Review: Pattern
Making Cris Wood’s Cinch Belt
Cris Wood is an American pattern designer known for her beginner-friendly, paperless, low-waste patterns. Her most well-known pattern is the Envelope Dress – on Instagram, seemingly everyone in the USA was making one in the hot summer of 2020 lockdowns. I’ve never made one of her patterns (until now!) but have corresponded with her as…
Read MoreLove a Cardi! Making the Eccles Cardigan
The Eccles Cardigan is a free zero waste pattern by Emily Handler of Empty Hanger patterns. It’s a “wardrobe staple” style, with a classic crew neckline, and long or 3/4 sleeves. Eccles comes as part of a collection of other free zw patterns, with an option to pay for them (recommended). It comes in 17…
Read MoreMaking Wendy Ward’s zero waste trousers
Some time ago I bought Wendy Ward‘s new book How to Sew Sustainably. Actually, I borrowed it from the library and liked it so much I bought a copy. I really liked the trousers and dress made using the same cutting concept, and wanted to try them. Cleverly, the dress is the trousers turned upside…
Read MoreMakin’ Mittens
Mittens are not something one sews often in Australia in November. Actually, no-one even wears mittens here, at any time of year, (gloves are the hand covering of choice, if anything) but I think they would be great for bike riding when it’s cold. I badly wanted to try this low-waste mitten pattern by Maureen…
Read MoreMaking the Jones Trousers
The Jones trouser pattern is a new zero/minimal waste pattern by Emily Klug of Goldfinch Textile Studios. You may remember last year I successfully made her Simone overalls. The trousers have a high waist with elastic back, inverted box pleats at the front, a slightly dropped crotch and plenty of ease throughout. There is a…
Read MoreMaking Fibr & Cloth’s ZW Iris blouse
It’s rare that I sew something for myself that’s not part of work, but I was a bit taken with Fibr & Cloth Studio’s Iris blouse. I liked the soft tie neck and the long sleeves. Iris is essentially a classic square-cut shirt, with a choice of cuff finishes. There are also instructions for turning…
Read MoreStyling the Simone Overalls
The overalls I finished last week have been working their way into my wardrobe. I realised I haven’t worn overalls since I was a preschooler – all those years missing out on such a comfortable garment! I had a fun time trying the overalls on with different things to see what looks best. (Do you…
Read MoreMaking the Simone low-waste overalls
The Simone Overalls are a low-waste pattern developed by Emily of Goldfinch Limited, a sustainable textile studio. We met on Instagram, and she was writing the overalls pattern as I was doing the Xanthea top. I suggested we do a pattern swap, since overalls and t-shirts go well together. Xanthea was ready first and Emily…
Read MoreMaking Mompei trousers
Weaver Kaz Madigan of the Curiousweaver studio alerted me to a free pattern on her website for making mompei trousers, a traditional Japanese pattern. The pattern was originally published in Curious Weaver mag 25 years ago and is ideal for narrow widths of handwoven fabric. A Japanese friend said her grandma used to wear them.…
Read MoreSummiting Mt Kiabi
Yay! I finished it! Or rather, them. It’s been a slow but fun process constructing Zero Waste Design Online’s Kiabi windbreaker (read the first post where I started this project). Last week I decided to make two separate windbreakers rather than one double-layer reversible one, and this week I finished them. How much time did…
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