I have had this embroidered linen tablecloth for a few years now. It came from the op-shop where it was deemed unsaleable due to the stains, but I was confident that I could get it clean. I pretty much got them all out by simmering in soda ash and laundry detergent. Naturally I forgot to […]
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Our local pool closed down for repairs so we’ve had to move to a different pool and the first thing we noticed is that the walk from the change rooms to the pool and back is freezing. Especially after the swim when we’re wet. I decided to lengthen my Queen’s Gambit robe by finding the […]
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I was lucky enough to win a few patterns from the Independent Pattern Designers Showcase challenge on Instagram and one of them is the Vanessa Hansen Frankie Tankie. I chose it because I thought it would fit right into my summer makes, some of which are in need of a refresh, and we’ve had lovely […]
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It’s that time of the year in Perth where the Oxalis, also known as sour grass and soursob, is everywhere. it’s an invasive weed so no-one minds when I collect it from verges and public places. This is me, after a swim, helping myself to oxalis near the pool. And this is how I extract […]
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We’ve had a top sheet that kept ripping across the top, and I dutifully repaired it each time. The first time I French seamed it so it would feel nice, the second time I overlocked it, and the third time I didn’t bother sewing the torn off strip back on, simply hemming it. However the […]
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I’ve been wanting to make Mark a new casual jacket, possibly with matching tracksuit bottoms, to wear to the pool and for long trips in the car, but just didn’t have the right fabric in my stash. I broke my self-imposed fabric ban when I found the perfect fabric at Knitwit Fabrics, and bought three […]
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I was asked by Ann from Pattern Division to preview her Patty Doll pattern (above and not yet on her website), and I was delighted to accept as I could envisage my new granddaughter playing with it at some point. I began with a scrap of bedsheet, left over from a dress I’m in the […]
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I’ve had a bit of a yen for a detachable collar and found one in the local COS store that really appealed, so set about replicating it. I wanted to use some small table napkins I have, obviously morning or afternoon tea versions. I have a large number of these, as I suspect they are […]
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Liz Haywood from The Craft of Clothes has released a new zero waste pattern, the Xanthea top. It’s a tee shirt style designed for both knit and wovens and has long (minimal waste rather than zero waste) and short sleeve options. The body is formed from a square and two diagonal seams are constructed at […]
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At this very moment I am supposed to be at the Muresk Agricultural College to participate in Fibres West, a week long, residential, mordanting programme with Julie Ryder, but thanks to a snap lockdown and ongoing restrictions, the programme was cancelled and I’m at home. I had packed all the clothes and materials required for […]
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