This is a story about a suit. A suit of wonder. A swimsuit with mysteriously magical powers.

I never thought I'd experience the day when I would feel so supremely comfortable and amazingly confident in a swimsuit. Of any description.

Today, my friends, is that day.

Today I feel like I found the suit of my dreams. Made with my own hands.

A swimsuit that allows me to run Baywatch style down the beach without my swimsuit bottoms disappearing into my butt (TMI?). Let's be clear. I have a butt. A generous butt. And no swimsuit has ever stayed in place. This one does not move a millimetre.

SEWN: THE SHRINKING VIOLET

Sometimes I need to shrink my world.

Retreat for a while.

Focus on the things in front of me.

About a month ago I started to wobble. I felt overwhelmed and unable to face the world. It wasn't very pretty and there was a part of me that thought I was going a little mad.

SEWN: OPPORTUNE BLUES

I am definitely a summer person.

A cold-blooded (not like a murderer, as in reptilian. Actually... that sounds bad too. Gah!), warm weather yearner.

A person for whom cold weather is to be grouchily, and very ungracefully, tolerated, until the darling buds of spring deign to rear their pretty heads again.

LEATHERWORKED: SPRING SLING

I bought the most marvelous leather hide over a year ago.

Burnished to a beautiful hue - neither gold, nor bronze, nor pewter or platinum.

But somehow a magical mix of all, straying to one hue or another in different lights and with various backgrounds.

Magical perfection.

SEWN: THE IMPOSSIBLY PERFECT TOP

Sometimes a fabric just screams to be scooped up and taken home to be loved and stroked and perhaps even made into a garment that makes you squeal hell yes!

Special fabrics. Delightfully soft and spongy woolly fabrics.

In the most unusual and vibrant shade.

A golden shade. A shade of perfection.

SEWN: THE LOTUS COAT

Sydney has been doing its darnedest to freeze my butt off this winter.

I know, I know, compared to other places in the world it's positively balmy.

But seriously, it's been the coldest it has been in 20 years. There's no snow, no sleet, not even a true cover of frost in the morning. But my poor body is not coping.

Me shivering and looking grumpy about being outside in the cold

HOOKED, WORKED, SEWN: THE CRAFTING OF A GIFT

This was truly a labour of love.

A crafty undertaking of the gift variety.

A sneaky way to share a new addiction with a friend.

SEWN: THE TILT TOP

Did you feel it too?

A slight change in the atmosphere, a tilting of the earth's axis?

No? Just me?

Keepin' it real with my grey roots

SEWN: THE NON-CLASSIC SHIRT

Nothing like a snappy project title, hey? I got nothing, sorry.

This is about as close to a classic shirt as I get. I did have intentions of making a button down shirt, with cuffs, and tower plackets, and a collar stand... and then I slapped myself. Who am I kidding? I just knew I wouldn't wear it.

I love them on others, but feel ridiculous in them myself. I don't know why, but perhaps I'm just not "classic".

SEWN: BIRDS OF A FEATHER PULLOVER

A pullover of feathers.

Beautifully printed feathery feathers.

 Grey on grey.

SEWN: VINTAGE INDIGO-GO

Denim.

Indigo denim.

Is there any other kind? I think not, not in my world.

And then there is vintage. An even better kind of denim.

SEWN: THE BOTANICAL TANK

There's not actually much to say about this tank. But there is a story to tell about how it came about.

First, the tank. You'll recognise the fabric and I'm so very happy I had just enough to eek out this top! It's another Grainline Studio Tiny Pocket Tank (sans pocket). I started with my small bust adjusted pattern from last time and made a few changes.

I raised the neckline by a further inch (my first version was raised by 2 inches) to bring it up a grand total of 3 inches!!! I know I'm not a huge fan of deep scoops (personally I don't find them altogether flattering for a small bony chest), but man that original neckline would be around my belly button. I'm so happy with where it sits now.

SEWN: CONCHETTA

Meet Conchetta.

Ah now, that's not quite true. That isn't Conchetta... this is!

Isn't she lovely?? No, just me? Come on, who doesn't adore a full metal beast from the 80's that purrs like a kitten and sews like a dream?

And this 80's lady is super special to me. You might recall we lost my father-in-law last October and he was quite the renaissance man. He learnt to sew as a young boy and went on to sew his own curtains, reupholster couches, you name it, as an adult. This was his machine and it has come home to me to be lovingly safe-guarded and most importantly, used. She was in awesome condition and with a little bit of lubing and cleaning she has proved herself to be quite the little machine.

This dress is the first project I've sewn with her.

SEWN: THE HOMAGE

The homage. A dress worthy of Melbourne Frocktails.

I actually decided soon after Frocktails tickets were released and I snaffled mine up that I wouldn't be making a new dress for the occasion. I adore my Anniversary Dress and really wanted to wear it again, plus the timing of the event (the second week of Jan) was awkwardly wedged amongst the Xmas/New Year period and a family holiday. I really didn't think it'd be a great time to undertake something complicated.

Then I must have forgotten that... possibly because I started obsessing all things trapeze and stumbled across this dress from Alexander McQueen. Oh yes, that is quite the perfect trapeze.

I was a goner!

I also figured I wouldn't need to purchase a new pattern as I had made a few trapeze tunics from Feminine Wardrobe by Jinko Matsumoto. It just so happens that this pattern can be made into dress length as well. Oh and I'd been given a gift voucher for Lincraft and whilst I held little hope of finding the right fabric there, lo and behold, there it was! A luminous bronze-y, silvery and purple brocade. We all know my love of brocade...