Latest Activities

This is a dress made for a Year 10 school formal in November.  The fabric is silk chiffon and silk satin lining from The Fabric Store in Sydney.  Jess is in blue on the right of the photo accompanied by her twin brother Tom.

Here is a dress made for a recent wedding.  This is dupion silk with a vintage kimono fabric used for the waist tie.

Here is Ivy in her flower girl dress for another wedding.

Market Time

I decided to have a try at a market stall and chose the Hamilton Clocktower Markets.  Here are some of my sales items.  My day was successful with the reversal baby bandanas being the most popular item.

Baby bibs and bandanas

Baby hats

Baby shoes

Baby dresses and shirts

The Knit Jacket

After attending the Australian Sewing Guild Industry Day I was inspired to make knit jackets.  The first was a fractured knits composition of spot fabric from an Op Shop, chevron check from Knitwit and black jersey from The Remnant Warehouse.

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Next I made the aqua and black jacket with draped pockets.  (Fabric from Tessuti's in Sydney)  The double sided spot and striped fabric (below) came from Clear It in Fitzroy, Melbourne and the Trees jersey came from Darn Cheap Fabrics (online).  I am very happy with my new jackets.

  

Tags for Swags

I have made these luggage tags as place markers for a Rotary Club Dinner this Friday night.  They are from scraps of kimono and sari fabrics, Samoan screen printed fabric, Aboriginal print fabrics and other pieces.  The text pieces are parts of printable fabric sheets which can be fed into an inkjet printer. At the dinner I will ask guests for a gold coin donation for their tag and this will support the purchase of a special swag designed for homeless people.

Industry Day

Dear Blog.  I know I have been neglecting you.  I promise it won't happen again as I am refreshed and enthused after being at the New South Wales Sewing Guild Industry Day on Saturday.  In addition to fabulous talks by inspiring sewers there was also the opportunity to shop!

Vintage cards 50c each!

Yellow vintage glass buttons and crackle clay buttons.

Patterns - $5 each.

The vintage cards and patterns came from two sisters who are selling off their late mother's collection of  "stuff".  They reported that there were three tea chests of buttons alone!!  The daughters have been working on packaging and selling the collection for nine years and estimate that it will take them another ten years to clear everything!  The patterns were cheap because the venue for the day was the Simplicity Pattern Company warehouse in Revesby (Sydney).

I am extra enthused because on Thursday I visited one of my favourite fabric shops, The Remnant Warehouse in Alexandria (Sydney), and acquired more fabric.  Bliss.  Last week I also dropped some stuff off at an Op Shop and guess what?   I bought three perfectly new, unused patterns for 20c each.

So there is no excuse for not getting into the sewing and yesterday I made a fractured knit jacket. Pictures will follow when the handsewing is completed!  

Evolution of the Shoe

The original trial

After my first attempt at shoemaking (the Aboriginal print baby shoes above) I have tried various other patterns and fabrics.  I am enjoying the challenge to refine the fitting and to make the structure solid but flexible.  Here are the current trials.

Obi fabric shoes

Kimono fabric shoes

Yukata fabric shoes

Faux Fur Ballet flats

Flannelette baby boots

Kimono fabric baby shoes

Mass Production

Sometimes a client will ask for the same garment in different colours or fabrics.  Here is the classic shirtwaister dress made in three colours in a linen and cotton combination.