Author Archives: maria

Meet the Designer – Meredith Gain

Next up as our featured artist in The Designer Project is the ultra-talented Meredith Gain from MGK Designs – with her textile collection ‘Beach Days‘! 

She has put together the most wonderful blog post, diving deep into her creative process and inspirations for creating these amazing designs. Keep on read to find out more! 

Meredith Gain

“Hi there 

I’m Meredith Gain of MGK Designs and I’d like to share my inspiration and design journey for my fabric collection Beach Days that I’m so excited and proud to have available via Digital Fabrics and The Designer Project. I grew up in the carefree beachside suburb of Nth Curl Curl on the northern beaches NSW in the 70s where I spent my time swimming in the surf, exploring the rocks and generally having fun in the sun! My journey into surface pattern/textile design came about from my love of design and always the need to be creating! Prior to finding my way to textile design – after I had my 2 kiddos – I was creating delicious food as a chef for over 15years before I had my family and moved back to the beach for that carefree lifestyle I had growing up! 

Creative Space

I now spend my days creating art for fabric, actually any surface that needs a design! And of course, I still love cooking! And always with music playing! I pursued my love of art and design via a surface design course at ISCD and won several awards at the time … This led to an opportunity to design a wallpaper and interior fabric range for Emily Ziz .. I now have 3 collections with them.  Alongside my interior fabric collections, I also continue to create for several print studios for swimwear and women’s wear … and even have a few rugs and carpet designs! I am happy to create and adapt my style to many different briefs and clients, but my natural handwriting lends itself to an organic abstract very textural coastal vibe. I love to walk the many bush tracks and coastal paths of sunny Sydney; in fact, any coastline will do ! 

Peach Breeze in the making

I gain so much inspiration and joy from the surrounding nature and I find this comes out in my art via the mark making and line work that makes up much of my artworks. The designs I have available here for Digital Fabrics are in a lovely warm palette of pinks, peaches and oranges, reminiscent of a sunrise and the happy rosy glow after a day spent by the beach; with sunscreen, sunglasses and hat on of course!! I work mainly on my iPad in Procreate to experiment & muck around.Working with layers and effects that I then upload straight to my mac to work on further to put into repeat and play with colours. It’s usually straight to Illustrator and sometimes Photoshop but I’m definitely team Ai ! 

Iceream Trek Original Art

Each design usually starts with a mark making frenzy when something inspires me. Again, mainly on the iPad but sometimes I like to spend a day and get the paints out to do a big batch of swirls, marks, shapes and lines that get used in my designs. Though I even recently did a piece using the only material I had on hand…a lipstick and a notepad!! I then take photos of the mark makings and digitise using image trace in Ai. This is where I like to play around with layers, textures, colour and scale. As it helps to visualise the end product, I like mockups to see how the designs might look on a skirt or swimwear. The colours are generally depending on if I have a brief or what I’ve recently seen that inspires me. On a recent girls trip away to Daylesford VIC I was so inspired by the scenery and the colours that I just had to create a mood board! It actually inspired the design SAND DRIFTS…even though I’ve changed up the colours for this collection! 

Lipstick Art

My work is always evolving! 

You can find my latest works in progress or my ‘just because I’m feeling it art’ on instagram @mgkdesigns and my website https://www.mgk-designs.com/“ 

Beach Days is a collection of organic, abstract, all-over patterns; inspired by coastal walks by the beach. Many things inspire and remind Meredith of her childhood, spent living by the beach: bark on the trees, bird footprints in the sand, coastal bushes, sand hills, beach debris and lazy summer days! These designs would be great for any number of applications such as sundresses, swimwear, cushions, beanbags, tablecloths & napkins, tea towels, scarves, sarongs and beach towels! Each of Meredith’s designs are available to be printed onto any of our stock fabrics. Simply head to our Fabric Shop online to view the whole collection and choose your favourite fabric!

 

Trending: Textile Wedding Decor

One of the hottest new trends in wedding styling is textile decor and here at Digital Fabrics we make it even easier to incorporate personalised textile elements to your wedding day styling with low minimum order quantities and hands-on support to bring your vision to life.

Textile wedding decor instantly adds a next-level luxe feel to your Big Day, making it effortless to weave your chosen colour palette through your ceremony or reception venue and add little pops of unexpected surprise and delight for your guests. Let us explain three easy ways to incorporate fabric decor into your wedding.

Wedding Signage

Personalised printed textile banners and signage can add an unexpected touch of wow to your nuptials. We love seeing couples incorporate textile wedding signage into their scheme as they can soften hard or brutalist architectural venues (think big stone buildings or industrial warehouse spaces). What’s more, a fabric banner or sign can effortlessly command attention in a large-scale space. Consider printing your seating chart onto fabric, your wedding day order of events onto fabric or your bar menu onto a textile hanging. Whether it’s gently fluttering in the breeze in an outdoor venue or creating a striking divide between interior spaces – you won’t be disappointed with your guests’ reactions.

Table Decor

Ok, you might be thinking table decor, that’s obvious, but hear us out. The majority of wedding venues and stylists will hire their table decor – think napkins, table runners and tablecloths. Whilst they may stock luxurious linens, often getting the perfect colour isn’t very easy as you have to pick from the available stock. If you have a complex colour palette, a bold design or a specific shade in mind, printing your own wedding decor may provide an opportunity to add an unexpected twist.

We love printing personalised table decor for our customers. A great idea is printing personalised placemats or napkins that guests can then take home with them as an alternative wedding favour.

Stationery

We all know that first impressions count, so what could make a more striking impression than a beautifully printed textile-based invitation. We’ve loved seeing wedding stylists get creative and use fabric instead of paper for their couples’ invitations. It’s something that’ll get all your guests talking about your Big Day well in advance of the event.

Here at Digital Fabrics we stock a wide range of wedding-appropriate fabrics including luxe natural cotton linens, strong and durable cotton drill or canvas and floaty, romantic chiffons and lightweight weaves. Importantly, we can print in any colour you need – that means you can precisely match the pantone that you are trying to achieve. What’s more, you can help reduce the environmental impact of your event. All our fabric bases are sourced from sustainable and ethical suppliers and where possible we use recycled fabrics.

We’re lucky to get to work with leading industry stylists and coordinators and many happy couples to help elevate their wedding celebrations with fabric flair. Just contact us to find out more.

We’re currently booking Print & Make orders

We’re currently booking print & make projects for the rest of 2023. That’s anything that you want delivered before our annual Christmas break or in January 2024.

As we move into September things start to amp-up here at Digital Fabrics HQ, so our production time can be a little longer than usual. If you are planning to print custom textile products, now is a good time to start the process.

Print your own!

  • Event decor pieces for a product lunch, think cushions, wall hanging, backdrops, table linen.
  • Festive-season retail stock, stock-up and get ready for the last few months of trading of 2023.
  • Corporate gear and gifts that is not boring for your Christmas function or staff gifting.
  • Unique gifts for family and Friends, don’t wait to start planning and getting creative.

Check out our handy video for inspiration and ideas on what products you create with Digital Fabrics 👇

Christmas Orders Cut-off Times 2023

At Digital Fabrics, we’ll be wrapping up operations on Friday, December 15th, 2023, and will be back in action to serve you on Monday, January 15th, 2023.

CUT-OFF DATES FOR ORDERS REQUIRING DELIVERY BEFORE CHRISTMAS– Monday 20th November – Cut-off date for ‘Print & Make orders + delivery’ (depending on quantity). For WA, NT, FNQ, and any other remote destination, we recommend ordering earlier, as delivery times can be unpredictable this time of the year.
– Monday 11th December – Cut-off date for ‘Printing only orders + delivery’

CUT OFF DATES FOR ORDERS REQUIRING PICK-UP BEFORE CHRISTMAS– Monday 4th December – Cut-off date for ‘Print & Make orders pick-up’ (depending on quantity)– Monday 11th December – Cut-off date for ‘Printing only orders pick-up’– Wednesday 13th December – Cut-off date for ‘Express Printing only orders pick-up’

– Don’t worry you still can order after the cut-off dates, however, orders submitted after 12th December are more likely to be printed and dispatched in the New Year unless it’s an express order.– Any sample pack orders submitted after 14th December will be dispatched in the New Year after January 15th.– From the 4th of December all orders will be dispatched via Express Post.

Contact us to place an order!

The Bestsellers of 2022

We wish you could see the collective happy dance we do when we get to complete a new order, help someone’s vision come to life, or execute some amazing idea for a creative. No matter what, we are so happy to do what we do, and we love that you love it too! In 2022 we saw so many incredible ideas come in, and fabrics go out. Here’s a roundup of the bestselling fabric types and products you loved in 2022.

Our bestselling fabrics of 2022:

 

Chiffon

Chiffon is stunning with its light-weight, sheer fabric with a white base and matte crepe surface. This delicate fabric is soft to touch, has a gorgeous drape and is extremely versatile. We recommend using chiffon for art displays, fashion accessories such as kaftans and scarves, or evening wear and bridal.

Cotton Poplin

It’s a first choice fabric for a variety of products, garments and homewares. Our Cotton Poplin is a high quality lightweight 100% cotton fabric which is both durable and versatile. This natural fabric has a smooth surface and plain weave, making it great for designs with intricate and fine details. It has a warm white base colour and a matte finish. The tight weave allows for good colour reproduction when printed.

It has a crispness to its drape and holds its shape very well, making it a staple fabric option for fashion garments such as shirts, dresses, skirts and kids clothing, especially for summer wear! The fabric is also a popular choice for pillowcases, napkins, displays, hankies and beeswax wraps.

Cotton Linen

A homeware essential, our beautiful cotton linen blend fabric has a great soft linen texture and naturally adds a touch of coastal luxury. The bright white colour of the fabric ensures vibrant colours in the printing process.

Our cotton linen is suitable for cushion covers, tea towels, table linen, wall hangings and creative signage, as well as tailored jackets, shoes and bags.

 

Our bestselling products of 2022:

In case you missed it, Digital Fabrics can cut, make and send your very own customised products and homewares. It’s such a joy providing standout elements for events, home, businesses and more. How can you get creative with our products?

Cushion Covers


Our most popular custom product of 2022, the essential accessory to any interior space. Used for comfort, for style and for expression in the home, in the office or at an event – you love our cushion covers!

For your custom cushion printing you are welcome to supply your unique image or use some of our designs, it’s your choice. Feel free to browse through our print collection and pick your favourite design.

 

Scarves

Custom scarf printed and made for Sancha Prowse Art

Let your personality shine through when wearing a custom scarf designed by you! Custom scarves are available in a variety of sizes and fabrics so that you can create the perfect scarf for your product line, an outfit or event. Our scarves are digitally printed, hand-cut and finished with a machine-sewn fine rolled hem.

@sweetart_by_jenni

Tea Towels

Custom printed and made tea towels

Whether you use them decoratively or practically, Custom tea towels are a fun and easy way to share your artwork! Custom tea towels are made with your choice of cotton drill or cotton linen. Using quality, absorbent and durable natural fabrics and are the perfect way to freshen up your kitchen, create a beautiful hand-made gift or brand your business.

Reach out to us to bring your vision to life, we’re excited to see what makes the bestseller list for 2023.

 

Let’s Talk about Romance

Let’s Talk about Romance!

It’s the season of romance after all, with Valentine’s day on the horizon, we know you’re itching to whip up a new outfit that will have you feeling spectacular.

Maybe you’ve met our romance fabric before; it’s a wonderfully soft lightweight fabric (100GSM) and made from 100% rayon fibres, (a fiber from regenerated cellulose, generally derived from wood pulp). You’ll love its smooth texture and fine satin weave; it’s a dream for fashion projects.

Rayon feels soft and smooth on the skin; it’s such a versatile fabric that can be made to mimic silk or cotton. It also has a bit of a natural sheen which is more noticeable in darker fabrics such as black and navy.

Rayon is also great for humid weather as it absorbs moisture, which keeps you dry, and is flowy and breathable – we truly need all the breeze that we can get with our hot Australian summers.

Keen to get romantic?
We’ve rounded up some inspiration for this dreamy, draping fabric that you can print on with your own art, photograph or graphic design. It’s ideal for dresses, blouses, scarves, summer tunics, sarongs, bandanas and pocket squares.

 

DIY: Zero-Waste Gathered Dress on Youtube or written instructions
Sara is a fabric shop owner and creator, with wonderful sew-along videos that feel so therapeutic! In this fabulous sew-along tutorial, Sara makes a zero-waste dress that is wonderful to wear and wonderful for our planet.

 

DIY: Sew your own spring scarf by Accents by Claudia on Youtube
Small silk scarves are a beautiful way to add a pop of color to any outfit, whether they are worn as neck scarves, adorned on bags or hats, or to hold up ones’ hair. This DIY video shows you how to make a beautiful scarf with or without a sewing machine! Recommended to make with a cup of tea.


DIY Summer Wrap Skirt (No-Sewing!)
This tutorial shows you how to make two different types of wrap skirts that are perfect for warmer weather, especially in our Romance fabric. Browse our designs that suit your personality or for your next tropical holiday.

Don’t forget!
How to wash the Romance fabric
To care for digitally printed natural fabrics we recommend washing gently by hand in cold water with very gentle phosphate free detergent . Do not scrub or rub fabrics, as pigment becomes fragile when wet and this can cause premature fading. We also suggest a warm iron on the reverse side, line drying in the shade and not to soak, bleach or dry clean the fabric.

Can you put it in the dryer?
No, you should avoid putting rayon in the dryer and instead simply lay your garments out to air dry.

Will the Romance fabric shrink?
As a general rule, rayon tends to hold its shape pretty well but it will shrink if washed in warm water or put in the dryer so make sure that you follow the instructions above to keep your garments looking as good as new.
We can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with when using our Romance fabric!

 

Want to learn more about this beautiful fabric? Check out the link below to head on over to our blog post and read all about it!

‘New Romance Fabric Blog’

Add to Calendar: Creative events to inspire in 2023

Add to Calendar: Creative Events in 2023After a tough two years with event cancellations due to the pandemic, the Australian sustainable fashion and cultural scene is back with a new energy and the new year looks to be shaping up to be one of the biggest yet.

With events all over the country, we have sifted through the noise and named our key dates to mark in your calendar for 2023.

Finders Keepers

WIth markets held bi-annually in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Finders Keepers has quickly become a staple of the Australian sustainable fashion scene with over 1200 vendors participating. Their first event for the new year will be their Creative Business Summit in Melbourne, followed by the winter Sydney markets in June.

Melbourne Fashion Festival

Established almost thirty years ago, Melbourne Fashion Week encaptures the best and brightest of the Australian industry. With thousands of visitors to descend on the Victorian capital from 3-11 March, this one is a must for any fashion enthusiasts. Not only will the upcoming season’s style be on the display, but also the presentation of the National Design Award, the National Graduate Showcase and the Fashion Writing Tour.

AfterPay Fashion Week

Following the Victorian extravaganza is the AfterPay Australian Fashion Week, to be held at the famous Carriageworks complex in Sydney. You can expect a multitude of events and shows starting on Monday 9 May.

The Archibald Prize Tour

Established in 1921, the Archibald Prize is our nation’s most prestigious art award, with the tour being the perfect opportunity to check out some of Australia’s most talented artists. Run by the Art Gallery of NSW, this one is for our friends in the bush, with the tour kicking off on the Mornington Peninsula in September and finishing in Port Macquarie in August 2024.

Life Instyle

Held across Sydney and Melbourne, Life Instyle is more than just a marketplace, priding themselves on bringing together Australia’s most innovative creators and designers. Kicking off in the Harbour City on 18 February, followed by Melbourne on 3 August, this is a retail trade show like no other. A must for your calendar.

Horizon Festival (QLD)

Horizon Festival is Sunshine Coast’s leading contemporary multi-arts festival, presenting 10 days and nights of visual art, music, theatre, dance, words and ideas, film and creative workshops; inspired by the stories and beauty of the Sunshine Coast. From August 25th onwards, Horizon has lots of inspirational activations across the Sunshine Coast.

Seed Stitch Contemporary Textile Award

Presented by Australian Design Centre, Seed Stitch celebrates diverse textile practice. Seed Stitch was developed by the former Seed Stitch Collective (SSC) with the aim to showcase progressive textile art forms and support artists to get work out of their studios and into the public arena. Founded by Soraya Abidin in 2016, this exhibition was born out of her desire to create opportunities to exhibit alongside like-minded artists. Digital Fabrics was a proud sponsor of the award this year.

International Sourcing Expo

The International Sourcing Expo Australia connects Australian and New Zealand trade buyers with a broad range of manufacturers and suppliers from across the globe from November 21 – 23.

With a focus on apparel, accessories and textiles, the event provides an efficient way for international sourcing, learning and networking for industry professionals. If you’re looking to improve or diversify your supply chain and product offer, compare production capability and costs, produce your own label or start a new sourcing business, this is the event for you.

So much to see and do in 2023, we are excited to see Australia’s art and fashion industries come alive again.

 

Awesome fabric projects to make in 2023

Awesome fabric projects to make in 2023After having a little splurge over the festive season, many of you may be starting to think about your new year resolutions. “New year, new me” – usually brings to mind goals such as hitting the gym, eating more healthy food or spending more time with loved ones. A time to embrace new positive actions in our lives. But what can be overlooked is the need to nurture our creative side – which in turn can make us humans more happy overall.

We have the thing just for you. It will not only kick that right-side of your brain into gear but will also provide you with some new ways to do your part to save the planet. Our goal at Digital Fabrics is to provide people with the ability to contribute to a sustainable future whilst embracing the creativity of the individual – and we have some some ideas to get you started.

Get ready for those feel-good endorphins to flow as we explore five awesome fabric projects to make in 2023. And, don’t worry if you’re new to the creative game – there are items for all levels of experience.  Let’s go!

 

Cat Bandana (Level: Easy)

We’re not going to lie – we love dressing up our furry friends and we know many of you do too. So, why not kick off 2023 with these funky DIY cat bandanas. Our Digital Fabrics Designer shop is a great place to start for feline fashion inspiration and with a few basic supplies, you will be creating in no time.

 

Beeswax Wraps (Level: Easy)

Another project for any newbies out there are our homemade beeswax wraps. These funky items have no shortage of uses at home or in the office – especially when it comes to food storage. All you need are your custom fabrics, a pair of scissors, baking supplies and some beeswax – which you can easily find at your local hardware store.

 

Linen Pillowcase + Natural Dyeing with Avocado (Level: Easy)

Natural dyes are just so good for our environment as they not only reduce the use of toxic and harmful chemicals, but also provide a second use for scraps from foods such as avocados. You can store the skins and seeds in the freezer to stop them from rotting, providing you with the perfect natural dye for linen. Once you are done – you can then create these amazing linen pillow cases to freshen up a bedroom or two.

 

Patchwork Dress (Level: Intermediate)

We absolutely adore this little number. An incredibly talented creator in Carly B designed this entirely of Digital Fabrics prints. With step-by-step instructions, you can literally create a dress in any style, meaning the possibilities are endless.

 

One Shoulder Top (Level: Intermediate)

The one-shoulder revolution is here if the 2023 Spring/Summer London Fashion Week is anything to go buy, so why not join the party this new year with this DIY gathered one-shoulder top from The Essentials Club. You will be able to knock up this dreamy number with Maddy’s step-by-step guide on her easy to follow YouTube video.

 

Whether it’s a new years resolution to create a ‘me-made’ wardrobe or you want to let your creativity shine a bit more, we love to support you through 2023! Be sure to sign up to our newsletter for free monthly sewing ideas.

 

The Finders Keepers Recap

The weekend that was! We are so proud to be the sponsor for Finders Keepers Sydney Market 2022. It felt like a real full-circle moment, as our Director, Maria once had a stall at Finders Keepers many moons ago before launching Digital Fabrics!

We’ve had an incredible time bringing together the creative community and celebrating the amazing things that they produce. We loved connecting with The Finders Keepers markets on our shared sustainability values and love for supporting small businesses to build their dreams. It was a no-brainer to come on board as sponsor for the Sydney event. The Finders Keepers team all wore Digital Fabrics, custom designed by their graphic designer and sewn together for the team by @_diydaisy, don’t they look so fabulous?

In the weeks before the event began, we gave away a $1000 gift voucher to a lucky Finders Keepers fan, Erin Baker of Twee and Me handmade polymer earrings! She came and said hello at the market which was so lovely, we can’t wait to see what she comes up with for us to help create!

The weekend was a whirlwind but there’s nothing quite like the electricity between people as they set up their stalls, proudly filling the shelves with their items. Our setup was stunning, a beautiful custom printed backdrop (and Maria wore an outfit to match!), we brought all our samples for people to have a look up close and feel our work.

Image via Instagram: @breezybirdstudio

We were excited to meet many of you in person! We finally got to meet AiAi of Breezy Bird Studio, one of our ‘Designer Project’ designers, whom we’d never met in person before!

We were also happy to finally meet the people behind our collaborations with Peppermint Magazine in the flesh, we’ve adored working with the Brisbane-based team (have you checked out our double page spread in the current issue?) We’ve even contributed to their annual Merry Goodie Boxes by sending some gorgeous fabric remnants their way!

Sponsoring the Finders Keepers Sydney Market was one of the highlights of our year, we can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for the market’s 15th year!

 

Party in patchwork style this festive season!

We’ve adored Carly B from the first time we landed on her Instagram, and to our delight she has made her signature patchwork dress entirely of Digital Fabrics Designer prints! With party season fast approaching, creating a staple summer piece has been on Carly’s mind, and she’s created this stunning pastel dress, perfect for twirling in. As if we could love her anymore, for bonus points, she took the leftover fabric scraps and made a pair of shorts too! Truly a kindred spirit of the DF way. Come along and sew your party dress with Carly, here is her amazing DIY dress tutorial!

With party season fast approaching, creating a staple summer piece has been on my mind! To my delight, Digital Fabrics reached out to help make my dream dress a reality & let me reassure you, the process from start to finish was simply divine. 

I started with the most difficult task. Choosing my fabrics! I decided to browse through the unique range of Australian designer/artist designed prints, looking for five (or so) prints that would tell a summer story (Click Fabric Shop, Designer Fabrics for this storefront). I immediately fell in love with a print by Sue Michael called ‘The Shack’. My family have visited a rundown, wholesome beach shack on the Gold Coast for most of my childhood, and this heartwarming art reminded me of my childhood filled with sandy days, pink zinc on my nose & sweet summer days spent in the ocean. Basing my design around this print, I then selected 4 other prints that felt complimentary and ordered! 

I got 5m of Cotton Poplin in total, which was 1m of each print to make my patchwork style dress. Please know that you have the option of ordering samples of fabrics to see what the fabric is like before you place your order, if that’s something you like! You can also get your own designs printed on their fabric (in a huge variety of fabric kinds too), so if you’re artistically inclined & want to order your very own fabric – you can! 

As everything is printed in Sydney, Australia they arrived at my doorstep in Brisbane/Meanjin quickly. The quality of the fabric was delightful to see (the Cotton Poplin is reminds me of the cleanest, crunchiest hotel sheets) and it was so cool to see all 5 of my designs printed on one single 5m length of fabric. Love seeing that low waste production! I hand washed each print separately, letting them dry on the line & giving them a good press. 

What I used 

– 5m of cotton poplin from Digital Fabrics 

1M JOAN MEADOW ( designer MADELINE HAWKIN) 

1M DILLY DAISY 

1M BEACH SHACK GREEN FIELDS ( designer SUE MICHAEL) 

1M MRAMOR ICE 

1M MY HEARTS GARDEN ( designer SUSANNA APRIL) 

– matching thread 

– elastic for arms 

– self drafted pattern ( you can find similar patterns on Etsy 1. 2. 3. ) 

Make time: 5 hours (ish) 

Level: Beginner 

Let’s make it! 

To begin I played with fabric placement until I was happy & then cut out a front and back bodice piece as well as front and back facings. At patchwork seams I overlocked them together & then sewed a straight stitch beside it to secure. (If you don’t have an overlocker you can use a zig zag stitch to finish edges, no problems.) You could topstitch this seam down too if you’re feeling fancy! 

I then cut out two straps, testing them on myself to see what length they needed to be. You could definitely do bow straps if you’re wanting a sleeveless dress. 

To attach the straps, I sandwiched them between the facing & bodice pieces. This part is a little tricky as you need to sandwich the straps at the front and back of the bodice – it will create a burrito like shape. Then I sewed all along the top of the bodice, securing everything. Turn right side out & give it a good press. Optional topstitch along the neckline if desired. 

Next, I added puff sleeves! I made each sleeve different, with one sleeve featuring two different fabrics spliced together for that patchwork effect. 

I cut two sleeves and sewed the side seam with fabric right sides together. 

After pressing that seam, I turned up the bottom edge 1.5cm and sewed, and then turned it up again but this time leaving space for elastic to go through. (Leave a gap for that elastic to be threaded through as well! We’ll close it up later.) 

I then sewed two parallel lines in my longest stitch along the top of the sleeve & gathered it so it fit perfectly in my garment. I pinned the sleeve right sides together and stitched between the two stitches but this time in my regular stitch length. I overlocked this edge, removed my basting (or gathering) stitches and voila! 

This is when I like to add the elastic which I just using a safety pin & threading it through. After the little opening is closed up the sleeve is DONE! YIPEE!! Revel in your sweet puff sleeves friend! 

Side note: I later decided I wanted little ties threaded through the elastic channel of each sleeve. I cut thin strips of scrap fabric, folded in edges & then folded in half (like bias tape) and sewed them closed. I snipped tiny openings on the right side of the sleeve & threaded them through. There’s probably a better way to do this but that’s just how I did it. 

Skirt time!! I am a sucker for a very gathered skirt, so I went a little overboard with the gathers in this one. I wanted a two-tier skirt with pockets and lots of volume, and boy is that what I got. 

Basically, the process for the first tier and second tier were exactly the same, except the first tier has pockets, & the second tier has a hem & needs more fabric than the first. 

For the first tier I cut strips of fabric from all of the different prints out to create two 170cm long panels that were 26cm wide. I also cut out 4 pockets. 

I sewed and overlocked all of the patchwork pieces together so I had these 

long strips. Then, I attached my pocket pieces (with edges overlocked) right sides together on my panels about 1.5 inches down. I overlocked the pockets on and pressed the seams towards the pockets and also did a lovely little topstitch to keep that looking flush and tidy. Then I attached the two skirt pieces together with right sides facing to make one big loops with pockets. 

Woohoo! 

To gather the skirt I sewed two parallel lines in the longest stitch length (sound familiar? hehe!) along the top edge of the skirt & pulled those stitches very gently until the skirt became the length of the bodice. I then pinned the skirt to the bodice, sewed it on, overlocked and removed the visible basting stitch. 

The 2nd tier is almost an identical process except it just requires a lot more fabric. I proceeded to cut out many more strips of fabric (this time at a longer width of about 32cm) and attach them all together to make a long strip. I didn’t measure this tier but it should be the top tier length x 1.5 at the very least. I estimate mine was about double the length. I sewed the gathering stitches again, gathered it up with upmost patience, pinned it to the 1st tier and sewed it on! I had to do the pinning a few times to ensure the pattern placement was as ideal as possible, as sometimes the fabrics would all end up matching & I really wanted there to be a difference between each section of the dress. 

After a little playing I finally got the right balance however. The final step them was hemming it which I wizzed through & gave it a good press for a sweet crisp edge. And then she was done in all of her twirly, full skirt glory!! 

From an array of divine fabrics to a sweet patchwork summertime party dress. 

All in all, I adored bringing this piece to life. It was so inspiring to work with prints designed by such excellent artists & it felt like an honour to piece them together. The quality of the fabric and printing kept astounding me & I know I will be treasuring this piece for summers to come. From the swirls of the ocean, to the happy flowers that remind me of the sun & pink zinc & of course the centre piece of the dress which was The Shack print, I truly feel transported back to my favourite holiday destination – the beach. 

Bonus Scrap Busting Shorts! 

At the end of this project, I was blessed with a small treasure trove of delightful scraps & I knew I had to push myself to make them into something! I had to, not only because I love working with scraps, but because Digital Fabrics are no wastage and employ sustainable production methods themselves! Had to match that energy. 

Digital Fabrics are print-to-order which means that every fabric that they print is used. They print ethically using non-toxic water-based inks & they boast of efficiency, quality & consistency with their product – which I have seen with my own eyes! 

So, feeling inspired, I had to get to work on reducing my fabric waste with a scrappy pair of high waisted play shorts! 

A great point of inspiration and reference for these shorts can be found at HalfSoyBean’s youtube channel! which I will link below! 

I was able to make enough patchwork fabric from my Digital Fabrics scraps & was able to reduce my own fabric waste to a small pile of white selvage & some very small pieces. A huge success! 

Thank you so much to Digital Fabrics for supplying this gorgeous, Australian designed & printed fabric. If you sewed along, please feel free to tag us @digitfalfabrics & @fromcarlyb & share your creations with us!