New Pattern: Zero Waste Warm Hat
After messing with zero waste hat ideas for the past 18 months, I can now present to you a fully zero waste hat. Introducing the ZW Warm Hat, a hat for the winter months. The pattern is now in my shop. Please enjoy 25% off for the next month. This hat is self-lined with a…
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 MoreMum’s Sheepskin Vest (and the change of plans)
Many years ago, my mother was given a sheepskin vest by a family friend. I remember Mum wearing it on camping trips when I was a child, although she doesn’t recall this. An exhaustive search through the family photo archive to back up my claim failed to bring up a single image. So who knows?…
Read MoreFinished! Optimatium Denim Coat
This past week I’ve been busy sewing a coat version of the Optimatium dress. The Optimatium dress is a zero waste pattern which appeared in Tauko magazine last year, and is now a pdf pattern in extended sizes. The pattern is in my shop – please enjoy 25% off until June 26th. For the coat,…
Read MoreOptimatium in Denim (Part 1)
A conversation with my tech editor last week, combined with the happenstance of surplus-to-requirements denim in the house, let to cutting out a denim Optimatium pattern on the weekend. The Optimatium dress is a zero waste pattern which appeared in Tauko magazine last year, and is now a pdf pattern in extended sizes. The pattern…
Read More5 Ways to Wear the Optimatium Dress
The Optimatium dress has proven to be more versatile that I’d thought. You know, a dress is often worn just on its own as, well, a dress. But once I got started putting it with other things, there were so many more possibilities. Like to make one? The pattern is 25% off in my shop…
Read MoreNew-ish Pattern: Optimatium Dress
The zero waste Optimatium dress is a pattern which appeared in Tauko magazine #9 in October last year. The copyright has since reverted to me, and it’s been re-graded to a bigger size range and formatted as pdf pattern. It’s now in my shop – please enjoy 25% off for the next month. Optimatium means…
Read MoreNew Pattern: Low Waste Bucket Hat and Sunhat
Hello All, I have a new-ish pattern to present to you. The low-waste sunhat, which was available at the Making Zen Online Retreat last month, has had a mini makeover and is now a pdf pattern. It has a bucket hat brim option, a re-edited sew-a-long video, and a little tweak to the instructions for…
Read MoreMending Moments: The Lost Beret
A tidy-up ahead of visitors arriving (as you do) turned up a long-lost knitted beret. It had fallen down behind some things and was covered in dust. I’d forgotten I’d ever knitted it, as it was some years ago. The wool was superb; super soft, non-itchy baby merino. Unfortunately the moths had gotten to it…
Read MoreWrapping Up Me-Made-May 2024
Me-Made-May is a wardrobe challenge to help improve your relationship with your handmade clothes. The aim is to intentionally wear your self-made items more and/or in different ways, and have fun at the same time. This was my eighth time. I’ve tried different ways of doing Me-Made-May in the past: a capsule collection each week;…
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