Sewing
The Second Dress: Mission Complete
I’ve been making a dress which was started by someone else circa 1970-1973. It was given to me in a collection of fabric, nine years ago. The dress consisted of a basted-together skirt and some scraps to cut a bodice. I started on it last week.… ….and have now put together the pieces. Funnily, when…
Read MoreThe Second Dress
I’ve been finishing two dresses from the 1960s (or 70s?), given to me in a collection of fabric. Last week I finished off the black and white sundress, and can report that it’s been worn by my teen with success. Attention has now turned to the second dress, consisting of a basted-together skirt and a…
Read MoreThe Black and White Dress, Finished 55 Years Later
I’m part-way through finishing off two dresses from the 1970s (or 1960s?). These two partly-made dresses came in a collection of fabric given to me nine years ago. Going for a quick win early on, as you do, I worked on the black and white dress first. It was already mostly sewn, just in two…
Read MoreTwo Dresses From the 1970s (or 1960s?)
Nine years ago, I was given a collection of fabric from the late 1950s-early 1970s, which had belonged to a friend’s mum. You can read about this interesting collection HERE. Most of the fabric I kept from this collection has been used now, but there were two partly-sewn dresses which I came across the other…
Read MoreA Tale of Two Oodies
The Backstory: My youngest teen was tidying her clothes and going through them. She owns two oodies – they’re square shaped oversized tops with long sleeves, hood and pockets. One wears them at home, sort of like a dressing gown. They’re both very soft polar fleece with a shaggy lining. She doesn’t really wear them…
Read MoreDream Jumpsuit Progress Update
Last week I embarked on a project to re-create a jumpsuit that I saw once in my teens. Since then I’ve cut out a jumpsuit and run it up on the machine. It wasn’t without problems – I made the crotch 10cm too high and nearly cut myself in half trying it on. Otherwise things…
Read MoreTeenage Me’s Dream Jumpsuit
Back when I was in high school in the 1980s, I saw an oversized fleecy jumpsuit. It was at a mid-year study camp, the weather was cold, and a girl in our dorm wore one to bed (and to study in, if I remember correctly). I loved it! And determined that one day I would…
Read MoreHome Ec at Home
Neither of my two teens have been interested in sewing; their creativity has taken other forms, but a chance combination of events has led to my older teen to try a sewing project. My teen happened to see a checked shirt from the op shop, which was going back to the op shop. Mr H…
Read MoreHow to Sew in Bed
Many years ago, when I was a fashion student, I tried sewing in bed. It was winter, my bedroom was cold, and I had some handsewing to do to finish off an assignment for class. So I sat up in bed and sewed. All was fine and I got it finished. But you can probably…
Read MoreMaking Birgitta Helmersson’s Slip Dress (again)
I’m back on the quest for the perfect nightie pattern for my teen, and I think I’ve found it with Birgitta Helmersson’s slip dress from her book Zero Waste Patterns. My teen has long covid but worse than me, and spends a lot of time resting in bed. Previously I tried making a nightie using…
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