It didn’t really start out as a challenge. Nor was it inspired by anything on Social Media, particularly Instagram. When I was younger and there was no social media (hard to imagine for so many of our younger generations) I sewed because I was more than capable & I couldn’t afford to buy clothes, especially when I first started work and went flatting (started full time work when I was 15 & I was 16 when I went left home). I was sewing and knitting way before social media made it cool. I did sew out of necessity back then, but I loved it. I also sewed because I couldn’t stand wea ..read more

It’s been 5 years since I last bought ready to wear/RTW. That’s 260.8875 weeks. “Hi my name is Karina. I used to spend so much money on clothes, then on 24 September 2016, I went cold turkey – I made my last purchase” And that includes bras, undies and yoga gear. I clearly remember handing over my moolahs for that last purchase. 24 September 2016. About 4pm. And I clearly remember thinking never again! That’s a bold thought don’t you think. I’ve often thought never again about things. Never again to putting weight back on, never again to cleaning the house, never again to cooking dinner (oh wa ..read more

Ahhh, the old fugly/muslin/toile (delete what’s not applicable). It can be such an important part of sewing, yet it gets such a bad rap. I get the need for speed. The desire to whip up that perfect fabric ASAP. Especially with newbies. Who wants to fluff around essentially making something twice or even three times? I get the whole excitement and wanting to dive straight into making the real deal. But let’s back up the truck a wee bit. You’ve got your good fabric (hopefully pre-washed/dried, because shrinkage peeps), and you’ve got your pattern. But if it’s a pattern you’re not familiar with ..read more

It’s been 4 years since I last bought ready to wear/RTW. That’s 1461 days. “Hi my name is Karina. I used to be a clothing buyaholic. It’s been 1461 days since my last fix”.   And that includes bras, undies and yoga gear. I clearly remember handing over my moolahs for that last purchase. 24 September 2016. About 4pm. And I clearly remember thinking never again! That’s a bold thought don’t you think. I’ve often thought never again about things. Never again to putting weight back on, never again to cleaning the house, never again to cooking dinner (oh wait, I have stopped cooking dinner lo ..read more