Petal

That's her name. This is another version of blue spotty, put together from two patterns. This fabric is a bit heavier than the spot though, so I knew I didn't want the skirt to be quite as full. So I folded in some width on the pattern pieces. Only thing is, I went a bit too far with my folding and managed to shear a couple of inches off the hips. Grrr. So I did teeny seam allowances, but it is still mighty tight over my hips. I guess if I get annoyed wearing her, I have enough fabric to make another skirt, so she is on probation for now. Durn beginner's luck strikes again.

She's purty though.

Tracing tip

I have picked up a lot of sewing tips from in-progress photos on other people's sewing blogs, even if they weren't intended to be educational. Just seeing how someone pins a pattern piece can be enlightening. I very rarely post 'in progress' shots myself, mainly because I am an impatient sew-er, and I don't want to stop until the frock is finished.
So tonight I have started my next frock, and while tracing the pattern I thought to myself: "I have a sewing tip people may be interested in!"
I use my extensive snow dome collection for weighting my patterns when I trace them out.
Snow domes! Is there anything they can't do?

Appy hanniversary!

...right back at you. So many frocks and frock accompaniments, with Furnishing Diversions. Here's to another year of stash-raiding, stash-building, and stuff!

Happy anniversary!

Well, Moggy, it's been one year and many frocks, even more patterns and quite a bit of fabric!
I shall celebrate with a Greek salad! Party on!

(I believe this Frida Kahlo fabric was the first fabric that to me opened up the wonders of online fabric shopping and ebay. London, 2004, remember? I still haven't bought any)

New Look? Result!

Good old New Look 6557! You are so easy to sew, such a nice shape, so very pipeable and bindable.

We salute you!

(Frock in Pavilion, piped around neckline and armholes and binding around hem)

Simplicity 2959

A new favourite frock! This is simplicity 2959, in vintage fabric from the fifties fair. It's an easy pattern, and I am very pleased with her. It took about an hour of folding, refolding and gritting of teeth to fit the pattern pieces on 2 metres of fabric, but by shortening the skirt I got there. It has a quarter inch hem as a result, with the help of some bias binding.
Moggy's suggestion of a self fabric belt was a winner, to stop the skirt pleats poufing too much. Luckily I just happened to have a green belt buckle lying about the place.

I never promised you a rose garden

Hang on, yes I did!

Roses arrived today.
Rest easy, Kitty, the roses are only about 6cm wide. Mother pronounced it suitable evocative of the era, although not quite muted enough - give it time, I say.

Now to think about what to make!

ruh roh.

I bought another pattern on ebay. Somebody stop me! From Stellablue Vintage Sewing. Mmmmm.

I bought it because I want to make the frock shown in blue, on the left there. Cut on sleeves, empire line, v neck, wacky pockets...swoon. Overnight I have developed a big crush on the frock on the right, that little strap/tab thing. Oh yes. They shall have to fight to see who gets made first.

Fabric suggestions? Anyone?

Doncha wish your loungerooms were hot like ours...?

Well, doncha?

I have decided to go with the white blind, although the curtain fabric is to die for. The view out of the window is of the neighbour's bathroom window and fence, and it's a bit grim. Whenever I opened the curtain to let the light in I would close it again right away. Sigh.

So it was either live in the dark, or have a blind. Having the fabric there also made the room feel much smaller, and the blind recedes into the window frame and makes the room feel bigger. With our little house, we need every centimetre of space, real or imagined. By the way, the curtain pic was taken during the day, the blind pic was taken at night, in case you were wondering. How good are those curtain ring clips though? Love you, curtain clips!

The fabric may be reincarnated as cushions, for when our new couch arrives. Soon!

Hmm, frock and roll appears to have become a bit of a home dec blog lately.

We will resume our normal programming shortly. Apologies for any inconvenience.

This week's fabric delivery with bonus added curtains

Pavilion and Touched By The Sun from Over The Rainbow:













And new curtains. Hoorah!


PS if you want to know, the rose fabric in the previous post (which hasn't arrived yet) is from On The QT online quilting shop.

Coming up roses.

Dear goddesses of fabric:

please don't let anything untoward happen regarding this fabric we just ordered (ie floods, pestilance, running out of yardage in the online shop, shipping that turns out to be twice the cost of the fabric).

Because we love it. Yes we do. I think Miss Kitty and I will both be dreaming of what frocks we can make from this tonight.

This year's picnic theme just keeps manifesting itself...

Rosebud

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this pattern, which I won on ebay, and which I am hoping I can make with the 2 metres of rosebud fabric from the fifties fair. Looks do-able (I'm talking the slim skirt version), or am I being optimistic? Will I run short of fabric or will it be the usual story of the frock being about 25cm too long, so I will not need the 2 5/8 yards the pattern will probably say I should have? Oh the suspense!

(Blogged while waiting for the first coat of paint on my lounge room walls to dry. You're such a trendsetter Mogster)