Robe 'n' Roll

So, when you come home from a hard day's slog at the coalmine, you face the eternal question: do I get straight on to making that cheese 'n' bacon toasted sandwich, or do I sew that dressing gown I cut out eons ago while staying at mum's house?

Tonight's answer: make the robe, then grill the bacon, then melt the cheese, then enjoy.

Pattern: New Look 6443 - I went looking for the simplest dressing gown pattern I could find, and New Look were 1/2 price at Spottie so there you go. And so easy too!

We have a winner

Stay tuned...

The blue and white spots I bought at Spotlight today are going to be frankensteined as per your suggestion moggy, using the wrap blouse from the top pattern, and the A line skirt from necky. (I got home from work early, and I've already started!)

The blue is darker than it appears in this photo, damn sunshine!

two weeks to go!

What are we going to wear? A reminder of last year's frocks. How glam are we, with our shoes in bin bags?

Out out damn spot!

I do love spots. They make me happy, and doing a quick wardrobe audit apparently they are second only to leopard in the pattern stakes (followed by skulls). Anyway, here is the Anne Adams mail order pattern and matching bolero. It's reversible you know.

Pini est fini

Black with pink pinstripe jacket from this pattern.

It's a bit shorter than I was expecting, and as I made it out of stretch poly as a wearable muslin, it's difficult to get a crisp pressed finish. It doesn't help that I use a self timer, and after placing the camera, checking where I should stand, and rushing to pose, I always end up sort of crumpled, facings a-go-go. I actually think I like it better now that I see it in photos, I thought it was even boxier than this when looking in the mirror.

I didn't end up lining it, because I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of it, and hey, I'm lazy.

Patterns Patterns Patterns Patterns!

The pattern stashes swell, thanks to the lovely Lisa's ebay store 'Special Patterns for Special Days'.

Six patterns.

Lovely. Six patterns in the mail, yay. Six vintage patterns on the way too.
Today's haul includes one each of these for Moggy and I. I'm seeing it in spots!

It's not really cheating!

I'm feeling so bad about not doing enough sewing that I am posting past frocks (and one jacket) in order to prove my sewing chops.
Not that I sew meat!


From the right:

1. Dress in leopard shantung made from Butterick 4513
2. Virgin of Guadalupe dress from some forgotten shirtdress pattern
3. Sundress from Baddana quilting cotton, Style 1079 AKA the seventies-pattern-that-looks-fifties
4. Peephole cheongsam adapted from a couple of other patterns, out of chinese brocade
5. Piped jacket adapted from Simplicity 9474

Avoidence techniques

Yes, so I dragged out a tiny sewing machine table and my old cardboard cutting mat, then I dragged out some patterns... the sewing machine is still in the jungle... where are my scissors? Where are my pins? It is all too difficult. Maybe I should trace off some of the newly arrived patterns... but anyway, instead I have been organising the patterns and pictures on my computer, and added the lovely slideshow on the right (thanks to the lovely Lisa at The Hemline for the inspiration).

Oh, and eating passionfruit sponge from Green Refrectory in Brunswick. That woman can sure bake a spongecake.

Here's one I prepared earlier

Since my sewing room is out of commission at the moment, I feel I need to post some frocks I made before (I don't think I have posted any of them before ...)
First cab off the rank is a delightful sundress in scary evil circus clown print (having rampant coulraphobia, how could I resist?). This is from a fifties-looking-but-actually-seventies pattern I can't find an image of at the mo, but I have made at least four dresses from it. I love a midriff panel!



Next we have a barkcloth sarong dress with flying back panel, made specifically to go to the tiki bar in Richmond, and after seeing a fabulous exhibition of fifties hawaiian resort wear at the museum. This one was adapted from a retro simplicity pattern.

And last we have Eiffel, made from the ever-popular Vogue 9668 pattern, with pink bias binding. I love bias binding too. I love a lot of things.

Oh by the way, for those of you who haven't met her, that is Easi Jane, my vintage dressmaker form (I won't call her a dummy, she's a very talented lady).

I bought these at 11 in the morning, honest!

Yay, got my Building Blocks material this morning. The floral is very green, I shall consider if it needs some thing between it and me.

I also bought these patterns on eBay, how could I resist them? I love Buy It Now on eBay, not as stressful. I have heard good things about these mail order patterns (the ones on Kitty's post below are mail order too) and I think one with the green background will make a lovely housedress. I like the idea of cut-on sleeves on the peter pan collared one too, I am not fond of setting in sleeves... I've asked the nice eBay seller to tell me if she has any other B36 or B38s lying around before she sends me this lot (they were each $4 or $5, so good prices). One or more of these may be made in one or more of the above...