Cushions

My fiance’s brother and his wife were married on a small island in Thailand. Everything was beautiful – the views, the weather and especially the bride!

There was a store on the island that sold beautiful sarongs made from printed Indonesian batik designs. After a very long time browsing (I am a painfully slow decision maker) I decided on this bright pink and purple one. I wasn’t sure at the time whether I’d keep it to wear as a sarong or use the fabric to make something else.

That afternoon my fiance and I went to a fantastic little cafe that made the most delicious coconut and lime smoothies you could imagine! We ended up spending the next three afternoons here, escaping the heat by drinking smoothies and playing boardgames. One afternoon, mid-smoothie, I decided what to do with my new fabric. All the napkins and cushions in the cafe were made from fabric similar to that I had just bought. I loved how the bright colours stood out against the wooden furniture and decided I had to have some cushions just like this in my own home.

So here they are – my Thailand-cafe-inspired-outdoor-furniture cushions!

Project #2

I love billowing skirts like this because they make you feel comfortable no matter how chubby you’re feeling – somehow they manage to hide everything! I made this particular skirt using Butterick pattern 5285 that I’ve used once before. The original skirt I made from this pattern has been much loved and is now looking very worn and faded.

As is common practice for me when I buy or make new clothes, I wore this skirt the day I finished it, this time to a Japanese restaurant in the city.

Project #1

Feeling very excited to have my first project completed!

I’ve always had a fear of light fabrics and their tendency to slip and slide while you’re sewing them. That’s why attempting this floaty dress made from two metres of chiffon was quite daunting! However, patience always seems to pay off – besides, who could resist working with such a bright and beautiful design? I wore this dress the night I finished it to a friend’s birthday dinner. It was a great night and by wearing this dress I felt I was really making the most of the last days of warm weather.

Welcome

I love to sew. I often wish I could quit my job and just sew all day! I instead find that real life tends to get in the way of quality sewing time. So in an attempt to engage in my favourite hobby more frequently, I have set myself a new goal. For each week of the next twelve months I will complete a new sewing project. And I’ll document it all here, as a way of maintaining my motivation (although the thought of having fifty-two new outfits will probably be enough!).

So…here goes!