Sew Inspirational

Maureen Thompson

I have come from a sewing background with a Mother who had a phenomenal talent for giving extraordinary life to any cloth. She designed and made all my clothes in my youth as it was impossible to get ready-mades for my 5’11” height, in the sixties.

By the time I married, ready-mades were more common but there was nothing around that was predominately designed for the taller figure.

I had to buy extra large clothes so that I could get the sleeve length long enough, although it was too baggy through the bust and too wide across the shoulders.

Driven by frustration, I decided to go to TAFE and do fashion design studies.

I had two babies at that time, and on reflection, it was a busy but satisfying time, that eventually saw me start my own label ‘Lanky Lady’ in the mid seventies.

I successfully ran my business from home for 13 years, with fashion parades at the beginning of the seasons, before hanging up my scissors in favour of working in the fashion fabric business. This involved giving style and design ideas with sewing help thrown in, to the discerning home sewer, who had a talent all their own, but just needed other ideas and opinions, as we all do from time to time.

In this issue Maureen Thompson, author of ‘Why not? Be your own designer’ has given Sew Inspirational readers three fabulous skirt designs, to make and take, from the collection in her fabulous new book.

Her comprehensive ‘how-to’ manual leads you through the design process for 27 skirts, designed from your perfect fit straight skirt pattern, and 6 skirts designed with no pattern at all!

Click here to pick up your free patterns and to find out more about this great booklet and the other 30 fabulous styles click here.

Booklets are $10 each + $2.20 postage anywhere in Australia = AUS$12.20

For further information contact Maureen Thompson on 07 3378 8591 or
Email: sckafsfabrics@optusnet.com.au.

Morgan James

Morgan James has artfully embroidered the superb panel featured in the masthead of this issue of Sew Inspirational. The yellow, pink and gold bursts truly reflect the autumnal change of seasons.

In 1990 Morgan James completed a BA Visual Arts at Curtin University in Perth, graduating with a Fibre/ Textiles major and printmaking minor. In her final year, Morgan entered the Qantas Australian Gown of the Year with a hand painted gown and was awarded the Student Prize, a return trip to anywhere in the world so in 1991 she traveled to the UK where she visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. She was fascinated with the intricately embroidered and embellished 17th century costumes on display and became inspired to explore textile embroidery using modern techniques and contemporary artistic expression.

On her return, Morgan developed her own modern stitching techniques with her Bernina sewing machine. At this time she began layering a vibrant palette of threads to build intricacy and perspective into her unique works of fibre art creating images that celebrated her home environment.

The inspiration for her current series of embroidered artwork is the beauty and variety of native Australian flora. Flowers have been an inspiration for embroiderers for centuries. Many types of embroidery from the 16^th century were based upon gardens that no longer exist and the surviving embroideries are a record of the aesthetic and cultural images of the age. By embroidering floral motifs based upon native Australian flowers in the 21^st century, Morgan is investigating the idea of difference and connection.

Morgan has recently started working with natural dyes and fabrics, which she then hand stitches and machine embroiders to form quilts. She is enjoying working with the larger scale of the quilt and the knowledge that these works will not only be expressive artworks but practical items as well.

Morgan is working towards completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Design at The University of Canberra. She also enjoys working as a tutor in design history, teaching free-machine embroidery and Photoshop.

To contact Morgan please leave a message through her Accredited Professional Members webpage at Craft ACT