Back soon!

Phew! Sorry for the silence babes, but I've finished a mad week of work, and will now head off on holidays! LOLIDAYZ! Husbie and I are going away for his birthday, so we'll be sitting around the pool a lot and generally reading/cocktailing/lazing around for a few weeks. I'm so excited, and heaps exhausted from running around all year, so it's perfect timing.

I was going to set up some scheduled posts for you, but I couldn't find a moment to even get them written! When I get back we have some HUGE catching up to do, I haven't even looked at any of your blogs for a couple of days, so I miss you! Hope you're doing well, and see you soon.

 Maybe while I'm gone, you should check out these darling fash and design blogs:

Orange and Apples - I always visit Franca's blog, she's so colourful and beautiful!

Lucy at The Design Files - is suggesting some great presents for the family and sometimes has awesome giveaways! I'm a bit gushed over Lucy because I know her IN REAL LIFE! Very weird for me, as I'm a bit shy meeting peeps in real life. LOLZ

Love gorgeous photos? Especially of Sydney's Inner West? My darling friend (also IRL) has just started blogging and she's already awesome!

OMG It's snowing for Karin at The Mrs! She's a darling and has a gorgeous little family, but her sewing is amazing!

Emina has THE best shop in Brunswick (you know I love the Melissa shoes!) with OK OK!

See you in two weeks!

xoxo Veronica Darling

Talking to the ends of the earth

It's nice to have a little sit down in the late late afternoon, and look at blogs and wait for the mini quiches to cook.

It's nice not having to talk.

These are some timer shots I took the other day, on my little itty bitty tripod. I quite like them! My knee highs are from my fave shop in Melbourne - OK OK! YAY

I have made a red dress today, but as I was making the quiche, I spilt cream all down the front. Great. I'll post it another day for you to see.

Friend Friday: Copy Cats

Every Friday, Modly Chic poses a thought/topic/group of questions and it's a meme called Friend Friday. It's kinda fun because on Fridays it's really nice to have a structure to what to post about and there's several other bloggers (that I follow) who are doing it, and I like seeing likeminded peeps write about stuff etc.

This week's Friend Friday therefore, as written her by Katy at Modly Chic:

This past week I encountered the topic of blogger copying twice. The first time was as I scrolled through the numerous bloggers doing the 30 for 30 challenge. I realized that after one person poses with an umbrella dozens others will. Or as Kendi poses in a parking garage suddenly 20 other bloggers appear in a parking garage. And then I was talking with Kinsey about some of favorite blogs and she mentioned seeing a blogger post a DIY recipe and two weeks later another blogger posted a very similar DIY recipe complete with the same wrappings. That got me thinking... how much of blogging is coming up with your own content and how much is mirroring what we see others doing?

Ok, so before I go on, I want to say: You may not really get what Katy is talking about above, sorry if it's confusing (Kendi? Kinsey? They are bloggers I'm assuming, and fashion ones perhaps). But I am also a little sickie. So this may come as a shock to you but I almost couldn't be fucked with this topic, and pretty much was just going to post the words:

Zeitgeist and Collective Consciousness

Because I've lived a bit of this kinda 'meme' stuff over the years where you think and do something at exactly the same time as someone else around the world thinks and does that too. We are humans and we do that for loads of reasons. BUT, then I thought I should be not grumpy and sickie and rude, and show you some 'nature' photos and answer the questions so you can see what I'm thinking! Buckle in peeps! These are photos from my parents place in the country too btw:

1. What are the 'unwritten rules' about copying content that we bloggers should all abide by?

I'm only ever going to speak for myself, because we're all individuals, but I don't copy content, and if when referring to blogs and photographs and other content, I linky dink back to it. However, I'm not sure posing in a parking garage or posing with an umbrella (aren't most of you in the Northern Hemisphere, where it's potentially raining?) could be called copying content. Hence my zeitgeist thought. But for me, I'm not really interested in looking at blogs and copying; I look at blogs and think wow, how inspiring!

2. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. But when it a post imitation and when is it copying?

I really love some blogs, and how they inspire me to try new things or do new things. When I first looked at The Freelancer's Fashionblog, I was like 'How does she make her hair go like that?', then read that she does pin curls, then looked at 500 youtubes on how to set your hair in pin curls, and now I do that, and am so happy with my hair. When I first started blogging, I clicked onto Nikkishell's blog somehow, and saw her group the Wardrobe Refashion, and I loved how she was making clothes from op shop things (just like me) and I was like WOW, I'm connected to a whole different community. None of this is copying, it's just being inspired. I guess it's the content and photography stuff these questions are talking about though.

3. Taking another blogger's idea (perhaps for an outfit, or DIY tutorial) is pretty common in the blogging world. Do you think it is necessary to credit the original source?

I rarely look at a bloggers outfit to replicate it. I see fashion on the street all the time and love it, but I don't think "I have to get that whole look". I gather up ideas and styles and things that suit me. As for DIY tutorials and stuff, I always linky dink to things I see and make from online! The other day I was talking about how I love the open source nature of the internetz, so will always credit someone's generousity and show you how I learnt to make it. That's why I show you the patterns I use to make stuff too!

4. How have you improved your blog by comparing it to other bloggers? Have you made changes due to something you have seen others doing?

I know I take better photos and care more about my photos because of other bloggers. I think over the past 4 years the online world has really sparked up their photos and amateur photographers are really GREAT photographers these days. So I'm totally into that. Also occasionally I get annoyed with the look of my blog, and I think I've evolved it at least once a year! Franca at Oranges and Apples is one of my bloggie friends that I admire, and we LOL-ed (over email!) the other day how we both update at the same time. She's a darling, and I love how realistic she is about blogging and can be quite revealing, which I guess I try to be too. Oh, and recently I saw Vanessa at The Velvet Bird updated her blog/look, with a cute banner, and I drew up (by hand) something kinda like hers, but totally created by me, and when I put it up there (on the blog), I mailed Vanessa and told her she was an inspiration for me. She wrote something cute back in return, because she's a darling.

 5. Have you ever had one of your posts copied by another blogger or publication? How did you handle the situation?

Nup. Not sure what I'd do. Perhaps get grumpy? Probably not. It makes me think about copyrighting somewhere on my blog about my photos. I'd hate to see a photo of mine pop up somewhere as someone else's photo.

These questions make me think that originality is key.

Now, this photo is original. Do I hear anyone wanting to replicate or copy this look? No one? WHY NOT IT'S HAWT!

P.s. when you're in the country you can wear whatever you like and nature finds you attractive.

xoxo

Going Green at Work

There's a building near my work in Melbourne, it's nearly completed but we were up on the rooftop at our work the other day and noticed they've installed an amazing wall of green plants:

It's the southside of the building, and this section overhangs the carpark entrance, so perhaps inside it's the carpark and you can look out, but how great to have green stuffs in a maze of cement and boringness.

I'm not sure what the building will house, but the east and northish side of the lower building hasn't got windows, just this amazing bright bubbles, and yesterday when I walked along the sun was hitting them and they made patches of rainbow colour reflected on the roads around the building. So interesting!

It's so nice to see a new building that's totally different! Melbourne is full of these kind of places, inner city way. 

This week has been pretty busy and social with work and funtimes, so I've only cut out a little bit of a new dress, and run a few circles of the granny square blanket, nothing to show you just yet. My cold is totally annoying as well, but this time I'm soldiering on. I haven't been this frequently sick in like FOREVER, but it's to be expected in a new city I guess, different colds and at least my immune system is toughening up with them.

Don't get sick, don't get sick, don't get sick!

I'm wishing myself into good health today. For some reason I keep getting sickie at the moment, or the weeks are travelling so quickly and I forget when I last was sick. There's summer/spring colds going around, someone was saying on Facebook it's a spring fever. URGH!

Anyways, I flicked through my photos this morning and found this dog!

He was waiting for his owner when I was in the country a few weeks back, very cute!

Anyways, I'm off to have PROTEIN for breakfast and some magnesium to drink! I've visited the Naturopath this week and feel so happy! I've never seen one before, but it was so good spending time talking about my health with someone instead of going to the GP with an ailment (or a list of ailments!) and getting rushed in and rushed out.

So I think health is on my brain at the moment, and having this sniffly nose (and sneezing shitloads - maybe it's hayfever?) is just annoying me into thinking I'm sick. Don't get sick!

Hope you're well this week!

Joining the Dots! (AKA Squares!)

Hooray! Another crochet breakthrough!

I made my first Granny Square back in April of this year, and then quickly scooted up more. But hit a massive snag when trying to join them together. So I put the little granny squares aside, and found out how to do massive granny square blankets instead. Perfect for babies!

But after I saw Pip's Meet Me At Mikes blog, she had a video of how she'd join the squares, which looked ok, but I didn't like the ribbed 'back' to it. Pip linked to Carina's Craft Blog who had a made 'How To' and I followed her tutorial to join them together in a way that looked good for me!

Yippee! I just wanted a way to make it all lie flat, and mum reckons once I've done the edging here I should give it a wash, and then steam it, and it'll be straight and flat. Yay! I will totally get all these videos and instructions into a 'How Veronica Darling learned crochet' post for you, because I know it seems really daunting. And if I saw that blanket this time last year, I'd have gone how the fracko do you make that!?!! Now, after shitloads of patience (and reading online), I can make it really really really quickly!

Here's what my Dad thinks of my blanket:

 

Dad LOL!

I'm googling up scalloped edging now, because I've made a red border for the blankie, and will do scalloped in purple. And then it'll be finished!

xoxo

Butterick Beginnings

Of course, as soon as I finish something, I have to start another project within seconds.

This time, I searched through Amanda's Vintage Pattern Collection (that she has dearly loaned me) to find a 32 or 34 bust, so I didn't have the heartbreak of making a dress up in a size too big. And heartbreak for me is often quickly fixed by zillions of vintage patterns and other fabulous materials in the stash, and the endless possibilities for more frocks.

So the Butterick 9792 seems to be the best fit, and I've found some sheen material in purple, with black flecks, that I'll try the view B. I've done heaps of larger skirts recently, so would love to try something fitted (a la The Freelancer's Fashion Blog's wiggle dresses) but I'm not sure the scoopy top bit will suit me. Let's wait and see shall we!?

Looks simple enough! I thought I might omit the facing and try for bias binding in the same fabric, I adore neatness underneath and not flappy facing pieces. I'll keep you posted though, it could be a shamozzle!

Happy Saturday to you!

Friend Friday: Blogger Self Promotion

Friend Friday has come around again, happy Friday to you all! Yippee! Today's post is also accompanied by my collection of coffee photos using the hipstermatic app on the iphone! Each morning (now that I'm working 9 to 5) I've got a delish flat white coffee! YUM!

The topic for this week: Blogger Self Promotion

1. How do you promote your blog?

Self promotion isn't at the top of my mind usually, so let me have a little think about what I do. I do have my blog linked to my facebook account, via Networked Blogs (I think it is) and via my twitter. These accounts are run by me and I only post once a day (if that) and sometimes tweet when I feel like it. I'm not a huge/active promoter of the blog, I just like posting and hearing from you guys and looking at your blogs. I suppose being on places like Burda, Ravelry and Wardrobe Refashion or Sew Retro has some promotional things, since I know a lot of you guys hang out around there too, but I don't really tend to be 'in your face' over those sites anyways!

2. In your experience what has been the most effective form of self promotion?

If I were actively blogging for my day job, I'd probably spend more time online and honing particular parts of the blog (tutorials, giveaways, more structure I guess), with the aim to offer 'something for nothing' and then perhaps become an expert in sewing or something and then get blog sponsorship. But I'd probably (if doing this for my day job) be selling my clothes online too.

As for now though, I like the internet to be a shared place, a 'free source' of information, so I just like talking to you guys without any other reason as to say 'Here's what I've been up to' and 'Wow, sewing's fun, and it saves you money and you look like a true individual when you make your own clothes'. I'm not interested in this becoming my day job at all, with no intention to make money from the site. I like Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing, because it's really clear and has a purpose (and I think she'll be writing books soon too) and she's just blogging, sharing and (seemingly) caring about her readership. I really like that way of self promotion, creating a conversation and it's a 2 way conversation.

3. Do you think there is a wrong way to promote yourself and your blog?

Marketing, publicity, promotions are all real jobs, and there are clever ways to manage and clever ways to advertise. Considering people can study these fields for 4 years and work in these industries, I reckon DIY blog promotion can be done pretty badly and there are certainly wrong wasy to promote yourself. For me, I click through heaps of blogs and often only really settle when the voice is clear to me on who you are, or if I like your style/theme/outlook on the world. If it matches mine, I usually hang out on your blog more.

Personally, I connect with more honest blogs and I love the sustainability/vintage loving/crafty world. So if you're doing that kinda stuff, I'll probably like it. If you're being over the top (and I think that's where this Question is meant to head), emailing me about your blog, or your etsy shop (and honestly, this hasn't really happened to me) and overly obvious about wanting followers or needy in any way, then I'm gonna steer clear. Your blog is a living thing (LOL - someone told me this, and I laugh everytime I think it) and you need to nurture it slowly and it'll blossom... you need to put in the effort slowly and organically and they (the readers I assume, not rats like the Pied Piper or anything) will come. LOLZ

4. When is comes to others pushing their product what annoys you?

Jeepers, I get annoyed by being negative about people. But if I really think about it, I get annoyed with fake yuck websites wanting me to review or do a blog post about their site or product. One website emailed me about the 'great offer' (which I ignored) and then emailed several other times checking I understood the 'great offer' and it was about me reviewing bar stools. Why would I do that? Why would I care about a consumeristic weird website and about a product that I do not care about, nor has anything to do with my blog.

That's what annoys me the most. But realistically, I'm smiling as I write that because I'm totally not really annoyed about anything, since the internet is usually wonderful and you can ignore the shit stuff. I usually don't take anything on board, so am not really annoyed.

5. In Dressful's post on this topic earlier in the week she said, "It's impossible to respect someone who wants all the attention, but adds nothing worthwhile to the conversation." Do you agree?

Yep, pretty much, as I love the conversation of crafty/sewing/fash blogs. But there's some blogs I love who don't really say much at all... like Small Stump's blog where there's nothing but simplicity and you can see it's just 'Look at what I made' kinda gentle blogging. OMG I sound like a total hippy, "Let your blog organically grow" "kind, gentle blogging"... I think this topic has made me go crazy, obviously I don't really care about promotion that much! Be nice to each other, that's all! xoxo

Marian Martin 8237: TICK!

Here's the tablecloth dress, all complete!

 

It's a Marian Martin Pattern (here's several others, the drawings are all very curvy and darling):

It didn't say the size anywhere (that I could see) until I cut out all the pattern pieces and noticed a '36' printed on the skirt pattern piece. So you'll see I'm pulling in the dress a little in the photos above as it's sadly not my size!

THE STATS
Fabric: an old tablecloth of light linen/cotton, from the Op Shop, and white wide ribbed lining material, also from the Op Shop
Pattern: Marian Martin 8237 (from Amanda's Collection)
Notions: Vintage thread, vintage cream zipper
Time to complete: 6 hours (handstitching the lining takes ages!)
Year: not sure! Some websites are saying Marian Martin is from the 1950s
First worn: Just for the photos
Wear again? Not my size!
Total Cost:  Maybe $6... as sometimes tablecloths are around $4 (not as cheap as loose fabric) so with the lining fabric and the zipper, around $6 in total.

Handstitching is a piece of cake*

* through gritted teeth, I write that.

I'm not a super fan of handstitching, and totally go for the machine each time. BUT, I made this short dress/long tshirt a while back, but the neckline kinda got pulled as I topstitched it, and it got weirder when I ironed i. So I wanted to stick a bow on it, to cover it up!

But, I couldn't find my needles anywhere, they were still packed somewhere in a missing box (after the move to Melbs!), so luckily over the weekend Husbie found the rogue sewing room box, and there I also found the good scissors! Phew!

I stitched the bow on today, but even though it looks cute, I'm still not 100 % in love with handstitching. B-O-R-I-N-G!

Thanks for your comments on yesterday's post! I think I'll get some good photos of the finished dress for you tomorrow! YAY

Tablecloth dress progress report

Thought I'd show you where I'm at with the tablecloth dress, as part of my 'Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge' (where I make up some of Amanda's pattern collection):

The thrifted tablecloth was handmade, and after cutting it up, I realised it was kinda handmade unevenly into a circle. So as I cut the skirt bits using the existing hem of the tablecloth (a clever trick I came up with) there may be a little unevenness to that hem. Not so clever now, hey?

And as it's an older tablecloth (not quite barkcloth, kinda a heavy linen), I cut around some of the old stains, but found this on the bodice:

A threaded thing in the fabric. It's not a tear, but at least it makes this dress even more original now!

The front 'V' is just darling and wasn't as hard to sew up as I thought! Just fold under the edges and sew onto the bodice, topstitch style.

Sunday: My car - SSS!

It's a step back in time, but one day during Self Stitched September, we bought a (secondhand) new car, and the man at the shop, who I gave the very big cheque to... took a photo:

Here's my Self Stitched Outfit, a red dress I made and some second hand and pleather accessories (my jacket is plastic leather look, ie pleather). But, the car guy said he was going to email me the photo through, and there was a minor drama about me picking it up because I had a NSW state license as I haven't totally changed over at that stage. Minor drama, because I did have a massive cheque in my hand, ready to drive away!

But he never emailed it, we forgot about it, but in the post this week a card arrived, with this photo on the front and a 'Hope you're enjoying your new car' type message on the inside. A car dealer's special touch? Handmade cards to buyers? Very funny!

So apols for the photo quality, I took a photo of the card to show you!

We're having a great house weekend, I've been going out way too much and considering it's going to be party season soon, I need to recoup and get some energy to prepare for it. Melbourne is so busy with so many fun events and parties and people to see. Plus I have work things on (and events to plan for that) so I'm like uber social for the next two months. The good thing, for a short bit in the middle, we're going to Bali for Husbie's birthday, so there will be a little holiday in the middle of the madness!

xoxo

Baby Booties: Meet Me At Mikes!

My friend gave me Pip Lincolne's first book 'Meet Me At Mikes' (still available I believe through Readings Bookstore - aren't I the local these days? But trust me, you haven't heard me pronounce it, as I say it different to most Melbournians, because I am an idiot and habitually pronounce things incorrectly just to piss people off, and then I can never get out of the habit) recently, and I only just got around to opening this morning, and had a brainwave!

Since there's a lot of smaller projects in the book, and things for scraps, I thought I could do some 'in between projects'! I can't focus on one thing at a time, so while I'm sewing 'larger' projects like dresses etc (and tedious handsewing bodice dresses at that) I can stop for a bit, sew up a quick little 'in between project' from the book!

Yay!

So, my first project from Meet Me At Mikes:

My current larger project is this tablecloth dress, as part of my Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge (I can't get enough challenges at the moment. I have 2 others I've been thinking about too. I just have to calm down a bit I think!) and looking at the scraps from the tablecloth, after I'd cut out the pattern pieces, I thought they'd be perfect for little booties.

The Teeny-tiny goody-two-shoes pattern is the first project in the book, it uses hardly any fabric pieces, and I loved how the pattern pieces were folded away in the book, so no need for drafting or whatever. I tend to jump right in to pattern instructions, but I had to read over these steps (out loud!) to check I was doing everything right. I'm not used to modern day language! LOLZ! It was very colloquially written, which was sweet, but for the sewing part, I had to double check I was doing it right.

But they've come up really well, and will be perfect for a little girl who's about a month old perhaps? One of my Husbie's friend's new little baby. I'd totally make these again, because it probably took half an hour (maybe?), as I didn't check the clock, but it was great making something on the side. Sometimes vintage dress patterns are a bit annoying with the handstitching and the lining and whatever, so it's good to take a little break and actually finish something.

If you're a Melbs blogger or crafter, or a follower of the Frankie cult, you'd probably have seen Pip's blog, but I haven't really stopped by that often, but it's AMAZING and so resourceful with patterns and tutorials and tips! You should totes look! She also has another book! RHYMEZ!

Friend Friday: The Great Unwashed

Here's another Friend Friday post, Yay!

1. The move to do away with soap, shampoo and deodorant has been growing in popularity in the last year. What are your thoughts on this trend?

The Great Unwashed is a fun title. I would be considered unwashed by some, and not by others, but because I'm conscious about consumerism and the environment, I think about this a fair bit. Over the past 10 years I reckon there has been a shift for me, and this could just be about growing up.

Overall between my groups of friends and what I see online, using products like shampoo and soaps etc is still commonplace, as I feel sometimes there's only a small minority who are the Great Unwashed, and it's still looked at as hippie-ish behaviour. But, as for my thoughts on the topic (as opposed to the trend) is YAY, less buying of products and making of the waste is a good thing.

2. Be honest how often do you wash your own hair?

Get ready peeps!

I just talked about my hair recently on this blog, and I'm always honest about things! I wash my hair once a week, usually on a Saturday so I can do pin curls. But back when I was growing up, I never really washed my hair a lot in high school, because of the curl and the frizz of it. Luckily though, it was the grunge era, so there were heaps of cool stories going around school how cute boys put toothpaste in their hair.

But growing up, I started to hate how the products made my hair so fly away and the products never did what they said they'd do (Frizz ease being the most obvious let down for me) and after that I became more and more skeptical about the whole beauty world, and the myths behind it.

Before I was platinum, I probably used to wash it a few times a week, and keep it longer when I had "good hair" days. But yeah, for the past 2 years I only wash once a week, and my hairdresser tells me this is best.


3. Have you tried to go the more natural route by forgoing shampoo? What happened? Or would you be tempted to try it?

I don't use shampoo at all, but I use conditioner once a week. Without shampoo my hair is fine, and extremely more manageable and better looking (!) than ever before. Personally, we all wash our hair way too much for our natural oils to balance out our hair, so I don't need shampoo to take more of my natural chemicals away.

4. What products do you use and have you ever gone with more organic alternatives?

I have used 'MOP' products before, which I think is an organic alternative for shampooing and conditioning, it was so beautiful and smelly! These days I just condition with something basic, wash myself with basic soaps, and use hair products that have a flexibility to keep my curls in. They are probably not organic or good for vegan use (I'm mostly a vegetarian, but opt for vegan products when I can. Beetle wings in my lipstick? No thanks). As for washing powder, I choose the 'green' version, but I don't really read up on what that means and probably should.

5. What about that daily shower? Would you forgo that opting to shower three times a week instead?

I really enjoy a daily shower, but a short one, no more than 4 mins. Sometimes (on weekends) I don't have one, just through laziness and running around or staying at home. But that's a whole different thing I reckon: giving up a daily shower.

Personally, I think a 6th question here would be apt, about clothes washing... at first glance I thought the 'Great Unwashed' was a little more a trend toward not washing your clothes as much. I wash undergarments after one wear, but for skirts, cardigans, dresses, jackets etc I often wear 10 times before washing it. Don't get me wrong, if it's dirty and I can see it's dirty, I wash it. But I personally think part of the consumer/domesticity of life of the 1950s and 60s created this false comfort of washing things... to buy things... to use things... therefore to be consumers.

We waste water and send chemicals off into the world when we wash our clothes and towels so much, so I tend to wait until the last minute to wash.


Hope you are enjoying your Friday! I'm out on the verandah, typing away, and enjoying the last flashes of sunlight. It's been such a lovely day in Melbs, I hope we can get outside tomorrow on our bikes!

xoxo

A little plan

If you know my brother, please don't tell him, but I'm learning the guitar to play a song at his wedding:

Maybe even two songs, if I get it right.

EEP.

A walk in the woods

There's *the* best forest near a gorgeous little town in Gippsland, where my folks live, and I bet if you know the area, you'd have seen it.

So Husbie and I took a very quick walk and I tried out some 'Outfit Poses'. LOLZ! My Husbie signed us up for a Frankie magazine subscription, and he often looks at portrait photos online, and marvels at some of your photography (especially some like Strawberry Koi or Esme and the Laneway) and often *he* takes a great photo, but *I'm* the dorko in it. I really need more practice because I just laugh at how awkward I am in these photos (apart from the last one, cause he called my name at the last minute).

Dress: Veronica Darling

Shawl/Cape: Veronica Darling

Cowboy Boots: Episode on Sydney Road, Brunswick (now closed down I see)

Stockings: Cheap $2 shop - $7

Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having a good week! I have a bit of work to catch up on, as there's heaps on at the minnie, but should be ok. It's just busy everywhere and this month hasn't even started!

xoxo

A small window of opportunity

We have a holiday today, so Husbie and I drove to Gippsland to visit the parents. It's been awesome and we laughed and laughed and laughed together all day. So lovely because I was knocked out in a yuk way by period pain yesterday.

We had morning tea in Briag!

It's just a small mini break, but it's so lovely to get away from the city and visit parts of the country I know so well. Growing up in the country is so lovely and so annoying at the time, but being able to easily escape the city rush is amazing.

Our holiday is because of a horse race. Not a national holiday, but I've noticed (as I tried to op shop today in a few country towns) that the public holiday *used* to be restricted to the city of Melbs, but in recent years it's not a statewide thing. Weird, and disappointing to avid op shoppers!

But, I just quickly flicked to this opinion piece about the event that means we have a public holiday, and feel like yelling hooray YAY! As it's a touchy issue, and it's so lovely to see Marieke say it so clearly and valid. Yay Hooray! Don't get me wrong, there's tradition and fashion (things I love) but there's so much more wrong things about horse racing, that they kinda outway the good.

I've made it more extreme using Lightroom, but yay for dreamy public holiday cappuccinos!:

Delish!

Pieces of the puzzle

My old challenge 'Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge' has been so disrupted this year, and I'd like to finally kick it along because I have heaps of vintage patterns that belong to Amanda of Adelaide that need to be sent back eventually!

The premise for this challenge, was that Amanda sent through some vintage patterns from her collection (she's a keen reader of my blog and will hopefully get a blog of her own, as she's VERY good at sewing herself!) and I was going to sew them up as a test run, and offer my critique on the pattern etc. She's got some really lovely rare patterns, as Adelaide is a gold mine for op shopping goods! Every time I've visited there's been such awesome things!

Nevertheless, I've sewn up a bunch earlier this year, and after a small lapse, I'm gearing to get back into it! This Marian Martin pattern (unfortunately with the bolero jacket piece from the back missing) is now cut up all over my table:

I've used a round tablecloth, that I got at an op shop, it had several food stains here and there, that I've been able to avoid in the cut, and because of the white base of the fabric, I'm going to line every bodice piece with another salvaged op shop white fabric.

Those orange flowers are pretty lovely! I used the rounded hemmed parts of the tablecloth as the hem (I love cutting corners, using a hem that someone else has made) so I hope it all matches up ok!