The Aftermath

Christchurch, New Zealand,post-earthquake, Tuesday 22 February 2011 I originate from the South Island and know Christchurch quite well, or at least I did.  I’ve flown in and out a zillion times en route to visiting family, I’ve explored the Port Hills and Lyttleton, now destroyed.  I’ve admired the city’s historic English architecture, now destroyed.  I’ve […]

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Underlining with Silk Organza

My Totally Unnecessary Cocktail Dress is made from a polyester/elastane satin, and as I wish it wasn’t stretchy (I’m shopping from stash here!), I’m underlining it with organza to make it stable.  The Burda version (#125- 11-2007) uses silk duchess satin which has zero mechanical stretch, and I’m hoping I can make my fabric behave […]

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The Totally Unnecessary Cocktail Dress

Do you ever have the craving to make something that is totally unnecessary, just because it is so fabulous?  I do!  And that craving suddenly came to me when I saw this nifty vintage cocktail dress in a Burda magazine: Whenever I am at the main library I skim through the Burdas, and I found […]

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The Westhaven Skirt

I’m going through an “I like nautical” phase at the moment, and when I spotted the roll of striped grosgrain that I hadn’t yet put away, lying atop some recently acquired red linen, the idea for a new skirt was born.  Sometimes being untidy is good!! We nipped down to Westhaven marina for some shots […]

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Which type of zip do you prefer?

Now you’re going to check the title again and think I meant to say colour, but I did mean type of zip – I just couldn’t resist photographing this old zip swatch that I found rummaging through my zip box!  Something I could never understand is why they produced so many similar shades of orange, […]

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