Shape Shape: Reversible circle vest
The Reversible circle vest from Shape Shape by Natsuno Hiraiwa (2007 Interweave) is an unusual pattern but easy and fast to make; I cut and sewed mine in an evening. It features on the front cover of Shape Shape. Am I happy with it? Well, I was kind of disappointed, but partly because I’m not…
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 MoreExhibition review The Dressmaker costumes
The costumes from the movie The Dressmaker are on display at the National Trust’s Ayres House in Adelaide, and I visited it last week. If you’ve seen the movie no doubt you loved the fabulous costumes, and there are more than 50 on show, all thoughtfully displayed. The exhibition includes a short documentary…
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…
Read MoreFree pattern ballerina slippers
Hello Everyone, May I present, for your sewing pleasure, this free pattern for ballerina slippers -my first ever downloadable PDF pattern. These are the slippers I made for my Jeans Recycling Challenge, where the challenge was to turn every part of an old pair of jeans into something else. Click on these for the pattern:…
Read MoreThe Jeans Recycling Challenge the final analysis
The Challenge: Transform a torn pair of jeans into something useful, re-using every part of the jeans. The jeans recycling challenge is now finished. I just couldn’t find a use for the final scraps; they were too scrappy. They didn’t end up in the bin -I added them to a cushion…
Read MoreThe Jeans Recycling Challenge the last leg
The Jeans Recycling Challenge: Transform a torn pair of jeans into something useful, re-using every part of the jeans. The story so far… I haven’t quite finished the jeans recycling challenge yet. I still have the slippers to sew, and some small…
Read MoreThe Jeans Recycling Challenge
The Challenge: Transform a torn pair of jeans into something useful, re-using every part of the jeans. These jeans belonged to my sister and were worn during The Maternity Years. What I have been wanting to make for a while is a jeans handbag, after a friend visited with one she’d made. There…
Read MoreYarn magazine issue 43: Getting closure
Yarn magazine issue 43 came out this week featuring my very last article, aptly named Get some Closure. It’s been almost six years since I began writing articles for Yarn, and ten years since they published my first project. There are no terrible reasons why I’ve decided to stop being a contributor; I’ve simply just…
Read MoreBook review Zero Waste Fashion
The book Zero Waste Fashion by Timo Rissanen and Holly McQuillan (Bloomsbury 2016) has arrived and I’m keen to share my thoughts on it with you. I ordered it last month when I wrote Considering zero waste fashion, which has become my second highest visited post. I cannot deny a frisson of excitement went through…
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