Cosy up to beautiful colours and tones with this Autumn inspiration for your Below the Kōwhai makes.
Thank you to Sharaine Talip for creating this Autumn inspiration blog for our Below The Kōwhai community.
To see more of Sharaine’s beautiful work you can follow her on Instagram at @anak.the.label in addition you can follow along with her Waldorf teaching and lifestyle posts at @head.hearth.hands
Brilliant and blue is the Autumn sky,
Strong blows the south wind, see the leaves fly
Glowing like candles are banksias gold.
Giving us joy, as the days grow old.
– Australian Harvest Song
The wild winds of March have arrived, and they’ve brought with them an abundance of soaking rain, trees capped with crowns of gold and red, and a bounty of little toadstools and mushrooms popping up everywhere!
Inspired by the changing beauty of nature, my Autumn colour palette is all about warm tones of umber, marigold, butterscotch and auburn. This colour scheme is also reflected in the native flora in our very own backyard; in the golden banksia, paper daisies and flowering eucalyptus.
Autumn weather can be unpredictable, so a mix of fabrics, textures and styles that allow for flexibility and adaptability, especially for active nature-loving children, is a must.
For this season’s fabric inspirations, I’ve been really drawn to pinwale corduroys and cotton-linen blends for outer garments. Also, light cotton poplins for linings and gorgeous natural haberdashery like wooden buttons to add a whimsical touch.
This month, I decided to embrace the rich Autumn vibes on my doorstep and dive head first into sewing up my first Manūka skirt. It is a beautifully flexible pattern, deceptively simple at first glance but with intricate little details built in along the way.
Garment Details
Using a cotton-linen blend for the outer fabric, I drew inspiration from the rich raspberry tones flecked throughout the local eucalyptus trees. Not to be outdone, the humble little toadstool even got a look in. Featuring a contrasting waist pocket detail and full lining in a gorgeous blush pink printed cotton poplin.
This skirt was such a pleasure to sew and I already can’t wait to make more!
Thanks for the blog and gorgeous Autumn inspiration Sharaine!
We can’t wait to see how you interpret autumn into your favourite Below the Kōwhai sewing patterns! You can find our Mānuka Skirt pattern here. Consider also a long sleeve Kauri Dress sewing pattern for your Autumn sewing. Both patterns are available as a digital PDF and paper pattern.
Don’t forget to show us your creations in our VIP Community on Facebook and tag us on Instagram!
Love and happy sewing,
Sophie x