Curated by the New Zealand Fashion Museum, pop-up fashion exhibition Home Sewn takes an engaging retrospective look at the evolution of home sewing in New Zealand.

As well as providing a visual record of home-made fashion sourced from private collections, Home Sewn documents the changing face of fashion through the decades, brought to life by personal anecdotes, photographs and clippings. Fashion artefacts from down the years include sewing machines and tools, fabrics, notions and paper patterns.

The Kiwi DIY fashion spirit is traced all the way to the present, with an outstanding collection of designs from young practitioners of fashion today.

The exhibition will mark the launch of the New Zealand Fashion Museum’s latest book, also entitled ‘Home Sewn’. This beautiful volume profiles 10 leading New Zealand designers, each of whom share a pattern from one of their collections, and provides an overview of New Zealand’s home sewing history by curator Doris de Pont. The book is available for $45 at the exhibition and includes the 10 sewing patterns.

The Home Sewn exhibition runs for three weeks from Wednesday 5 September at The Nathan Gallery at Britomart. A workshop programme teaching sewing skills will run in parallel with the exhibition – see below for timetable and registration details.

On Saturday 22 September, a Home Sewn Fashion Festival will be held at the exhibition from 3pm to 5pm. Anyone with fashionable home-sewn garments is invited to bring them in or come in wearing them. You’ll have the chance to have your creations photographed in a pop-up studio by star snapper Stephen Tilley, and prizes will be awarded for the best home-sewn fashion garments. To participate, pre-register by emailing dianne@fashionmuseum.co.nz.

Home Sewn: Original New Zealand Fashion Exhibition
Wednesday 5 September-Wednesday 26 September 2012
The Nathan Gallery, 40 Customs Street East, Britomart

Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 11am-4pm

Entry by donation

Workshop programme

Register at tickets@fashionmuseum.co.nz

Demonstration: How to trace a pattern from the ‘Home Sewn’ book
Sunday 9 September, 12pm-1pm
Entry free with book purchase ($45)

Heritage Homecraft Sewing Skills
Thursday 13 September, 5.30pm-6.30pm
Wednesday 19 September, 5.30pm-6.30pm
Entry by donation

Sew Your Own Designer Skirt in a Day
Saturday 15 September, 9am-6pm
Suitable for sewers with some experience
Entry $150 (‘Home Sewn’ book worth $45 included)

Open Sewing Clinic
Sunday 16 September, 11am-4pm
Help is at hand to solve your sewing problems! Bring along your UFOs (UnFinished Objects)
Entry by donation

Home Sewn Fashion Festival

Saturday 22 September, 3pm to 5pm
Bring in (or wear!) your home-sewn fashion items
Professional photos taken and prizes awarded
Pre-register at dianne@fashionmuseum.co.nz

Keep an eye on the New Zealand Fashion Museum Facebook page for more info.