The Weekend: House Stuff - SSS

A weekend wrap up for you! After my mopey Friday, Saturday and Sunday was pretty much about 'getting the shizz together' around the house. We've pretty much unpacked, but the little things like hanging pictures, piling up the books (we need some more bookshelves unfort.) and all those odds and ends just needed to be SORTED.

Here's Saturday's sorting outfit, with the skirt being my handmade piece for Self Stitched September:

It was originally a dress, made during last year's 100 Outfits Challenge but it just started to get shorter as I washed it, and I had to chop it off under the boobs, and now it's a (thankfully) longer but still short skirt. I now where it a LOT, and the hem is getting a bit tatty. Just normal store bought tights, slippers and longsleeve tshirt. But the scarf is from the oppy.

Then for Sunday:

I did not leave the house at all Sunday! So this is my inside outfit, wearing my handmade black skirt and NEW (but secondhand) denim jacket! It's a little closer to springtime (even though it IS springtime) here in Melbs, and I thought a lighter shorter jacket would be perfect. Found this one in the kids section of an oppy in Gippsland, and it's pretty brand new.

We got so much stuff done around the house, and it's looking ace now. So pleased! I started 2 dress/top things, but can't find the sewing needles (you know for hand sewing?) anywhere, so couldn't finish them off to show you. I devoted a bit of yesterday to organising my shelves with all the threads, and trying to work out where to put the patterns, so I can actually see them. Oh the dilemmas for a vintage loving seamstress!

BUT! Throughout the weekend, I found all my patterns from Amanda in Adelaide (WHO got married! Congratulations darling! Hope you're settling into married life!) and will get back into the sewing of such darling vintage patterns again for Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge!

How cute is this one! I have heaps of projects on the go at the moment, but totally loving having my sewing room back ON! (It's really cute, because Husbie set up his 'hobby' room and we both sit in our rooms yelling out to each other!)

Have a great Monday darlings.

Friday: Mopey Work Day - SSS

I felt like casual Friday hit me hard yesterday, so luckily my work is dreamy and allows some professional casualness at times...

The clothing part that I made (for this Self Stitched September) is the black cardigan. It's a slight stretch material, thicker and bubbly in parts (Not sure what I mean there, perhaps I mean it's kinda rough?) and it's something I made using a pattern, but using the straight stitch machine because I didn't have an overlocker. It was pretty hard from memory. It's probably 8 years old, and it's still one of my fave cardi's, but I tend to wear it with this slouchy/mopey outfit... it's a man's Bond's singlet (with a tighter girls singlet underneath - op shopped) which is Husbie's and the leggings are really old Target ones I think. And yes, that is a hole in one of the legs.

Ever so sophisticated.

The scarf is a purple dyed linen through thing, my Mother In Law gave me. I love all the layering in this and I really like how the man's singlet is long enough to be a dress, but it's a really really short dress. I would never wear tights with this look, just these leggings because it's REALLY short at the back in a heaps good way.

Can you tell we're in the middle of tax time at my house? Piles of papers and heaps of recycling all over the place!

Gotta dash to the hardware store with Husbie, we're doing a House Day and things have just gotta keep moving! Have a lovely weekend xoxo

Thursday: Hanging with a Hardcore Punk/Metal Band - SSS

Hmmm. That's a big title for a post, bit of a surprise I suppose for me! I'm not usually hanging out with hardcore anythings... but today I'm recording a Canadian band who'll guest host a radio show.

The black skirt is a dress, one that I made last year during Frocktober and one that is so good that I'll have to make again soon. This one is getting smaller and worn out, but so pleased I used thicker stretch drill for it. I'm wearing an op shop long sleeve top over the top, and outrageous tights.

I love that it's now warm enough not to wear boots. I'm wearing normal slip ons! Yay!

But I wanted to show you this cape/shawl/scarf I made a while back. Back before I started the blog, I think! I made it for a wedding and then didn't really use it again... but returning to Melbs in the middle of winter has made me assess every item of clothing, and I discovered I can pin it up and it makes the shawl so versatile. I'm going to wear it as a scarf today, but I'll show you another day as a cape thing.

So two pieces of Self Stitched Stuff for today, I'm getting the hang of Self Stitched September I reckon!

In exciting sewing news, I've started cutting up a red dress for myself, and going through my pink materials for Lisa (my winner) and thinking about what to make for Del (my runner up winner) in my giveaway. Tres excitement in the sewing room, I can tell you!

Thank you for your lovely comments, and I'm so enjoying getting back into the blogging world again, it's really lovely seeing what you all are up to! YAY.

Wednesday: Workie Day - SSS

It's really sunny in the mornings at the moment in Melbs, and kinda perfect for finding some of my old handmade dresses for Self Stitched September!

This is a dress I made ages ago, and I think I made it for my Hen's Night. It was in summer, so no tights or stocking top was needed. It's from op shop material I got in Orbost (which is really the best country town for op shops - although I say that about all towns I suppose) and the summertime flowers on it will keep me happy through the day. It's a 'jiffy' style 60s pattern, that I still have somewhere. It has elastic around the middle that you make in a casing on the inside. I thought it'd fade after a summer, but it's still going 3 summers on, and perhaps will last out this summer too!

Also note my darling Melissa shoes, my total fave at the moment, from OK OK in Brunswick. What is scary but great: Emina has some new Melissa's in stock and I'm scared to look. I WILL buy some, it's just a question of which ones?

And for you dog lovers:

Awww, she's so cute.

That's the last of our boxes too, in the background! Yay! I have 2 big ones here in my sewing room, but they're full of material and I need to get my shelves sorted (ie. cleaned up by folding the fabric instead of stuffing it in) to unpack them properly.

Tuesday: Running errands - SSS

I'd love this just to be just Running Errands for Me day (I need a load of time to catch up on things at the moment, how bad!) but this is my Self Stitched September's Second Day, and I'm wearing a pinky dress I made last year:

And the Errands I'm Running? All for work! However, I am popping out in a minute to have a brunch coffee type chit chat with my darling friend who's very close to popping as she's 9 months pregs. BUT, I'll head back to work, represent work at a comedy thing, then stay at work late for a DJ thing! BUSY BEE OUTFIT.

This is the funny stretchy dress that was once white, but when I machine washed it before I cut it up, the whole thing went pink! It's lovely though because it can go with purples (like this store bought cardi) and pinky reds (I have some rusty shoes that go well with it too). I'm just wearing my fabulouso Melissa shoes here though. In a Melbs winter, I can't wear anything but opaque tights, I'm just not sure what other tights go with dresses that aren't darker colours. I'll have to explore for next winter I reckon, because I feel a bit boring always with black legs. And it's harder to match the black tights with my lighter coloured dresses.

And here's my official sign up for Self Stitched September! Thanks once again to So, Zo!

'I, Veronica Darling, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-September. I endeavour to wear handmade or refashioned items of clothing every day for the duration of September 2010'. Where possible I'll also try and match my handmade things with vintage or recycled items as well and point out these details to you, Dear Reader'

Yay! 

Monday: Going to work - SSS

Congratulations again to my friends who won the giveaway (Check to see if that's YOU) and I'm back again already with what I'm going to wear today for Self Stitched September. That's a whole month of wearing clothes that I've made myself.

How very amusing for me to be posting first thing before work, and with daylight to behold! I have noticed some of you darlings get a blog post in before breakfast, and as I'm trying to fit a lot in these days before I go to work, I thought I'd give it a whirl.

This is just a purple dress I made last year when I was going tshirt dress crazy, it may be on it's last legs this summer as the second hand fabric is thicker Hoodie type stuff that is going to be all pilled soon. Pilled? You know what I mean! Cowboy boots are vintage, but tights and woolie cardi (Hello Melbourne!) from the normal shops. But now I'm thinking (as I look at the tights)... they're thrifted, but new ones, from the op shop.

There's loads of other peeps doing Self Stitched September, and I can't remember the rules I wanted to put on myself... I'll find them and post them later... but you can do whatever you like... but I guess the main rule is that something you wear should be self stitched... but that could mean knitted as well.

Talk to you soon, Veronica.

Congratulations....

YAY!

It's finally time to draw my LONGEST giveaway!

Probably the LONGEST (waiting for me to get my shizz together) giveaway in the world!

Probably the most daggiest host of a giveaway in the world as well!

And probably the most daggiest girl in a photo shoot in the world.

So, YAY. I've returned to Blogville, and have finally drawn the giveaway: Where I make YOU an outfit now that my sewing room is ready. And the above 'salmon' number (actually red in real life) was the first dress through the sewing room and I *can* report: THE MACHINES AND SEWING ROOM ARE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER!

Thank YOU all for entering the giveaway, and apols for the wait! So much to tell! But...

Hooray! For you....

... Lisa @ Vintage Fashion Library! YAYZ to you babes!

But I was always going to draw two names (because I'm devishly cute, and love a freaking good challenge/surprise) so I got Husbie to draw the first name, which was you Lisa. THEN, in an amazingly weird thing, he drew your second entry out too (from you following me on facebook!) so I had to get a bit gooshy, and Husbie grabbed out another name...

 Del from DELicious Designz! YAY to you Del!

And so my giveaway prize making, now that winners are drawn and sewing room is EXCELLENT, shall begin! Lisa, you said: "A line summer dress to run errands in!" is this still correct? I hope so, as it sounds good... but perhaps I'm a bit late for the US summer?

And Del, you thought this darling ruffly dress top is ace? Correctomundo?

Let me know guys, if this still sounds ACE, and... perhaps what kinda size you'd like! I'm always just hanging out on veronicadarling AT gmail DOT com... xoxo

AND, LASTLY: I haven't forgotten, but I did sign up for Self Stitched September... so hence my darling tshirt dress with floppy sleeves in the photo shoot today... I'll have to count today as my first day, as I didn't get any phots of my other days, but I did wear my own stitched stuff, it's nice to have photos that go with the days.

Where have I been?

I was just going to pop off to Queensland for a few days, but now it's two weeks already!



Well, I was working hardcore and then recovering hardcore too! And yes indeed I packed my gumboots as festival fash, and wore them heaps and STILL have sore toes because of it! Some of you know I work for a youth radio broadcaster. And so Florence Welch was totally one of the musicians at the festival and we talked quickly about our shared love of vintage! Florence wears pretty much all vintage, and told me that her costumes on stage are also part vintage but because she moves around so much she always gets rips and tears in the old darling dresses and sleeves. So sad, and at that stage my colleague piped up pointing out to Florence that I could make her some costumes from vintage things! So funny! Imagine making stage costumes for muso's!

Anyways, I'm at the airport again, and you'll be pleased to know that I have almost finished setting up the sewing room! Just gotta plug in some cords and pack away some stash fabric (and maybe a few zippers and fabric I picked up recently at the North Melbourne Salvos) so look out! I plan to draw the giveaway on Monday night Australian time! So there's still the weekend to enter!

Giveaway - still ON!

Hey friends,

Sugar sugar sugar, it's busy! I've stopped off at QANNO CLUB, because I'm flying to Splendour in the Grass, a music festival, in Queensland for work. This means live radio, offsite, broadcasting from a large tent, for 3 days. It could be dirty, it could be yukky, it could be hot, it could be freezing, so I've packed for everything.

I also have gumboots with red love hearts on them. Stylish.

But I thought you should know that my giveaway, where I make YOU an outfit (dress, skirt, tshirt etc) once my sewing room is up and running, is still OPEN. BECAUSE, my sewing room looks like this:

There's Joanie looking at home, with my creations in the cupboard...

And there's my sewing desk, my machines (still with covers on dammit) and my BEAUTIFUL new piece of furniture (with pink cupboards) behind me! I'll show you more of that later, but at this stage... NO OPERATIONAL SEWING ROOM.

So, better for you to enter my giveaway! Hooray!

Talk next week guys!

Certainly not one of *those* people

We all know those people, they love their iphone so much they talk about it all the time, and say things like 'Let me just show you this cool app'... I'm certainly not one of those people at all... at all... well, you and I are friends now, so I can be honest. I FREAKING LOVE this iphone.

I had to get a new phone because my hours changed, so handed back my work blackberry. I was going to hang out for the iphone 4, but jumped into a cheaper option anyways, and so today I bring you my lardy dar hipstermatic iphone phots:

Husbie with Doggie Darling and our new brick lounge/dining room wall.

Husbie always takes better photos!

This one is quite nice, it's my train station getting 'updated' by workers earlier this morning. It was totally SO cold here in Melbourne this morning, and I froze on the way to work. I started to get a little head cold through the day, and there's a bit going around apparently. I tried to work really fast, but got a little weird so luckily Husbie was in the city and picked me up and we drove home.

I've been sleeping this arvo, and trying to keep heaps warm in bed. I hope your week is ok, and that you're living out your wildest sewing dreams for me, as it's still ages away from me even looking at my sewing machines. xoxo

We haz TV, need propz

We're googling like mad to find some inspiration for our flat screen TV. We used to have it housed on an old $10 low drinks/cutlery cabinet that we drilled holes into for the blu ray machine and the sound bar and all that technical jazz. As Husbie is in the film making biz, we realised only last year that we'd been staring into a little 4 by 3 ratio 15 year old tv, and perhaps needed to 'Get With The Program'.

Now, it's a little hard to be a vintage lover with a new shiny black TV and it's extra bits. For heaven's sake, we even have a Sub Woofa. LOL

What to do, now that the space for the telly, in our new house, is only a metre and a half, instead of two and half metres? The dorky cabinet is out. I thought I'd get a bunch of phots together, to see what's possible, but if you have some ideas, please let me know!

Photo sourced from Apartment Therapy's Easel as Television post and a great idea, but will have to get something like the shelf to put the accessories involved, the soundbar, the blu ray etc.

But what are you guys up to? I'd love to know something you've seen or spotted online! Husbie has been searching for actual old workbenches from carpenters sheds as well, as a really different option. What I really don't want to buy is a corner TV cabinet, I'd love something old or unexpected. The tricky thing is about holding those 'Extra Bits' like the bluray, and those cords!


P.S. STILL haven't been able to set up the Sewing Room, so the giveway is still open. Maybe for another week too!