Christmas Cheer

As a mummy it is fun to dress the young'uns up and take photos and use the making of Christmas cards for the precedence. I started a few years ago and people come to expect it of me now.
This year I made the kids bird costumes.  Not the most christmassy costumes.  It is quite difficult to keep thinking of Christmas style photos that are different each year.  I had been wanting to make Stella a peacock outfit for a while, because I love them and she is a bit of a showoff herself.  But Alby as a rooster and Ginger as a penguin???  Birds are a bit festive I guess.  Ah, it'll keep em wondering.

Feast of the birds

Lovely peacock

Cheeky penguin

Playful Rooster

Mucking

 

Here a few previous years in reverse order.

2009-Baby Krishna, baby Buddha and Saraswatti

 

2007

2006

2005

School's out for Summer....

Hoot who.  I have been looking forward to lazy mornings and no uniforms in the wash.
It's been a frantic lead up to the end of a school year.  (I can't believe how quickly my babies are growing).  The last couple of weeks have been quiet on the blogging front but very busy here in my domestic wonderland.  Teachers are very special people in the kids lives and they deserve to have gifts lavished on them at this time of year.  However I am mindful not to give them another mug or Christmas tree ornament to clog up there lives and too much chocolate is too much at this glutinous festive time.
This year Stella drew pictures of her teachers with fabric markers on off cuts of fabric and we used patterned fabric on the back, stuffed them with filling and wah lah.  Very cute and personalized gifts.

In Alby's composite classroom he has 3 teachers and 2 teacher's aides. Phoaw, 5 presents.  Could have been costly.  Luckily I am thrifty and crafty!!  Earlier in the year I screen printed some of the kids drawings to make the seat cushions for reading chairs that were auctioned off at the school fate.  I had the foresight to print extras.  I threw in some polka dot fabric (who doesn't love polka dots?) and a zip and made some little pillows.  Very darling, made one for Al too.

I have for a few years now made up these little hands free bags which are a perfect size for one's keys, phone and wallet.  Another great way to use up off cuts of cool fabric, or those swatches of fabulous fabric that you find in the op shops that are way too small for any substantial garments but you just can't leave them behind.  These bags are great to have on hand for back up gifts.  I made about 20 this year.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  The Christmas tree is up, the kids are home, the shops are crazy busy, the only thing missing is Brisbane's sweltering summer days.  It is unseasonably cold, 22 degrees instead of 35.  I even had to dig out some winter woollies this week. 
I have been busy making some fabulous costumes for the kids to make some equally fabulous Christmas cards.  I just need a fine day to take some photos.  Stay tuned.
Well tootle pops.  I have done a terrible thing (but I'm sure I will love it) and booked an additional 7 kids for a play today and really must get the house tidy so they can tear it up again.

I love a wedding....

I love a wedding especially because you get to get dressed up. 
I went to my brother in law's wedding yesterday and it was a lot of fun.  His wife, now my sister is a girl after my own heart.  Amber loves a dress up, as do I. 
I made myself a new dress (of course) to wear to the wedding.  I really wanted to wear lace.  I had a few lengths of different colours in my stash of fabric.  My first choice was the candy pink lace from the 60's, I think, but alas there was not enough for me for the length that I like to wear my dresses.  I offered it to Amber (she LOVES pink) and made her a fabulous frock (because that's what sister do) that I gave to her the day before her wedding.  She loved it (phew) and it fit her perfectly.  I lined Amber's dress with a bone cotton voile, for that sexy skin look.

I am on this lace thang at the moment.  Although it was tricky to use, so slippery. 
I love this dress on the cover of Peppermint magazine.

And I wore a stunning vintage lace dress, homemade, for my wedding last year.  .

For my dress for the wedding I used a bone lace and lined it with a baby blue cotton voile.  I desperately wanted to have a velvet ribbon tied around my waist so the lining colour was determined by what I could find in s short space of time.  That and my BFF, Pete, pictured above once had the most fabulous and glamorous baby blue suit that I loved.  Both my dress and Amber's dress was made from McCall's 5891 from 1960.  I used this pattern once before so I was certain of the fit, for my dress for the races.

I do love a wedding and Scott and Amber's really stood out as being one of the best.  It was held on the Brisbane river at the Powerhouse.  There was no formal seating and the speeches were fantastic.  The best and funniest part was the photo booth.  I gave Amber some of our household dress ups and the way people interpreted them was hilarious.  I have to admit I did spend alot of time there, as Amber said I would.  Here is a select few, alot are unappropriated for uncorrupt eyes.  Christmas with Amber in the family now is going to be a blast.

The kids along with their cousins were in the wedding party and looked and behaved adorably.

in

What a fun time.

Just a reminder that I am giving away some patterns and the odds are good.   Here.

Pretty as a Petal

Hello my pretties.  This week while I was meant to be making a dress to wear to my brother in law's wedding, I made myself a skirt.

I have been admiring the scalloped edge since I saw the Barbra Coty silk dress at the "Dreaming of Chanel" exhibition earlier this year.  I was lucky enough to find this fabulous Vogue pattern 7530 from 1951.
I have made this skirt with polka dotted fabric from the stash, it was given to me by a friend's mum.  It is a beautiful crisp (maybe) linen.  It has a tiny cross hatch texture.

The pattern called for snap fasteners on the left opening, but I used a zip for ease of dressing and insertion.  The hem of the scalloped edge was meant to faced in the same fabric and 8 inches wide, but I didn't have enough dots or anything subtle or suitable so I faced my skirt at about 2 inches with a white voile. 
I really love the narrow waist band.  And I love the freshness of the whiteness for the 30 degree plus spring days Brisbane has been having.  I'm especially digging my fresh hair and it makes my want to wear pretty soft colours.
Now to get cracking on some tops ( after I finish my dress for the wedding)!
I'm spreading the pattern love and giving away some hum dingers.  The odds are good to win, so check them out here.

Giveaway, Spreading the Love

Hey peeps.  I have a few patterns to pass along to anyone that loves them.  I have been blogging for a little over a year now and I feel it's time to spread the love.
I write blogs in my head and more times than not I don't get around to posting them.  Like very fabulous acquisitions from op shops, garage sales, markets and Nanas.  Or the clothes I make for my kids and other family members.  The garments I have made quickly and that don't seem very interesting.   Or that I have started to make clothes for profit (abet a bit slowly). 
I have been meaning to host a giveaway and while spring cleaning my sewing area ( and it needed it, I have 4 large boxes just of fabric scraps and remnants that I don't know what to do with; any ideas?), I thoughtfully grabbed some patterns for your pleasure.  

 

Bust 31 1/2, waist 23 1/2.  

Simplicity 3999,  How fabulous are these pants with their yoke style pockets, I am way too lazy to try and change the size.  

Butterick 4837 a simple A line cover up, very cute for the summer.

Bust 34

Vogue Paris Original 1694 by Pierre Cardin.  This is quintessentially 60's.  I love it but, sigh, it is not my style.

Simplicity 7014 a 1967 step into dress.

Bust 36

Madame Weigel's 1134. A most fabulous long coat from Madame Weigel's Journal of Fashion. An Australia pattern, maybe from the 50's?

Butterick 2360 perhaps from the 60's.

Just leave comment stating which set you like and if you don't mind grading you can go for as many as you like.  I'll do a little drawing of some winners next Monday the 21st, Aussie time.

The Last 3 Days of Frocktober

The last 3 days of Frocktober and it is bitter sweet.  I love a challenge, but this girl needs to re-wear some of these frocks and I need some separates.  One major thing I took away from Self Stitched September is that I need more separates.  What I took away from Frocktober is that a frock is not always appropriate attire.  So folks while I love frocking up it was nice to slip into a skirt and tee today.  Here is the last 3 days.
Day 29.  A 1953 dress, made from McCall's 3358.  I bloody well love this dress and especially how quickly and easily it came together.  It was my first attempt at a sweetheart neckline and I love it.  I look tough eh?  I feel like a cross between Wade and Wanda from Cry Baby here.  I am loving my hair quiff style, very rock and roll.  Worn on this day with my fret belt.

McCall's 3358

Day 30.  We rose early and headed to the beach for a few hours.  Aside from having to keep 2 eyes on 3 kids it was lovely and relaxing.  I am wearing what I feel is a pacific Island dress from the 70's.  I actually met a girl at a gig who was wearing the same dress, same colour just a different print, so I had to ask her about it and it turns out it was her mums. Aww, I love that.  My mum didn't keep any of what I think are her cool clothes.  Although she does like to tell me that she wore something similar once!!

Day 31.  Last day.  I made this hot little 70's halter neck dress the day before from some very cool and vivid rainbow zig zag striped fabric from Michael Miler.  Made from Style 4755.  either this dress was again really fast to put together or I'm just getting damn good at this dress making business.  I love the pleats at the bust line of this dress.  I added a row of yellow zig zag and I think I'd like to add some more, maybe orange and red, cover all the warm colours.

Style 4755

Frocktober Powers On.

Ah, I wish Frocktober would never end, I feel special wearing a different dress everyday.  I can't keep up the pace though.  I want to go back and wear some again.  It is a great way to confirm my suspicions about some dresses being on their way out of my wardrobe and others confirming their places as faves.
Day 22.  Off to an all day Hen's do.  I made this dress this week on a whim.  I wanted something sparkly and this frock does not disappoint.  Made from simplicity 8498 from 1972 from some  itching metallic fabric and odd length of vintage trim from my stash.  The dress came together really quickly but the hem did not behave, it was very slippery and hard to get straight.  I ended up sticking a bit if horsehair in the hair to help give it some structure.  Check out my fabulous 1960's sparkly shoes that I found in their box in perfect condition

Day 23.  Chilling in my pony dress. 

Day 24.  Back to school on Monday in my candy stripes.

Day 25.   I had a really long skirt from Libby that was being neglected.  I chopped it saving the fabulousness of the border print and made a bodice from Style 3746 from 1972.  I like the result and love this neck line.

Day 26.  Two installments because it was one of my bff's birthday and Pete requested a birthday frock and my husband and I went out (on a school night) to see a show.
I had been wanting to make a sailor dress for a while and had a 1950's pattern that I was planning to use, but then I came across Simplicity 5349 from 1973.  I have been digging the style of the 70's dresses lately so rolled with it.  I attached the collar wrong a couple of times because I didn't fully read the instructions and had to unpick it.  I also attached it right and unpicked it in shear confusion and frustration!!  If it didn't happen this way this dress would have been super fast to make.  I love it and can't wait to rock it again.

Day 26.5.  My only brand new, purchased dress from Bettie Page brand.  I love this frock.  I spent the whole day under a cape at the hairdressers changing my do from  safe mummy to fabulous!!  A little Tilda Swinton and Michelle Williams inspired do.  It has been 15years since I've been a blonde.  It instantly changes the way my dresses look and I love that!  My husband and I had a fab time at the Powerhouse catching John Waters show "This Filthy World".

Day 27.  My pineapple dress with the very fabulous back.  I would wear this dress all the time except I have to wear these disposable bra stickers to hold the girls in place.

Day 28.  Another pony dress.  I dig this style with the low scooped back and plan on making a dress with some sweet pink lace for a wedding coming up soon.  Ginger styled me, Harry Potter style.  Isn't she cute in her boy shorts ( picked the fabric herself), Harry Potter glasses and chop stick for a wand.

Ginger is Fabulous!

I had to share these two last days of Frocktober asap.  My little Ginger is getting to be a bloody brilliant photographer. Sigh.

Day 20.  Dead on the grass.  I love the pop art filter on my camera and I love my beaded peacock bag too.  My frocks are often too busy to team with pearler.  My Fly me to the Moon dress.

Day 21.  Rita's courting frock.  This was Rita's favourite and mine too.

Next time you see me I'll be wearing a new frock and sporting a new do.  Excited!!

Day 18 of Frocktober

This day gets a mention on its lonesome because I made this frock the day before. 

It's a very busy picture, but I thought the dress perfectly suited what we call the Ladies Lounge because of the lovely ladies with a shade of green, adorning the walls, coffee table and cushion.

Made from simplicity 6672 from 1976 (I think).  I used some fabulous t shirt fabric from the same era ( I think again), which I've had for ages and have been waiting for the right pattern to present itself.  This dress was a breeze to make.  I love using this fabric because i don't have to finish the edges, but it frustrates me at the same time because it doesn't behave like cotton does.  I also loved being able to use a couple of massive buttons.
I leave you with a couple of  pictures of my lovely offspring.  The 3 kids playing in a bookcase on it's side, a photo op too good to miss.  Ginger tells me she is "just scratching" her nose.

Here's Alby in his newly decorated room.  He loves his adventure wonderland.

Frocktober continued....

The frocks are fun.

Day 10.  An op shopped frock.  I love the coral colour, with contrasting black lace trims.

Day 11.  Purchased from an antique shop for a steal, it looked unloved, scrunched up in the back of a cupboard, stained.  But this fresh white embroidered linen came up a treat.

Day 12.  My sundae dress.

Day 13.  Another op shopped dress.  I love this style with the tie bow and the flick skirt.  But damn it it is hot sticky polyester.

Day 14.  My religous frock made for mother's day.  I am soooo not happy in this photo.

Day 15.  A Rita dress.  I love the print and style of this dress.  In love.  We did a bit of a fun photo shoot.

Day 16.  I love a stripey dress.  This maxi dress is super comfy.

Day 17.  Moo Moo on a Monday.