My Modern Marx-Etzel Trousers

I’ve been making the trousers from the book Bog Fashion. Read about this interesting pattern in last week’s post. This is where we left off last week, a pinned-together pair of trousers with an enormous waist: I’ve spent the past week thinking about how to manage the wide waist and finish off the trousers. No-one…

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Making the Marx-Etzel Trousers from Bog Fashion

For Christmas I received the book Bog Fashion – Re-creating Bronze and Iron Age Fashions by Nicole DeRushie, and it was such an interesting read I finished it in two sittings. The book describes textile finds from bogs and other sources in Northern and Western Europe, and then shows how they might be re-created. Patterns…

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Book Review: Sewing with Scraps

It’s my pleasure to review Sewing with Scraps – 15 projects to sew a sustainable wardrobe using leftover fabric by Birgitta Helmersson and Sam Grose. In the interests of disclosure, the book’s publisher asked if I would like a free review copy, and I said yes, as I knew it would be good and thought…

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The 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,…

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Finishing 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,…

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Making 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…

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The Tale of the Gigantic Waistband

Amongst some work trousers Mr H brought home from the op shop was pair of mid-brown RM Williams (an iconic sort of brand here in Australia). Back when he bought them, he didn’t bother to try things on in the shop – this has since changed – and the trousers were too big and too…

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The Floral Trousers Revamp

On my to-do list for some…years? has been to refashion a pair of floral trousers, because I just haven’t been able to work them into my wardrobe. The trousers are the wrap trousers from Zero Waste Sewing, but these were an early prototype when I was making the pattern. Here’s what they look like in…

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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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Making the Jones Trousers

The Jones trouser pattern is a new zero/minimal waste pattern by Emily Klug of Goldfinch Textile Studios. You may remember last year I successfully made her Simone overalls. The trousers have a high waist with elastic back, inverted box pleats at the front, a slightly dropped crotch and plenty of ease throughout. There is a…

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