A sewing & embroidery blog

Welcome to I Want To Be A Turtle, a site dedicated to sewing. Here you will find the details of clothes made by me including pattern reviews, tips on construction, honest experiences and mistakes, pattern testing for independent designers and pattern cutting when I find time to experiment. There is a tutorial section for sewing techniques and items to make for your home along with a musing section. Finally, as I like to dabble in other crafts mostly involving fabric and thread, you will see other projects including free motion embroidery, cross stitch, English Paper Piecing and more.

I Want To Be A Turtle started several years ago when I rediscovered my creative side. Annoyed with not being able to find ready to wear clothes that fit well, I bought a sewing machine and enrolled on a beginners dressmaking course. Armed with basic knowledge but, more importantly, a new found awareness of the online sewing community, everything changed. As a mostly self-taught sewist, this site had captured my journey to date but is now an attempt to give something back to the community that has taught me so much.  

I love chatting with others so if you want to say hello, discuss ideas or ways we can work together, you can find me on Instagram

Claire x