Wednesday, January 09, 2019
Since I've been online (6 years now) I've become aware of an enormous love for vintage style out there, and in particular vintage patterns. And in some strange way these patterns are so familiar to me. I must have used some of my grandmothers patterns when I was younger because the lack of instructions and complete absence of print on these vintage patterns does not confuse or put me off at all. Somehow it appears to me as a secret code I have to solve to uncover the exact intentions of the designer/pattern maker.
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Saturday, December 08, 2018
I recently had to come up with a crafty Christmas idea that I could demonstrate at the Wagga Wagga Spotlight store. Once a year they have local makers demonstrate in the fabric department, and this year it was my chance. So in a moment of inspiration I came up with the Christmas Bow Tie as an alternative to the usual party hats. I had the choice of all their Christmas prints and I selected four different prints in a red and white theme.
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Saturday, September 22, 2018
This pattern is one of my 'Off-the-Rails' sewing patterns that I've worked with for many years. The Boat Neck Tee is a wardrobe classic when cut in a plain cloth and seriously quirky when you mix your print and plain knit fabrics. Although the image below is of a half sleeve tee-shirt, the pattern comes with a three-quarter sleeve. I'll be adding a post to the blog very soon showing the sleeve pattern alterations for short and long sleeves.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2018
At last some sewing patterns are making it onto the website! The first in the 'Off-The-Rails' series is the Drape Gather skirt. This is a design from many years ago that has been a favourite in m y wardrobe ever since. It's also the first skirt my students cut in my Drape Skirt Patterns workshop. It has a straight grain centre front panel with a joined side front and back skirt panel that's cut on the bias. Included in the back seam is a fishtail flare and an invisible zip. The wait finish is a strap waistband and included in the zip opening is a zip guard for a quality skirt.
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Tuesday, September 11, 2018
I've put together some diagrams for cutting out the Drape Gather Skirt pattern. I've considered fabric widths of 110cm, 130cm and 150cm for the shell of the skirt, across all the sizes 6-22. I'll deal with the cutting of the lining for this skirt in a separate post. I suggest that your first sample is an unlined skirt so you have the opportunity of finessing the fit before making a fully lined version. One constant feature of cutting these drape patterns is there is always what I would consider a lot of waste fabric. I tend to keep the larger pieces and use them in future projects. I've found that a pattern with a number of smaller pieces works really well. I use a panelled waistcoat design that has 5-6 pattern pieces that use the waste from the skirt design very well.
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Thursday, August 02, 2018
This has to be my favourite block! It's the start place for so many of the garments you'll find in your wardrobe. It's the base for woven garments that cover the torso - dresses, corsets, shirts & jackets. 
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Monday, May 07, 2018
Here we have another re-issue of my very early Pattern Puzzle posts. I've up-dated the images and improved the instructions. I'm really enjoyed the regular Saturday morning Pattern Puzzles on my facebook page and hope to return to them sometime soon. Here is the sketch, pattern plan and pattern pieces for the front of the Triple Twist Jersey dress. Please note this style only works with my knit block and two-way stretch jersey fabric.
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Monday, April 30, 2018
Congrats to Mioara and Gemma
solving the Pattern Puzzle in just one comment! I think I am going to have to up my game to give you all a bit more of a challenge. This creative design is just the kind of pattern we make in my
Draped Dresses workshop at Studio Faro.
Below is recent design development I have decided to use for the Pattern Puzzle this week. The inspiration comes from Comme de Garcon frock I saw in the late nineties. The image has always stayed with me. I so love their work. This post was originally published 17 June 2013 and is one of my earliest Pattern Puzzle posts. In this post I have updated the graphics and improved the pattern making instructions for this release.
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Tuesday, February 06, 2018
The origins of my passion for creative pattern making start way back in 1980 when I first went to fashion college. It was at this time that I was introduced to an amazing pattern making book that just lit up my brain. Natalie Bray's technical diagrams leapt off the page and made immediate sense to me. I could hardly contain my excitement at the potential of pattern making. To this end I believe I was quite the pesky student in our pattern making classes. The student with 20 questions every session, that drove the pattern making teacher crazy. You'll find Natalie's books on all the usual book selling sites and the prices vary dramatically, so do your research.
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Wednesday, January 31, 2018
A sweet opportunity... After a fabulous weekend in Melbourne, teaching at the Stitches and Craft Show, we drove the long way home and stopped off in Bendigo to catch this amazing exhibition. I'm not very good at giving myself time off for rest and recreation but I've long been aware of the great work they do at the Bendigo Art Gallery. And although the show has ended I've selected a handful of my favourite images from the show to share with you here. In particular the main exhibition image below: I'd love a pair of sunglasses just like Edith's. They're so stylish!
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