So, it's now just over a year ago that I officially launched Pakawow. Anniversaries are a great time to reflect, and I have taken pause to do just that in the last week. I have had some amazing moments, and it has been very humbling to be a part of some precious moments in people's lives through my sewing. I am very thankful that they chose to invite me into those moments in their lives. The highlight of this year for me has to be knowing a baby was getting blessed in one of

Oven Mittens (with the required test baking, a Caramel Oat Slice). Making Oven Mittens is easy and a great gift for friends and family. Just follow the easy steps below to create your own. What you will need: Cotton fabric - for the both the length and the pockets, this can be the same or different colours. Thick wool fabric - Some heatproof fabric for inside the mitten, I used wool but other options are available. Matching cotton thread. A paper cutout of the mitten size you

There's a little bit of magic in the creation of anything. In that moment when the idea you had becomes tangible, touchable and real. Recently I was asked about creating a ball dress, with just an idea, and no pattern. So I thought I'd share with you the process of creating the dress, in my own free-range way. First I took the blue brocade fabric and folded the pleats over the mannequin to achieve the desired look, shaping as I went, with lots and lots of pins. Then having se

Last Sunday morning I planned to put the finishing touches on a Men's Linen shirt that I had been working on. Before I headed into the sewing room I was having a morning cuppa and decided to check facebook. Immediately on my screen I saw images of stranded whales, and within moments I realized that the stranding was on our beach at the end of our road. 30 Long finned Pilot Whales had stranded at Pakawau Beach. 15 minutes later we were dressed in wetsuits stepping onto Pakawau

Hooded Blanket Poncho Sewing a blanket poncho can be great fun, and you can create a garment that is both warm stylish and functional. Just follow the Step by step instructions below to sew your very own. You will need a large blanket,  and lining fabric of the same amount as blanket size. Remember finished size of your poncho will depend on the size of your blanket, and how much you use to make your hood. To check how long your blanket poncho will hang pinch and lift from th

When I was a little girl, I used to watch my mother at her sewing machine amazed at the needle bobbing up and down, the wheel spinning the belt as her foot rocked the pedal of her old treadle Singer sewing machine. Every birthday she would make me a beautiful 'birthday dress'. Usually they involved lots of lace, and I always felt like the most special girl in the whole world when I put them on. I remember dancing in the paddock, feeling the grass between my toes, sunshine bea

This time four years ago I would never have believed it would have taken this long to get here, and be taking Pakawow to the world. It had been a dream of mine for a long time to be able to share my creations, but also just that, a dream, as I was busy raising a family and working, as you do. With the loss of my job coming into the start of covid I sat one day wondering what I would try next and thought to myself that if I was ever going to try and make my dream a reality the

I love creating. I like to imagine the joy of the wearer as they feel gorgeous ready for their day, or the dancer as they step confidently onto the stage feeling amazing in their costume. I try to put a lot of love into every item I create. It all starts with an idea, or a small piece of inspiration from something that brought me joy in my own day, and that was the case one day as I admired the beauty and elegance of Kowhai flowers as they danced in the wind dangling from the