Makeup blogging

Oops, looks like I haven't made anything for the last month! I have really...

The weekend before last I made a frock for our work Christmas party held at the sumptuous Plaza Ballroom underneath the Regent Theatre.

I used some vintage-looking red brocade I've had sitting in the stash for some years. I used good ol' Vogue 9668 - unfortunately I made it a bit tight so had to take out the back midriff section, unpick the darts, and add a new slightly bigger one in... what a pain! But it all turned out nicely in the end
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I also made a version of Made By Rae's free Buttercup Bag to go with the frock. I reduced it to 70% on the photocopier so it came out tiny - just right for my phone and keys.

A fine night was had by all!

This weekend I had the laziest Saturday - as in I did nothing bar read a book or two. I decided that Sunday should make up for it so I made a frock.

Last week I got a delivery from equilter of yards of fabric - so I preshrank some yesterday (OK, so I did one thing yesterday!). I got a couple of the Germania quilting fabrics - this one is a sort of petri dish arrangements of germlike things (the other looks like cell structures - haven't decided on what to make with that one yet).

I used New Look 6867 - it's rather like 6557, but with wider straps. I made view B, then decided to try the 'knots' - little bands that cinch the straps. I like the look so I'll keep them.


Then I decided I was on a roll so I should make another. Plus it rained and hailed today and 17c - it's meant to be Summer! No complaints here though, I hate hot weather.

So I got out this fab Tiki Totem quilting fabric and used another old reliable pattern - Butterick Retro 6522 - with New Look 6557 skirt. Such a quick sew this one!


One thing about all this rain - the garden sure is looking lush!

JAPAN!

It is almost a year since Kitty and I went to JAPAN! Since then, the Yen has jumped against the li'l aussie dollar (in fact every currency has, I don't know why since we are apparently in 'better shape' than other western countries hit by the financial crisis, but I am not an economist or an accountant or anything like that so I don't know why that should be, but I digress...) Short story is, no going to JAPAN! this year.

So instead I made a vaguely JAPAN! inspired frock from the vaguely JAPAN!ese print I bought today (yes, I was going to make something from the stash, but since that was going to be a spotty frock and I used it to make the reversible doiley bolero the other day [or should I say 'the other year'] I didn't have enough).
So I made this instead
The top is the lovely vintage Butterick 8149 and the skirt is the straight 'un from Vogue 9668 (I like that one because it is a has hip room).

It is such a quick make. Would have been quicker if I wasn't faffing around repotting Mrs Butt the Bouganvillia and harvesting tomatoes and defrosting prawns.

Frockaversary frocks.

I promised Kitty I would make frocks as penance for missing our blogaversary. In a rare fit of over achievement, I made three (well, two and a half since one still needs straps)

1) Cherryspot - I cut this one out last week and sewed it on Saturday:
- another version of the 1970's Style 6388, with the straight skirt from Vogue 9668 frankensteined onto it.

2) New Look 6557 View D with straight skirt from New Look 6699 instead of the full skirt.
This is in honour of my recent visit to Assisi - it is St Francis in all sorts of poses with his friendly sheep, wolves, goats etc. When I got it Kitty reckoned it looked like he was standing on clouds of algae, which is quite true if you look.

3) (or 2 1/2) - Style 6388 View 3 (without the band) out of some lovely black cotton broderie anglaise with a lovely border that I used for the top and the skirt hems. I haven't decided if I am going to line it or just wear different coloured slips underneath (it is seethrough without one, being broderie anglaise).
The material isn't really suitable for straps, so I will have to find some lace or grosgrain ribbon or something else suitable.

making up

I didn't buy much at the fifties fair this year, because I swore this time I wouldn't buy any patterns that weren't my size - and there weren't many of them, none of which floated my boat (hey, I wore my sailor frock, I can say that!). However, I did get some cute Venice border print and the other Enid Gilchrist book, but I seem to have forgotten to photograph them... I shall fix that forthwith.
However, the traditional Saturday-before-the-fair-fabric-shopping was excellent, as Kitty mentioned :


A lovely assortment of silk and a cotton hitchhiker - clockwise from right top is stretch burgundy/cream stretch silk, then black cotton broderie, then border print silk (charmeuse perhaps?), and self-spotted black silk.

I had the day off today, so I have mostly completed a slip in the stretch silk. I only have the straps and hem to go - I didn't feel up to turning straps this evening.


We also some wool knit marked 'jersey', but it was heavier than I think of as jersey - almost like a light doubleknit. So, today I also made good ol' Vogue 9668, leaving out the zip and facing the neckline part in viscose knit. Turned out well, I think.

I also got some grey viscose/elastane which wasn't interesting as a photograph. I made a 3/4 sleeve version of the $5 knockoff today.

Today was a good day.