(sew)everyday notions

Here's two bags I sewed up for gifts recently! When sewing garments as gifts often sizing/fitting can be an issue, so sewing bags is a great alternative!! The first is Taylor Tailor's Desmond Rolltop Backpack for my Brother.  I used a thick grey cotton in from my stash, almost a denim? The hardware is mostly repurposed from old bags. I would have loved to buy one of Taylor's hardware kits but shipping to Australia made it a bit prohibitive for this make (and I was sewing to a rather close deadline!) It was an pretty easy sew, just taking it step-by-step with the instructions.  Between the instructions & the great sewalong I definitely learnt a few new tricks for sewing bags. I really liked the specific notes and guidance for the reinforcing stitches - when and how to do it, to make for a strong & useable bag. I would highly recommend this pattern!  The result is great! It's definitely a pretty hipster looking bag, but so functi...

Two new makes in this post - the Emerson Shorts by True Bias & a Grainline Archer (fairly modified). I started the shirt about this time last year, trying to make it before an overseas trip. I got up to sewing on the sleeves (no plackets or collar) before I had to let it sit unfinished (I didn't want to rush this make! The fabric was too lush). Once we got home from our holiday it was summer so I left it until it cooled down again. I guess you could say it is definitely "slow fashion" and worth the wait! The shorts are the new Emerson Shorts pattern by True Bias , which just about jumped into my cart the second they were released, and made up pretty soon after that. So I guess these are more a "fast fashion" make! They are exactly what I wanted in a summer short- pockets and an elastic waist, but not too frumpy! I am envisioning many more in my future! Those True Bias patterns are totally my jam, I love the fit and the modern designing too (...

Indie patterns are my jam, as a mum of small kids it's just so much easier buying a digital pattern & being able to print it without having to leave the house! BUT there are so many great patterns out there that I think sometimes they get a bit lost in the interwebs, and it's easy just to ride along on the wave of new pattern releases (yes, I did just sign up to the Sophie Swimsuit workshop in the middle of our winter!!).  All this to say, I have loved this Blouse Marthe pattern since its release in 2014, so why did I wait so long to make it? I love it! (I joked on Instagram about my hashtag #justbloodymakeit , which was inspired by the vintage wearing pledge #justbloodywearit . Sometimes I need to just make it, instead of thinking about it and thinking about it some more...) Perhaps I was waiting for the right fabric to come along, and this is a perfect fabric-pattern match. I picked up the lovely navy silky silk at a recent Brisbane Spoolettes High Tea...

Finally it's cooling down around here!  This is the Hero Vest by Toni from Make-It-Perfect . A vest can get daily wear around here in our fairly mild cooler season. I picked up this pattern on sale recently through Indiesew , and waited for the right fabric :) About a month ago I joined the Brisbane Spoolettes for a High Tea in the city. It was my first sewing meet-up and it didn't disappoint! What a lovely afternoon it was. Of course there was the imperative fabric & pattern swap and before you knew it I had some Nani Iro double gauze in my hot little hands! (THANK YOU! to the kind person who brought it along!). This fabric is from the " water windows" s eries in  Odayakayo colour way. It has large squares of watercolour print in beige, purple, taupe & grey. To be honest the  taupe/grey wasn't really my scene, but I loved the purple and beige so thought long and hard about what to make from it! Cushions crossed my mind, but the double gauze...

My latest make! It's the new & shiny Colfax Dress by Kelli at True Bias. I think she has an absolute effortless style and I love everything she makes and the patterns she drafts. I have made 5 (!!) versions of her Southport Dress alone. Her patterns fit me with minimal changes needed, so we are definitely talking TNT AND #fangirl territory.  Her latest dress pattern is a lovely summer dress- cutaway/racer back style in a slightly A-line shape. The pattern has a lovely front yoke (which I then proceeded to omit... More on that soon.) I think this style is quite timeless so I used a dark Tencel for my version (Spotlight). I loved some of the inspiration ideas Kelli linked to- there are also lots of denim/chambray swing dresses to be seen on Pinterest and I don't think there's one I didn't look at! In the end I got an idea for an exposed zip in my head and I had to go down that route. This style reminds me a bit of the Tessuti Ruby dress, but I like tha...

Dressing gown, robe, kimono, cover-up, wrapper.  Call it what you will but I am a total sucker for them. I get so much use out of my Nani Iro kimono robe (it is total double-gauzy-dreaminess) but was instantly taken with the lastest Almada Robe from the February Seamwork magazine. I made two in two nights, both gifts sadly. Sadly because I want to keep them for myself. I have dreams of a liberty version... Wouldn't that be perfect?  Some notes I made up the XS as both my recipients are quite petite. It fits me pretty well so I think I will stick to that size. As this style is a fairly generous fit it makes sewing for a gift pretty easy! This pattern is drafted so beautifully. The gorgeous curves of the seams and cut-on sleeve means using French seams is a breeze. (I always get caught on how-to French seam the right-angle corner of the sleeve/body in a traditional kimono pattern. This pattern negates that with a beautiful curved seam. )  Fa...