Sew Make Create Opening

This is Melissa Tan and her husband on the Sew Make Create studio, store and workshop opening day, in Chippendale, Sydney at the beginning of August.

They are now running a series of creative workshops: crochet, sewing, card making and jewellery.  I am offering watercolour workshops for beginners.

Any takers?

Punk pussy pelmet

Long before I became a middle aged, uncool step mum I was an art student, a punkette, a rock'nrolla who was able to whip up something outrageous for the weekend with an old sewing machine, some fabric offcuts and safety pins...

I've been a bit preoccupied of late with him indoors' motorcycle injuries so have neglected the 19 year old except to shout at her to do the dishes.

She's a sassy kid with a hot nightlife. This is a prototype for future nightclub ideas. It's my little homage to the late and marvellous Malcom McLaren to go with her calf high doc martens.

Have a rocking weekend all.

Nana pants - take 2

I managed to make 3 pairs of long pants (with pockets), and one pair of shorts from 5 metres of pale blue self stripe cotton fabric and a length of elastic.

I also managed to make a pair of long pants from a metre and a half cotton remnant in a dark blue self stripe. There wasn't enough fabric to make pockets for this pair but you get a smoother line without.

I've learnt the following:

• It's OK to adapt your pattern to fit the amount of cloth you have - self stripe fabrics are fine because there is often no difference between front and back.
• For elasticated waists, it's probably a nice idea to put in some inpromptu darts in the front and back so you don't end up with a huge bunch of fabric around the waistline.
• Add in a button or bow in the front - so it's easy to tell which way is front.
• My pattern had tapered legs so I widened them by following the line of the fabric weave cutting in a straight line rather than tapering in, from the crotch and hip parts of the pattern.

Well I'm stoked with this effort. The stepdaughter, sister, mother and a niece will benefit...

The next step is to try this out on some funky batik surfer shorts....

Nana pants

A little while ago I found a 'Simplicity' pattern for basic elasticated pants and shirt. I'm pretty sure it's the one I used in 1985 to make a variety of brightly coloured pants I wore as an art school student.

I bought about 5 meters of self stripe blue cotton fabric and made three pairs of 'Nana' pants and a pair of shorts.

Why Nana pants? They're loose, they're to wear around the house or even to bed and they have pockets - very important to put tissues and stuff in.


Back to work today