The Late Night Sewist

The two books I ordered a while ago have arrived (days ago actually, I just never got down to writing about them).

The Home Sewn book by New Zealand Fashion Museum is a nice read a about the history of home sewing in New Zealand and how the country’s current fashion design has its roots in this tradition.

The ten patterns included are by:

• Company of Strangers
• Cybéle
• Katie-Maree Cole
• Lela Jacobs
• Papercut
• Starfish
• TK Store
• tsenty-seven names
• Vaughan Geeson
• WORLD

I must admit that the designs are not exactly my taste, it seems that the authors want to attract more beginner level sewists, as the patterns are really simple.

However, there are three garments that I might give a try. The first is the Miss Chalmers skirt by Papercut.

Then there is an extremely simple top, Cut Make and Trim Tee by WORLD, it does’t even have separate pieces for the sleeves.

The third item I might think about, but with added length to the pants, is the Lounge Suit by TK Store.

The dress on the cover, the Crystalline Dress by Cybéle mainly attracts with its fabric, and looks really nice on the model, but I cannot imagine myself wearing it, I prefer more structure. As I was looking around for some good photos, I saw that the retail price is approximately 500$ for this dress, which puts the free pattern into a different light 🙂

The second book, Tailoring. The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket is very technical, rich in colour photos and seems to be of great help, but its true value will appear when I put it in use while sewing a jacket or a coat. Yeah, speaking of a coat, my Stardust Coat is hanging there, waiting for me to get my act together and finish it before the winter is over!