Here are the curtains I made for our master bedroom. Oh, I did warn you that most of my curtains were simply boring rectangles… so I hope expectations haven’t been raised too high… I expect my curtains to be simple and functional and easy to make. Tick, tick and tick; these curtains fitted this criteria perfectly.
The one slightly ornamental detail on these curtains is that they have been cut about 1.5m too long, so they spill out on the floor in a kind of drapey pile of fabric, which I like the look of; suggests opulence and plenty in the manner of Marie Antoinette, no? Well, I like it anyway… If there is one room in the house where decadence and opulence and self-indulgence can run riot then the master bedroom can expect to be first in line.
Our bedroom faces the front yard and the street, so privacy is an essential, at the same time I simply must be able to have daylight in any room I’m in; this lace back-curtain does the trick beautifully. When we first hung it up we spent a few minutes racing inside and out reassuring ourselves how invisible (or not) we are on the inside from the street, and I’m happy to report complete daytime screening is provided by these lace backdrops, as long as at night-time you don’t turn the light on and have the green chenille curtains open. In that case you may as well be on-stage in a theatre…
The curtains are simply moss green chenille rectangles, width two and a half times the width of the curtain rod, with curtaining tape sewn to the top, then triple pleat hooks inserted in the appropriate casings on the tape. The lace backdrop is simply threaded onto a white pole through a top casing; and the pole perched on top of the curtain brackets. Easy peasy.
(OK, I did have to pull the bed out quite a way to get this full length picture of the curtains…! usually the bed obscures half of this view)
Today’s random picture below: seen on my walk this morning
Bedroom curtains
Pacific Blue shirt

Today is my youngest’s birthday! And as his shirt collection is sparse and he has about as much enthusiasm for clothes shopping as many of us reserve for root canal treatment I decided to surprise him with a new addition to his wardrobe. He does like clothes, just hates the whole choosing and purchasing process; a common condition amongst teenage boys… I was a bit worried about making something that he would be sure to like; so checked out a few surf shops first and immediately noticed that Aussie teenage surf clothing is made out of the most unlikely and bizarre fabrics!! the kinds of fabrics most of us home fashion designers would leave behind in amazement and disgust! So when I went fabric hunting I looked for something “unexpected”. I think I found it in this very bright turquoise stripe, no? Definitely not a print that traditionally whispers “teenage boy”, but in keeping with my research… still I worried that it would be too bright and even trialled staining an off-cut with coffee. I then asked his opinion (sneakily pretending I was making a blouse for myself) but he definitely preferred the bright version! Luckily he loves his shirt and has been wearing it all day.
I made it using Burda 7767 again, tailored to fit his size based on other shirts in his wardrobe… The modifications I made were: substituting press studs for buttons throughout, adding two shaped breast pockets with pocket flaps, shoulder tabs and sleeve tabs on the inside of the sleeves so he can roll his sleeves up. I also shaped the hemline as he likes his shirt to be hanging out…
Ambrosial hoodie
Today I am wearing my newest cardigan, knitted last September. As is my usual bad habit I didn’t use a pattern but just made it up as I went along. This one has two different sized knitted-in pockets on the front, and a hoodie at the back. I went ahead with the hoodie because when the cardigan was completed I had so much leftover wool I thought why not? And I like hoodies. I feel more “with it” with my hoodie on. Even if it is of the hand-knitted variety; not exactly upping ma street cred here, but meh. Yo ready for dis!
The colour of this yarn is Ambrosia. Don’t you just love that word? I so prefer yarns to have named colour palettes, rather than a number. The right name can set off my imagination; evoking a rich daydream of imagery to spark off enthusiasm for my project. The name Ambrosia is perfect for this acidic blend of apple cider, lime and honeydew colours with small blobs of butter-yellow thrown in the mix. This sort of a word can really get the creative juices flowing. Far more so than picking up a yarn and noting the name of this colour is a technical and clinical “S102″… which may in itself be a particularly vibrant and gorgeous blend of colours worthy of some far more imaginative moniker. Yes, Noro, I’m looking at you…! although they are not the only offenders by any means… How about ditching the numbers and dreaming up something a bit more evocative for these woolly feasts for the eyes?
Has anyone else thought the same thought? or am I the only one pining for a bit of poetry in the wool aisle?
And on that note, below; a portrait of my parent’s neighbour’s lawn-mower…enjoy!
Details:
Cardigan; my own design, knitted from Jo Sharp Silk Road DK Tweed in Ambrosia
Top; Metalicus
Jeans; Little Big
Boots; Andrea and Joen, from Uggy’s in Dunsborough
Bush jumpers
Today I have for you two bush jumpers…
(btw, the above title is supposed to be a play on words as here in Australia a “jumper” is what in the US is referred to as a “sweater”… I’ve lived over there so I am aware of the lingo differences! could fill a book with funny anecdotes of these!)
Reminds me of the old joke from many years ago: What do you get when you cross a sheep with a kangaroo?
Answer: A woolly jumper
Sorry. I know. Not as hilarious as it was thirty years ago…
I do have a kind-of funny generation-gap story for today; today Mum and I had morning tea with some of her friends. Visualise, if you will, mostly retired ladies sitting around a table in the country pub. Newly arrived lady comes up to the table and says, with dramatic flourish and eyes shining with excitement: “Girls I have some very exciting new for you!!” Queries of “Oooh, what, what?” Pause for effect, then “Last night I heard a barking owl!!!” Cue all-round cries of surprise and delight… I was later informed that barking owls are endangered, thus the great importance of the announcement.
I expect in twenty years or so I might be very interested in barking owls too.
I knitted this jumper for myself about five years ago, just bought some wool and knitted to my own design. It’s been a while since I followed a proper knitting pattern actually. A few years later and I feel it is best suitable for the country; warm but not very gorgeous. I think I made it too wide across the shoulders. It’s very loose and bulky and feels a bit like I’m wearing a man’s jumper. Don’t expect any close-ups.
Details:
Jumper; my own design, knitted from Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran Tweed in ?Natural?
Jeans; Little Big
Boots: Andrea and Joen, from Uggy’s in Dunsborough
Hot pink and khaki in the bush…
I knitted this mossy green scarf about eight years ago. It was a wool kit from Ivy and Maude, composed of an eclectic range of different yarns. Perfect for keeping the neck warm on a winter weekend away at my parent’s house in the country…From sack to svelte
A wardrobe re-fashion:
I had been planning to make myself a useful LBD for winter this year but struck gold at the secondhand shop… I felt incredibly lucky when I found this at a price less than fabric would have cost me! It’s a Cue dress, which is quite a good label in Australia. It’s made of a good quality sturdy stretch fabric. He he, I just checked the label which says viscose/polyester/nylon/elastane mix, which sounds Hideous with a capital H!, but is actually feels pretty good to wear. It’s a still-fashionable sombre dark charcoal. The only problem with it was it’s sack-like shape. Unfitted tunics were the IN thing a few years ago in Australia and I am guilty of buying, or should I say sewing, into that trend myself too, see here… Yikes!
This year I prefer a more fitted look. I have no wish to be asked when is the baby due, thanks… and yes, that has happened!!
Luckily the zip in this dress is in the centre back, making it an easy matter to bring in the side seams at the torso tapering down to the hips and sew in a couple of unobtrusive long darts on the front.
Voila! New gothic chic!
Details:
Dress; Cue, found secondhand and altered by me
Petticoat; Metalicus
Tights, Kolotex, David Jones
Booties; Django and Juliette, Zomp
“Jailbreak” dress
Remember this fabric and pattern?
Well I made it up over the weekend and submitted a review of the pattern to Pattern Review. I’m still getting the hang of that site. The other day I realised (lightbulb going off!) that the C beside your review meant there were Comments!! Also finally worked out how to link to my photos to get a bigger photo displayed, a lot of my comments were complaining, and rightly, that only the thumbnail photo wasn’t enough…! I think I might sign up for a bit longer; at first I just signed up for the free month trial and am debating whether or not to continue with a paid membership…
Anyhoo, here is my review of Vogue 1087. I know this dress seems a bit out of context for Australia, it being winter and all, and I still have some winter sewing to complete before I can get onto spring wardrobe planning. But I just went ahead on a whim…
Details:
Dress, Vogue 1087, cotton jersey knit
Shoes; Sandler, from the Salvos op shop
Birthday scarf
Today is my brother’s birthday! 😀 (yay)
Since for Dad’s birthday I made him a scarf I decided to make D one too, so bought 3 balls of this lovely soft Vera Moda yarn and got knitting. Dad’s scarf was of moss stitch, you may remember my strong opinions about the both sides of scarves looking the same, :/ , thus ruling out stocking stitch… this time I went for rib; simply cast on 20 stitches and just carried on until all three balls were knitted. As it turned out this made for a looooong scarf (approx 5ft long!), no matter; my oldest son thought it was cool, worked out a cool way of arranging it and is modelling it here today (isn’t he handsome?)
I’ve been thinking about Mum’s opinion that D is a Winter and I think she’s right, so this dark dark charcoal I think will look really good on him…
The scarf was supposed to have been ready on Saturday, when we saw the family, but even though I’ve been knitting like a maniac to get it finished it just wasn’t done! So it’s been popped in the letterbox for when he gets home from work… hopefully a nice surprise!






































