Sometimes when I look through my photos I think that maybe I should do more gritty urban photoshoots with graffiti and skyscrapers.  Wellington actually has lots of fascinating urban corners: old character buildings, a couple of fabulous high rises (and a lot of really terrible ’80s ones), and AMAZING graffiti. Every once in a while I do do that kind of photoshoot, but the thing is, I’m all about nature.  By the time I get to a city photoshoot I’m already grumpy because of traffic and attempting to find parking (both of which are actually laughably easy in Wellington, but I’ve gotten spoiled).  Then, when we actually take pictures, I’m just weirded out by people looking at me as I pose. Take me out of the city to a park or the country and I start frolicking amongst the flowers and gambolling over the grass and climbing trees and generally loving the whole world.  Nature just makes me happy. Out in the wild  I turn into a cross between a tree goddess  and a six …

I think it’s no secret that I love op-shopping.  I love op-shopping as much as I hate regular shopping (ugh.  crowds.  people.  poorly made stuff that doesn’t fit right). The major exception to hating regular shopping is fabric, because I love fabric stores.  But I also love fabric shopping at op shops, because I find some amazing things. Like this fabric: Can you see what it is? It’s the Bayeux tapestry! (or at least selected parts of it) I teach the Bayeux tapestry as an example of politics in textiles, and the use of textiles in propaganda, so when I found this fabric I lost.my.shit.* * translation: I let out a tiny squeak and sat down with a thump. The fabric is a screenprint by an Australian textile designer.  It’s on a viscose/rayon and probably dates to the ’70s or ’80s. There wasn’t a lot of it, and it’s a very busy print, and not in the best colours for me, so I wanted to make something that really took advantage of the print with …

UPDATE:    Want to make your own singlet camisoles  from my pattern?  You can now buy the  Wonder Unders Pattern  (which includes knickers & slip) through my pattern line: Scroop Patterns.  Get it here! The empire of things that I am making for myself because trying to buy them makes me too grumpy is expanding… I’ve already developed a pattern to make my own sewn-not-knitted socks/stockings (OK, so I still buy most of my everyday pairs, but the idea is sound!).  And I make my own knickers. And now, camisoles (or as they say in NZ, singlets): Actually, come to think of it, I’ve been doing this one longer than either of those.  It’s just that my first three years worth of  singlets were boring black or boring white, so not really worth showing! Buying singlets drives me absolutely batty.  In Wellington your singlet choices are pretty much Glassons (but I hate the way theirs fit), Bendon (ditto), Kirkaldies (too expensive), Cotton On (OK, but rather poorly made and even though they get pretty good …