My very first handwoven scarf! I’ve just completed my first project on my new Ashford 16” Rigid Heddle loom! Although I have a bit of weaving experience, this was my first solo adventure with rigid heddle weaving, and I did a fair bit of research before I started. The purpose of this post is to document the resources I used to get me to this point and share a couple of things I’ve learned so far, with the hope that they might also help you if you’re starting your journey in rigid heddle weaving as well! I don’t really get to be a beginner at much in the sewing realm these days - I’ve been ma ..read more

Well hello again! A few folks have asked me lately where in New Zealand I shop for supplies, and I am not in the business of keeping you from excellent sources, so I thought I’d compile a list all in one place! I’m keeping this list to businesses within New Zealand that I have shopped with for supplies other than fabric and yarn*. I already have a New Zealand fabric stores blog post, and it would be too unruly to duplicate all that here - so this list is for all the non-fabric accoutrements that go along with a DIY life! I will say I do still occasionally have to order internationally, but I ..read more

I’m making another Haptic Lab constellation quilt! I absolutely adore Haptic Lab’s work - this isn’t sponsored, but if you haven’t heard of them I’d definitely recommend a peruse through their online shop! I finished my first one - the large sized ‘southern stars’ design in 2019, and as soon as it was done I knew I wanted to make a northern hemisphere one to complete the set. It’s only taken us four years to get here! The quilt isn’t finished - in fact, I’ve only just started the actual embroidery - but the setup for this one was pretty intense so we’re here today in case you find some of the ..read more

(Disclaimer before we begin: 2019 Kat wrote this, and 2023 Kat just pulled it out of a long lost drafts folder to share with you! I’ve made a few updates but enjoy the photos of our old house!) Hello! Today’s a bit different! There’s no sewing in today’s post, and no beading either - although there is intent to bead! I want to show you how (and tell you why) I built my embroidery hoop stand. I’d better start with the why. There are a few caveats to using a hoop for Tambour Embroidery - specifically tambour beading. The hoop isn’t an ideal holder for tambour beading when the beadwork intends t ..read more

If you've been around this space for a post or two (it really doesn't take longer than that) - you'll know that one of the only things that rivals my love for making things is my love for researching making things. Today I want to tell you about something I spent HOURS of my life researching. Snaps! I’m going to talk mainly about baby clothes as the context for snap comparison because it was the context of my research, and also because it’s an area where the snaps have a bit more variability - often in other types of projects there’s a clear choice of snap to use, whereas in baby clothes you ..read more

This was supposed to be the year I finally made it to the Art Deco Festival in Napier, New Zealand - but Cyclone Gabrielle had other plans and the event was cancelled the day before it began… But that’s not really where the story starts. I always end up with mixed feelings after I finish a project, and I’d just finished Frocktails 2023 which was a huge undertaking. I’m happy to see them finished, but also quite sad that all the fun is over - which turns, perhaps predictably, into eagerness to start a new huge project! That’s how it started - five months ago, when Frocktails was finished, my fr ..read more

Well! If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be sitting down today to tell you about a hoodie I made with a pocket for my cat… I would have been really excited about the prospect of having a cat, but I can’t say I’d have believed you… and yet here we are! Theo is a bit of a velcro kitty. He likes to be where the people are at all times, and it is a great travesty to him that he is so small - his preferred vantage point from which to watch the world is much more human-height than cat height. What I’m saying is that he likes to be carried. He’s also - at just over 8 months old - already pushing t ..read more

As a tambour embroidery enthusiast, I think it’s safe to say I spend more time than your average bear thinking about embroidery marking tools. My requirements - especially when beads are involved - are extremely specific, since beads can’t always be submerged in water to wash marks on fabric away. Instead, I usually opt for brush-away options involving powdered chalk, or (more regularly) steam- or heat- disappearing options like the Pilot Frixion pens we all have a love/hate relationship with. Tambour embroidery has been around a lot longer than Frixion pens though - and they’re not always a ..read more

Today’s project is a bit different. I haven’t done an exploration of unusual materials in such a long time, and when I was researching this project there was very little online from people who had attempted something similar. So. If you’re interested in doing bead or sequin embroidery on silicone sheets, or in sewing a project made from silicone - this post is for you! I’ll go into the detail of why this project exists in a different post - the short version is that I was doing a bit of a deep dive into Kim Kardashian’s 2019 met gala dress - designed by Thierry Mugler and made from silicone ..read more

Hey! Happy New Year, and happy summer from the houthern Hemisphere! I’ve been slowly working on a top-secret machine embroidery project (I’m allowed to tell you it’s my sister’s wedding veil, but no other details are permitted, unless you’d like to join my Patreon and peek behind the proverbial curtain!). Since I’ve been sworn to secrecy, you’d be forgiven for thinking that not much is going on around here, as other projects have really slowed down. I do have something to show you, though - and they’re truly gorgeous! I’d like you to meet my latest and greatest shoemaking project. They’re my ..read more