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!
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.
Hello again to you! Just popping in now to wish you all a Merry Christmas wherever you are in the world and thank you so much for all you kindness since I started this little blog in May. I've made some really great bloggy friends and you've all had such nice things to say which really helps in wanting to keep posting more and more sewing projects!
If at any point during the next few days I get to take a break from eating, drinking and watching terrible Christmas movies, I'll get back behind that sewing machine and hopefully whip out something in time for New Years!
Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful next few days and that all the presents on your wish list are brought down your chimney by Jimi Hendrix in a Santa suit!
We're having a stinker of a heatwave currently - 38 degrees today - that's 100 for my American pals. And I've been ever so lucky to get what seems to be my 100th cold this year. Another fever to enjoy in the middle of all this heat. yay...
Its really hard to want to sew in this kind of weather, but the boy and I have decided to resolve the issue by buying a portable air-conditioner which will arrive just in time for the heatwave to end!
The crickets seem to like it however - their singing their happy little songs while the sun beats down and wilts my garden. At least there are no water restrictions this year so I water it every evening.
In the mean time, I have been planning what I want to achieve over this summer. Would you like to know what I'll be up to?
Lauren from Rosie Wednesday is hosting a shift dress sew along and has been kind enough to invite me to help rally up the troops!
We will be sewing with Simplicity 3833 - which you can buy at your local sewing shop or online.
It's a 1960's reproduction pattern so I just had to say yes! Pop over to Lauren's blog to take a look at her excellent introduction video, the schedule and to grab a badge for your blog. You can see mine at the bottom left!
Also I've just cut the pattern for my next sewing project. When I bought the fabric I was planning to use Vogue 7219 which I used for this project. That was until I received Simplicity 7296 in the mail. I didn't realise it, but the two patterns are incredibly similar.
The one notable difference is that the back on the Vogue dress has a seam down the middle and the Simplicity version is a one piece back.
Also the simplicity version comes with a belt tie and a short sleeve option. Have you ever bought a pattern which just ends up being exactly the same as another pattern you own? I've done that a few times!
I've decided to use the Simplicity version as I've not used it yet, and I'll be making it from this textured mustard silk that I bought from The Fabric Shop in Surry Hills. It very light like silk, but it feels like wool. I love this fabric! It's ticks so many boxes.
This dress will be perfect for Autumn and work days in the freezing cold office!
Also on the sewing pile is a completely different style of dress than normal. I've wanted a late 60s/70's style maxi dress (dare I say hippy style?) for awhile and I found a really nice chiffon to go with it!
The pattern was a bit trickier to find because there are so many patterns that look like what I wanted, but I settled on Burda 10/2011. Though with my obsession with bishop sleeves I'll probably be making those sleeves a lot bigger!
Also there I have a massive pile of UFO's (Un-finished objects) and opp-shop purchases that need modifying. I plan to set aside a day or two to concentrate on these. Throw in festive activities, and happy little day trips outside our lovely Sydney, I'm gonna be a busy girl over these next few weeks!
Luckily though, all the Christmas gift shopping is done and we're going to my sisters house for Christmas lunch, so I wont need to spend the next few days planning, shopping and cooking for that! Phew!
What plans have you got for yourself over the Christmas break? Will you be making Christmas dinner or doing any sewing?
Enjoy the next few days lovelies and try not to leave the gift shopping till the night before!
Ooh my it's been awhile since I've posted an actual project!
But I have still been sewing and scheming (and working and slothing about) and holidays are only a few days away! So many UFOs to finish and opp-shopped clothes to repair
For now however, I bring you my reproduction of Biba's gingham shift...
Back when this blog was just a twinkle in my eye (approx 10 min before registering it) I had planned on focusing on only reproducing iconic 60's dresses and other garments. But after a moment of panic about possibly being in trouble for breaching Intellectual property rules or being dubbed a lazy copy cat by other vintage lovers, I put that idea at the bottom on my 'blog post ideas' list
But now I've finally gotten over my initial worries and have decided to try replicating a dress which seems to no longer exist except in books and memories.
I haven't woke up early enough on a Saturday in awhile to be able to go to the opp shop, which closes at 12. (Yes I sometimes sleep till 12, what of it?)
But today I had to go to the post office (which also closes at 12) so I on my way back I popped into the ole' reliable opp shop for some goodies!
Sometimes I read all those clever crafty blogs and wonder where they come up with all their DIY ideas, I think they get them from books like this...
How awesome is that 3D bird? There's lots of other nice ideas in there!
This swirl painted bangle and a neat little tin. I love to collect tins and other box-type things.
When I spotted this scarf I thought it was a new-ish reproduction from a chain store, but the label says Rayon and made in Japan, to me that says 70s, so yay!
This opp shop I go to, isn't often that forthcoming with fab clothes, but I took a quick peek at the jacket rack and found this 80s Liz Claiborne wool boucle blazer. And in my size! Awesome!
I also took my chance at the fabric box and pulled out almost all the contents until I found this purple stretch velvet. There's only about 1/2 a meter there so I might get a flippy miniskirt out of it if I'm lucky
In that same box I found a half finished blouse. It's almost finished so why not get it right? And then in the craft box I found a zip-loc bag with with some of the other parts of the top! Great! So now I can finish it...
And then to cap it off, I found the actual pattern (Butterick 4631) in the patterns box! All 3 parts separated and now brought back together. Yay!
And last but not least, in the record crate which is normally full of musicals and classical stuff, I found this record
I didn't actually know who Buffy Sainte Marie is, but she looked a little like Vix from Vintage Vixen and I liked her dress so into my shopping basket she went.
Turns out Buffy Sainte Marie is a well known Canadian First Nations singer/songwriter. She wrote 'Universal Soldier' which became a hit for Donovan and had many other songs covered by other well known singers and spent her formative years in the Greenwich Village alongside other Canadian musicians Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchel
I'm not sure which one was the best score today - the record or the half-finished top!
None the less, for a total of $15 it was a good day!
Are you planning on visiting your local oppy this weekend?
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