Self Sewn Sewing Studio

Thanks for all your support in getting set up and running sewing workshops over the last six months. It's been a pleasure getting to help some of you start or rediscover sewing. Still something I'm excited about but taking some time to focus on other areas of life.

Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to get started, let me bounce ideas off you, test out programs, and took the plunge to book in for workshops. Thanks especially to the staff and volunteers at The Nest for hosting me, and Kat at Practice Studio for being such a wonderful place to foster creativity and give small businesses a home in Brisbane. To my friends and family who've had me highly occupied by everything that went in to it and believe in me through all my projects.

I'll still get messages and would love to keep hearing about your projects and always happy to talk sewing so please get in touch, just taking a break from booking more workshops at the moment. Please invite me to your crafternoons and I'll share with you if I get around to hosting any myself.

-Tahnee,
Facilitator and Founder, Self Sewn Sewing Studio ❤️✂️🌈

Always shoe-horning sewing in wherever I can and overdoing projects when I get an idea 💡

My year 9 or 10 woodworking project. Of course I sewed and glued a hat to make it a slideshow clown, not part of the task.

A bit dusty and the felt is deteriorating. Time for a makeover...

Yesterday I took some time to work on unfinished objects (UFOs) 🛸👾.

Love the colourful scraps in the colourful basket lovingly made for me by an old friend 💕❤️💗🎉.

I've connected with someone in my neighborhood who makes dog beds and so I send my scraps over there when I get to a pillowcase full.

Finished sewing up some pants for a rainbow loving dear friend 🌈, mended a favourite tote bag, finished a dress that I had half whipped up as an example in a class, worked on a skirt I'd half made, and playing with an idea I've had to up cycle dress shirts.

Also working on the ongoing project of what to do with myself, and so this felt good to clear the cobwebs a bit and try out my new sewing space.

🌻 Sew Your Own Clothing - Get the Perfect Fit! Join Tahnee from Self Sewn Sewing Studio at The Nest for an Extended Supported Sewing Session Soon ✂️ - *|https://www.eventbrite.com/e/866023408327?aff=oddtdtcreator|*

We've moved house! That's been the big focus these last couple of months. In amongst that, I'm brewing ideas for this year. I'm looking back at your wonderful feedback from the first few months of my workshops and see that people want to go deeper than the 2-2.5hr sessions we've done so far. I've been thinking about what I offer that makes what I do special and resonates with so many of you and how to get you closer to the goal of making your own personalised clothing.

And here's something pretty representative of the sewing I've been doing. A Scarecrow toy that I made my Wizard of Oz loving little one, with a belt crocheted on the spot by my sister immediately when our Scarecrow was spotted lacking one.

An artefact of how I learned to sew.

When I tell the story of how I learned to sew, I start with mum making my ballet costumes when I was a kid in the '90s. She made tutus with metres and metres of fabric, and so many little satin bows. The first thing I remember making is my own little satin bows with the scraps. The next thing was these toys. I still have the book, and turns out mum still had some of the toys which I saw on a recent visit. The duckie was made from one of our old terry towelling flat nappies. I still have the book. When I moved back to town a couple of years ago I made a duckie with my niece, from another of those terry flats, now retired from my own children after serving two generations of babies in my family for almost 40 years. I love the memories that come with fabric and crafts and how they can connect us.

When I wanted to buy myself a new machine a couple of years ago, I jumped at the chance to get myself the same model Elna as mum's, the machine I learned to sew on.

I said goodbye to a couple of the more perished of these toys, took a photo, and stashed a couple of the better ones to hang onto a bit longer.

I haven't been getting as much sewing for myself done lately, but have been whipping up little costumes for me and the kids so we can be their favourite characters.

Today I'm getting set for my first learn to sew 2 this weekend, and continuing packing up my house for the move in a couple of weeks.

Looking forward to getting back to The Nest this week and seeing some of you.

Thanks for having me, .lovers. It was lovely to help some young people learn how to thread a needle and sew a button on to a book bag during this month's Teen Book Circle with Kat from .lovers. And thank you to the participant that brought in some very special buttons to donate to be used.

It was wonderful to talk sewing and to hear about what books you're reading.

New venue: Shelf Lovers. I'll be visiting Shelf Lovers to bring some sewing skills to this Saturday's Teen Book Circle. Please share with any teenagers in your life who might be interested - spaces limited and free for this one - register via link in post.

Book chats facilitated by Kat from Shelf Lovers and sewing by me (though I do have lots of thoughts on books and sewing and etc that I might add). Love this combo

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1k0UC_hgDl/?igsh=MTdmMTM1YTIzc2M2Yw==

I wish I could... Sewing is a skill! Start today. What do you wish you could do to get closer to sewing for yourself? What do you feel is holding you back? #Sewing #sewbrisbane #selfsewnsewingstudio #sewingworkshops #creativeworkshopbrisbane #creativeworkshop #creativemoretonbay #creativeworkshopmoretonbay

By popular demand: introducing my new class in 2024. Continuing Learn to Sew at The Nest Community. Link in bio.

What would you like the chance to do in a two hour session? What's your roadblocks?

I'm especially excited about helping you go from making the little bags we do in Learn to Sew / quilting / making things for your home or the children in your life - to making clothes you can wear and love. This class is designed for people who know how to use a sewing machine but need a little help, or just a chance to sew with others.

You can do most things in making day to day clothes with a straight stitch and a zig zag stitch. This class will give us the chance to go a bit deeper - understand pattern terminology and techniques that you might need to do in person to understand, e.g. understitching, edgestitching, topstitching etc.

*2 hours
*Max 4 participants
*Using the sewing machines at The Nest
*I'll demo you can practice some techniques - starting with applying binding to woven fabrics - e.g. finishing an armhole or neckline
*An opportunity for you to bring something in that you need help with and we'll work it out together and you can all learn from each other - make a start, and keep working on it at home
*Each one is a standalone workshop - more timeslots coming later. Get in quick - already filling up.

How do you feel about this remake for a loved one? Can you think of any well-loved things that you'd love to give a new lift but not sure how?

Swipe for process pics.

This cushion cover was completely worn out but beloved by my grandmother, and I always remember her having it. She asked if I could do anything for it. I felt it was too threadbare to save, so mostly remade it. I used the green velvet upholstery remnant given to me by my mother in law when she downsized, the wattle scrap from when I made our doona cover,
cockatoo flowers sans cockatoos, and the original zipper in the back. But the best bit: used the black fabric from the back of the cushion to trace mine and my little one's hands to make the swans which I appliqued and topstitched with gold zig zag and red embroidered faces.

I am so sentimental. I love that it's got fabrics from the original pillow, plus special projects of mine and even from the older side of the family. I love that it's got our handprints that my grandmother can have there with her on the couch.