Review: Pattern
Okay, final words on the zero waste undies
Thank you everyone who’s followed and participated in these blog posts on Zero Waste Wardrobe’s free underpants pattern. There were lots of good ideas on leg bands, gussets and bottom cover. The first post on these is here and the second is here. Last week I had the situation of a non-zero waste gusset in…
Read MoreRevisiting the zero waste underpants
I’ve been thinking about the zero waste underpants I made last week from Zero Waste Wardrobe’s free pattern. Since then, some others have tried the pattern. Donna-in-the-comments made some in swimwear fabric. She left the legs unhemmed and cut a conventional gusset from a different fabric. @duckgoesoink made a beautiful red pair with lace trim.…
Read MoreZero Waste Underpants
Yep, on the weekend I made a pair of zero waste underpants. The pattern is by Zero Waste Wardrobe; it’s a free pattern that’s part of a personal design project by clothing and costume designer Saara Jolkkonen. The mission of the project is to provide a free (creative commons licensed) collection of zero waste patterns…
Read MoreSewing a pork chop
I imagine you’ve heard of a tailor’s ham, the cushion-like pressing tool – maybe you own one or have even made one. But a tailor’s pork chop? It’s a pressing tool I happened across by Daniela of @doctorstitches on Instagram. You can get a copy of the free pattern by joining her facebook group here;…
Read More3 makers, 1 pattern: reviewing the Sawyer hoodie
The Sawyer hoodie is a zero waste pattern I released last month after a series of blog posts “show and telling” its development as it unfolded. The final post is here. As a sort of adjunct to this I asked 3 friends who are prolific and adventurous in their sewing to give the pattern a…
Read MoreMaking Danielle Elsener’s zero waste scrub top
The free scrub pattern I did last week led me to Danielle Elsener of DECODECODECODE’s zero waste scrubs, and I thought I’d give them a go. I’m fascinated that two patternmakers living on opposite sides of the Earth both endeavoured to make zero waste scrubs, took very different approaches, and produced such different-looking patterns which…
Read MoreStyle 2685: fitted, finished and just fine
The yellow dress I started for my favourite 10 year old last weekend is now officially finished. She likes it. The pattern is from 1979, which she considers “olden days”. I thought when I was sewing it, the gathering didn’t seem very full. Although my fabric is a bit crisper than the dress is designed…
Read MoreStyle 2685 or The Case of the Missing Collar
High on the euphoria of actually completing a project on the same day as I started it (swimming trunks for Ken doll), I decided to make something else quick and easy. Or so I thought. In my fabric collection, I came across this pretty dress pattern stored with some fabric my favourite 10 year old…
Read MorePattern recommendation: fabric boxes
Stitched Sewing Organizers is everything a craft book should be: beautiful, thoughtfully designed projects, gorgeous photography and easy-to-understand instructions. I wanted to make everything in it, whether I needed it or not. The book is a collection of things to make to hold sewing supplies, either for at home or traveling. On the weekend I…
Read MoreVogue 2507, 30 years on
Not many people can say they still have something in their wardrobe they sewed 30 years ago and still wear. I realised that I do! I sewed Vogue 2507 when I was 16 years old in the late 1980’s. It’s designed by Claude Montana, whose runway collections didn’t appeal to me at the time. (I…
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