Zero, Zen, and the Free Hood Update

The popular modular jacket from A Year of Zero Waste Sewing now has an option for a hood. The update is free but you’ll need the original pattern, which is still available as a zine (ie booklet) for a very modest sum, or in A Year of Zero Waste Sewing. The pattern is the same…

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6 Ways to wear a tunic dress

A Year of Zero Waste Sewing is now published, and I thought I’d show you some ways to wear one of the patterns in the book, the pleated top (which can also be made as a dress like I’ve done here). This pattern is still available on its own for the bargain price of $5AU…

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Publishing Day! A Year of Zero Waste Sewing

Today is publishing day for A Year of Zero Waste Sewing, a book I started two years ago and experimentally published in instalments as zines. It’s now a proper book. It explores zero waste patterncutting concepts, making clothes for longevity, my own opinionated thoughts on various sewing topics, and stories from zero waste designers. Fashion…

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Creating the cover for A Year of Zero Waste Sewing

One of the really fun parts of independent publishing is making the book’s cover. The cover for A Year of Zero Waste Sewing was finished this past week. The cover was created by Stu Nankivell, who has done the covers for my previous two books, and styled by me. Several weeks ago, Stu and his…

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Crafting a Book: A Year of Zero Waste Sewing

Things are coming together as A Year of Zero Waste Sewing moves towards becoming a book. I thought I’d use this post to share the process of independently publishing a book. 10 years ago, I was determined I would never self-publish, but now I’m a convert! If you have something to write about, it’s never…

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Finished! A Year of Zero Waste Sewing: November and December

Yesterday afternoon I finished the final instalment of what’s turned out to be a two-year project, A Year of Zero Waste Sewing. It’s a book I’m experimentally publishing in instalments as zines. Each zine comes as a file to print out at home (it prints out on 3 double-sided pieces of paper, which are folded…

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FREE sewing library bookplate

Do you have a library of sewing books at home? I’m guessing that you do. I sure do! Sewing books have been on my mind lately, as I’ve been considering the front and back sections of A Year of Zero Waste Sewing (at this stage I haven’t quite finished the November and December instalments, but…

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September and October: A Year of Zero Waste Sewing

Hi Everyone, A Year of Zero Waste Sewing – A year of exploration, making and musings on zero waste patterns and clothes is a book project I started nearly 2 years ago (Mr H says it should be called TWO Years of Zero Waste Sewing). I’m experimentally publishing the book in instalments as zines. The…

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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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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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