Rock and Roll saved my life

I found the best barkcloth fabric in a dodgy dusty antique shop and paid more than I thought I should have, to get home and lovingly hand wash it (although the woman swore she had washed it) for half of it to fall apart in my hands all the while filling my bucket with mud. Washed, phaw!!  I was looking forward to making a full circle skirt alah Rock and Roll style, but all I could manage was this slightly flared skirt.  Pales in comparison to the vision in my head, but I love it all the same. Made with a1972 pattern by Style, number 3788, version 2.  It was quick and easy to make, as skirts tend to be, which is why I am digging them so.  What to do with the deteriorating bits left???

I have made this top from simplicity 4056 maybe from the late 60's. The fabric is a lovely light weight linen.  I love the idea of this top more than the actual top, it's a bit boxy.  I will rock it though, it took me far too long to make to simply leave it in my wardrobe.  Simple to make my but!  You get that with dress making, sometimes it's just not as fabulous as you want it to be, other times it takes you completely by surprise.

This is how I actually wore the skirt on this day, with my fall back tank.

 I have also been making the basic tee, the pattern of which comes a PDF from Steph at 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World.  It needs a little tweaking for my narrow shoulders.

This post was sitting as a draft for a couple of weeks, I got called away as a busy mummy, but I'm back now, after a spell of being a little run down and alot tired.

 

Pants, I love them, but I loathe them.

I thought I'd blog my cause to get the very talented Steph over at 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World to help me make some fabulously well fitted pants with her custom pants block.

If I cross my knees a little they look better.

I have been trying to make myself some fabulous pants without much success.    As you can see from these pictures, the crotch is too long or is that the waist is too high?  The legs look funny too.  I would desperately love a well fitted capri style pant, one that is not to high that I can't eat anything and not low that muffin tops fly free.

Fabric for glam rock pants

As spring approached I found some awesome fabric that immediately inspired me to own a pair of Jeff and Steve McDonald (of Redd Kross glory) style glam rock pants.  The fabric has no give in it at all and I wonder if this will greatly affect the fitting?

Undeniably cool

My Harry High Pants were some what a success but since then I have tried to make 60's pedal pushers, 60's cigarette pants and shortie short shorts for summer, but they just don't please me.  I have tried tracing the shape of the crotch minus the very high waist but I have other fitting issues which were not an issue before, like too tight on the thighs.  Am I tracing it wrong or does or is it something to do with the fabric?  I'm afraid I have not been documenting my failures. Only crying in a sea of unpicked threads.

Harry High Pants

I made some regulation trousers with a 40's pattern and I don't know how I feel about them.   The fabric is kinda slinky.  They are definitely too long, but then I feel like they will be as wide as they are long.  Ho hum.

Regulation Trousers

 Between not having much clue about the correct fabric choice, the length of the crotch or was that the length of the waist?  The shape of the legs in ratio to the length of the legs, I have not much clue at all.  I have a willingness to know though.

Lace, Lace makes my heart Race

Back in November I went to a wedding and made a dress which I quickly blogged about.  At the time I cut out two dresses with similar themes.  Lace and velvet ribbons.  Swoon.  There is something about this combination that I love love love.  I have recently finished the other dress.  I thought I'd share them both with you, plus a couple of others.

I found this mint green lace in an op shop and the English racing green velvet ribbon at a run down haberdashery and fabric shop at Redcliffe.  I had the same colour green in my stash, it is a cotton, quite a thick one, I think this dress may have to be a wintry one. 

It is made with McCall's 4150 from 1955.  I love how easily this dress came together.  The neck facing was the same piece as the bodice and just had to fold over.  I had to put gussets in the arm and even they were a breeze.  I guess the more often you do them the easier it gets.  The side zip makes this dress a true wiggle dress, I truly had to wiggle it on and off.

McCall's 4150

The dress I wore to the wedding was a style that I had made before, I had to make it quickly as I left the making of the dress to the last minute.  I used a nude lace that I got from the markets, the lady said it was old, but I don't know how old or even how to judge that.  It is really thin.  I found the beautiful baby blue velvet ribbon then found some cotton voile to match.  The combination of voile and thin lace was slippery and I struggled keep them together.  It ended up taking longer to make the blue dress for this reason.

It's made from McCall's 5891 from the 1960.  I omitted the bias binding trim using the voile instead to finish the neck and arm holes nicely, making it a bit posher.  I love the scoop of the back of this dress.

McCall's 5891

I also made this dress for my new sister in a candy pink lace with a nude cotton voile.

I originally cut this pattern out in some fab barkcloth fabric that was curtains at my Nan's house, and have recently finished it, sadly it is too small, but total country chic with a blue gingham bias binding trim.

My blue lace dress was so light that it was a little see through.  A quick dash round the shops to find a slip was disastrous.  They were all synthetic.  I decided it would be faster and cheaper to make one.  Bring in a Fashion Cut Pattern, 3265.  There is no date on this more obscure pattern.  I don't know it's origins either.  I have a few Fashion cut patterns and they are mostly pretty slip/nighties.  I have some flesh coloured voile and some matching lace to whip up this modesty slip.

Fashion Cut Pattern 3265

Phew, I feel like this post has been massive.  I have a bit of bogging to catch up on.  The whipper snappers are back to school today (minus Ginger), so I have more time to blog and sew and organize stuff.
I'll leave you with a snapshot of my bathroom window.  I made these little felt balls for some extra colour.  I love my Avon perfume bottle and check out the crazy flower on the cactus.   It looks and feels like plastic.

Ginger and I

Ginger and I have been beautifully matched for the last 3 days.
I love prints, but enough is enough.  I need some block colours.  I had no intention of buying pink, I really didn't know what colour I needed or wanted.  Fushia pink just sang to me on this particular day.  I drafted my own half circle skirt in this pink linen.  I was amazed at how quick and easy this is and t is lovely to wear.  I used my An Pan Man (a character from Japan, that is plastered all over their school buses) button.
Ginger wears an adorable strawberry print dress op shopped years ago when Stella was a wee lil' one.

I have been a mad little sewer lately.  I have decided I need to tidy up loose ends in the sewing corner.  I am finishing projects that got put on hold for one reason or another and in the process have been inspired to start new projects.  I found a skirt that I started making into a dirndl skirt with an elastic casing.  It was far too bulky however and just recently I unpicked it and made a waist band.  It was so simple and easy that I wonder why I didn't do it sooner.  I came across this fabulous poodle fabric that my gal pal got for me from Japan.  It has these large grids on it which I didn't want to cut through.  Enter the straight dirndl skirt.  Perfect.  I love it, it is so easy to wear.  We didn't get a very clear full length photo, I'm afraid.  I used a frog clasp (thanks Madelaine) because I forgot to allow a seam for the invisible zip to go to the top.
Ginger wears a fabulous vintage dress, made to look like a pinafore with shirring on the top.  Cute as a button.

This little halter neck dress is made from McCall's 2217 from 1969.  It was a bit of a dud for my shape.  The top was gapey even after I made it smaller.  I cinched in the bosom making it almond shaped rather than triangular and the back is rather low for a gal who prefers to wear support.  I love the fabric though, which is a lovely feeling cotton from the 60's.  The zip is pretty fabulous too. 
I LOVE Ginger in this little dress.  I made it for Stella a few years ago.  It is made from an old curtain.  The colours are amazing.  It has been lined with Michael Miller's bubbles fabric and can be worn reversable.  Ginger has the cuttest little pudgy legs.  This is how short my sisters and I wore our dresses in the 70's.

McCall's 2217 from 1969

I wanna see your peacock.....

Happy New Year Folks.

My 2011 Christmas cards have doubled as New Year cards.  I purposley avoided an overtly Christmas theme for that reason.

I have been a bit quiet on the blog front.  We have been stay-cationing at home and I thought I'd give the computer a break.  I even managed to read a book.  I have been busy sewing and stuff, mostly eating and drinking and relaxing.

I wanted to share some hilarious photos from our Christmas.  Drinks were flowing and the dress ups were out.  My husband found a new friend to play dress ups with.  His jaw dropped when he saw Matt's dress up box.  They were a couple of giggling school girls.

Glam Rock in the suburbs.

 

Fruit Salad anyone?

Photo op in yellow terry toweling jump suit.

I have a new sister in law and she is a gal after my own heart. 

Matt has gone back to work today, so routine is back in the house.  I've had a prosperous time and am looking forward to fitting into all my little halter neck dresses a bit more comfortably.

Speaking of halter neck, I won a pdf pattern from Mrs Depew at A Few Loose Threads.  It is super cute, look out I'm going to be sex bomb.

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.