This post is about the life changes I’m going through. I will be back next week with more sewing, knitting and painting related posts. In the last month, my youngest child went away to University, my father-in-law died and my husband quit his job. I’ll be 50 at my next birthday and married for 25 years.… Continue reading Life Changes Are Coming
Who’s going to Yarnporium in London, November 5-6th? I will be teaching a Fair Isle yarn and colour choice workshop that should be a lot of fun. Yarn and Colour For Fair Isle Knitting Workshop Come and explore colour and yarn choice for Fair Isle/stranded knitting. Learn my sticky vs. slippery method of choosing yarns, selecting colours, and matching gauges to… Continue reading Yarnporium Workshop: Yarn and Colour for Fair Isle Knitting
I played a bit of dressmaking detective recently. My husband needed last minute funeral attire and so we made a quick pop into John Lewis. I stayed for an extra hour to try on clothes. I forced myself, as I’m feeling a little under-confident at the moment. My hair is shaggy, maybe I’ve put on… Continue reading Would You Wear Over the Knee Boots?
I’m busy with big life changing stuff, like funerals and sending my youngest to University. Getting to my sewing table isn’t easy at the moment, but I have sewing dreams. My first planned make is a slouchy bag (like the one above from Plumo). I will use a Designer’s Guild velvet upholstery fabric. The Designer’s Guild shops, in… Continue reading Make a Slouchy Bag
I’m still planning my capsule wardrobe for Autumn 2016. I’ve made a mood board on Pinterest, cleared out and reorganised my stash, and defined my silhouettes. I made a mood board from the most essential items on my Pinterest board and a colour palette. It’s handy to sum up my aesthetic for the season in one cohesive mood… Continue reading Autumn Wardrobe ’16 Mood, Wishlist and Palette
Week Nine of the Wardrobe Architect plan is to design a capsule wardrobe for the season ahead ~this post focuses on my core silhouette for autumn 2016. “A typical capsule wardrobe consists of between 20 and 33 items, depending on who you ask and what kinds of items you’re including. It doesn’t have to include every… Continue reading Wardrobe Architect: Capsule Wardrobe Silhouette Autumn ’16
Is the first week in September, your real New Year? I’s mine! Between school/university aged-children, and the change in season, I think of it as the beginning of the new year. I’m refining my autumn palette and planning my sewing (read more about this in my Wardrobe Architect posts). I will not buy any RTW clothes this year… Continue reading Organise for Autumn Sewing Now
I’m following the Wardrobe Architect series to help me build a well curated collection of hand-made clothes. You can find all my Wardrobe Architect posts in their own category. This is my second Wardrobe Architect series post about Hair(styles), makeup and beauty. Today I am thinking about the relationship between my core style and my makeup and I… Continue reading Wardrobe Architect: Makeup and Beauty
I’m now on week 8 of the Wardrobe Architect series: Hair Style, Makeup & Beauty. The questions in this section are the most uncomfortable for me. While I love clothes in spite of a deep distrust of the fashion industry, I feel suspicious about the whole concept of beauty and the products associated with it. I can… Continue reading Wardrobe Architect: Hair Style
Have you made an Alabama Chanin Style garment? Or are you like me, planning for years, collecting materials, but not quite getting around to beginning? All that hand-sewing is a big time commitment! This is the summer that I begin making a few pieces of Alabama Chanin style clothes. I may not finish them… Continue reading Dyeing For Alabama Chanin
While making a mood board of my core style I realised how much I love the look of handmade patterns on my clothing. So, I’m focusing on creating fabrics and designs with handmade marks this summer. Some designs that inspire me are hand-block prints like these beauties on cotton Khadi (seen at Merchant and Mills).… Continue reading Dye Printing on Fabric
Are you eager to get outdoors in the summer? I love sewing so much that I mourn lost sewing time before I even go on holiday. But, as soon as I’m at the cottage, I want to be outdoors! Dyeing fabric is the perfect outdoor summer textile project. Summer Projects Every summer, I set myself a creative… Continue reading Summer Dyeing: Outdoor Textiles
