We’re heading to the USA very soon (via Fiji) to attend our nephew’s wedding in Colorado.  Which means that I needed to do some wedding guest sewing! The dress code is formal (suits, gowns, cocktail dresses).  We bought Dan a new suit from our favourite menswear retailer (it had been a long time between suits) and the girls and I went shopping to see if there were any styles that we fancied.  Stella decided that she wanted to wear a suit, but with a pretty top underneath.  I’ve been travelling for work quite a lot this year, and knew that it wasn’t really viable for me to s ..read more

Another repeated pattern! You can see the first one here. This is the George and Ginger December dress. Just as straightforward to sew as a tee-shirt, really! I used a knit that I bought for around $2 per metre from the Darn Cheap Fabrics discount table. It’s soft and stretchy and very comfortable to wear. However after having worn it and washed it a couple of times, I think it’s going to pill. It won’t stay in my wardrobe for long, dammit.  It’s a pleasing neutral solid that layers well under brighter outerwear and lends itself to accessorising. This is a fun dress with the big side ex ..read more

I don’t have many ‘traditional’ woven collared shirts in my wardrobe.  I often think of those magazine articles about wardrobe ‘must-haves’ that always seem to include classic shirts.  Every now and then I think that I need some of them, make some, then pass them on.  My most recent collared shirt is definitely not being passed on – it’s scored a firm place in my wardrobe! This is the Ready To Sew Jane shirt. It’s a French pattern company that I haven’t used before. Enough of these shirts had popped up on Instagram to pique my interest, and I gave it a go. From the website: Ja ..read more

Clare is finally able to enjoy a social life (after the events of the past couple of years).  As a result, she needs some fancy clothes!  We had an excursion to the local shopping centre a few months ago where she tried on a variety of styles and we figured out more about what she likes, what she feels good in, and that if we want good fit, I need to sew for her. Vikisews has a number of patterns that are very current and appeal to my teenagers. She sells her patterns in height ranges, which works well for us. Some are available as multi-sized patterns and others are single sized. Y ..read more

Although I sew most of my clothes, I follow a few fashion labels on the socials. One of them is Motto, and over winter they had some great stretch pleather pants. I figured that stretch pleather pants could fit nicely into my lifestyle; all I needed was to find some fabric to sew them in! I found this plum stretch pleather at Super Cheap Fabrics, and bought enough for the pants and a jacket. I don’t think that this fabric is still available. I used my trusty Style Arc Misty jeans for the pants, and the Style Arc Harper pattern for the jacket. Shall I start with the pants? I’ve probably said ..read more

Kwik Sew 3595 is a pattern that I’ll probably be sewing indefinitely. I first sewed it back in 2012 – and those pyjamas were worn until they literally came apart. I replaced them with another pair in 2016 – and like the first pair, these pyjamas were worn until they came apart. I patched them so many times, but there’s only so much that voile can take! This time around I have sewn them in silk. I wonder if they will also last for years? This silk came from Eliza’s, shortly before they closed their doors forever (sob). I still have some of their silk in stash with plans to sew a robe and more ..read more

I mentioned the Style Arc Misty jeans in a recent blog post as one of my favourite pull-on jeans patterns, then realised that I haven’t properly blogged this recent pair. As always, top tucked in only to show you the details of the jeans; I don’t wear them styled this way. You can see that there is no front detailing at all in this pair; I removed the fake pockets and the fake fly. Not only does it make for a much faster sew, it removed bulk. I keep the detailing at the back as the yoke improves the fit and the pockets do peek out under many clothes. I often do fancy topstitching on the back ..read more

Ah, Melbourne Frocktails!  It’s been ages since I last attended Frocktails, as it has often clashed with my Sewjourn weekends, and it didn’t happen at all over the past couple of years.  So it was lovely to meet up with sewing people again!  Shelley and Lisa did a superb job of organising it; the food was delicious and plentiful, and the lighting stayed turned up so that we could clearly admire and appreciate one another’s outfits! Here’s some of the #sewover50 crowd: So, what did I wear? I needed something that would be straightforward to sew, and comfortable to wear (gee I re ..read more

I’ve tried a few knit pant patterns over the years, but this is my current favourite.  They’re the Style Arc Palermo knit pants. Okay, you can hardly see the details because they’re black. They’re sewn from merino french terry (courtesy of a generous friend) and they’re incredibly warm and comfortable. This is a wonder fabric! The Fabric Store always have a good collection of merino knits if you’re looking for some, although I try to keep an eye out pretty much everywhere.  I’ll try a closer photo. It might just be easier to share the pattern description and line drawing! From the ..read more

I have lost count of how many times I have sewn the Tessuti Mandy Boat Tee over the years.  It’s a frequent sewing palate cleanser for me; I often make one shortly after I finish something involved, or when I need a kick-start to get me back into the sewing groove. This time around I used leftover striped knit bought from Rathdowne Fabrics way back in 2016 – I first used it to sew a Style Arc Maddison top that had frequent wear but has now left my wardrobe. Check out my stripe matching along those side seams! It’s worthwhile paying attention at the cutting out stage. I didn’t baste the ..read more