When I met Nina, the director of Style Gorgeous, she got me thinking about my wardrobe as an Orchestra. She talked about how we should have garments in our wardrobe which act like the triangle in an orchestra. They don’t get used frequently but when they do they’re memorable. For instance my Banana Jacket, Falda Jacket,…
Category: Tutorials
Jeans making hints and tricks
I thought I’d pass on a number of tips I’ve learnt while making jeans – I’m definitely not an expert – but I’ve learnt heaps in the few years I’ve been sewing. If you have any additional tips please leave me a comment at the end of the blog post. When sewing denim use a…
Product Review: Dutch Label Shop
Recently the lovely Abby from Dutch Label Shop contacted me offering free labels in exchange for feedback. They are also offering you a 15% discount on custom label orders so keep reading to find out more! The company was set up by friends Arjan and Hielke who aim to help designers, individuals and small companies solidify…
Cultivating the ultimate wardrobe
I like to think of us sewists as magicians. We take fabric and a pattern which transforms into a garment. We aren’t limited by what’s in a clothing store. As our choices are unlimited I sometimes find it difficult to put together the right pattern, fabric and style. I met Nina from Style Gorgeous at…
Sewing Room Tour
Firstly, a BIG thank you to my friend Daniel Koene for taking these wonderful photos. Daniel has a background in the Arts, Film and Architecture. If you are a looking for a photographer contact him! When we moved into our new home I established a corner which would be my sewing space. My sewing room or…
Sewing Room Inspiration
When we bought our house we had a year prior to it being built to design the spaces. A sewing space was a priority for me in one of the extra bedrooms. In our rented apartment Paul and I shared an office which was our plan again. Sewing space year 1: Sewing space year 2:…
Cloning a ready to wear t-shirt.
In January 2017, I offered to make Paul some T shirts to replace the ones in his closet that were worn out. I bought a couple of men’s Tee shirt patterns before drafting my own. We tried Merchant and Mills ‘The Tee’ this pattern is designed to be made with woven fabrics. Unfortunately, this fit of…
Natural Dyeing
A few years ago I saw a natural dyeing demonstration of onion skins and turmeric by Greta Menzies. It was an amazing process. Since then I’ve followed a few people on Instagram but haven’t experimented with the process. My friend Teresa and I recently attended a demonstration by Bonnie De Gros aka The Rusty Skillet. …
Melbourne fabric shopping adventures
Paul and I went on an overseas trip to Melbourne in December. We had a whole week so I planned to visit a number of fabric stores. Because fabric is the best souvenir right?! On day 1 we visited The Fabric Store and Clear It. In Wellington we live/work close to The Fabric Store in…
Free Patterns
Here’s a list of free PDF patterns. Please leave a comment if you know of any others or if any of the links change. Tessuti have several Elbe Textiles have several free mens and women’s patterns. Grainline Hemlock Tee Ida Clutch free from KylieandtheMachine. Blue Prints for Sewing Townhouse bag Hey Jude has a number of free kids pattern…
Fabric shopping in Wellington
Wellington is a creative city here’s a list of places to shop. For Fabrics: The Fabric Store 15 Garrett St Te Aro, Wellington Central The Fabric Warehouse and The Fine Cloth Company 167 Thorndon Quay, Wellington Spotlight Wellington 120 Hutt Road, Kaiwharawhara Stitchbird Shop 25 Kilbirnie Plaza, 22 Bay Road, Kilbirnie Wellington Sewing Centre Kilbirnie Miss Maude…
How to change an overlocker blade
My overlocker is an essential sewing tool. Having owned it for a few years and having sewn a few hundred garments on it I thought it might be time to replace the blade. I asked friends the following question : “How often should you replace the blade on your overlocker?” Maryanne: When you get the feeling it is…
Emma's Atelier 