Monthly Archives: March 2010

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Sunshine award

24/03/2010 4:26 am \ 4 Comments \

Despite my despondency yesterday (hey, a girl is entitled to an off day every once in a while, right?  We’ve all been there…) I managed to achieve quite a lot by way of cleaning up.  I’ve shifted a small mountain of laundry from off my laundry floor.  There are now “piles” of debris around the backyard, as opposed to a general blanket coverage.  I’ve broken down some big branches into much smaller manageable sizes.  The glass man is expected.  Broken glass has been dealt with.  The pool is getting there…  er, sort of…  
And I’m feeling a lot more positive and sunshine-y today.  So it seems an appropriate day to do this!

Faye very kindly nominated me for this sunshine award, which was so sweet of her and I was thrilled and honoured to receive it.  Thanks, Faye!

The requirements for the award are very simple, and are as follows:

1. Place the logo within your blog or post.
2. Pass the award on to 12 bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within the post.
4. Let the nominees know they have received the award by commenting on their blogs.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.

I’m following Faye’s lead and nominating 6 fellow bloggers for this award.  These are 6 ladies who I find to be wonderfully skilled at combining beauty and functionality in their sewing achievements, and to be proud to wear and show off their creations on their blog in order to inspire us all.

Lauriana, who continues to amaze with her exceptional precision tailoring and cool classic dressing style

Ruta, who is so stylish and clever with her approach to her whole wardrobe… 

Yoshimi, who creates stunning and beautiful garments worthy of the chicest and most exclusive boutiques.  Her latest jeans creation is to die for…

Trudy, who not only is a most inspirational mother, creative artist and a very sweet lady who always leaves such uplifting comments to definitely brighten my day, but also finds time somehow to sew lovely garments

Ann, another lovely sweet lady who always adds a bit of sunshine to my day with her supportive comments.  A very clever seamstress who made stunning jeans for herself (jaw drops in admiration…)

Caroline, who writes in an entertaining and witty way about her adventures with her wardrobe and her life

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The clean-up begins…

23/03/2010 6:38 am \ 5 Comments \

So today I’m taking stock of the mess and devastation around our house from yesterday’s storm.  Perhaps an outfit post for the day seems inappropriate but now I’m so in the habit of popping my camera into my backpack I just went ahead and set up for a photo as usual.  Apologies for the fairly boring outfit I’ve chosen today…  Actually I do love the swirling puffy clouds with bruised smudges above, with every so often a blaze of brilliant turquoise to delight us…  The funny thing is it is a pretty hot day again today, and in this photo I was sweltering…  a good opportunity for me to put on my bathers when I got home and get started on a fun activity; I spent three quarters of an hour dredging the pool to the best of my ability.
Paradoxically I’ve always thought of the wind and rain as nature’s way of “cleaning up” the earth’s surface, as in the wind can be thought of as nature’s broom/vacuum cleaner blowing the dust away and the rain washes everything down clean and sparkling like a new pin all over again.  When we visited Egypt and the streets and buildings were so dusty and dirty I remember thinking what this place needs is a good strong wind followed by a thorough downpour to clean up a bit.  I say paradoxical because after a wild storm like yesterday of course the landscape is so much messier than before, and needs so much cleaning up after!!  I guess my simile isn’t particularly applicable after all!
So I’m outside wandering around with rake and broom and the thought “Where do I even begin?” pops into my head regularly.  For one thing, the piles of debris vs. the volume of our household bin.. there’s quite a discrepancy there for a start.  This is going to take time.  I’m finding myself lurching from one job to another without seeming to achieve anything very much at all…  One thing is for sure, my dressmaking hobby is going to go on the back-burner for a while.  My laundry where I usually sew is filled knee-high with piles of wet old towels/rags we used to clean up the worst of the inside puddles… and my washing machine is working overtime today.  
I’d have to say the plus-side of being without power last night, after everyone had got over the initial withdrawal symptoms from electronic entertainment (What? we’re going to miss Bear Grylls?!  Noooooo…!”) was that everybody set to and made their own old-fashioned entertainment by candlelight.  Something we should do more often, methinks…

Details:
Lace top; my own design, cut-away embroidered linen
Cargo pants; urban, from Ezibuy
Camisole; Country Road
Scarf; made by me, turquoise silk chiffon

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Canal Rocks II

22/03/2010 2:13 pm \ 3 Comments \

These deceptively calm photos belie the fact that this afternoon we have endured the most massive storm, stronger and more ferocious than I’ve seen in years!!  Hard to believe a day ago we had balmy summer heat and relentless blue skies, the last ten hours has seen torrential rain (a welcome component, the first rain we’ve seen here in three months!) and hail (not so welcome, we’ve lost two windows…), thunder, lightning and flooded roads… my son’s car came to a slow standstill in the middle of a puddle, (I admit to a little giggle at that one!), luckily he was just metres from home and managed to glide to the side of the road and just had to make a soggy sprint the rest of the way home, in his words dodging flying tree branches and struggling against buffeting winds.  My other children sought refuge in a kebab shop to escape hailstones “the size of golfballs” and made me a panicked phone call to “please pick them up”, of course I was stuck in the most horrendous traffic jam and wondering if my car was going to come out of the storm pockmarked like a golfball itself from the fierce hail rat-a-tatting on my roof….
Finished mopping up and all safe and sound now and only just had power restored in the last few minutes so I’m sharing with you some more photos of a last few rays of sunshine over the ocean; the calm before the storm…
The above photo is my outfit for today; I know I wore these shorts only a few days ago, a wardrobe repeat that is the result of criminally bad packing for a weekend away, but these photos my husband took have such magnificent colours, no?

Details:
Shorts; Burda 7723 slightly modified, charcoal gabardine refashioned from old skirt
Camisole and cardigan; Country Road
Thongs (flipflops); Mountain Designs

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Canal Rocks

21/03/2010 1:51 pm \ 5 Comments \

Full day today, this is why I’m posting so late tonight.  We had a busy sociable day, and rounded off by going to watch the sun set over the ocean.  Here, my husband took so many beautiful photos, and also some of me in my outfit I’ve included here.  (I was kinda planning another handicraft post, but these photos are, well, better….)
The rocks here are so alienesque and seismically dramatic, and the ocean so turbulent with booming fountains of white frothy sea-spray with every violent wave…. we were here at midday and the rocks were tangerine and the water a rich vibrant blue, in the late afternoon light, as here, the rocks are paled to golden and the ocean becomes a dark almost sinister grey…
I’m wearing my outfit that was one of my wardrobe refashions, first posted about here, made out of three of my husband’s old business shirts.  I actually love this outfit a lot, it fits my casual and yet funky (I hope!) aesthetic perfectly; I have a desire to look different, without looking so different that I look odd, I think this outfit ticks the boxes.  I know some people insist on having pockets in the garments they make; I’m not so demanding, but in this I did put pockets in the skirt, made out of the short sleeves from the sky-blue top, and boy am I pleased with these pockets!  They enable me to shove my hands down low in the skirt and slouch along the footpath in a casually cool manner… er, as casually cool as I can manage, anyway….;D

Details:
Top and skirt; refashioned from 3 old business shirts
Thongs (flipflops); Mountain Designs

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Dogged loyalty

20/03/2010 4:51 am \ 12 Comments \

Today I’m wearing my charcoal gabardine shorts made from Burda 7723, which were my first Wardrobe Refashion project.  I love these high-waisted shorts, and I prefer this flared leg silhouette I incorporated into these ones after making up my first version in white linen to the pattern.  I’ve worn these charcoal shorts a few times in these early balmy days of autumn and the heavy fabric is perfect for the ever so slightly cooler days…  Paired with a bright raspberry cardigan to cheer them up my husband referred to me this morning as a raspberry chocolate treat ( yes, he is slightly colourblind, but I appreciated the compliment nonetheless!!)  Admittedly the shorts do take on a chocolate hue in the shadows, that’s the beauty of old fabric in that it fades and wears to a subtly complex and varied patina.
We are beachwalking today, and have a three hour hike planned for this arvo, but took a moment out for me to get my outfit shot, and I have to put here the below photos to show you what a faithful sweet dog we have; even though she is emphatically NOT one of those dogs who bound joyfully into the surf and voluntarily dunk themselves in (she’s a bit of a woose, actually), she braved the ocean to swim out to join me on my rock here… she’s such a sweetheart…

Details:
Shorts; Burda 7723, refashioned from old puff-skirt
Camisole; Country Road
Cardigan; Metalicus
Nail varnish; thongs (flip-flops) Mountain Design

 

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Python alert

19/03/2010 4:43 am \ 7 Comments \

I finished my python print satin outfit!  Here in this photo I’m not sure if I look as much like a sleepy python draped lazily down a tree trunk any more than I do an extra from the set of Dynasty… all that satin….  At least I’m not sporting shoulder pads, but give me a dry martini, a grotesquely over-carved balustrade to drape myself over, or at least a gilt-handled door to slam and I’m your woman…
The top is out of Burda 8497, with the only variation in the addition of long pointy cuffs that are permanently sewn closed with these rather gorgeous metal buttons I found.  I considered making cufflinks out of the buttons and going down that path with buttonholes in the cuffs… but nah, this is a much simpler solution; not to mention looks better finished.  Given the struggles my menfolk have with cufflinks I like to just be able to throw on my outfit and swan out the door with minimal fiddling over my ensemble, so it was  “no” to the cufflink idea.
The skirt was kind of based on Vogue 7303, my old favourite which I use as a basic shape for so many projects.  I’ve had enquiries about this one, sadly I think it’s out of print (or I’d get another as a back-up for myself!) but some are possibly floating around on the second hand scene.  It’s really just a good basic pattern, of which there are many many new varieties available in dressmaking stores.
As I posted about before, the panels down the side are satin, which I pintucked randomly and ironed flat, aiming for a scale-y effect with debatable success…  At one point these panels, which are finished off properly, hung lower than the hemline in a randomly wavy point, but I decided this looked a bit odd and folded them up level with the rest of the skirt and tacked them up on the inside.  They’re still up there if I change my mind and want the skirt to look more gothic-y, I can just unpick the tacking stitches and let them fall down again.
The lining of the skirt (not seen here, but posted about yesterday) is jungle green bemsilk.
Over the cooler season coming up I plan to wear this to formal and semi-formal functions with my Icelandic shoes, pictured.  I just LOVE these shoes!!

Details:
Top; Burda 8497, satin print
Skirt; my own variation on Vogue 7303, satin print with satin side panels
Shoes; Kron by KronKron, bought online

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Unexpected inner workings…

18/03/2010 2:41 am \ 5 Comments \

Most of the time I make predictable choices in lining by carefully matching my lining fabric to the outer layer to get as close a match as possible, but every so often I go for something completely different.  A little burst or jolt of surprising colour just to give a little zing of unexpected pleasure when I catch sight of it, and what are our clothes if not to give us pleasure as well as the necessary warmth and modesty requirements?
Even on my wedding dress I chose a soft rose pink lining to go under the ivory silk taffeta of my dress, because I wanted to project a sort of rosy pink glow on my wedding day… I know it is kind of funny, we were quite young when we married and features such as a pretty pink glow rated highly on my scale of ideal looks.  Wouldn’t be a look today’s bride would go for I think, my friend E and I the other day were discussing how sophisticated bridal fashions are now compared with the “princess” look most of my generation sported back then.  My wedding dress was heavily influenced by Princess Diana’s, who was the absolute epitome of chicness and coolness when I was a teenager….  sigh, lapsing into nostalgia somewhat here…
Back to the subject I went through my wardrobe and selected some samples of contrasting linings/facings I’ve utilised recently:
You’ve probably never seen the purple underskirt to this floral number before;

I used some leftovers of this floral fabric to edge the seams of my burnt orange skirt; (I’ve already shown this picture recently, but it fitted in with my theme for today so sorry to rehash this one…)

This pale blue/silver lining adds a cool futuristic metallic touch to this black lace gothic inspired skirt;

I saw a divine vintage black velvet evening coat in Melbourne with an unexpected and stunning primrose yellow satin lining which I have regretted ever since not buying; I have since bought some fabric and am still working on the perfect evening coat shape;

For the record I DIDN’T make this corduroy coat, but its quirky lining always brings a smile to my face;

And this vintage fur coat which I was so lucky to have been given recently (please don’t be cross PETA supporters, this coat is old, probably older than anybody reading this blog) has a gorgeous warm tangerine lining;

My snakeskin print outfit?  Finished and ready to show to you soon, and here is a preview…. A lining for a satin skirt is essential if you don’t want it clinging to your legs closer than leggings, I chose a jungly shade of rich green for the lining;

Confession: I had vowed recently not to buy any more fabric until I’d finished my stash.  Well, I’ve been a bad girl.  To paraphrase Beyonce (to Lady GaGa) I’ve been a very very bad bad girl…  I read a review by Erica B on how very difficult this Vogue 1087 dress was to make.  Then I read in Australian Stitches how Cate can Reyk found the same to be an extreme challenge.  Well, I didn’t need any further encouragement.  I just love a challenge.  I’m pretty competitive that way.  So this is now been added to my to-do list….

Keep you posted!

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St Patrick’s Day

17/03/2010 5:40 am \ 6 Comments \

How do I know it’s St Patrick’s Day, even though we don’t make a big deal out of it here in Australia?  Why, because the Spotlight stores, which are heavily influenced by American merchandising choices are simply chocka with fluorescent green top hats, fluffy-haired leprachauns, wigs and shamrocks, which will most likely and sadly go unpurchased by Australians….
So, even though I don’t have a single drop of Irish blood in me my outfit for today is influenced by my perception of the Irish manner of dress which is quite different from the Spotlight examples.  My one Irish friend S has quiet and subdued tastes in her colour choices of apparel and kelly green rarely makes an appearance on her person…  I’m wondering if the holiday is becoming more an American tradition than Irish?  Thoughts, anyone?
When we were living briefly in the US we bought this simply gorgeous bedspread from a shop called Orvis, a store which had a beautifully provincial huntin’/fishin’ vibe that truly gladdened my rustic little heart.  This bedspread is made completely from patches of pure Irish wool tweed, which in their previous life provided warmth to Seamus’s and Liams on their daily pilgrimage to the village pub, or so we believe.  We’re always on the lookout for a recycled objet d’art and this one has dressed our bed every winter since we got it, and I love it more and more with each passing year.

On another, only slightly related note: conversation with my son last night illustrating the youthful Australian take on a sainted day…
T: “Do you know what day it is tomorrow, Mum?”
Me: “St Patrick’s Day.”
T: “No, it’s Touch-A-Boob Day”
Confused pause, then “Whaaaaat?”
T(patiently):”Touch-a-boob day.”
Me: “No, it’s not…”
T: “Everyone knows it’s touch-a-boob day…”
Later on…
T: “Dad, do you know what day it is tomorrow?”
C: “St Patrick’s Day?”
T: (sighing) “It’s touch-a-boob day…”
C: “Oh reeeeally…”
We’re so behind the times…

Details:
Skirt; my own design based on Vogue 7303, lace knit
Camisole and cardigan; Country Road
Shoes; so old I can no longer read the name on the inside…
Bedspread; Pure Irish wool, Orvis

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