I had a happy weekend spent with my friend Thelma, who is a bona fide textile artist and teacher. I decided to take advantage of her expertise to undertake my first felting project. To make this little scrap of felt, we firstly gathered our supplies. I had bubble wrap to hand, and we cut up a […]
Read moreJapanese market bag
For a goodly while I’ve had a yen (pun intended 🙂 ) to make a Japanese market bag. I first saw these in Japan made from amazing fabric as one would expect, and I have finally made a first prototype. These are easy bags to make. There are a plethora of tutorials on the web, so […]
Read moreBracken dyeing experiment
My participation in one year one outfit has sparked an interest in eco dyeing. I have already had a go with eucalyptus leaves and I thought I’d try bracken leaves as I have a few growing on our weekend block. I picked a few, boiled them up with some rainwater in an iron pot and then […]
Read morePattern Magic sloper
I’ve had Pattern Magic Volume 3 for eons and haven’t actually made anything from it, although I have serious interest in a couple of the patterns. I decided I needed to remedy the situation and started with the sloper. I am sure that slopers aren’t meant to be made into actual clothes, and I started […]
Read moreBasic Black Shirt “M” – the planets have aligned
I have identified a gap in my wardrobe – a need, not a want! I didn’t have a black shirt. Crazy, right? Once my whole wardrobe was filled with black things, but since I’ve started making all my clothes, I tend to not make them in black as it’s so hard to see, especially at night. […]
Read moreFashion with Fabric: three hour slouchy cardigan
I acquired the Great British Sewing Bee book “Fashion with Fabric” and I have to say that I love nearly everything (not sure I’d make an elephant costume though!). This three-hour slouchy cardigan is my second make, the first being pyjama bottoms. The cardigan is made from a wool/modal blend that I bought as a […]
Read moreKimono coats for a cause
Following on from my previous kimono coat post, I’ve made a few more, and thought I might highlight a couple just to show I haven’t been slacking off in the sweatshop. First up is this latte coloured embossed kimono made from two fine wool scarves. This colour does not suit me, but the fabric is lovely. […]
Read moreOne Year One Outfit buttons
As mentioned previously I’m participating in the one year one outfit challenge and I need buttons. I have some beautiful pebbles gathered from a West Australian beach which I was going to use but they don’t work colourwise so I found a piece of drying Banksia branch and hey presto, I have buttons! Just to walk you […]
Read moreEaster activities
I did a massive amount of sewing at Easter but have very little to show for it. I did make some pyjamas for the coming cold winter camping in the bush. I used some cotton flannelette clearly bought for one of my boys, as the pattern is different types of aircraft, but as I love anything vaguely […]
Read moreI’ve been doing a patternmaking course
Don’t panic, I’m not about to become the next new Indie designer – I really only wanted a body block and I am now completely immersed in the glories of dart manipulation. I’m doing the patternmaking course at Workspace with Sarah, who is not only an expert at patternmaking, but is also the most patient person in […]
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