THE DRAPERY BLOG

I've had the Jedediah pattern for a while now, but we've recently begun stocking the Thread Theory pattern range at The Drapery, so it was time for a review. I have made several pairs of the shorts for my teenage sons, with great success. This was my first time making full-length trousers from the pattern, but really the sewing is no more complicated because all the detail is above the knee! The 'brief' The 17y.o. wanted corduroy trousers and was very taken by our wide wale cord. I asked him to find some reference pictures for his 'vision' of the ideal shape, to help me pick the pattern. In the end, after some research, I went back to the good old Jedediahs because I knew they fit him well, and I thought a couple of minor adjustments would achieve the style he wanted: a bit baggy, yet fitted in the waist, and tapered to the ankle. What did I change? I changed the front pockets to a higher, curved jeans-style opening. If you would like to do this, ...

I'm an overalls fan from way back... from 70s toddler style, through 80s black denim with badges all over the bib, some late 90s op-shop classics, a roomy maternity version and more recently, the overalls' close relatives the jumpsuit and pinafore. I've been very tempted by the Pauline Alice Turia Dungarees but never quite taken the plunge. And then, just recently, Sew House Seven (of the gorgeous Tea House Dress and popular Toaster Sweater) released the 'Burnside Bibs' pattern. I was smitten. (Just a little aside for non-Adelaide people, the name Burnside Bibs sounds kinda funny to our ears because Burnside is renowned as a rather toffy area with a rather toffy shopping centre; a not very overalls-ish place at all .) I digress. The wide legs and fabulous back strap/belt loop detailing on this pattern elevates it from workwear to stylish casual, and it works in a wide variety of fabrics. This is well demonstrated in the samples shown on the Sew House Seven ...

I'm sandwiching this post in between two 'pretty' projects because it's firmly in the category of Dull But Necessary. Sometimes sewing is like that. The rewarding part is not in the sewing or the finished object, but in the repeat upon repeat wearing of the garments. With the onset of cooler weather we're all rummaging through our wardrobes and drawers for the longer layers. More than likely, some have seen better days or you realise you're down to those same two tops you had on repeat last winter. I realised I needed neutral-coloured long-sleeved tops and leggings. Yawn. We have a great selection of knits in store at the moment so at least the fabric selection part is a bit fun! Cut to the chase: I made two versions of an Alabama Chanin top (machine-sewn rather than hand-sewn as the pattern is intended), one in this beautiful fine tencel/linen jersey : and another in super-soft moda l. No modelled shots I'm afraid as they'...

Have you ever sat with a quilt on your lap in winter and thought how cosy it would be if you could actually wear it? Well the Grainline Tamarack is your opportunity to do just that - and look socially acceptable at the same time! Jen of Grainline Studios first released this pattern in October 2015. Since we were heading into the Aussie summer we didn't really think a lot about it. But Jen seems to have a way of being a little ahead of trends and designing long-lived classic garments, and the Tamarack has been sneakily growing on us. I loved this one by Heather Lou of Closet Case Patterns, and the final push for me was seeing this quilted jacket by Kate of Bombazine . I was in need of another casual, warm jacket that I could throw in a bag and take anywhere. My Grainline Cascade Duffle has been possibly my most worn/thrashed item of handmade clothing ever, and although it's holding up pretty nicely in its third winter, it could use a little respite. I'd been hanging...

We've had our eye on Boston, US-based pattern company Blueprints for Sewing for a little while now. We've admired the designer wearing her newest pattern the Geodesic top , on Instagram for 'Me Made May'. Then when our weather took a turn for the wintry, we were pushed over the edge into action! The Geodesic is inspired by the architectural form of a Geodesic Dome, and you can find out more about it on the Blueprints for Sewing website here .  The pattern is only available as a PDF at the moment, but may be in print by the end of the year. However it's not an arduous cut & paste affair, with only 20 pattern pages. I made up Version 1 in our NZ French Terry in Oatmeal . (Please excuse the self-photography, done in the interests of producing a timely post!)  On front and back the triangular pattern pieces come together in a neat central point, and if you are using a fabric with obvious grain or pattern, this adds to the pieced effect. It's a bit ...

The adorable Ninot jacket pattern by Pauline Alice has been calling my name for a while. When this 100% wool in 'Garnet' arrived in the shop, I'd found the perfect match.  (Long project = long blog post so grab a cup of tea!) Making a jacket can be quite a process, and I wanted to 'skill up' and take my time with this, learning some things along the way. Welt pockets and bound buttonholes were a first for me. The instructions for these were quite good, although I could have used a few more diagrams. I took my time and used a lot of hand-basting to hold things in place. The buttons, by the way, are gorgeous vintage ones from Our Beautiful Pieces on Unley Road. Quite a dangerous place to visit for the vintage button lover! The jacket has a lovely swingy back pleat. There's an optional back button tab across the pleat, which I made. To be honest I ran out of buttons so didn't attach it! I'm still toying with the idea of removing the sle...