New Pattern: Bryer Skirt

Hello Everyone! I have a new zero waste pattern. Introducing Bryer, a skirt for all seasons. The pattern is in my Etsy shop now – please enjoy 25% off for the next month. This pattern comes in 20 sizes, to fit an 86cm/34″ hips to a 183cm/72″. Bryer could well be my new favourite-ever zero…

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Trying to fix the world’s problems, one pajama at a time

My children, who aren’t particularly “tidy” sleepers in bed, have been complaining that their pajama shorts cut them in half. You know what I mean by this – a kind of naturally-occurring pajama wedgie. Their pajamas are loose enough, but I told them that if you change position in bed, you often need to move…

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6 Ways to Wear a Tartan Skirt

Hi Everyone, I’m back on this blog after 4+ weeks of “sick leave” with covid. Feeling tired but a lot brighter now. Sue Stoney’s blog post on her tartan skirt has given me the nudge I needed to think about tops for my own tartan skirt. The zero waste Clair skirt is my favourite-ever zero…

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Free pattern: 3-gore wrap maxi skirt

Free pattern 3 gore wrap maxi skirt

Welcome! The Craft of Clothes is back from holidays. While on holidays, a reader named Ella commented on my 6-gore wrap skirt post, asking if it could be made as a 3-gore (the wrap skirt is a free pattern on this website). I hadn’t ever considered making it with three gores, but sure! I suddenly…

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3 Useful sewing ideas

3 Useful sewing ideas

A short post this week, with three unrelated sewing ideas I hope you’ll find useful…   Unpicker cover The Clover unpicker, while expensive, is considered by many to be the unpicker of choice, with its smooth sharp blade and comfortable handle. However, it comes with a flimsy sleeve to protect to blade (which I lost). …

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A skirt that goes with everything

A skirt that goes with everything front pockets

A Skirt That Goes With Everything -well, that was the dream.  Time will reveal the reality! I’ve been turning this idea over in my head for a while now, examining capsule wardrobes in Pinterest, considering the perfect fabric, reading blog posts on colour analysis in one’s wardrobe, etc etc. I’m aware of the problems of…

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What to wear to an author talk when you’re the author

What to wear to an author talk when you're the author

Our wonderful library has booked me in for my very first author talk on Tuesday 5th September. As most of us do when planning an important occasion, I thought: I wonder what I’ll wear?  Should I make something new or wear something I already have? I’ve come up with these criteria: Bright colour to stand…

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My ex-favourite skirt just became favourite again

My ex-favourite skirt just became favourite again Cloth Kits red skirt

Some time ago I went through a phase of using cotton fabric for skirt linings.  I made three skirts this way: a dark brown corduroy skirt I wore for Me-Made-May, a long grey wool skirt also worn for Me-Made-May and a red corduroy Clothkits skirt. I thought a cotton lining would make the skirts warmer…

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Considering zero waste fashion

Zero waste fashion

Last week’s Wearing a square jacket has caused me to think about the concept of sustainable and zero waste fashion. I’m reading A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion by Alison Gwilt (library), and Shaping Sustainable Fashion edited by Alison Gwilt and Timo Rissanen (lent by my fashion designer friend  Chiggy Schiller).  I’ve just ordered Zero…

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Free pattern: wraparound skirt

Free wrap skirt pattern skirt worn by Liz

Hello All, Here’s a pattern for a 6-gore wraparound skirt.  It has a generous wrap and is very suitable for one-way prints.  It would also look good in a plain fabric with topstitched seams. If you’ve never drafted a pattern before, this is a good one to start with because it’s straight forward and easy-fitting. …

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