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)

Off topic, but I have been sewing near here...

I'm all exciting about the first actual bit of the renovations being finished (the sewing studio is a ways off still...) and particularly excited about having a fridge again after months without one. Hurrah!
Blue is before, white is after, which I hope is obvious, but maybe not!

I still have to get the shelvedge in - nowhere to put food IN the kitchen at the mo, so it is all on the loungeroom shelves.

When all the canisters and mixmasters and stuff gets in it will look less stark too.

Spottie Hot Bodice

This pattern arrived in the mail yesterday (oh ebay, how I love ye) and I made her up in red/white spot as a muslin today. The intention was to make the 'real' version in the rosebud fabric we bought at the fifties fair, but I don't know if I will now. The dress feels a bit 'fiddly' to wear, it has a strange strapless sort of arrangement under those straps which feels a bit insecure. Also, four billion darts and I'm not exaggerating!

Don't worry, ebay has come up with another pattern which will be perfect for rosebud! (details if and when I win the auction).

(Edited the next day to add a photo of the back straps, and to say: I was a bit grumpy after my darting marathon yesterday, and I can see today how this frock looks almost exactly as it does on the pattern envelope. That's pretty rare, so I am happy)

Green(cut-on)sleeves

So, see, I was at the vietnamese lady's shop looking for lace for my silk satin, see, and, well, I saw this green suedey-twill stuff with satin backing on the other side, and it was like 4 bucks a metre, and it had stretch, man, even though it was woven, y'know? Anyway I accidently bought 4 metres of it (I was doing my washing at the laundromat over the road, I had to fill in the time, so sue me!).

Anyway, I brought it home and didn't know what to do with it. Then I went looking in my pattern drawer and found this, dig? Well, OK, so it is a size too small, but I thought, man, ain't that what stretch wovens are like MADE for? So I did it. And I'm not sorry I did, in fact I am PROUD. So there. I wore it to the art gallery and out to dinner and everything and I DON'T CARE WHO SAW ME.

Yeeeha! It's western day! (now with full length jacket pic)

I should really have pressed this first, but when Mr M has time available to model, well, you have to take it.

Another brown western shirt, from a 70s pattern this time, and a dark chocolate colour. I like the slim fit, and Mr M says he likes it. Brown is apparently the hardest colour to find in a plain western style shirt, so Mr M says. He would know.

Frocks are so much more fun to make! Did I really promise him a corduroy one of these? I think I shall have to beg off, due to warm weather, and urgent frock making requirements. He won't be wearing corduroy shirts again for at least 8 months anyway.

I bought a leather jacket at St Vinnie's today, blazer length, with patch pockets. It's western style too. I have yokes on the brain.

(Edited to add, by popular demand, full pic of jacket and pocket detail, and to beg appreciation for modelling it on a 31 degree day. You're welcome, Moggy)

Help meeeeeeee

Now, these haven't arrived yet, and who knows when I'll get around to making them, weighed down with the never ending 'to sew' list as I am, but indulge me.
I'm thinking pink tattoo for the halter.
Any fabric suggestions for the puff sleeved cutie?

Trashy me

More silk. Here are my purchases from Trashy Diva. Two Betty blouses, one bustle skirt. I am very pleased, they fit perfectly.
Long weekend this week! What to sew? Pink gingham Laverne blouse? Or seventies western shirt for Mr M? It might be time for another snaps order, hey Mogg?

Slippin' an-a slidin'

I love slips. Nothing nicer than a petticoat under a frock I think. And it seems to be one of those things that no matter how many I make, I never have enough.


Rathdowne Remnants is having a 30% off sale, so I went to look (thanks to Livebird for the giant rick rack alert, although I seem to have escaped without any now I think about it...). I rifled through the remants and found this lovely silk satin - which, of course, makes the most delicious slips, nighties, half slips, camisoles, etc etc.



The dark red stuff is 3m long so I was contemplating outer wear for it, but I'd get much more wear from the underwear. The eau de nil and grey-blue should look nicely vintage when paired with some lace (cue another visit to the lovely vietnamese lady in Smith St) and should also be good to wear under lighter coloured things. I'd usually go for black lace, but I will see what else there is for something a bit different. I might use the dark red for the slip pattern that Kitty obtained for me earlier.


Oh, and I accidently bought this pattern on eBay last night as well, when Kitty and I were doing some VSAM (Virtual Shopping After Midnight) and looking at sewing machine feet that make attaching bias binding easier (and what person in their right mind wouldn't want that?). Oh, and there was that piping foot too...


I'm thinking she's a good prospect for the building blocks tape measure fabric I bought a while ago. I'm still about the chevrons.

Sunfrock season

I may join you, Moggy, in the perpetual picnic theme for summer. I won the pattern I was after for cherries and rick rack, and here she is.

Baby blanket update

The baby shower is this weekend, and the theme is 'dress like a lady'...how apt. I can do that.

I think I may have even inspired the theme, and as you well know Moggy, I AM an inspiration.

So, here is the blanket, finished and blocking (two weeks to spare. Excuse me for not blogging earlier, but it is a frock blog after all). Blankie's now in a box ready to go, with a lemon tart, to the shower. I think the floral necky, pale blue ribbon belt, pale blue shoes and bag. Lady-like enough for you?

Happiness is a parcel (or three) in the mail

From the top, 2 rago waist cinchers, in black, one for me, one for a friend. Great to waspify the waist for the vintage fashion good times.

Then, another 10 balls of the yummy yarn treehouse green wool, of baby blanket fame, bought on ebay. I'm still deciding what it will be, but I'm all about the short sleeved knitted tops lately.

Then, Trashy Diva silky goodness! An eeeeevil enabler who shall remain nameless (*coughmoggycough*) alerted me to the final sale of some of the items I have been eyeing on the site. Forced me to buy a skirt and two blouses she did. AND order a blouse and skirt for her too, to be picked up on her next Sydney sojourn. Pics later if I can calm down from the excitement of three simultaneous deliveries. It's all a bit much and I think I need a lie down.

Am I blue?

There is a lot of blue frockness coming out of the Kittyhaus lately. Finished this today (excuse the bumpy hemmage, I'm hoping that will improve if I press with a damp cloth. This dang bengaline fabric doesn't let go of its creases easily, so I recommend unfolding and rolling it up if you are storing it)

This was the inspiration dress.

I found some braid that looks just like piping at Remnants Warehouse in Marrickville, but you sew it on flat. I wasn't confident about piping a curvy peterpan collar in super stretchy fabric, so I was happy to handsew the braid on the edges of the collar, and I machine sewed it on the belt.

I piped the armholes, well, it's really just the bias binding facing which I left poking out a bit, on purpose, but still! Matchy!