Slipper Rescue

Have you ever mended something, and then discovered (to your delight!) that the mended version is far superior to the original? That’s exactly what happened when I repaired my slippers on the weekend. Most people wouldn’t bother repairing slippers, especially an inexpensive pair from Target like these, however there’s now nowhere to buy slippers here.…

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A Better Hat

Last week’s zero waste hat pattern has had a few tweaks and been re-made in a more…erm…exciting fabric (it’s not hard to beat khaki!). I had mixed feelings about the khaki hat, but on the same day as making it, we had a family dinner and it was enthusiastically tried on by all and declared…

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The Hat Challenge

I happened to see that #sewover50 on Instagram have a mini challenge to sew a hat. I thought I might sew one, maybe using the free hat pattern on this website. Then I remembered I had a prototype for a zero waste hat lying around behind my sewing machine – maybe now is the time…

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Discovering Halston’s bias cuts

A beautiful book I ordered on Halston (at great expense to the management) arrived during the week. I’m too young, and lived in the wrong country, to remember Halston’s fashions. I was a child in the swingin’ 70s, spending much of it on an actual swing. I phoned Mum to ask if she remembered fashions…

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Thoughts on zero waste bias cutting

The bias cut slip dress/pinafore I started last week is practically finished. To re-cap, I’m exploring bias cut & zero waste for the September instalment of A Year of Zero Waste Sewing, a book I’m publishing as zines. I tried out some ideas I had using the slip dress pattern from Birgitta Helmersson’s new book,…

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Bias-cut, tweed and Birgitta Helmersson’s zero waste slip dress

The bias-cut fun continues here at Haywood Homestead, in spite of the recent failed bias-cut slip. This time I’m experimenting with creating bias fabric and then cutting a zero waste pattern from it. The pattern I’m using is Birgitta Helmersson’s slip dress from her new book Zero Waste Patterns. The added catch is I’m using…

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Tutorial: Zero Waste Inseam Pockets

Easy zero waste inseam pockets can be yours! The pattern for these is in the (free) January instalment of A Year of Zero Waste Sewing. It was part of an idea for making a pocket matrix – a rectangular shape containing all the pocket pieces nested together, which can be moved around the fabric to…

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A Skirt for All Seasons: Ways to Wear a Bryer Skirt

This month I introduced a new pattern, the zero waste Bryer skirt. This pattern comes in 20 sizes, to fit an 86cm/34″ hips to a 183cm/72″. It has generous pockets, an option for back waist elastic, and the length can be changed. The pattern is in my shop now – please enjoy 25% off. I…

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Bias cut failure

Friends, it’s only right on this blog to show you some of the things that don’t work out, lest you think I’m some sort of patternmaking genius who nails everything first time every time. Last week I started working on the September instalment of A Year of Zero Waste Sewing, which will discuss bias cut.…

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New Pattern: Bryer Skirt

Hello Everyone! I have a new zero waste pattern. Introducing Bryer, a skirt for all seasons. The pattern is in my Etsy shop now – please enjoy 25% off for the next month. This pattern comes in 20 sizes, to fit an 86cm/34″ hips to a 183cm/72″. Bryer could well be my new favourite-ever zero…

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