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

Budget style from the pros

My parents have gone back to Scotland...* sniff*. It is kinda weird being on the other side of the planet from your family. I took a good few days to feel sad and eat chocolate. But now its time to get back in to things I have been neglecting and well this blog is one thing that has been suffering.

I don't seem to be in the groove for sewing right now, maybe my two years of intense study has just thrown me off track. Do you ever get that? It's like a mental block every time I look at my sewing machine.

But the need to make stuff is nibbling at me. I did start to finish off the Ute blouse that I downloaded from BurdaStyle ages ago yesterday so that is a start. I do have a lot of UFO's (Un-finshed Objects).

In the meantime I have been reading a rather good book that I picked up. Elizabeth Craig's Needlecraft (War Time Edition c1948). She was a fellow Scot too.

I love it. In her foreword she writes:

With clothes, as with other things, it is only when we find ourselves having to "make do" that we realise how wasteful we used to be.

I thought that was so appropriate for the reason that I started this blog.

It has great chapter titles, the best being Dressmaking without tears. One other great thing about old books is the inscriptions in the inside covers.

Prudence Jackson! What a name. There is one project I am going to try, making a women's blouse from a mans shirt. My Dad left a linen shirt behind and I am going to convert it rather than post it back to him (he is cool with that). There are heaps more too.

So I am going to sign off now with the up most resolution to go and sew... yes I will!

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

Vintage style

Swoon. I love the pattern above. What a lovely little number from the 1930s. I found this pattern on Vintage Fashion Library via blog A Dress A Day. It is a reproduction of an authentic pattern so there is more than one up for grabs.

One other blog that I am following is Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing. Gertie found a copy of a 1952 Vogue Sewing book that made the claim if you could sew all the garments in the book, 14, then you would become an expert home seamtress. So that is exactly what she is doing!

Her blog charts her progress along with other interesting blogs posts and vlogs. Gertie also gives vintage sewing advice on BurdaStyle too in her guest column.

I really love the late 1930s style, but really it is hard to pick an era. So I ask that question, what is your favorite fashion vintage era?

Until next time.

xx

Lazy, hazy days

My oh my I just looked at the last entry date for my blog and was a wee bit surprised how quickly time has speed past... but the sun has been around... I have no more studies... erm... I have been on holiday... I am a slacker... so sorry for the lack of posting.

This post is about my graduation dress that was inspired by vintage Lanvin and Christopher Kane.




















I used my pinking tool to create scalloped edges on black silk organza and then used this to create a modern texture, inspired by Mr Kane. I placed this on top of a black drop waisted dress with petal sleeves, lined in dusty light pink. I used pink silk organza to make a small detail on the sleeve to lift the garment.

The black material that I used for my dress was vintage inspired Japanese cotton. Now I have removed the black silk organza (ready to pop back on of course if needed) I have a wonderful LBD.

I also made a head piece to go with my outfit and a small clutch. On my wrist strap for my clutch I placed a vintage button that I picked up from Salvage in Auckland, it is so cute with two swallows and I plan to make a print for a t'shirt from it.

In our graduation ceremony instead of a black cloak and mortar we receive a cloak made by a fellow student and we get to keep it! I received a stunning cloak made by one of the now second year students in the costume course Michelle. It was perfect and has the most adorable bunnies in faux fur as decoration, with black feathers to top it all off.

That's Doug my partner too, he needs to get some posing lessons :)

See you soon-er.

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

Drab to Fab

I am very much into my Refashioning challenge and its making me be tres creative! Yippeeee

You can read my post about the above jumper turns into cardi on Wardrobe Refashion and help me make up my mind if its buttons on or off... I can't decide.

I am researching folk/ethnic costume at the moment for a costume I am designing and making for a musician called Bachlorette, and I came across some really great books. Dress in Detail is a great series and for the costumer an absolute must! So I picked up the Dress in Detail: Around the World and it is stunning. One direction for the costume is to make it and Apron style so I picked up Aprons : Icons of the American Home



Now I want both books myself and to make a new apron! Watch this space

xx