Minnie not so minksy

Hello. Do you remember me? Probably some vague memory in the shadows of your mind. I have not been posting due to a lack of anything very interesting to say and a real dip in my creative mojo. But I do have one thing on my side, continuity. To follow on from my last post I did make that 1970's pattern from the fabric and well here it is (sorry for the no so great pic). I have made another dress and a skirt but have not got around to snapping them yet.

It is hard for you to tell if I look like a retro pottery vase in this top and skirt combo, as I am not in it, but rest assured I do not, in fact I look more like a retro printed glass vase, as Doug pointed out that (while I was standing in the sun lit door way asking 'Do you like it, do you, really do you?') that it may cover my body but you can still see my bra and knickers, tres see through.Oh faux pas!

So I have decided to remedy this by making a cotton petticoat out of my Undies book. Oh yes, the first project out of the book. Here it is in all its illustrative glory.

I have to find some suitable fabric for this project and so will go a hunting. In the meantime I have been enjoying reading this blog Tilly and the Buttons and its on my blog roll from now on.

Ta ta xx

Return of the minks

Hello. I have not been blogging because I have been, unpacking all the boxes for the house, gone to a wedding, gone on holiday, looked after a sick dog (who is all better now) and well I have been working as a costumier!!! Yipeeee.

I am currently working at the Queensland Ballet for their 50th Anniversary Gala Performance. You can book tickets and see the fantastic line up of performances. I can't tell you what I making, but it is so pretty.

I have been planning my next sewing project now that I nearly have my new sewing room organised. I really adore Danish Royal Copenhagen retro pottery. My favorite pattern is on the little dish below.

It just so happens that I found some material that really looks like the pattern above and I plan to keep the retro theme by using a pattern from my stash that I picked up in an op-shop in New Zealand.

I am going to make the separate skirt and top so that I can wear them with other tops and bottoms. Yipee for retro goodness, but lets now hope that I don't turn out looking like a retro pottery vase!

xx

Sunshine state

G'day! My first post from Brisbane, Australia where I now reside. Its been quite exciting so far and I have made friends, caught up with old friends and have generally been enjoying a warm winter.

One other thing that I have been doing is checking out some local op-shops *surprise* Well with no work visa yet and time on my hands what is a lady suppose to do (apart from house chores).

So here is my first lot of Aussie op-shop finds.

We have this really nice line of coloured glass windows in our new pad and I thought it would make a pretty backdrop, but it just makes everything a bit yellow... anyways...

First up a wonderful china tea set for one and novelty spoon with a butterfly motif... great for sipping cold tea on the veranda while contemplating the city views...

Bags, oh how bags and shoes are addictive... the antidote to the 'it' bag is the woven bag ladies, its true, honest!

Then for a bit of lovable tat, the New York compact mirror with hologram effects, this mirror as the State of Liberty, a big red apple and I Love NY on it depending on how you angle it... a tad over done, nah.

Lastly, Guide to Modern Clothing c1962. It is a gem and worth of useful advice.

For example in the section, Planning Your Wardrobe, it has this advice, which for me is relevant being a lady of leisure/house fiancee.

Clothes for home... For house work, such as Saturday cleaning, wear simple, washable clothing which is comfortable and will not get in your way as you work...When you dress neatly and comfortably for the job of housework, you are more attractive to your family, and you help yourself to get at the work and get it done.

Oh dear... I don't think daggy pj bottoms and raggy t-shirt would qualify as attractive to my family, least it explains why Doug greets me with indifference as I hand over a duster to him.

 The book deserves a blog of its own really. The pictures in it are awesome. Here are some of my favorites.

I wish I had the time to put bows on the top of all my hangers... really I do.

I also want to look this stylish when exercising...

 Kinda love this outfit...

Kinda think this one is in the 'working in the garden and looking attractive to the gnomes' section...

Lastly, what colours do I suit, why let me think...

I could go on and on with this book but I shall depart and leave you to ponder on your new fabulous cleaning outfits, toddle pip.

xx

Drum roll please...

Thanks so much for all your very sweet comments on my refashion and engagement. The winners of the give away are BagQueen and Amy, picked at random by Doug who closed his eyes and aimed at the screen twice :) I really like doing the give away, so expect more in future posts!

I will be making up your envelopes of craftiness as soon as I get back from a short break next week, I shall post them to you :) Just need your addresses, email me at minnietheminks(at)gmail.com

Here is a pic of some of my other recent op-shop finds.

These shoes are so sweet on and I plan on making one of the 1960's tops from this cute pattern I picked up, I think view two below...

Love her hair and lippy! One other great find was a book of the first 10 years of fashion in the life of Princess Diana. The book is jam packed with pictures, which can be great reference for me if I ever make costumes for a production of her life, te he. But they are also quite funny too, lots of bad 1980's fashion going on.

There is still some fashions that I really liked...

Cute flats, yummy pink dress and a huge overcoat!

Big belt, printed top... maybe ditch the match-y shoes!

I love this whole outfit from the sunnies, bag, collar on the blouse, big chunky bracelet, stripey pants and you know she does get away with that hairdo!

I will be absent from the blog for the next 5 days as I am off on my last holiday in New Zealand for a wee while. Looking forward to soaking in the natural spas, bliss.

xx

Summer lovin...

It seems that I had my best OpShop day for ages the other day but it seems that my other half, Doug, has the knack himself. Right now I am assisting Amy Jansen-Leen with her orders for race day hats (btw if you need one better make the order quick not long until the Wellington Cup). I came back from a day of wondrous hat making to find an outside oven in my back yard and a beaming Doug.

Wellington has a pretty good dump shop and he went up there with the feeling there was a bargain to be had. He found an outside oven for $50 (well $42 really as the guy throw in a $8 sandwich toaster, nice).

So today we cooked and had an outdoor summer fish lunch, flinging the fish in the new outdoor oven.

I managed to sneak in some more of my french chocolate tort, mmmmmmm.

Ok this post has nothing to do with costumes or fashion but I am proud and wanted to show off Doug's bargain prowes, not to mention cooking skills.

I have put the green silk dress aside and start making my race day outfit... I don't think I will ever get that green dress finished, maybe it is to be a UFO forever!

xx

Planets align

You know when you have been thinking about something and then whammy in the next few days it happens... like somebody you never hear from and then you think about them, then they ring. Well I have had a sewing related version.

In my sewing tool bag the one thing that lacks is pinking shears. I was saving to get some. I was researching the perfect pair. Then yesterday I took my parents on one of my Opshop hunting days and there waiting for me were a pair of pinking shears.

I gasped and asked the lady if she had some spare material I could cut. I looked at the label, Mundial, I looked at the price $10!!!!!! I held my breath, I cut the fabric, they worked beautifully. I smiled a smile only fellow sewers would understand.

Then while my glow was at its zenith I looked around and found some vintage tapestry covered buttons, could this day get any better? Hell yeah!

When I came home a parcel awaited me... from my dear friend Kelly Pringle... inside was Cadbury Wispa's, Dairy Milks, Chocolate Buttons and Monster Munch crisps, I smiled a smile only those far away from home would understand :)

But wait there is more! Wrapped inside some gold star covered paper was a most amazing book, Vintage Fashion, collecting and wearing designer classics, so perfect, so well timed and from such a great friend.

I don't think days like that happen very often and I am still smiling now, I just had to tell someone.

xx

Square Stitch

I just went for the longest walk to try and work off some Christmas cheer. Trifle seems to last the longest... well if you have had nearly 5 servings over 3 days it does tend to want to stick around.

I have not gone near my sewing machine and I have heaps of refashions and make news to do, but I am feeling really lazy. I thought I would show you a little item that I picked up when I was away on my little holiday after I graduated.

That is one of the best things about holidays, new op-shops!

The bambi, the bowl of flowers, the jug of flowers reflecting in the mirror, its so super cutey. It is in fact a fire guard and I use it to hide the little mess pile that seems to appear when I start to sew something in my studio.

Right now I am trying to sew a green silk dress that I cut out ages ago but the sun keeps on luring me out and about, but at least it gets to hide some where in style when in between construction stages.

Maybe I should sew it up right now...

xx

In the pink

I do have another hat file for you to look at but its short so I thought I would update you with some of my recent-ish opshop finds. In Wellington it is raining... as I type... and what could be more delicious than banishing rainy days in the pink. I found this raincoat in an opshop and apart from the lining having seen better days and no matching belt it is GReaT. I adore the little hood at the back with its button to keep it in place when not in use, or you can just take it off.

The little woven bag was another steal, it is made in Italy and will be perfect for summer days with floral dresses. It had a rather ugly plastic cord on it but I swapped it with a chain from another bag I have.


I bought a skirt via an auction site not that long ago and I think its the perfect companion for these two lovely items.

Mmmmm, well, well as I promised here is another hat installment. We all had to make a straw hat. I saw a lovely picture of a Lanvin hat c1910, in the amazing Lanvin book and decided to recreate it. The book as also inspired my graduation dress along with fellow Scot, Christopher Kane but that's another post altogether :)



Click the PDF icon to download my workbook page for my Lanvin-esque straw hat. Any problems just leave a comment.

xx

Tip the velvet

For a rather long time I have been looking for a velvet jacket in my secondhand browsing and not come up with very much at all... until a couple of months ago I found this lovely tailored example for $15. Most of the ones I ever find are one buttoned closer affairs which do nothing for me so I was stoked to find this fitted three button lovely. On the same day I happened upon a 1950's petticoat in really good condition and some sweet Maryanne's! Awesomeness!

I found them ages ago but I never got round to taking nice pictures of then until now...I think they make a really great outfit, the petticoat is so pretty I would wear it as a summer skirt, so a bit of a wait for that. But right now is just the time for knitwear and velvet jackets.

xx

$20 bag

Over Easter one of my local opshop haunts had a $20 dollar bag offer. Pick up a bag fill it up with clothes and just pay $20... I got some lovely stuff. Half of my items even had their shop tags on and one silk blouse was from one of my favorite 'I can't afford to shop in there' high street shops Veronika Maine. There are a few shoulder pads to remove from one of the blouses and a quick refashion on a very bright pink silk top but I was very pleased. I even snagged a fine knit handmade cable jumper which is great saying my knitting skills are basic.


Luck was with me again when I spotted a canvas and leather handbag from another of my 'I can't afford to shop in there' high street shops Country Road for $5, I was drooling over this last year when it was over $80. Add to that a fun woolen skirt from Cue for $7 and I have been shopping in all the shops I can't afford to shop in. Better than an Easter egg... mmmmmmmmmm.

xx

OpShop Delight returns...

I have not been able to buy much of anything recently due to my return to poor student status. That does not stop me from having the odd visit and rummage in Opshops and the other day I found a lovely corselet style top for $4, so I sacrificed my flat white coffee for the day. It was too cute to pass by.

The top underneath I made a few months ago, I still have some adjustments to do as the neck turn out a tad wonky and being a slight perfectionist, out came the unpick! Hopefully it gets finished really soon as the fabric and style is really great. The pattern I used was from Built by Wendy. I really like these patterns as the fit is always spot on for me, plus they are unfussy and modern.

She has published two great books too, I really liked SEW U when I started to sew as it gave me basic patterns and advice on how to change them.

Until next time xx

My lady...

Joy of joy I found another rather good secondhand store called Rebound in Petone. I went there with my friend Esther and we shopped like only two girls can do high on caffeine and sugar!

I found a rather lovely silk and cotton cardi for $10, lace topped cami for $1.95 and a pair of shoes for $8.95, whooo. There was lots of great winter coats there too so maybe a trip back at some point...

You will notice a great trench in there too, well it was a online auction score at $25. I don't suit the traditional double breasted trench so I went for a retro single breasted ladies version instead.

Now I can whip it on at a moments notice and look effortlessly stylish like Audrey Hepburn.

xx

Dirndl days and pearly confections

Its a mixed deluxe bunch today, recycling, refashioning and make new... a new Opshop has just opened up on my walk to my local library and on my first visit I found a black slinky dirndl and a shiny set of fake pearls.

I have had a wonderful enamelled pendent on a rather uncomfy suede thong for quite some time now and I never wear it, so I decided to do my first refashion. You can read about my refashion over on the Wardrobe Refashion blog but lets just say that the pearly confection is super sweet if I don't say so myself.

I have also just finished making a top from fabric found in the scrap bins in the costume workshop. Very nice white silk and lace no less. I made a light jacket as in the summer sun in NZ you need to slip, slop and wrap to keep you pale and interesting. Its a whole lot more fun if done in style!

Then just like a dream my leather obi belt by Ledthread that I had won on the BurdaStyle site arrived. Its so soft and pretty. So I put a few looks together with the Opshop black dirndl, new handmade jacket and my prize obi.

Dressing up is so much fun, even for grown up girls.

xx

OpShop Delight

I had quite a find in one of my local OpShops today, or should that be five finds! My mum always coveted shoes by Bally and its rubbed off on me, so I was super quick to grab a black pair of Bally courts, they fitted a treat, been recently reheeled and the leather had not a mark. I then went for a wander round the store.

I proceeded to pick up a great long denim skirt that was made in NZ with the coolest buttons, a crochet lace dollie, old leather picture frame and a really lovely pendent on an ugly rubber thong. I then went to the counter and asked how much the shoes were (my heart palpitating as I am on a very tight budget) and the lady replied $3 NZD (roughly $1.80 USD or $1.20 GBP), my heart sang with joy. She only charged me $9 NZD for the whole lot!

So when I got home I took some lovely pictures and rethreaded the pendent on to one of my own silver chains. Who said secondhand shopping is dull :)