All posts filed under: What I wear

The ‘Win in Black and White’ swing jacket

Dear Readers, it may come as no surprise to you that I’m not much of a sports follower. Up until a decade ago I couldn’t give a fig about the Olympics, and my grasp of other sports was confined to ‘the one with the ball with hexagons’ vs ‘the one with the pointy ball’ vs. ‘the one with the hard little ball’. Then I came to NZ, and met Mr D. NZ is really into athletics. Mr D is really into athletics (so much so that he would point out that athletics are a specific type of sport, and not a synonym). Partly out of a desire to fit with my adopted culture, partly out of proximity to Mr D, and partly out of self defense, I now know a lot about sports. Or, to be more precise, I know a lot about 3.5 specific kinds of sports: cricket, rugby (both league & union — hence the .5), and running. I’m still pretty vague on that sport with the pointy ball and the yard lines, …

The ‘Penciling it in’ skirt

Published by The Dreamstress

I’ve been having fun finding music to match my ‘me’ sewing lately. This week’s me sewing is a ’30s skirt, so it needs one of my favourite swing songs, Lavender Coffin. Great to dance to, and a good conversation starter — we have an ongoing discussion of ways to make a lavender eco-coffin. I’m advocating dye made from blueberries or java plums. It’s not like the colour needs to last! (yes, I have macabre interests). On a much more random note, I’ve also been doing a lot of sewing to Julietta Venegas lately. It gives me a chance to practice my rapidly fading Spanish. If only I’d known I’d be spending my adult life in New Zealand I could have spared myself years of torture in language classes, or at least taken something I was good at, like Hawaiian. But whether I understand it or not, I enjoy Julietta Venegas. I particularly like Limon y Sal and its cute silent movie aesthetic. Right! The sewing! The skirt! This week’s theme on the Sew Weekly is …

The ‘Aloha ka Manini’ blouse

Published by The Dreamstress

I’ve been waiting to tell you about this garment for years. From even before it existed – from the moment I laid eyes on the fabric. Before you read the post though, you need to set the mood. Put on Aloha Ka Manini (Love the fish, or ) by the wonderful Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and then Ka Uluwehi o ke Kai (The Plants of the Sea) by Hapa. These are the songs of my childhood, and the Hawai’ian songs of the sea. I grew up in Hawai’i, 10 minutes walk from the sea. My parents were farmers — land people, but we kids loved the sea. We went down to the beach every time they let us. We snorkeled and swam and kayaked. I knew the names of all the fishes, the kinds of seaweed and coral, the history of the fishponds that ringed the coast like stone necklaces. I was in a hula halau (dance troop) for years. I was never particularly good, but my favourite dance was always Ka Uluwehi o ke Kai, a …