Brighton fabric shopping and other travelling stuff

I have the best job. I’m a wine scientist and I get to go to wine conferences all around the world. And usually in very nice places. Like Brighton, England. Brighton Pier, from the perspective of a merry-go-round horse Who knew that English sparkling wine had become so good? Not all the consequences of climate

Formal dress, all done bar hair and makeup

..and talking about sewing… here’s a sneak peek from the last and final fitting If she stands up straight those wrinkles on her stomach disappear. Whatever. Fitting is done. No more adjustment necessary! A fun after party outfit has also been sewn: A shirt from ‘A very hungry caterpillar’ printed cotton and white shorts with

Formal dress progress – drafting done

A month has gone since I last posted. I probably don’t need to tell you that the formal dress drafting has been all consuming…. And it’s now almost done. Thank goodness! The bodice toile is now a flat pattern – yes two of the pieces go to hip height and one doesn’t. I know. Bad

Formal dress drafting…part 1

Felicity *loves* this part of dressmaking As a side note, who would have known printed scuba was so good for toiles? When it’s inside out you can draw in the changes so easily with sharpies or textas (and random smiley faces too), plus re-pinning the seams is a cinch! I think textas might be my

Oscar de la Renta sushi

There are no more excuses! Felicity’s formal dress is done. The landscape dress project is relegated to later in the year. I’ve muslined the pattern. This fabric has to be made into a coat. Now. So I put my big girl panties on and dealt with it. I went to The Point of No Return.

Formal Dress progress with bonus Easter cuteness

It has got to that stage. Of not liking what I am sewing. It’s not because I don’t like the colours of the fabrics I’m using… Graphic fashion fabric on the left, neon yellow crepe for the bodice underlayer on the right, and neon lime organza for the underlining at the bottom, complete with orange

Crop top or Formal dress muslin #1

I hope you’re not sick of reading about my WIPs (works in progress). This time its Felicity’s Formal dress: BurdaStyle 12/2013 #130 Whilst going through my fabric stash for something else, Felicity spied this polyester woven and wanted to know why it couldn’t be used for her Formal dress. It’s certainly not the jacquard that

Coat muslin, IKEA style

I’ve listened to you and worked hard this weekend on my coat. I know you are expecting something like Burda’s vision of elegance for this pattern (BurdaStyle 11/2014 #111) But, I’ve made a muslin and it’s not an elegant coat in any way. IKEA upholstery fabric. So much more fun to make muslins from than,

Lime balls

Have I told you about my great new cooking book? One of my Christmas presents was the My Petite Kitchen Cookbook. I love Eleanor’s blog and have been very happy with how her gluten free recipes have turned out (here and here). I was keen to try some of her other recipes in my “Christmas”

The tale of two “muslins”

Are you a muslin (toile) maker? Or do you get straight into the pattern with your fabric and fit as you go (or, like me, hope for the best)? Felicity’s Big Winter Coat, 2011 I have made muslins in the past, but not very many (like, all of two or three in the last six

Jungle January update

I am pretty certain I am not going to make up my Jungle January swap in January. But you need at least an update in January, right? I have the pleasure of Lara of Thornberry as my swap partner. You know, *that* Lara who sews fifteen garments and blogs about them in the time I

Help! I need panel print ideas

What to sew? Jungle January is on and I should be zig-zagging with a zebra. Or making a toile so that I can turn that glorious designer laminated tweed into a coat. But this digital border print is messing with my mind. It really needs to be sewn! This lovely fabric is from EmmaOneSock. Linda

An early Christmas present

Liz from Designer Fabrics Australia has gifted me with this wonderful fabric. How lucky am I?! I love that it came in a Mood Bag too. It’s an Oscar de la Renta double-faced wool, linen and mohair blend, woven houndstooth with metallic threads and a dark brown laminated back. Liz said that this was a

Writing Secrets Blog Hop

Have you, like me, been enjoying the blog hop about blog writing that’s been going around? Imagine my delight when Catherine of Cyberdaze asked me to be part of it! So, here goes.   What am I working on now? This dress for my daughter is the current WIP BurdaStyle 03/2013 #110. I’m using a

The dilemma has been solved

My cluttered sewing nook is now graced with this work in progress. Yikes, it that a rose on Eliza the dressmaking dummy’s breast? In my eagerness to get the all the bits I liked onto a fairly narrow panel it looks like I have managed to centre a rose almost perfectly over a nipple… Let’s