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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Xanthea as a Dress: Free Pattern Update

It’s been a long time brewing, but finally I’ve nailed a dress version of the very popular Xanthea top. Xanthea is a zero waste, bias cut t-shirt for wovens or knits. It comes in 19 sizes, to fit up to a 117cm/70″ bust, and it’s very economical on fabric. It has a long sleeve option,…

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The Wardrobe and the Zero Waste Archive

On a whim, I cleaned out my wardrobe yesterday. Actually, what happened was, I pulled out a garment to wear and saw an insect (not a moth) crawling on it. That galvanized me into action! I confess I own a large number of clothes. Most are homemade, with a sprinkling of op shop and RTW.…

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Book Review: Zero Waste Nähen

It’s my pleasure to review Stephanie Kroth’s new book Zero Waste Nähen. Nähen translates as sew or stitch, and this book is a collection of 25 zero waste sewing patterns. [In the interests of full disclosure, I offered to review this book when I heard it was coming out, as I thought you would like…

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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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Me-Made-May 2022 Wrapup

Me-Made-May is over for another year and I think this was the best one yet! In part, this was because the challenge had a bit of a makeover and clarification. This year, for something different and challenging, I pledged to wear zero waste clothes. Here are the 48 zero waste items I rounded up: Some…

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Making Fibr & Cloth’s ZW Iris blouse

It’s rare that I sew something for myself that’s not part of work, but I was a bit taken with Fibr & Cloth Studio’s Iris blouse. I liked the soft tie neck and the long sleeves. Iris is essentially a classic square-cut shirt, with a choice of cuff finishes. There are also instructions for turning…

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5 Ways to Wear Culottes

The zero waste culottes have been working their way into my wardrobe, very easily in fact. They seem to go with everything. Want to make a pair? The culottes pattern is still 25% off in my shop until mid-April. Here are some ways to wear them… 1. T-shirt, bicycle and waist bag THE traditional activity…

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New book: A Year of Zero Waste Sewing

Hi All, This year I started writing a new book, which (at the moment) is titled A Year of Zero Waste Sewing – A year of exploration, making and musings on zero waste patterns and clothes. I’m hoping the title will bring me higher up in alphabetical book listings! Here’s the plan: I’m going to…

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New Pattern: Zero Waste Culottes

Hi Everyone, I have a new pattern. Introducing zero waste culottes. The pattern is in my Etsy shop now – please enjoy 25% off for the next month. This pattern comes in twenty sizes, to fit a 66cm/26″ waist to a 163cm/64″. The culottes are A-line and have a waistband with a button fly. A…

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