Making Wendy Ward’s zero waste trousers

Some time ago I bought Wendy Ward‘s new book How to Sew Sustainably. Actually, I borrowed it from the library and liked it so much I bought a copy. I really liked the trousers and dress made using the same cutting concept, and wanted to try them. Cleverly, the dress is the trousers turned upside…

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Recommended Reading: Disney, Fibershed and Francis Marshall

A mixture of great books have arrived from the library lately, all very different but so interesting. The Art of Disney Costuming – Heroes, Villains and Spaces Between by Jeff Kurtti and the Staff of the Walt Disney Archive (2019 Disney Enterprises Inc) Everyone at home loved this book! It’s a big book, almost A3…

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April and May: A Year of Zero Waste Sewing

Earlier this year I started a new book project, A Year of Zero Waste Sewing, to be published in installments as a zine. The first one is complimentary – read about this project and download your free copy here. April and May are now ready, and in my shop. They’re $AU5 each (+ tax). Here’s…

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Recommended Reading: Talley, Fassett and McMaster

Yes, Talley, Fassett and McMaster sounds somewhat like an academic paper, but they’re the authors of three interesting books I’ve just finished reading. The Chiffon Trenches – a memoir The Chiffon Trenches – a memoir by Andre Leon Talley (2020 Harper Collins). (Note: small very font.) I was alerted to this book after reading Andre…

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3 places to get design ideas

Sometimes I get asked where I get ideas from. I get great ideas from all sorts of places, but primarily these three… Professional library I’ve been slowly building an at-home professional library for some decades now, and I now that I work at home I find it extremely helpful. Some of the places I’ve worked…

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Book recommendation: Measure of a Man

Measure of a Man

Measure of a Man – From Auschwitz survivor to presidents’ tailor is the memoir of Martin Greenfield, considered by many to be the best men’s tailor in the United States. I read this book in one day! Martin Greenfield grew up in a Czechoslovakian village by the Carpathian mountains. When he was 15, he and…

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Built by Wendy meets Puce Floral

Do you remember the Built by Wendy sheath dress I started back in September?  Unfortunately I only got as far as a toile fitting before being paralyzed by fabric and styling indecision. Since then, though, I’ve dug through my extensive fabric collection and come up with a very old cotton sateen pink/purple/puce floral.  I can’t…

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Built by Wendy, Sewn by Lizzy

Built by Wendy Sewn by Lizzy book cover

The arrival of spring weather has given me the urge to sew a summer dress.  Does this happen to you when the season changes? I was also inspired by a library book: Built by Wendy Dresses: The Sew U Guide to Making a Girl’s Best Frock.  The book was published in 2010 and has had…

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Questions people ask at book talks

Questions people ask at book talks

This month The Dressmaker’s Companion turns one.  While I’m no veteran of book talks, I’ve done a few since then, always with an opportunity for questions at the end.  Sometimes no-one asks any and sometimes people ask questions during the talk (especially if the group is small). Read more about my publishing story here. Here’s…

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My publishing story

My publishing story

Next month it’s one year since The Dressmaker’s Companion was published and I thought I’d share with you my publishing story.  It’s a bit long, so settle in… The patternmaking years You may know that I trained as a clothing patternmaker, back in 1990-91.  I was fortunate to find something I loved doing early on…

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