This was a cute little skirt I picked up at a friend's clothes swap. The pleats, the piping, the colour all just said, 'I would make a lovely little bag'. Who I am to argue?

 The waistband became the handle and sides. I used the small zipper to make a little pocket on the side for memory cards. The bag itself is just the right size for my mini pc, pocket video camera, mic and various cables.

With such precious cargo I needed a cosy lining too.

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My mind is such a melting pot of ideas that it can often be difficult to remember what came first. I know this coat was influenced by the following:

• Seeing short versions of the Talea coat by other Burdastyle members.
• Needing an intermediate jacket for autumn.
  My obsession with cheap ikea fleece throws and their ease of sewing.
• Loving smart red coats.
• Wanting an extra large hood.

 

Oh, and some really cute vintage buttons and a secondhand cotton vest I bought whilst in Canberra.

 

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A fairly quick and easy cover for my brother's netbook. Felted jumper with strap made from the waistband of a pair of grey cord trousers.

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This recon was taken from Megan Nicolay's second book - Generation T - beyond fashion. As ever, I didn't follow the instructions exactly, just the general gist. I used one shirt - cut at top, narrowed at sides and lengthened at the bottom (using the spare fabric from the sleeves).

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I loved these tights but they just didn't suit me. They did suit this cream jersey bed sheet though.

I kind of made up the pattern as I went along.

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Not strictly a remake, although I got the fabric dirt cheap about 8 years ago. This dress represents how much I've learnt over the last 18 months; from other blogs, books, magazines; but mainly from my own mistakes. I used several different techniques to create it.

 

The bottom was based on a dress I already own, the bodice and sleeves adapted from Burdastyle's Kristen pattern and the collar was a bit of freestyling, inspired by a top I saw online. 

I extended each side of the front bodice. crossed them over, wrapped round the neck and sewed together at the back of the neck. There are various bits of stitching to hold it together but the drapes and patterning pretty much hide the construction.

The fabric has enough stretch to get it on and off without needing a zip. Yay!

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It may not look too glamourous but this bag has proved seriously useful. My aim was to make something big enough for a weekend away but which fitted within budget airlines hand luggage restrictions. I utilised the front and back pockets from the trousers and added a pocket lining to the fly to create a fifth zipped pocket on the outside.

 

The two way zipper was reclaimed from an old rucksack and there's another pocket on the inside (pillowcase) lining too.

 

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