Uncategorised Archives - The Craft of Clothes

Hi Everyone, Summer’s started, school’s out and and this blog is taking its annual holiday until January. Thank you All for reading this blog, commenting and sharing. Your comments mean so much to me. Thank you to everyone who has bought my books and patterns – your purchase directly helps support my family and I’m…

In the world of fashion, Allen Kelly & family’s farm is a the very beginning of the supply chain. Their farm, Glen Holme, in South Australia breeds Dohne (pronounced doo-nee) merino sheep as well as growing mixed crops. In Australia, most farms are owned by families and Allen is the third generation to farm at…

This week was Children’s Book Week, which I thought had been cancelled due to you-know-what, but it was merely postponed. The theme this year was Curious Creatures, Wild Minds, and children dress up as a book character they like, or failing that whatever’s handy in the dress-ups box. I do acknowledge that some parents dread…

Have you ever wondered what you would look like if someone painted your portrait? Earlier this year, artist Meg Mader asked if she could paint me for the Clare Portrait Prize in April. I felt extremely humbled and honored! The idea was that it would coincide with Zero Waste Sewing‘s book launch and we would…

It’s our wedding anniversary, and I thought I’d give the dress an airing. Trying on this dress feels like the glamorous antithesis to the hospital scrub sewing which has gripped our household for the past couple of weeks. To be honest, I was apprehensive about trying it on, in case I got stuck like last…

Hi Everyone, Well, here we are at the last post for the year and we’re counting down til Christmas. Many thanks indeed for reading, writing lovely comments, and getting excited about my book. Zero Waste Sewing will be published in just under 3 months, and before then I’ll be show-and-telling more projects in the book,…

Way back in 2002, an artist friend recommended keeping a design journal. I did, and it turned out to be excellent advice. I now keep 5 types of journals, which sounds obsessive but each serves a purpose and they’re not all used daily. None of them are the beautifully presented, artistic books one sees on…

This week was our wedding anniversary and I got out my dress to try on. It last got an airing two years ago in this blog post. I can still get the zip up but the dress is uncomfortably tight. The days of trying this dress on are numbered: I got stuck both getting it…

Must have dress ups The bear costume laid flat

Here’s a statement you may or may not agree with: all households with children require a dress-ups box. Our household does, and has gone a step further by having an adult’s dress-ups box. I’m going to pause writing here because I know exactly what you’re thinking. No, it’s not an “adult” dress-ups box, it simply…

March 9th is the 60th birthday of the barbie doll. While there’s much to be read on the history of Barbie, today’s post is my tribute to my own. Yes, while Barbie is controversial and perpetuates unrealistic body expectations for girls who we’re trying to raise into confident, happy women who are comfortable with their…