Adding Button Loops to a Waistband

February 1, 2011.Reading time 6 minutes.

There were quite a few nice comments on the buttons and loops that I used to finish the waistband of my Miranda Skirt. I have to admit I love this finish too – plus there is no need to bother with buttonholes! I did take some photos at the time, so here’s a few […]

The Miranda Skirt Pattern

January 30, 2011.Reading time 7 minutes.

Here’s how to make the pattern for a skirt with soft pleats on a waistband like my Miranda Skirt: The pattern pieces are simply rectangles, so with a few measurements you can chalk it directly onto the cloth, but you can make a paper pattern first if you prefer. It is worth doing a quick […]

The Miranda Skirt

January 27, 2011.Reading time 6 minutes.

Ta-dah! Here is the product of last weekend: I’m calling this the Miranda Skirt because I bought the fabric for a total bargain in Miranda, a tiny village about an hour south of Auckland. We drove past an old building housing a second-hand store and I said: “Oooh an op-shop!” in which instance Mr p~s~c […]

~tricks of the trade: a shift dress lining pattern

January 22, 2011.Reading time 5 minutes.

How often do you buy a dress pattern, vintage or modern, and wish it had a lining? I love to line my dresses – they sit more smoothly on the body and the fabric holds its shape better, plus it just looks and feels nice from the inside! My sixties shift dress that I sewed […]

A Sixties Shift with Red Stitching

January 19, 2011.Reading time 3 minutes.

I finished this dress a week or so ago, and it has been patiently waiting for it’s decorative stitching since: And I’m still waiting for the perfect red shoes, so let’s just pretend shall we? I had two shades of red embroidery cotton, but one was too dark and one was too orangey, so a […]