Tea Towel Time

 I read in one of my sewing group newsletters that one way to use up your scraps of linen was to make teatowels for gifts and/or for charity stalls.  So away I went.  but then I did buy some new fabrics as well!
Here are the first efforts - genuine linen scraps and trims from the stash.






Then I bought these fruit and vegetable prints at a patchwork shop. They were on special!

This printed French linen I bought while on a bus trip with my sewing group.  Unfortunately I only bought .5 metre and as it is a one way fabric (lengthways) I really needed .7 metre so I had to add some plain black linen at each end.

So far I have made 21 tea towels!

Costumes

I have been buried for weeks under a heap of dance costumes.  Here are some of the beautiful African children in their costumes.

New Clothes

 It is so long since I posted but I have been busy.  Here are some of the things I have been making.  In this picture Marion wears a knit jacket.

 Katherine is wearing a cerise wool cape.  The fabric was purchased from an Opportunity Shop.

  

 Here we see a red knit cardigan with knit trim.  This was another Op Shop fabric.

This is the New York Cape.  This is a pattern distributed at my sewing group and made by members in different fabrics and with different techniques.  My version s from an another Op Shop fabric and  with buttons given to me by a friend.






In the picture below Wilma wears a mesh and crinkle top tunic.

  

New Lambton Fashion Sewers

I have joined a sewing group and went to my first meeting last week.  How terrific it is to spend time with other sewing and fabric maniacs.  I cut out some new patterns and looked at what other people were making.  I got a pattern for the New York Opera Cape and will be making this soon.  As it was school holidays some members brought in their grandchildren and gave them some lessons.  Here are some of the children.

Sewing Group Day

 

Yesterday I attended the Australian Sewing Guild (ASG) Industry Day at the Simplicity Company Headquarters in Sydney.  It was a great day and, of course, fabric and patterns were purchased.  Around 150 people attended and just looking at the participants' clothes was a highlight!   Here is one of the ASG members Suzanne Gray and a couple of her "fractured knits" garments.  I was lucky enough to attend one of Suzanne's crazy patchwork shirt classes some years ago.  She is an outstanding teacher and has great ideas.

Bangkok Fabric Purchases

American Cotton 

Unfortunately, my shopping time on our recent holiday in Thailand was limited but I had researched fabric shops and found several that were on my "hit" list.  Here is what I bought.

Swiss Cotton

Italian Linen 

Thai Silk

Thai Border Print Cotton

Thai Silk

Japanese Cotton

Italian Linen

Pashminas for making into poncho style cover-ups

Rayon and cotton

Brief notes from Bangkok.

Here is a street-side clothing alterations business.  This was one of several I saw in the main shopping area of Bangkok.  

Silk weaving equipment at Jim Thompson House in Bangkok.  Jim Thompson is credited with revitalsing the Thai Silk industry after World War 2.  He built his house (made of several traditional Thai houses) near to the area where the weavers lived.