Voila: The Anna Frankensteined Romper!

YAY, we're back from holidays in Singapore and Thailand and I've just been reading through all your lovely notes from my 31/31 pieces from my personal sewing marathon in December. LOVED that you loved my little things (the exciting ones and the boring ones alike! Boring is still good, right!?) and thought you'd like to see the Romper I made for the wedding!

I outlined the sewing construction details (By Hand London's Anna top, vintage 1970s pattern for the shorts) in the blog post but here's me in it with my darling friend Jo (and cousin of the bride) who is from the amazingly gorgeous Melbourne band Big Scary! Aren't we vintage pastel fabric queens:

We loved being away and just adored Thailand, such a beautiful spot for a wedding! I'll post some scenic shots soon, there was just really gorgeous landscapes with the water, huge cliff faces and bush land, jungle spaces! Anyways, I loved wearing my romper, it was really comfy and good for crouching down with the children at the wedding or running around taking photos here and there. It was also great for dancing in later!

The fabric wasn't as see-through as I first thought when sewing it, and the only downside (not that anyone noticed) was that later on in the night after excessive dancing/jumping around (who knew I can still remember all the words to De La Soul?) the facing would flip out the front... so next time I'll stitch or glue/fuse that down... but all in all a successful Frankensteined outfit!

Here's me with my bestie Amy, and I gave her my Red Christmas Anna Dress for her birthday, and it fitted PERFECT! The FBA I did on the bodice was just right for Amy, as it was a little loose for me. Love being on holidays with my bestie! What a stunner!

And I did my hair myself (who knew I've turned into a hairstylist?) by twisting and pinning bits of hair around a topknot... but I bought a little fan from one of the local shops to use as a fascinating fascinator! It stayed in all night as well, even with the dancing!

And my friend snapped a little family photo as well:

Baby Darling wore a little vest & shorts suit I bought at the Salvos Op Shop on King Street in Newtown when I last visited Sydney. He couldn't leave his motorbike out of the wedding party! Plus it matches his sandals, accessorise people!

xoxo thank you again for all your love & gush with my sewing last month! Loved doing a little mini marathon on the machine... for this year (as always) I'm not really setting sewing or personal goals. Being away with my family has made a beautiful start to the year, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to love all the things I do personally and with my friends and family. Now that we're back in the house, we've always got little odd jobs to do, but I'm feeling very low-stress & carefree and plan to keep that vibe going in all aspects of 2014!

Wishing you a wonderful year ahead though, and hope you are loving the year as much as I am. Sew Forth and conquer queen sewing bees!

xoxo

Last Week of Work: Tuesday

Yep, purple and black! I made this stretchy dress last year during Sew Weekly 2011 for the Spanish Harlem theme and it's so comfy as pregz fash this year. Totally one of my faves to wear, and I've 'teamed' it up here with my op shopped cardi (a lovely wool blend one I found recently - great!), a bit of leftover stretch knit that turns into a scoopy, loopy scarf cowl thing and my velvet or velveteen op shopped jacket (a recently QLD op shop find!).

Again, it's early in the morning so Husbie snapped these quick photos for me in the freezing cold. I actually can't remember (one week on!) what happened at work this day. I know I went there, I know I must have worked... but that's how weird my brain is at the moment, I just am so fluid going with the flow... each day as it comes and I've already forgotten last week... SO pleased we took these photos now though, I love how cute I look here! And weirdly so much larger than the Monday outfit!

xoxo

Last Week of Work: Monday

Thank you all for your lovely well wishes about my mat leave! My last week of work turned out to be super fun but super busy (especially Wed/Thurs/Friday - which I should have predicted) and now it's the first Monday of my Maternity Leave! I should have explained Long Service Leave a bit better (but thanks for your gush Oona!)... For you darlings not working in Australian public/government jobs, our organisation offers Long Service Leave for employees who have committed over 10 years of service to the organisation... Whilst I've been at different parts of the ABC, it's around 11 or 12 years (as I was part time for a while at the start when I was a little radio producer)... so after 10 years, the deal is you get 3 months paid leave. ASTONISHING. But also something I'd recall my teachers getting when they were like 55 years old, so hence my dorkiness for staying at the same place through my twenties.

BUT! Not that there's been a life plan in place, I'm pretty happy with my career, my achievements and the amazing people I've been able to work with through that whole time. GOSH, SO REFLECTIVE and it's only really the third day of mat leave! Better not cry!

So last week, Husbie helped me grab a cute little photo each day of my pregz fash, because at 35 weeks, these are the best of the best outfits (that fit me)!

Monday I wore a wooly op shopped swing dress, op shopped tights (these ones were new in the packet!) and my new Melissa shoes (a present to myself for being happy n healthy at 33 weeks, so my GP wrote me a note to stay at work an extra week) from Mandrake and Willow (a GORGEOUS little shop in Yarraville - I'll write more about later!).

The swing dress accidentally ended up in a warmer wash cycle, as don't we all love that when 50% wool items get heated... but luckily it didn't shrink too small for the bump, as I stretched it out and stopped the felting of a few areas when it was wet. I have to wear little shortie shorts underneath, but I love how 60s Mod it looks and it's super warm. Most of these morning photos are around 7.30 or 8am so it's kinda 8 degrees C - and my smile looks more like a grimace to me!

Happy Monday to you!

xoxo

OK OK, the best tights ever!

OMG, here's what I look like at 30 weeks pregz!

Last weekend we had a mini break to Sydney, to see some lovely friends, but also to get outta the house as Husbie has been working so much since he got quitted from his day job and has become a freelance movie guy. (He's a film colourist, in the real world)

I'm so proud of him that his work has taken off, he's in demand and we're saving money (for let's face it, we have a deadline coming up that could majorly change our financial situation)... but when you're working for yourself, there's so much more to think about! The poor darling has hardly time to invoice, so voila! I employed myself as his bookkeeper and am learning online software so our accountant doesn't go ballistic at us! "BORING!" you're yelling at me, right? I'm such a nerd about some things... I love being the bookkeeper.

ANYWAYS, Husbie finally took some time out so we could have a little holiday AND he took some photos of me in Newtown, wearing my darling darling darling friend Emina's orange bamboo tights.

Yep, she makes the best tights (and these ones are on special at the moment!) and sells them at her darling darling darling store OK OK in Sparta Place, off Sydney Road in Brunswick. I also bought some woolie ones, some ribbed ones, and some ... brown/tan ones that look great with floral stuff... so if you're stuck for original looking tights this winter, Emina has a pair for you. When I was in last week, she was having a clearance sale on clothing, but if you check up with her Facebook updates, you'll see what's going down as she always has great stuff going down.

OK OK blog

OK OK website

OK OK on Facebook!

But you know I've blogged about Emina at OK OK before, especially because she stocks the best range of .... MELISSA SHOES. I'm wearing my brogues Melissa's here in the photo too! The dress is a Country Road (wait for it) dress I found at the op shop, that appears to be a normal batwing dress, but is PERFECT for my roundness and shortness... I am wearing a cowl scarf with it (a scoop loop cowl of course!) and I was surprised for in Sydney (during the day) ... one does not need a jacket! OMG!

xoxo

Pregz Fash: Stretch Knit is Your Best Friend

Just remembered that we've taken a few snaps on my iphone over the past month or two! How time has flown! I'll bring you up to speed on the growing fetus. First up some Fash Posts, as apart from growing a human child (that's my number 1 priority!) the biggest thing about being pregnant is how to be comfortable.

My first four months were rocked with nausea, which is like (for me) being hungover everyday, all day and having waves of feelings of throwing up. I kept busy, because being distracted with work and seeing a lot of comedy festival shows kept that feeling away... so by May, where you see me above I was finally feeling comfortable.

During my fourth month, I lost my waist so all my 50s/60s fitted frocks were out, packed away until next summer... every week it felt like more and more of wardrobe was getting packed away! I borrowed some stretchy dresses from my darling bestie Amy, who seems to have a neverending cupboard of clothes (never throwing anything away helps!) as we all know I haven't been sewing! BUT, for my expanding mid section, I hit the op shops!

Pregz Fash Featured:
- The grey dress is long sleeve, hooded and stretchy and from Savers in Footscray and yep, stretch knit is my best friend right now. A lot of people have mentioned how fortunate a September baby is... so we (the babe & I) aren't overheating in the Melbourne summer... but being warm is tricky too. This dress is stretchy enough, but also a nice warm cotton knit. I always love wearing my dresses, so far they've been most warmest and comfy-est! This one might have been $4 thrifted.

- Melissa Shoes - Flats for the normal work day

- Autumnal scarf - a new present from my Mother in Law

- Teddy Bear Winter Coat - an old school present, I've spent more money on dry cleaning that this coat ever cost my friends to buy.

Bump:
Over 5 months in this photo, so over halfway! And the fetus is moving around like CRAZY! Very alien and awesome!

A Teddy Bears' Garden

Last week my friends were making a short film in the country, and somehow I ended up as the 'Preacher's Wife', thanks to their creative script and abilities... so I took a drive down to their location in a small town out North West of Melbs, but screeched on the breaks once I saw a cute little op shop in the town of Clunes. One cannot drive past a country Op Shop!

Not a lot of material or sewing stuff unfortunately, but heaps of these darling little "gardens" made by a local! I couldn't resist getting a few to 'kitsch' up our place!

And for my sewing room too:

I love all the little succulents and the weird little teddy bears! A few of the 'pots' have chips, so they make for great settings for gardens instead of cooking... I might have to make one of these myself one day!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend! It's so beautiful here in Melbourne, autumn is just never arriving! I was so surprised this weekend in the city to find hardly any autumn leaves on the ground... usually be this time of year they've fallen everywhere up St Kilda Road and around Collins Street (my usual hangspot because of the Comedy Fest!)... but there's hardly any!

xoxo

Sew Weekly: Stash Busting #1

Hi friends! Oh boy, this week's Sew Weekly challenge has been 'fun' and 'interesting'! The theme is 'Stash Busting: A pattern and fabric you've had for a while and not used', and I got a little fixated on the 'how long it's been in my stash' part of this challenge. I've posted a bit of 'frustrated' info during my blog post over at Mena's blog but pretty much it's a fun looking dress, but not a fun practical dress.

FUNNY! It's now the fifth or sixth theme week, so I'm pretty happy I haven't fucked up anything too badly, but it isn't a dress I'd like to put on all the time. I might give it a wash and see if it softens up a bit (it's kinda floaty and electric in the skirt).

 

It's entirely vintage, the material is from the op shop, the pattern (that you saw earlier in the week) was a second hand one, and even the cutie little buttons are vintage, and from my darling friend's Grandmother's stash. It's so nice to reuse all these things, and it totally inspires me to make this dress work somehow!

OMG what a shapely bot! ANYWAYS, like I said, I got fixated on using the things I've had for the longest time, instead of perhaps pairing things that really work together. There's certainly some things I need to learn about fabric, perhaps there's so Spotlight or Lincraft 'Know Your Fabric' kinda courses?

Best, Veronica xoxo

Sewing Room Destash: Refashion for Dogs

Ok, just a little note this evening (my time of course) as I have a bundle of funny Destash Posts for you! Tips on how to rapidly decrease your stash and refashion pile WITHOUT selling your stuff on ebay (even if certain people in your household would love to see you do that)... sounds good to you? Read ON!

First up! TIGHTS! I buy all secondhand - or make it myself of course - and when I saw this pair of NEW blue ribbed school like tights in the op shop I bought them STRAIGHT away. I thought hey! I'm little and I usually fit ANY size of tights! I wore them last winter, and they were so bright blue and lovely and warm. BUT they sagged around the crutch! They fitted on the hips, but were the longest annoying-est crutch ever... all day long I'd be 'hiking' them up so that my crutch didn't show under my mini skirts.

So! This winter, I was determined to wear them properly! I cut them off at the crutch (and now have darling long socks) and refashioned the crutch piece into (please don't laugh at her) a darling 'off the shoulder' sailor top for my Darling Doggie:

I cut one hole for her head, but used the existing leg holes in the crutch for her own little doggie arms. It was kinda loopy and stretchy around the 'neckline' so I found some other stash off cuts and fashioned a 'binding neckline' and tied the excess into a bow. Tres sailor girl.

So bit by bit, I'm going through my sewing room and tidying up all my loose ends. YAY!

Advance 4875 - TICK

You didn't even know I was making this right? Neither did I, and I almost didn't think I had time to finish it this week, before I go on work travels, but it was so quick!

I started on Monday afternoon and finished on Tuesday (yesterday) but it took only about 2 hours all up, and is EXTREMELY easy! Yay! So, to bring you up to speed (in case you're just joining me for the first time LOLZ) I'm very lucky as I've got (on loan) a handful of vintage patterns (40s, 50s and 60s mostly) from Amanda in Adelaide. She's ace and is getting married this year and keeps securing excellent patterns because she's got a keen op shopping and bargaining eye. She would turn her hand at the sewing part herself, except she's too busy saving lives in her day job and she's got her wedding to plan, so she's loaned them to your darling author here to try out for her instead. WOO!

I call this challenge "Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge", and I even made that button (to the right here) to symbolise that in a positive and inspiring way. (Hee hee, how grandiose!)

This pattern is Advance 4875, and I've had a bit of a look around online for some info on the pattern itself, as it doesn't say how old it is. Looking at this collection though, it could be in the 40s. This website is also very thorough about the Advance brand, and according to them the 40s decade finished with 5300 numbers, so this one could be 1948? 

And the back:

I love a side zipper! I just gotta get better at those flap zips, and my flap always seems to stick out a bit! But overall, I LOVE this dress. It looks kinda 50s on my figure (a lot of those 40s girls are stick thin!) and very pretty. I didn't change anything in the pattern, only made the hem shorter, like I do for my height, so it's my measurements EXACTLY. Amazing! It does say Size 14, so I don't know if that means I'm a size 14 in 1940s or if it's teenaged Miss Size 14. Nevertheless, I love it! I also have enough material left over to make a skirt, so you'll see the fabric again soon.

THE STATS
Fabric: Double bedsheet, from a Queensland op shop (bought last Christmas), oh and the facing is also white lawn thrifted too.
Pattern: Advance 4875, on loan from Amanda in Adelaide, and I found the exact same one on ebay if you're interested, but runs out soon.
Notions: Vintage zip x2, the first one I put in, as soon as I closed it the whole zipper handle thing came off. I had to unstitch it and put in another one.
Time to complete: 2 hours
Year: late 1940s
First worn: Just today for the photos
Wear again? Yep, for work travels, it's going in the suitcase when I pack tomorrow. Yay!
Total Cost:  $3 AUS

I have a few Holiday Posts in mind (and probably will take a few outfit posts for you!), but if you have any questions or topics for me, please comment away or send me an email: veronicadarling@gmail.com 

Thanks for dropping by! xoxo

Mad Shopper not the Mad Hatter

I've been quietly doing a bit of shopping online. And it's paid off, sort of. I do say quietly because Husbie was away last weekend, so I mucked by myself a LOT. Through choice, I did need some total down time, but I didn't do much apart from shop online. Oh! And play video games online. But hey, I do that all the time.

I got some lipstick and some vintage shoes:

Yay! I also got all my shoes fixed up at the cobbler man this week, so feel like my shoe collection has double! I was a bit naughty as I got these darling 80s vintage shoes, and some other red ones, recently but didn't take away from my existing collection of shoes. I like only to have shoes I wear all the time on my shoe rack, and totally hate old shoes hanging around and just looking nice. I like to make use of them, and will totally pay to get them repaired rather than handing them onto the op shop broken.

My parents are coming up from Victoria to stay today, so I've been a mad lady all this week at work and preparing for their arrival, but have totally forgotten to wash any sheets. I know it's terrible but I'm off to buy some now, and put them on the spare bed without washing them first. EEP bad bad bad!

Oh well! Talk soon, I hope! It's too long between drinks!

xoxo

Stash Busting Extravaganza-thon-fest

Yep, there's been a lot of talk about stashes lately, around the darling blogs that I read regularly! I only started realising I was getting a bit of a stash when I moved into my new house 18 months ago, as my front bedroom turned into not only my sewing room but my STASH HQ! My darling friend also gifted me most of her Grandmother's stash as well, after she passed away, so most of my notions and buttons are now from long long ago, but have been kept safe by Granny.

As my own Granny passed away over 3 years ago now, I always associate my sewing with her, or that older generation of women. My friend's granny was a very clever seamstress and hoarder, as her lace collection is so well kept and it seems anything and everything was set aside so that it could be used. My Granny perhaps wasn't so keen on sewing, but she absolutely adored everything I made, and pointed out things I could do better. I can't really remember but I think Granny did destash some things to me when I started sewing (and these things were very minimal mind you) so taking a pin from the cushion ALWAYS reminds me of her. I like sewing everyday, and everyday I think of Granny.

Anyways, I wanted to post about using up these things! Stash bustin' as darling Zoe has coined it, and as I get itchy for challenges and itchy for webstuff I made this button:

This button matches my site, but please go and visit 'So Zo' and sign up if you're keen to be thrifty, use what you already have on the shelves and bust some of that stash!

Through So Zo, I've also found some new (to me anyways!) bloggers, and Color Kitten is trying to get rid of the stash as is Camelia Crinoline! Cute blogs guys! Camelia is also posting at the Sew Retro site, and totally can whip up a very mean and darling vintage frock!

My challenge with Stash Bustin' has kinda started (I did buy some crazy orange fabric at the Remnants Warehouse when I dropped by for Underwear Elastic - more on those later!) as I've been doing Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge using my stash stuff (especially all those pink ones - err yuk for me, but oooh darling for you maybe!) and I 'accidentally' went to the Op Shop around the corner last week just to see what was happening (and there was a few things happening, I can tell you what!). BUT, from now until The Big Picture (more on that later too) starts I will not buy any new material... and totally totally totally totally the hardest bit ... is not buying any Op Shop fabric. ARGH! I'll not go to the shops at all now! ARGH! This is pretty hard for me, as I NEVER go shopping, like I don't even browse the women's stores at all (I get inspiration from online or vintage patterns!) ... but I do go to the Op Shops... just to 'see what's happening'...


Yep...

No more 'seeing what's happening'...

Just heaps of this:

 

  

 

Phew phew phew phew phew. Stash bustin' is UNREAL SO FAR. (Hope you can't read the sarcasm there)

Sorry to be cagey about The Big Picture, but it involves things, life, people, places, Doggie Darling, etc. It involves most of our going on's in life, and I can't really start talking about it yet. But I will.

Now after that little rant and relief, I've got to buy the groceries!

Lovely bundles of possibilities

Awww, thank you for all your kind words and emails about yesterday's post, it's so nice to have a mid week pick me up kinda day, followed by darling online friends popping by.

Here's a sample of my Christmas Queensland adventures at the op shops! We stayed in Scarborough, and we visited Redcliffe and Sandgate thrift stores as there are shitloads around there to see, I just googled them up before we went and thanks to Husbie's GPS we found them all!

I just love the zippers that are still in their original packets, and all the fonts and colours on the packaging.

My weekly challenge has of course blown out a BIT because of the extra jobs I've had on, but I'll have new results soon on the dusty pink Weigal 1941 and then will be choosing a new pattern to make up and review.

Tonight I made a mix of this salad and this salad, and thanks to our lovely NEW fridge (our anniversary present, we decided) all our organic vegetables from the weekend's market has survived the week! We usually couldn't keep a lettuce longer that 2 days, and we had these gorgeous salads no problems today. Love fresh veggies!

xoxo

Choosing fabric for Weigel 1941

Please keep your lovely comments coming, it's totally welling me with motivation and gush for vintage patterns and vintage creations!

Today I went to work, but instead of going home straight away Husbie picked me up, and we went to the beach for a lounge about in the waves! Very nice afternoon exercise (I was yelling, with head bobbing, 'keep your legs kicking and it's almost like swimming laps against the tides') and holiday reprieve midweek.

Anyways, upon reading all your lovely remarks from yesterday's post, and Katherine noticed, obviously, the rare Weigel's pattern. And friends, I love vintage patterns, I learned to sew via my mum's vintage patterns, but I'm no expert on them. So if you do notice something, and wanna chat more or have some more info on any of Amanda's patterns for 'Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge '10', please let me know!

So here's the back of the pattern:

An entire advertisement for Lightning! Choosing the fabric for View A (the orange one) wasn't too hard, I looked in my summer/autumn colour range that I set aside before Christmas to make a whole bunch of dresses in the same colour range, and saw this dusty pink cotton/linen. All my summer/autumn range (hee hee) are from the op shop, so all thrifted material, and I thought this pink stuff was good because I have over 2 full arm lengths of it, it's not patterned (you know, to match up or whatever) and it's not floral. I have SO much floral, and I thought a full colour would be different for me, and obviously easier.

But did you see the extra zipper and buttons? The pattern calls for a Lightening 'Fastener' and I was SO happy that I had exactly that. Right colour, right size and even though it looks like perhaps a 1970s commerical zip, it's still a fastener RIGHT!?! Yay!

Here's a couple of extra pics for you vintage pattern lovers!

 

Cute! See you tomorrow, I may have some progress from the sewing room to report!

Santa's Bits and Pieces

Bad fairy godmother.

Here's my crocheted Santa for my godson, in bits and pieces.

I really tried to get him finish in time for the post, but alas, he's still in pieces. Poor Santa. I don't think this means anything, as I'm sure my fairy godson's been a very good boy this year (he's only 1!) but perhaps I'm a bad fairy godmother! I just can't stitch him up fast enough. I have to look at him and ponder where the next bit will go, and his face took about an our to do (and that was only to put the eyes on!).

Anyways, I hope your projects are pulling together a little easier than mine and that your holidays are relaxing and full of champagne (like mine!).

The best thing about where we are for holidays, the OP SHOPS. Husbie and I visited 7 yesterday. Yep. SEVEN. I have handfuls of zippers, patterns, fabric galore... all for the stash. And we got heaps of other funny things, I'm sure I'll get photos over the next few days.

We're heading to my Aunty's tonight for tea, and a swim in the pool and... all the dogs are going to get a spa treatment as my Aunty has a hydrospa for her dogs. Luxury on hols for our poochers. LOL!

xoxo

Why haven't I been sewing after my sew-a-thon ended?

I've come to blog a few times this week, but have found myself:

a) Addicted to facebook's Farmville & Restaurant City
b) Reading other people's blogs and laughing
c) Playing more computer games on bubblebox

or

d) ALL OF THE ABOVE...

Perhaps you'd like to share your distractions this week, because I have stacks more than just these ones! But the best thing EVER is a parcel from Emy, of Crafternoon Delight, that arrived and it's just so sweet! Thank you darling girl! I'll have to take some photos of my new clothes for you all to see!

And here's what I sent off to Emy this week (nice buttons hey?):


And here's some fun things I found at the Op Shop, a great bargain of 50c each!


And I won a little giveaway from this awesome lady, who writes superbly and loves vintage stuff and making stuff from old stuff just like me! Woo!

Tomorrow I'm hosting a clothes swap 'Ladies Lunch' at my house, and doing a wardrobe shake up so we can all swap clothes and drink champagne and generally just be good looking together. We do it occasionally with the girls from work, because there's enough different body shapes for everyone to get something and what's leftover I'll take down to the oppie. YAY!

New (old) Tiki Curtains

Sugar! The internet stuffed up again! Yikes! I've got it all fixed, it was a modem problem followed by a wireless problem, but it's all ok, thanks to darling call centre peeps. I spoke to two lovely boys, and they must just get such annoying callers so I tried to lend them a bit of Veronica Darling gush and we got on great!

So, here are the tiki curtains I got from the op shop the other week, here is the sewing room:


And our room:



Gorgeous and thick enough to block out the sun!

OMFG, and I just made this delish Pasta with Goats Cheese & Mushrooms; I googled mushrooms, pasta and goats cheese cause that's what we had left over in the fridge, and YUM x a million. Totally try it, I've never made a cheesy sauce before and cause of time omitted the baking in the oven bit, and it was delish!