A walk in the park

07/01/2011 5:45 am \ 7 Comments \

A day of colourlessness (ness, ness) is often followed by a more colourful day, in my world.
And today is a bad hair day, sorry.  Thus the pony.  I am getting my hair cut this afternoon, and I am so sorely tempted to wait until I am salon-coiffured all fabulously before taking a photo… but I am just too busy later on today.  So a dog-walking photo with messy hair it had to be.
In sewing news, I am nearly finished another little floral floaty summer dress, and just needed some lining fabric so headed up to my favourite fabric shop.  And they were having a massive pattern sale!  So I just had to…  Fired up with enthusiasm and a misguided optimism about my own time-management abilities, I bought three new dress patterns, below.  I’ve got so many new patterns to try out…   I’d better get cracking.

Details:
Dress; partly based on McCalls 4453, partly my own design, red/pink polyester chiffon, to see this dress styled in 6 different ways go here
Ballet top; Metalicus, found secondhand
Sandals; Vincenzo, from Soletta shoes
Sunnies; RayBan
Nail varnish; BYS Mint Condition

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The two things together

06/01/2011 8:45 am \ 14 Comments \

I’m not sure if this outfit is too severe.  Perhaps.  But this is the thing; I wanted to see these two pieces both together as they were designed to go with each other.  Both being from the same designer.  Japanese designed clothing can often be very architectural and pared back.  And I love this sharp, slightly futuristic minimalism that Japanese designers offer.  And it’s a look that I think is very indefinably now.
So, yeah, here’s me trying to be all super fashionable…
Yet other times I’m romantically lacy and floral, and other times a bit sporty; thus the schizophrenic nature of my sartorial tastes… these very different styles are constantly clashing together in my wardrobe, sometimes meeting in a mishmash of an outfit for a day, sometimes donned in a pure distillation of a recognised style.  
Perhaps it’s just that I like to experiment in both my sewing and with my “look”.
Today I am purely Japanese.
Oh, except for the raggedy old hat (romantic)… and the tennis shoes (sporty)…
So I guess, not so purely Japanese after all! 

About the other pictures; I snapped these samples of the local wildlife floating past the jetty this morning.  Black swans, natch, our state fauna and emblem, and after which this river is named.
And the jellyfish… relax, these ones are harmless.  I learnt to swim in this river, as did my kids, and one soon learnt to gently swoosh them aside during swimming lessons!

Details:
Top; top “b” from Unique Clothes Any Way You Like, by Natsuno Hiraiwa, white cotton, first posted here
Skirt; skirt “d” from Unique Clothes Any Way You Like, by Natsuno Hiraiwa, silver crepe first posted here, I styled this skirt styled in 6 different ways here
Hat and shoes; Country Road

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Canary yellow suit-y thing

05/01/2011 4:08 am \ 12 Comments \

Digging into the archives…
This is a photo of a suit-y sort of a thing that I made to wear to my brother’s wedding, twenty years ago…  actually I still have this outfit and it still fits like a dream although obviously I never wear it anymore.  I still have these shoes too, because they were my own wedding shoes, so obviously I’m never letting those go either..!  
I’ve kept this ensemble all these years because at the time I made it up so super carefully, and sorta poured my heart and soul into making it perfect.  One of the first outfits where I went to a big effort to finish the inside as nicely as I could.  Contrast this with my previous attitude; oh no one is ever going to see the inside, who cares how it looks?  Man, how I’ve moved on…  So this outfit was a sewing turning point for me.
It is from a quite stiff-bodied linen mix, and the pattern was a Burda pattern, which is long gone so I can’t give the number, sorry.  I do recall it had no seam allowances, so back in those days…  It’s probably hard to see in this photo; but the little jacket has a lovely button band at the front, the top three quarters of which has one of those extra button tab thingies underneath to hide the buttons underneath, so only the top button and the two bottom buttons are left visible and on display at the waistline.  And those little puffy sleeves folded closed with buttons.  And a waist tie at the back to nip in the waist.  And that big three-quarter length pleated skirt.  It’s a very 90’s look, no?   Although I’ve just realised now that this look is very similar to and so most probably has its roots in the new Dior look, which hearkens back from the 40’s.  Which just goes to show.  Everything old is new again.

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Scrap dress

04/01/2011 5:18 am \ 23 Comments \

You know how after a sewing project is finished you nearly always end up with scraps, sometimes of such a decent size you can’t toss them out… but not enough to do anything with on their own.  So sometimes I try to actually cobble these scraps together to make some sort of wearable thing.  This is a plan that meets with variable success… 
In spite of which, I’ve made a simple little day dress, out of some of my most recently generated scraps.  I think it will be OK for this summer.  Basically it was a free dress.  Oh, OK I did have to buy a zip, so technically it cost a couple of dollars.
I used New Look 6699 again, modified.  I kind of winged the skirt, as I didn’t have enough fabric for anything.  This one falls somewhere in between the two in the pattern; more A-line that the pencil version, but not as wide as the other.  The lower tiers are all attached under the hem of the top skirt.  I hemmed some but not all of the tiers, because I like the idea of the skirt getting a little raggedy and frayed, I think this look will accentuate the vaguely peasant-y vibes the dress has already.
I also altered the neckline of the bodice and put in a picture below of the bodice and pattern pieces, for the following reason:  My sister-in-law and I were recently discussing a pattern which she had dismissed because it was a V neck, but of course the neckline of a bodice is the easiest thing to alter about a pattern.  You don’t have to cut along the lines of the pattern, just cut out the one you prefer.  Also this pattern has sun-dressy straps with buttons closure at the back while I wanted a one-piece back bodice, so I just pinned the two pieces together and cut out as illustrated below in the photo.  One thing to keep in mind, if you do this you will need a longer zip…  This fabric is the leftovers from Sam’s shirt.

This is a close-up of the shot cotton fabric I used for Craig’s shirt, the leftovers of which are the midriff and the lower tier of my new dress.  Here you can see the bright blue warp and the neon yellow weft.  Amazing to think such a subdued colour can come from these brights, no?

The bodice is lined with the leftovers of the primrose voile I used for the petticoat of my Christmas dress.  The scraps of the Christmas dress itself have been used as one of the skirt tiers, and as bias binding on the neck and armhole edges.  Actually I think this bright floral bias binding against the black and white check turned out to be my favourite feature of this dress.

The other blue skirt tier is from the very last leftovers from this shirt and this dress.
The skirt front and back is the leftovers from this dress.

Detail:
Dress; New Look 6699 with modifications, partly my own design, various cottons
Sandals; Mican by Joanne Mercer, from Hobbs shoes
Nail varnish; BYS Mint Condition

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All dressed up with no place to go…

03/01/2011 5:46 am \ 10 Comments \

This dress is sooo cool and light and easy.  It’s funny to think this was last year’s Christmas dress… it’s done pretty well.  Perhaps getting a bit “round the house-ish” but still quite nice.  So here I am today, all dressed up kinda nice to venture out to the shops.  But this is the thing…
The funny thing about Australia is that from Christmas Day until well past New Years Day, almost nothing happens.  By that I mean, a lot of shops and businesses will be shut.   Christmas Day being on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, so of course both Monday and Tuesday last week were public holidays.  It’s almost a whole week of near shut-down.  Some of the BIG stores have BIG sales, but sensible people avoid those like the plague.
So it’s like this.  The kids are on holidays and it has been extremely hot; I feel like all of us are slumping into a heat induced coma and we are starting to forget what day it is… which is partly why I decided today was the day to rouse myself.   I should get out and tick a few errands off my list, make a few essential purchases at the grocery store.  My inner just-do-it gal is screaming at me to… well, just do it.   So off I trot only to find the streets deserted for yet another day.  Whaaaat?  Ohhhh, New Years’ Day delayed public holiday…. turn around and drive home again.
Luckily for me, I have a little local supermarket I walk to nearly every day which will be open for any essentials, but, well it’s not every day I can motivate myself to actually drive places, park and get bigger business done.
I hope I can get motivated all over again tomorrow…

Details:
Dress; Simplicity 3745, modified to be slimmer fitting, lined and with pockets, white dotted swiss voile and lace
Sandals; Vincenzo, from Soletta shoes
Bag; Gucci
Sunnies; RayBans

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Sam’s shirt

02/01/2011 2:50 am \ 10 Comments \

This is the shirt I made for our youngest for a Christmas present.  The funny thing about making this shirt was that I cut it out and made it up with absolutely no attempt at secrecy whatsoever, and it was still a surprise to him when he opened up his present!  Luckily a happy surprise…   Yah, Sam is not particularly observant of or interested in my sewing projects, but will sometimes grudgingly give approval or advice when pressed.
This shirt is just the thing for his style.  Sort of conservative, but with the youthful twist.  He currently likes to look a tiny bit cool, but not really.  Sorta hip while still wanting some invisibility.  Just… well, a teenager.
The fabric is cotton check, a bit scrunchy and randomly creased like Tim’s, but is not stretchy and was correspondingly a lot easier to work with.  In fact I love this fabric.
I used the old faithful Burda 7767, with the following modifications; the addition of two bias cut breast pockets with shaped bias cut flaps, shorter sleeves, added sleeve tabs and shoulder tabs, a longer curved hemline, and the use of silver snaps in lieu of buttons throughout.  I also later added an iron motif, like I did for Tim’s shirt, but this isn’t in the photo I took on Christmas Day here, because … oh, kind of long story.  Basically when we were in Spotlight choosing Tim’s motif (Tim was still away working) I asked Sam which one he liked the best.  He promptly and without hesitation chose a square motif with a sailing ship, which was quite cute but I also knew would not look cool on the shirt I was making.  I felt the rearing lion one would look really good.   So I secretly bought this one as well, and slipped them both in the pocket of the shirt when I wrapped it for Sam to decide.  And then he chose the rearing lion too… so I put the rearing lion on and we still have the sailing ship for some other shirt down the track…  
This motif is from the same horoscope collection as Tim’s raging bull; similarly Sam is no more a Leo than Tim is a Taurus… but look at us, defying the system…
I’m a Libra, but I’ve always felt a bit gypped at the mundanity of being represented by an inanimate object; a pair of scales, for heavens’ sake.  The other signs get all this cool stuff like bulls, scorpions, entwining fish and other interesting and/or virile animals, or cool centaurs, beautiful girls, water bearing maidens… the stuff of myth and legend; romantic fables of old.  Scales.  I ask you…  What’s more, I’ve just looked up Libra and,  well thank you Wikipedia, found it described as “fairly faint, with no first magnitude stars”.  Just couldn’t sound more lame…  as if we weren’t struggling with the whole stigma of a kitchen-device-as-our-mascot already…
Excuse my rambling, hehe.  I’m going to go and chill out with some fabric now.

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2010 in quick review

01/01/2011 6:58 am \ 15 Comments \

I should have done this yesterday, but hey, better late than never…
Last night I sat back and had a quick nostalgic roll-through of the blog and  came to the happy conclusion 2010 was a very good year for me;  a sprinkling of sad days, yes it’s true, but many happy and fun days, joyous moments with new friends and old friends, and lots of sewing and replenishing of the old wardrobe…
I’ve picked out my personal favourite photos and outfits; just one highlight from each month.  For some months I had several favourites and it was hard to narrow down, while for other drier months I was struggling to find even one good one…! (cough, June, cough!)  That’s life, no?  
Well, I hope you enjoy this little snapshot of my year in fashion, and I am looking forward to another year of sartorial experimentation and lots of creativity…  please join me!
Happy New Year!!

January
I joined Wardrobe Refashion and got more serious about re-using old and preloved textiles (first posted here)

February
Started to venture out more with my camera (though still to this day prefer solitude!)… here

March
Hanging out at Dunsborough, here

April
Did the Cape to Cape walk with Craig here  (134.5 km trekking and carrying everything we needed for 6 days!)

May
We attended the Amanda Young Foundation Ball here (and I documented the making of this dress during April)

June
Winter-y layers… here

July
got in early with the making of the season’s cocktail dress here.  I’ve worn this at least a dozen times over the last season

August
a blustery day with my trench, my favourite skirt (still) and my new cowl knit here

September
a whole month of documenting my daily handmade outfits, this was my favourite day hanging out in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens here

October
Not the first bathers I’ve made myself, but I reckon an improvement on my previous efforts… here

November
Still walking m’dog every day… here

and finally, December… and the Christmas dress here

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Cassie’s dress

31/12/2010 3:38 am \ 19 Comments \

This is the dress I made our daughter for her Christmas present this year.  I know her tastes very well and could picture exactly the dress I wanted to make for her, but was quite anxious about how to go about it.  Cassie is the most difficult one in the family for me to sew surprises for, for the following reasons:

1. In order for her to like it, it had to fit her perfectly; neither tight or clingy, or worse, saggy and baggy.
2. I wanted it to be a length that made both of us happy.  Once upon a time, not too long ago, if you had drawn up as a simple Venn diagram of preferred dress/skirt lengths for Cassie, comprising two sets representing mine and Cassie’s preferences; the intersection of the two sets would have been quite a tiny one.  Luckily she has grown up some and is aware that while barely bum-skimming skirts might be greatly appreciated by guys when a girl bends over to pick something up, that sight of publicly exposed knickers is often a moment of horrified self-awareness for that same girl’s friends.  “OMG, don’t tell me I’ve ever looked like that?!!
3. She loves sewing herself, so is always super aware of what I am currently sewing.  She also loves to go through the fabric stash, looking for something suitable for herself, and often wants to come with me if I go fabric shopping.  This makes embarking on a secretive project an extreme challenge.

So, how to make her a secret Christmas dress, that fitted perfectly, and of a length that she would be happy with?
Well of course, it couldn’t really be much of a secret in the end.  But she has a sense of humour and we managed a compromise… she stood in the laundry with her eyes shut while I did the fitting.  Again with her eyes shut, a mutually satisfying length was decided on.  The surprise for her was just the final look.
The stretch lace I used for this very simple Tshirt dress is of course see-through on its own, so I lined the dress completely with a soft silky like jersey matched in colour to the dress.  The sleeves are unlined.  I positioned the body and sleeve pieces on the length of fabric so the natural edging edges the sleeves and lower hem.  The seams are all overlocked to finish on the inside.  I didn’t finish the lower edge of the lining because it is that wonderful type of jersey that never frays. 
I think she looks just beautiful in it.
And she loves it too, so I couldn’t ask for a more happy result!

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