Home Ec at Home
Neither of my two teens have been interested in sewing; their creativity has taken other forms, but a chance combination of events has led to my older teen to try a sewing project. My teen happened to see a checked shirt from the op shop, which was going back to the op shop. Mr H…
Read MoreNew Tips for Sewing Rouleau Loops
I had a wonderful visit from a long-time sewing friend. Of course we talked about sewing and clothes! She works in a bridal salon making gowns, and shared a couple of new tricks she’d learnt. The salon uses rouleau loops and buttons a great deal, as they’re stronger and more reliable than zips. They make…
Read MoreHow to Sew in Bed
Many years ago, when I was a fashion student, I tried sewing in bed. It was winter, my bedroom was cold, and I had some handsewing to do to finish off an assignment for class. So I sat up in bed and sewed. All was fine and I got it finished. But you can probably…
Read MoreThe OTHER Max Tilke Trousers
I couldn’t help myself. From the moment I read PaperCrane’s comment two weeks ago, asking about the light blue trousers, I had to try them. For those just joining my trousers adventure, these are women’s trousers from South-Western China and illustrated in Max Tilke’s Costume Patterns and Designs. (The German edition can be viewed online,…
Read MoreFinishing Tilke’s Chinese Trousers
During the week I finished off the Chinese trousers in Max Tilke’s Costume Patterns and Designs. I like them very much, and so does my teen who looks very cool in them. Read about them in last week’s post. Last week after sewing them, I discovered that I needed a zip to get into them,…
Read MoreMaking Max Tilke’s Chinese Trousers
I’ve been thinking about the Chinese trousers in Max Tilke’s Costume Patterns and Designs since I was alerted to an Instagram reel demonstrating their construction. It was just the nudge I needed to try them. I have the book at home, and looked up the page. They’re women’s trousers from South Western China (date? not…
Read MoreIntroducing Billy, the Zero Waste Toy Kit
Billy is zero waste DIY toy kit, designed by artist Meg Mader and myself. Meg painted the design, and I made the zero waste pattern and wrote the instructions. The kit is available in my shop now. Let me tell you more… Meg and I both live in South Australia’s Clare Valley, and have been…
Read More5 Ways to Wear a Cropped Jacket
During the week, my copy of Cotton Time magazine arrived featuring the zero waste short sleeved jacket (see last week’s post). It’s a beautiful magazine, full of craft, crochet, sewing and bags, and those famous easy-to-follow instructions the Japanese are so good at. Here it is in the magazine: I’ve put together a couple of…
Read MoreNew Pattern: Cotton Time Jacket
Hello All, I have a new zero waste pattern to introduce. It’s a short sleeved jacket, published in the Japanese magazine Cotton Time. Here’s a preview of this lovely magazine, and a little flip through: This opportunity fell into my lap via Mirai Pattern, who license and translate my zero waste patterns into Japanese. Last…
Read MoreMaking Birgitta Helmersson’s Slip Dress (again)
I’m back on the quest for the perfect nightie pattern for my teen, and I think I’ve found it with Birgitta Helmersson’s slip dress from her book Zero Waste Patterns. My teen has long covid but worse than me, and spends a lot of time resting in bed. Previously I tried making a nightie using…
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