well-suited blog - fashion design, illustration, pattern making.

Pattern Puzzle - Three Colour Wrap Dress

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Originally posted in June 2013, it was quite a challenge for my Facebook fans to solve this Pattern Puzzle. This is the original puzzle, the sketch and pattern plan are pasted below with all the pattern making detail. I have updated the graphics and the instructions in line with more recent pattern puzzles.

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My Fitted Dress Block for Pattern Puzzles

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. Keep Reading...

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Pattern Puzzle - Triple Twist Jersey Dress

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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Pattern Puzzle - Transparent Tuck Dress

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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My Drape Pattern Making Method

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. Keep Reading...

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Edith Head Exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery

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! Keep Reading...

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Vintage Patterns with My Fitted Dress Block

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

This is a short but dedicated post for all those lovers of Vintage Style. The focus is on using my fitted dress block to design and cut your own vintage dress sewing patterns. To work your way through the fitting process you can go to DOWNLOADS on the menu bar and checkout My Blocks PDF (downloads). The Fitted Dress block has to be one of my favourites and the best place to start for fabulous dress designs. You can also checkout some of my Members Blog posts that cover the fitting alterations for this block. To Become a Member all that's required is a password to access even more pattern making magic.

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Making the Most of My Knit Block

Monday, January 09, 2017

My Knit Block will make all these Pattern Puzzles:

This post has been curated to bring the focus to my garment blocks now available on the website. They are the same blocks I use in my pattern puzzles and the same basic blocks that for the foundation of commercial pattern making. The first block for the spotlight is my Knit Block.

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Fittings First - An Integrated Approach to Pattern Making

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

I have made an info-graphic to show you all what I've been up to with the workshop line-up here at the studio. Now I hear you say 'What's that to me? I live on the other side of the world! :( So to elaborate; the teaching materials I intend for the website (e-learning) are derived from the workbooks I make for each of the workshops I run here at the studio. The content and integration of that content becomes even more important when considering its use as online teaching materials. As a first step I've added my garment blocks to the website as PDF downloads.

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Pattern Puzzle- Hi-Lo Drape Shift

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

The post is a little late this week as I am totally distracted by work that is going on in the backend of the website, setting up a members area. We have been working out the best content to make it both attractive and useful to fans and hope to open that members area very soon. Now back to the #PatternPuzzle that was such fun on Saturday with fans working getting to the answers super-fast. Then overnight, while I was asleep so many added sketches and photos and in one case an amazing mini-toile.