Thursday 26 July 2007

Been sewing dresses

.... and not many photos to show for it! I gave them to Sam at work as soon as they were done! BUT, I'm starting to finish one tonight... so I'll take some piccies of that!

I'm soooooooo looking forward to a little week off next week, so will show you some great stuff soon!

xoxo

Sunday 15 July 2007

Check out the garden!

Mum gave us some bulbs around Easter time, and I totally planted them in different pots around the courtyard. We moved and they found new spots and they are growing and making me excited about SPRINGTIME!

I'm surprised that most are growing, as I used different depths and different spaces for them. Some haven't sprouted at all, so not sure if they are slow moving or whatevs!




Friday 13 July 2007

Melting Plastic!

Just reading the Wardrobe Refashion site for ideas, and got very excited about this Placcy Bag Post!

Check out her bag:




I really want to make this!

Like Jayne and Solveig now that I'm an adult I really want to melt things like these knitting needles - yay for being in charge of the iron and the oven!

My only prob at the moment is that I have no plastic bags! Someone gave me some matieral in a DJs bag, but that's a bit daggy and an obvious pattern to melt!

xoxo

Thursday 12 July 2007

Looking for a Birthday Sewing Machine

Yep, it's my birfffday in August and my lovely husband suggested I look for a new sewing machine!!!! What a great idea!

I use a 1980 Janome that has an overlocker (broken and way too complicated to work out) but only use the straight stitch. I've been quite naughty and don't reinforce any of my edges (for instance the dress I made below is fraying at the seam edges on the inside, and I may have to think about fixing that soon) and when I use knit fabrics I just soldier on and pretend not to notice the puckering on my stitches! CAN YOU TELL I'M SELF TAUGHT AND LAZY?? Ha Ha Ha!

I met a patchworker this weekend and she showed me her Pfaff Machine, and because she does quilting wanted a machine that's needle stayed in the fabric (mine does this so didn't realise there was any other way) to move the fabric around with the needle still there to keep things together.

For my sewing I'd like that too, I'd like an overlocker and a straight stitch option - I'd like a button hole computer programmed thing - Monica the Patchworker had over a hundred different computer options! I don't know what I'd do with them, but I want them!

What machines are good do you think? I'm thinking $1000 max at the mo (cheaper would be better, but are the machines more divey?), and have started looking online! woo Yeah!

Choice has reviewed sewing machines just for people like me, and have decided that Janome and Bernina are good - approx $1000 and their tip is:

"Visit big craft shows in your area, or major state-based shows like the Royal Easter Show, as manufacturers often have excellent deals available at this time."

Oh!! Bec just went to a Craft show!

Tuesday 10 July 2007

Wedding Fash

I'm so happy with my dress!



I have blogged below about part of the making, but the story goes: I'd bought the material from the Remnants Warehouse in Marrickville and it's kind of silky satin, and I've got this fabulous 60s dress pattern (I think was from a Sale Op Shop) that I hadn't made up yet... I did try to do it when I lived in Sale a few years back, but unfortunately as it was opshopped the instructions page was missing! Oh no! All the pattern pieces were there though, and so I thought I'd give it a go a few weeks back.

ANDDDDD it's sooooooo good! I adjusted the skirt darts (I was a bit fatty in the guts) and took in the blouse bit as it was a lot more baggy than above. Also I made the zip just on the skirt (and used a shorter zip) as when the zip was in the blouse it stuck out funny on the side. That was the trickiest bit as I wasn't sure how it went, and also I top stitched the bodice because I wasn't sure either. It's hard without the instructions, but am so pleased I'm experienced enough at sewing now to make this without them!

I made the wrap from woolie material from another fabric shop on Marrickville road - $6 for half a metre and lined it with satin, it turned out great but I was intrigued with how the two materials moved and went a bit wonky when I stitched them together.

My husband made me pose for this shot and as I was a bit tipsy with wedding fever I thought I looked fantastic! He also priced this look at $180 but all up it's under $20 - oh the stockings would make the outfit $30, beg your pardon, they were added as the wedding was at 7am on Saturday (7/7/07) and a little chilly even though it was on the northern NSW beachside.

xoxo

Thursday 5 July 2007

What to do with pillowcases

hey there,

just been mucking around on facebook and looking for clinique makeup deals as I realised I have no make up left, and have a wedding to go to on the weekend! It's late night shopping today, so I'll be able to make it to the department stores.

but if you have pillowcases you can make cute drawstring skirts! This tutorial on Leah Kramer's site (I'll have to put a link up) is really gorgeously spelled out for dumbos like me, and I have a few pillowcases in my stash so this could be a few summer skirts for me!

xoxo

Tuesday 3 July 2007

Cheeky Beeky Badges

I've gone mental with badges/brooches/whatevs!

Here's a small example:



I'm about to upload some on etsy while I'm watching my crime shows! Yay Hooray! I'm not too sure my stuff is that good on etsy, but really want to hang in there and give it a red hot go. I have some great material that would suit some obi belts too, so perhaps I just need to update some of the stuff! I have also finished a great summer halter dress, kind of apron-like, but I'll put it on Diana and take a photo for you bloggy.

Sam from work loves it, so I'll make up the dress with her fabric as planned, and take some piccies of that too.

I'm so random today! Also, instead of a shrug I got some really interesting woolie material and made a massive wrap. I lined it with normal black lining (will be taking loads of pics at the wedding this Saturday, so will have some nice ones to show my lovely dress!) and when I lined it I sewed it woolie material side up on the machine, and ANYWAYS the two materials didn't want to work together, like the shiny lining went with the machine and the woolie one followed more slowly. However, I switched to the lining being on top, and then the two fabrics moved and joined together smoothly... does this make ANY SENSE? I just wanted to know why this happens (even thought I pin the material really carefully)... What's the dealio???

xoxox

Dongmen Lu Fabric Market

Happy Wednesday! Time to get some fabric inspiration from the Dongmen Lu Fabric Market here in Shanghai! Can't believe how quickly 201...