Friday 22 February 2013

A little bit of pretty

If feels so good to sit down and sew something from start to finish, even if it is just a pair of undies :)


I've been planning on making Amy's Rosy Ladyshorts pattern for weeks and Wednesday night I decided the dishes, washing and all the other housework could wait because I was going to sew.  And it was awesome.  These are only two pattern pieces and a little bit of stretch lace.  I cut out a size 10 and used a light weight pale pink rayon jersey with a scrap of white cotton for the lining.  I thought these looked so good that I immediately wanted to get a production line going and completely restock my underwear drawer.  Thankfully I had the good sense to wear them first.  They are supremely comfortable but I could easily go down a size or 2 if I was going to use rayon jersey again.  I'm going to try the 10 again using a cotton lycra to see how different the fit is.  The great thing is that Amy covers this type of thing in her construction notes which is fantastic for people who haven't sewn much with knits.


I really do seem to have lingerie on my mind at the moment because I also finished off this shockingly bright watermelon pink slip that has been lying on my sewing table for months.  I'm not sure why I stopped - I think I had to change the thread to fix something for one of the kids and then got distracted by other things.  Anyway, it's a copy of a RTW slip that I bought when I first started my current job about 7 years ago.  That slip is still going strong, but it's incredibly short, almost tunic length (not so good when worn under a wrap dress on a windy day).


Just like my RTW version this one has a round neck on one side and a v neck on the other.  I finished the hem with a dainty little scallop just because it makes me smile.


Two super simple projects but I already love both of them and can see a few more in the future.  My plan for this weekend is to finish up a couple of other things that are half made - I really don't want any UFOs dragging down my sewing mojo.  Do you have any plans for the weekend?

Monday 18 February 2013

Sewing for boys

Early in January my girls were invited to our neighbour's birthday party.  I suck at finding boy presents and coming so soon after Christmas T couldn't think of anything that he really wanted.


He was pretty impressed with the girls' gum drop cushions and hinted pretty heavily that he'd like one.  So after a quick trip down to Spotlight to find some boy appropriate fabric I made up the larger size (same as last time), the girls stuffed it and I sewed it shut.  This one is exactly the same as my first two so if you're after the details you'll find them here.  T was pretty happy with his present and I was stoked that I got to sew a birthday present for a boy!

Thanks to Katherine for recommending Kirsty's blog Top Notch in response to my last post.  I love the Briar and Banksia combo in Kirsty's most recent post, and bonus - she's another Aussie! 

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Award Season

I started this post by writing out a big list of all the things that have been keeping me busy - and then I deleted it all.  We're all busy and at the moment life's busyness is enjoyable, even though it leaves very little time for sewing :)

  



I need to say a very big thank you to Rosi who blogs over at Rosi Button, she's making some very gorgeous maternity wear at the moment, and Gabrielle from  Up Sew Late who is making me want to create my own pair of green linen shorts.  Rosi nominated me for the Liebster Award and Gabrielle passed on the Primio Primavera Award.

While it's lovely to receive an award from a fellow blogger - who doesn't love a pat on the back every now and again - for me the best part of the awards is discovering new (to me) blogs.  A little extra inspiration never goes astray.  Here's where it all went pear shaped for me.  Every blog that I was going to pass the award on to had already received either one or both of these recently - so if I may bend the rules slightly I'd like you to nominate a blog that you find inspiring/fun/addictive.  I'll list any responses at the bottom of this post and hopefully we'll all come away with something new to read.

OK I have to post 11 facts about myself and answer 11 questions - I'm going to be completely unoriginal and use Rosi's questions.  Here's more than you'll ever want to know about me!

1. When did you start sewing and what introduced you to sewing?
All the women in my family sew (even my Dad knows how to sew and he swears he can knit too).  Mum made quite a lot of my clothes growing up so there were always fabric scraps to be played with and turned into Barbie clothes, but I started garment sewing once I reached high school.

2. What other crafts do you do?
Aside from garment sewing I like to quilt and I used to do quite a bit of cross-stitch when my girls were smaller.

3. What do you look for in a sewing blog?
Someone I can relate to, someone I feel like I could have a conversation with IRL.  I love bloggers who are willing to share their failures as well as their successes, because we all know how depressing a wadder can be.  A sense of enjoyment - sewing and blogging are supposed to be fun :)

4. Who is your inspiration?
I find the whole blogging community incredibly inspiring, the little windows into other people's lives can really open up your mind to different possibilities.

5. Do you have a bizarre talent?
I wish!  My kids on the other hand...

6. What's your favourite thing to sew or create for yourself or others?
I love making leggings for my girls - they're quick, they love them and they get worn until they fall apart.

7. What have you always wanted to sew but haven't yet, and why?
Bras and bathers, they've always intimidated me but I'm tackling them this month.

8. What is your favourite thing you've ever made?
I think my favourite would have to be my bleach boys dress - love the fabric and the fit of the dress.

9. What's something you like to treat yourself with?
Books.  I love to read, but once I get started I get really grumpy if I have to put it down.

10. What was one of your favourite things growing up?
Our annual beach holiday in Torquay - loved it.

11. Where would you most want to travel in the world and why?
I have a whole list of places I'd like to visit but at the moment Hawaii is really calling my name.  It looks incredibly beautiful.

11 useless bits of information facts to finish

  1. I work in Local Government but you won't find me leaning against a shovel!
  2. I have four brothers and one sister.
  3. I prefer solids to patterns.
  4. I love action movies and rock music. 
  5. I prefer bubbles to flat wine.
  6. Put any sport on the TV and I can happily sew for hours.
  7. I'm an introvert and I'm quite happy with my own company.
  8. I'm a dog person.
  9. I'm 183cm (6 foot) tall and I love to wear heels.
  10. I once stayed in the bath for 4.5 hours reading a book - I looked like a prune when I got out :)
  11. I smile every time I walk into my sewing room.