Maria Denmark knit ponte skirt (self-drafted)

Even though I’ve been trying to keep up with my blog posts, I haven’t really been sewing as much lately as is usual for me. Sitting at the machine requires a lot more effort than I can muster most days, so my output has slowed considerably. This has led to a rethink of my sewing strategy: I can’t buy a lot of fabric with the guarantee that I will burn through it quickly, so I’ve been taking stock of what I already have and working out what to do with it.

A woman stands in front of a blue brick wall. She wears a white peplum top, navy white stripe knit pencil skirt, and animal print tights and clogs.
Leopard print matches leopard print, right? That’s my In the Folds Peplum Top, BTW.

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Style Arc Blaire Shirt

You know when a project looks really different in your head to the final outcome? That’s what happened with my Style Arc Blaire Shirt. I completely misinterpreted the pattern of the fabric and the cut of the shirt, and ended up with an oversized, tropical-style shirt, entirely by accident. And I love it!

A woman stands in front of hibiscus plant. She wears a green, tropical print shirt, skinny jeans and silver runners.

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A retro playsuit – Butterick 6354

I’m back, with what might be my most spectacular creation so far! It’s a retro-style playsuit for my friend/pin-up, Becca BamBam. Her pinup character is so fabulous I felt it fitting to create something equally fabulous to suit.

Woman poses in front of a pink vintage car. She wears a retro playsuit, consisting of a bustier top and sarong skirt in a blue tropical print. She holds a parasol.

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“Better dead than disabled”: on Stephen Hawking, Me Before You, and “mercy killings”

Content warning: suicide, murder

Is it better to be dead than disabled? It might seem a shocking question, but the idea that death is better than disability is one that is promoted all around us, from fictional stories to news reports. It’s certainly a question that journalists grappled with when (clearly) struggling to write about Stephen Hawking’s recent death, in media coverage that can best be described as an “ableist garbage fire.”

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An easier way to cast on

Do you ever find yourself getting confused when you’re trying to cast on a large number of stitches? I inevitably lose count when I’m casting on for a cardi body or hat brim, and only realise my mistake when the ribbing ends with the wrong stitch!

This is a quick tip for making sure you cast on exactly the number of stitches you intend to. There’s not much to it: just cast on 20 sts (or your multiple of choice), add a stitch marker, and start casting on your lot of 20 again. It is so much easier to keep track of 7 lots of 20 than 140 sts, and doing a quick check is easier too when you’re working in small sections at a time. Continue reading “An easier way to cast on”

Butterick 6139 in Cath Kidston print

As a child of the 90s, I am equal parts thrilled and amused to see 90s styles come back in fashion. I feel it cements my status as a “real adult” to see clothes I wore as a kid being sold in everywhere from KMart and Cotton On to higher end stores. This particular sewing project was based on a style that my mum would have more likely worn than me*- a simple, sleeveless shift-to-a line dress in cool cotton for summer.

A woman stands in front of a garage, wearing a slightly a-line, midi length sleeveless dress in mustard with floral bird print.

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Ottobre 2/2017 merino statement t-shirt

After a few successful garments, I’m back to sharing one of those creations which I love but will likely never wear. I really should have known better – I overheat easily over summer, and tend to spend my days inside in cool cotton and viscose, huddled near the air con. Yet after extolling the virtues of wool fibres and seeing Amanda’s gorgeous merino Plantain tee, I couldn’t resist making myself a merino knit t-shirt.

Woman stands in front of garden fence. She wears pink merino knit tee, light blue jeans and clogs.

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