Norma Tullo

Hi there good lookin! How’s your week been? I’ve been a busy little bee myself sewing up some new dresses and doing a lot of research for today’s post.

It’s also our national day tomorrow – Australia day, and my friends and I will be celebrating by having a picnic and watching a classic Aussie film The Castle in the backyard projected up onto a sheet.

So now let’s learn a little more about one of Australia’s most prominent designers from the 60s. 

Norma Tullo

Grain lines, cut and Ossie Clark

While working on Simplicity 3833 for the sew along I thought I'd work on Burda 10/2011 which requests you to cut your skirt piece on the bias, and I wondered how this will make the end garment look, especially cause this pic isn't that great for detail. I decided to do some reading on grain lines and cut to understand more

In my research I came across some articles about Ossie Clark which spoke of his talent at being able to cut a garment well. I was rather confused because it obviously didn't mean that he was good at holding scissors and I knew it had something to do with getting his garments to fit women in a flattering way, but I still didn't know what it meant when a garment was well cut! 

Sunday's on the phone to Monday

Well, that dreaded day has come - tomorrow I go back to work after 3 weeks off. I'm kinda looking forward to it, but I'm sure the novelty will wear off by 9:30. 

The last week of holidays was well spent, I went to the MCA in Sydney to see the Yoko Ono exhibit, visited friends and got lots of housework done. And I also had a huge pile of opp-shop finds that needed new hems or some fitting changes made to them. (One dress I had been waiting to fix for 2 years!)

So unfortunately there are no new fancy new things to show of this week, but I have been spending a lot of time on Pinterest looking for work outfit ideas. I'd like to share with you some of my favourite looks which if I could I'd pluck them off the screen and wear them to work!

That would save a lot time in the morning... 

Paulene Stone

I'm Just mad about Saffron

"...Saffrons mad about me"

Oh Donovan! How many post titles can I come up with from his lyrics? Perhaps we can discuss that another time, because now I have my finished dress to show you! 

The Simplicity Sewing book 1969

Why hello there and welcome to 2014!! I hope your New Years celebrations were filled with lots of fun and sparklers!

I'd like to share with you today some images from the Simplicity 1969 sewing book. Two of my favourite things combined - sewing and the 60s! (in case you couldn't tell) 

The book itself is like most sewing books, with instructions in a lot of basic techniques and tips on how to use Simplicity patterns, but this one also comes with advertisements for sewing products and full colour fashion photos - Fun!*

*Mine also includes scribbles from a budding artist wielding a ball point! See if you can spot them!

Lets take a look!

Front cover

2013 boast post and 2014 to do list!

It's New Years Eve here in Oz, and all around the world, bloggers are preparing cute cocktails, decorative bunting, sparkly outfits and end of year posts to share with the their readers. So here now is my very own 2013 boast post!

Despite only starting this blog in May, I'm so happy and grateful to you all for where this blog has ended up! In 8 months I've gathered a nice little group of readers who are all so nice and friendly! 

And I'm really proud of most of the garments I've made, but once they are made, what happens with them? Did I actually enjoy the dresses I made? Lets have a look!

Yellow is the colour of my true loves hair

Hello hello there!

How was your Christmas? Are you still enjoying left overs? We were up until yesterday but we finally had a proper dinner tonight which I made from the Jamie Saves cook book that my dearest mum got me for Christmas. He’s a clever man that Jamie – releasing cookbooks right at the end of the year. My dear mum doesn't even need to ask what to buy me anymore. It’s just Jamie Oliver cook books by default – which I’m OK with!

Among other Jamie Oliver kitchen-y things, the bible-sized Fabric Sewing Guide and The Wes Anderson Collection, (Yay) I also got two Biba books – Big Biba and Seamless. I also asked for Biba: The experience from my sister-from-another-mister Nicole, but I have to wait for the postman to bring that all the way from England for me!

In the meantime I've been working away at my mustard yellow Simplicity 7296

In a nice change of pace, this dress has some rather interesting structural elements to it instead of just a zipper and a couple darts.