Being a visual person who loves texture and colour, I got a dose of creative inspiration from Barbara Stephenson’s pinterest boards – particularly the dresses and sewing possibilities which are the two I viewed this morning. Thanks Barbara (and pinterest) for gathering such fabulous pin-boards.

It is interesting how we inspire each other with just the spark of an idea, which we can then develop in our own way to suit ourselves.

I’m thrilled to see Bev Ryan writing about my Sew it Again blog in a meaningful way in her article Blogging for Social Impact. Sometimes messages can get lost within a blog particularly with daily posting, and I’m grateful to Bev for drawing out my essential messages: sustainable dressing by refashion, reuse, repair of existing clothing using simple sewing techniques – to reduce our clothing footprint and put our own stamp on the way we individually present to the world.

I’ve been thinking about how to achieve this upcycle, Sew 252, for a few months since a Sew it Again friend (Jane W) forwarded me this beautiful wool garment which had grown too tight at the waistline for her to comfortably wear. Being tall and long-limbed, she loves the style but just needs a little more room around the abdomen. (I know the feeling, hence my attachment to elastic waists!)  Continue reading →