Posts by lizhaywood
The Dressmaker’s Companion wins gold and silver!
While our athletes have been winning gold and silver at the Commonwealth games on the Gold Coast, The Dressmaker’s Companion has been on the podium in Texas, USA, at the 30th Benjamin Franklin Book Awards. The Dressmaker’s Companion won a gold medal for Best Craft/Hobby/How-to book, and a silver medal for Best Cover (large format). …
Read MoreThe Aquascutum Suit, Part 2 1/2
You can probably tell from the title of this post that I’m not finished with this suit yet. I’m still not satisfied with the sleeves, however I think I’m nearly there. (Read about how I acquired this suit here, and what I did last week here). An Instagram friend asked me if there was a…
Read MoreThe Aquascutum Suit, Part 2
Remember the Aquascutum suit I found in a op shop? Read about my bargain purchase here. The trousers fitted perfectly and I had plans to remodel the jacket. I got as far as unpicking the sleeves and pinning in the body (and was reminded how hard it is to fit oneself). Then we had a…
Read MoreBook review: Makery books
Makery (2013) and Makery Sewing (2015) by Kate Smith are entry-level sewing project books designed to inspire creating. I actually bought these books from our post office. I didn’t get a good opportunity to flip through them in the shop, but the beautiful photography and covers attracted me enough to buy them. The books are…
Read MoreHow to make zero-waste leggings
Last week’s zero waste leggings are finished and I can happily report success! In fact, I am very pleased with them. If you feel in the mood to sew something different, you might like to make yourself a pair. Here’s the draft: Fabric: The leggings require a stretch fabric that stretches in both…
Read MoreThe challenge of zero-waste leggings
Is it possible to design leggings that waste no fabric? I have been turning this idea over in my head for some time; I do love a patternmaking challenge. Read more about zero waste fashion here. Basic leggings typically only have one pattern piece, which makes zero waste impossible since the piece isn’t square. The…
Read MoreHappy 2nd Birthday, Blog!
It’s my blog’s birthday! I thank you all for reading and commenting, and many thanks for trying out my patterns and drafts. I’ve been feeding this blog weekly for the past two years, usually on Mondays but sometimes it’s Tuesdays and occasionally Sundays. I enjoy it; it’s like writing a little magazine article every week.…
Read MoreAn embroidered interlude
A small embroidery book has captivated me. I borrowed Yumiko Higuchi’s Zakka Embroidery from the library during the school holidays. It’s a charming little book with simple, mainly botanic, Japanese/Scandinavian style designs. The book also has a French nostalgic feel about it, too, from the red haired young girl in the photos. While…
Read More3 beaut cushion sewing tips
This week I’d like to share some cushion sewing tips. We had a cushion maker from an interiors shop in our sewing class once and she gave us some pointers on cushion sewing. I thought of her during the recent school holidays, as I finished a set of three cushions I’ve been making for the…
Read MoreBehold! The Dexter!
Some men like to buy their wives diamond necklaces, 60 foot luxury yachts or small islands in the Carribean as tokens of their love. Mine likes to give me obscure sewing ephemera – far more interesting than necklaces etc. And so my latest gift is The Dexter. Intrigued? The Dexter is a hand-held sewing machine…
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