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