My pattern reviewing has been scant lately so let’s dive back in with the reasons why I love this kimono-sleeved shirt pattern from Ralph Pink. 1) Easy to Make – The pattern instructions are easy to follow, even for beginners and ‘tired’ sewers like me, with pictures to guide you through every sewing step. The most ‘challenging’ […]
Sustainable Textiles – Revealed: The Shocking Toxic Truth about Children’s Clothing.
I’m kicking off my new ‘Sustainable Textiles’ blog series with shocking breaking news from Europe. Recent testing by the Greenpeace Detox campaign of children’s and teen’s clothing and footwear from German, Austrian and Swiss supermarkets and other retailers, revealed numerous products containing dangerous levels of toxic chemicals, potentially harmful to our children’s health. Among the worst […]
Who Else Wants To Grab a Sewing Pattern Bargain?
‘That’s your fault,’ my husband teased after hearing this: “CONSUMPTION DROPS IN EUROPE DURING THIRD QUARTER OF 2014 The European economy has registered a new decline of the consumer propensity to buy indicator, according to the market research institute Gfk.” (from Sportswear International.) Ok so I’m probably not completely responsible for the economic downturn, but […]
Trendwatch: Get with the active wear trend with the Hudson Pants pattern.
It’s official. Active wear is trendy and will be around for at least another year. It’s become everyday wear and I say, it’s about time! Fashion reflects what’s going on in society and when we’re all putting our best health foot forward, then our clothes follow suit. Sporty clothing is comfortable and versatile so it’s not surprising […]
How to beat the sewing blues with Pattern Parcel #6.
‘I am having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, I told everybody. No one even answered. Next week, I said, I’m going to Australia.’ This sums up how I’ve been feeling lately and explains my blogging and sewing hiatus! Sometimes being a parent sucks! Sometimes being a parent in a foreign country SUCKS! Sometimes being […]
Holidaying in Europe.
As I mentioned in my last post, we’ve just returned from a family trip to Italy. Next week my older daughter starts school and we were happily spending her final weeks of freedom doing summery things in Germany, when the weather took a turn for the worse. We couldn’t accept such an abrupt end to our carefree […]
Revealed: The Shocking Truth About the Ralph Pink Coverup.
I’m talking about the Ralph Pink RP088 beach coverup and the shocking truth is, I love this sewing pattern!! It’s tempting to rave about every shiny new thing you make, but the ultimate test of a good sewing pattern is whether the finished garment suits you, how often you wear it, and how long it stays in […]
PDF Pattern Alert: Two Basic Printout Mistakes To Avoid
I love digital patterns! They’re immediately accessible and easy to use. I can dream up a new project, click ‘buy’ and have the pattern cut out and ready to go in the time it takes my home printer to churn out the pattern pages. Fantastic! However, a word to the wise. In your haste, don’t make […]
My Top 3 Maxi Skirt Patterns
I’ve just added the Gabriola by Sewaholic Patterns to my growing collection of hand-made summer maxi skirts! I love making and wearing maxi skirts and now that I’ve tried a few different patterns, I thought it’d be useful to do a roundup of three of my favourites. The Pros Of All 3 Each has a fitted yoke or waistband – […]
How to Make a Maxi Miette Skirt.
I love maxi skirts, especially in the summer. They’re flattering, comfortable and most importantly, easy to make! Last year I lengthened the Miette skirt pattern by Tilly and the Buttons to make this maxi. I’ve heard that people have had problems making this maxi pattern though. The main sticking points seem to have been fabric choice and drafting […]