Summiting 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…
Read MoreThe Kiabi windbreaker: change of plans
Serious sewing has begun on the Kiabi windbreaker, a zero waste pattern which you can read about in last week’s post. I’m in familiar sewing territory with this project, because I used to work in a factory that made similar things. Don’t envy me; it was during The Great Parachute Tracksuit Era, circa early 1990s.…
Read MoreMaking a zero waste Kiabi windbreaker
The Kiabi windbreaker is a gender-neutral zero waste pattern originally developed by French brand Kiabi in collaboration with Mylène L’Orguilloux, co-founder of Zero Waste Design Online Collective . It’s been adapted into a pattern that can be sewn at home. The pattern is available here. Here’s a short video showing the design process (4:23min) The…
Read MoreNo Sweat! Xanthea becomes a fleecy top
I’ve just whipped up a fleecy top using the new zero waste Xanthea t-shirt pattern. The pattern comes with a long sleeve option. The Xanthea pattern is in my shop with 25% off for the next two weeks. If you’re thinking of making a fleecy top from a Xanthea pattern, here’s the ribbing measurements based…
Read MoreMaking a scrap-busting heat bag
During the week I made a couple of heat bags designed for the neck and shoulders. I made them out of scraps. Wait a minute, don’t I only do zero waste? Why am I doing things with scraps? Yes, I do generate scraps, but now they’re all of the useable rectangular type. Typically they’re the…
Read MoreXanthea in stripes
Thank you All, for your positive reception to the zero waste Xanthea t-shirt pattern last week. A couple of people asked to see what it looked like in striped fabric. If you’re reading this with a view to making a Xanthea in stripes, here’s some details… Here’s an exclusive excerpt from The Dressmaker’s Companion on…
Read MoreNew Pattern: Xanthea Zero Waste T-shirt
Hi Everyone, I have a new pattern: introducing Xanthea, a zero waste t-shirt. It’s in my Etsy shop now; please enjoy 25% off for the next month. The Xanthea t-shirt comes in nineteen sizes, to fit a 86cm/34″ bust to a 177cm/70″. The fit is loose and slightly boxy. It’s designed for knit fabrics such…
Read MoreTutorial: how to sew on a button FAST
Here’s the fastest way I know to sew on a button by hand. The key is to use four threads instead of two. But how do you thread a needle with four threads without getting in a terrible tangle? Here’s how: With four threads you can sew a two-hole button with three passes through the…
Read MoreMaking a zero waste bra
Last week I shared my bra-making exploits which led to trying to make a zero waste bra pattern. The prototype got worn this week. The fit was fine and the pattern works – Yay! There were some problems to report though: I used an elastic that was too rough next to the skin and I…
Read MoreA bra-making odyssey…but can I do it zero waste?
Folks, these are dire times: since Target Country closed their doors in April, there isn’t a bra shop within a 2-hour drive radius of here. As daughters have growth-spurt after growth-spurt, something must be done – but alas, the options are few. With these distances, it’s quicker to sew a bra than drive to the…
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