Literally, Wearing a Square

Curiosity overcame me during the week, and I tried out the square-shaped top I had in my sketchbook, originally from Pinterest. I was very interested to see what it would look like on a body. For fabric, I had some striped soft double-knit that Mum gave me. The stripes are narrow on one side and…

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Presenting the Zero Waste Bra Pattern

Here’s the pattern for the zero waste bra I’ve been working on. The previous posts about this project are: June 2021 when I thought I could make a bra; this led to a zero waste bra in one size but I put the project aside; then I picked it up again some weeks ago; last…

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Free pattern: Oven Mitt (minimal waste)

Finally! Allow me to unveil the pattern for the kitchen accessory of the year. Presenting…the minimal waste oven mitt. Streamlined, glamorous, modern and yet functional, it has restored domestic harmony to the Haywood kitchen and could do the same for you. I’ve been using it for the past week and I think I’ve found my…

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Free pattern: water bottle holder

This pattern appeared in my newsletter a few years ago, and the ones we made have been so spectacularly useful that I thought I’d share it as a blog post. I made them with my children, and they’ve taken them on school camps, on walks, to swimming and on their bikes. My children made their…

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The scrubs hat challenge

My friend Belinda, a health care worker in Victoria, has been making scrubs hats for her co-workers. She wondered if it was possible to make a no-waste scrubs hat? Preferably one that’s quick and easy! Zero waste hats are tricky because our heads are round, curves take a bit more thinking to work out, and…

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Making a scrap-busting heat bag

During the week I made a couple of heat bags designed for the neck and shoulders. I made them out of scraps. Wait a minute, don’t I only do zero waste? Why am I doing things with scraps? Yes, I do generate scraps, but now they’re all of the useable rectangular type. Typically they’re the…

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Making a zero waste bra

Last week I shared my bra-making exploits which led to trying to make a zero waste bra pattern. The prototype got worn this week. The fit was fine and the pattern works – Yay! There were some problems to report though: I used an elastic that was too rough next to the skin and I…

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Brrrr! A sundress in June

Sundress in June

Yep, it’s a bit chilly for sundress wearing here in southern Australia, but I made this dress as a Sew together for Summer Instagram sewing challenge. Obviously the theme works better for the Northern Hemisphere! The idea is to sew a sundress and post a photo using #sewtogetherforsummer. If you also use #s21entry, you could…

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Free pattern: zero waste ruffle tank

Free pattern zero waste Ruffle tank

It’s been nearly a year since this blog offered a free pattern, so ladies and gentlemen, I give you the zero waste ruffle tank. The ruffle tank is a summer top in 15 sizes, and very simple to make. UPDATE: I’ve since made this top as a dress here. It suits lightweight fabrics such as…

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Free pattern: scrubs

Free pattern scrubs for men and women

Folks, there’s a shortage of hospital scrubs in the world. There’s a shortage in Australia, in the UK, and no doubt in other countries too. This week I attempted to make a zero waste scrubs pattern. (The full pattern is at the end of this post – beset by technical difficulties, the only way I…

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