Sewing
How to sew an invisible zip (finally!)
Several people have asked me for a post on how to sew an invisible zip (although this might come too late for them), so here it is. Firstly, some notes: An invisible zip can be almost one of the last things sewn on a garment. Sew the zip in before you sew the rest of…
Read MoreTime Capsule from the 1960’s
Recently I was given a gift of two bags and box containing fabric from a friend of our family, Will. The fabric had belonged to four women: Will’s mum, her two sisters and their mum. The fabric had been sitting in a caravan for years, untouched by mice or moths, and Will’s mum was having…
Read MoreMy ex-favourite skirt just became favourite again
Some time ago I went through a phase of using cotton fabric for skirt linings. I made three skirts this way: a dark brown corduroy skirt I wore for Me-Made-May, a long grey wool skirt also worn for Me-Made-May and a red corduroy Clothkits skirt. I thought a cotton lining would make the skirts warmer…
Read MoreThe Disappointing Trousers
This week I tried out a zero waste trouser draft I came across on Pinterest. Actually, it wasn’t a draft – more like a sketch of an idea. (This isn’t the picture I had but it’s very similar.) The problem was, I didn’t realise that these trousers are intended to be baggy. Really baggy. They…
Read More2016 The Year That Was
Welcome to my first post for 2016. 2016 seems a long way off now, but I’m still writing “16” and crossing it out for “17”. Each year I keep a record of the things I sew. Do you do this? Maybe a private Instagram or Pinterest account, a blog, photos tucked away in a folder…
Read MoreA Christmas Day dress
Ladies, Do you like to whip up a new outfit especially for the Festive Season? How nice it is on Christmas Day to slip into a new dress you’ve made yourself, ready to greet the visitors, drink in hand! I don’t make a new outfit every year, and some years my choice has been thwarted…
Read MoreVintage buttonholes
Are you a person who likes sewing buttonholes? If you do, I bet you have a machine that makes Really Great ones. If your machine makes so-so buttonholes or you’ve had problems with it, it’s hard to get enthusiastic. My “everyday” sewing machine is a 1964 Singer that doesn’t make buttonholes. Instead, I select different…
Read MoreCelebrating corduroy
Do you love wearing corduroy? I do. It’s a feel-good fabric that oozes comfort, warmth, and happy 1970’s nostalgia. This Friday the 11th is National Corduroy Appreciation Day, as proclaimed by the (currently in recess) National Corduroy Appreciation Club. The date, 11/11, is the number that most resembles corduroy. Yes, I know what you’re thinking,…
Read MoreA good old fashioned Country Show
There are few events, apart from bushfires and clearing sales, that bring country people together so well as a Country Show. I visited our one-day show, and there was lots to see as there is with any show…shearing competitions (as above), animals, farm machinery, all manner of agricultural produce, cake decorating and the hotly-contested fruit…
Read MoreLike or loathe it: topstitching thread
Topstitching is an great way to emphasise a construction detail, hold seam allowances flat, hold interfacing in position, or to add interest to plain fabric. It also reinforces seams, and I heard that topstitched garments require less ironing! I’m a bit of a topstitching evangelist these days -I really love the look of it- but…
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