Sewing Creativity..

Wow, two years already since my last blog post!

So much has happened in the last two years.  Creatively, I've come along in leaps and bounds, I now knit and crochet regularly.  I still haven't gotten through all my unfinished projects, but I am actually finishing things!

I now have prolific splurts of reading, and I'm talking several books in a month, which is also a wow for me hehe.  What stops me reading constantly is that last year I started an online course for counselling, which takes up quite a bit of my reading time a week, so can only read on the off weeks.

I have also just in January this year bought an online store!
It was originally a homeschool store, that also sold sewing patterns, but I split the two product lines and now have two separate stores.   www.homeschoolheavenaustralia.com sells homeschooling curriculum etc. and www.dreamingthedetails.com sells historical and vintage sewing patterns and clothing, I also want to stock fabric, and real pashmina shawls in the future.

I did not get to start my dream wardrobe, but have been sewing alot recently, so will hopefully fulfil my wish soon.  I started making up all the patterns I stock which is a fair few, but I just wanted firstly to see how each pattern is to use, if it is easy, etc. so I am able to better advise people when they ask questions.

I started with a child's romantic era dress, pantaloons and a pinafore, they turned out well,  I just finished hand sewing and beading a ribbon onto the dress so will take photos in the daylight tomorrow and post them.  You can have a look at the run through of the making up of the dress on Dreaming the Details blog at http://dreamingthedetails.com/blog/ under 'sewing examples'

Anyway just a quick up date, will be back with photos, oh we also got us a real digital camera, so photos are now easy to take and upload, so yay!

Day 4 Swimming Shorts

A fairly lazy day today, we are in the middle of summer school holidays here in Australia, another 4 weeks, I think till the beginning of school, so we are taking it easy for a week or so.

The kids have been having a blast with the kids next door, which is always handy, so I've been on the internet browsing through all the wonderful crafting blogs, specifically sewing today.

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When I came to one blog last night, (this one: Gertie's ) I knew I'd found my style groove, its got tutes and tips on sewing, etc. but what interested me the most was her vintage style, and in particular her goal to make all the items in the Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing, a sewing guide from the 1950s.

I have always loved the fashion of the 40s and 50's the cinched waist, the pincurls, the dark red lipstick, very feminine and sexy. Plus the longer silhouette of the 60s and 70s, not the hippy look, (although I do love the looser, freeflowing, floaty look too, perfect beach wear.)

But I have never thought I could pull off the look, I realised today however, that I can do what ever I want, imagine that! What ever I want. I let it sink in for a while, floated down the stairs on the wings of my new discovery, cut up some watermelon for the kids, baked some yummy scones, no pics, all gone, got the kitchen clean and floated back upstairs to resume my new dream lol.

I was a bit dopey, so luckily there was no cameras around. Anyway, between last night and today I have a fashion board made, did an internet search for the appropriate patterns and pics, bought a couple of patterns off Ebay, and did more research online, well that's what I call it.

Now I'm not going to go off and get a makeover and turn totally vintage, but I do need to revamp me, I've been a mother for so long I forgot how to dress myself lol.

I've had a thought that I may do before and after photos, I am planning on recycling or giving away most of my wardrobe, as really I don't have many things I actually love to wear. So as I make each outfit, I'll photograph an outfit Im getting rid of and then the one which is replacing it, it'll be great!! Well I think so anyway lol.

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Heres my fashion board, although no swatches or anything, and only very rough drawings, but its a start on my summer wardrobe, even though we are in the midst of summer!

You can't really see it properly, but besides the dress, middle bottom, (which was a just for fun drawing of a website I found), I plan to make these by the end of January, they're all based on ready made patterns which I need to tweek a bit to get the look I'm after, but I am really excited!

I also had a browse of the online pattern books for Vogue, Butterick and McCalls, wow who would have thunk, online pattern books! And on Ebay to see what was available, and picked out most of the rest of my wardrobe, so this summer/spring, I'm gonna look HOT!

So here are some of my picks for the rest of the outfits:

I want to use the shorts for swim shorts, I don't do bikinis, well at least not the bottoms without some coverage, so this pattern will be very cute over them. Luckily its available for about $2 on Ebay, although the auction hasn't finished yet haha.

The dress is super sexy in this one, I do like the jacket too, but I think I'd like one a bit more fitted, although I won't make a jacket till winter.

Ahh the shirtdress, or safari as it happens to be called in this 70's pattern lol. I will definitely make a couple of these.

These are the ones I already have:

I like the McCalls skirt here, I don't really think I will suit the full, full skirt, and this one has just a little less fullness which gives it just the right look for me.

I have yet to find patterns for the portrait type blouse, or a fitted jacket that I really love so will keep on surfing.

I had also noticed this little beautie on a number of blogs, like Confessions of the Pink Obsessed and will add it to the dresses to make, can be worn in winter or summer, depending on what you team with it, or what material you make it out of, so is a great addition I think.

I love it so much, I might make it first, ma honey will love it. Actually might be a bit short to be worn without stockings, so may have to wait to wear it in winter!

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So what did I do today besides dreaming and planning? Well I made these after dinner, and my little man loves them, you know when your tucking them into bed, they're half asleep and they whisper to you that they love you? Well he said, "Thank you for my swim shorts mummy". Just makes me want to squeeze him!



I think I might make the size up for the next pair.

And they are not really made of swim truck material, they look good enough just to wear out I think.











So that's day 4 of the new year.

Night

Christmas Craft and Renovating Bathrooms...

...Haha, its all about creativity isn't it!!

Anyway we did alot of stuff over Christmas, surprisingly spending for presents was minimal, We went back to NZ to renovate our bathroom see our family blog, which took alot of money, so when I asked my brother if we could cap present spending for this year, we went all the way and capped it at nothing!! If possible haha.

We had to make, bake or create all our presents. They turned out surprisingly well, we made a hardwood chopping board out of a peice of left over totara we used in our bathroom, for my brother, we made bags for my nephews and a cape/shawl/overskirt for my sister in law, we got scrap page photos from my sister, and a personally painted masterpiece from my nephew, lots of yummy sweets, biscuits etc, nana didn't join in the crafting experience and bought presents. But otherwise we had a blast!! The kids loved it, there was no scraping together money and hoping everyone would like what you could 'afford' or not afford as it happens sometimes lol.

will post pictures when my harddrive gets back from holiday!!

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Lisey and i have also been doing some more bags, one deconstructed from a pair of jeans, and a shoulder bag I was having a go at for my handmade bags blog, which never really got of the ground. See below:

I use the latter bag for my knitting or reading book when I go out, I think I need to either make it out of stiffer fabric for it to be sell able, I did use iron on interfacing, mabey a stiffer interfacing would give it more body?!

The jean bag is also floppy, but I think we need to fasten it shut to keep its shape, haven't got around to it yet so she doesn't use it much. Might use it for a dance bag?!

Well...

...haven't updated this blog in a while!!

'Lisey has been doing Art class now for most of the year, (went back to NZ for one term when their grandmother died) and she is getting really good, I don't think she has a passion for art, but I do think that drawing has a big part in life, if you draw you have another option for expressing yourself, and we all know that expressing ourselves is definitely an advantage in all areas of life!!

We havent done alot of art at home these last two terms, but we started knitting, and my latest is using old clothes and cloth to reuse in new clothes.

The girls are knitting, although have not been for a while, 'Lisey made a small shoulder bag out of a very loose wool, so I suggested we felt it, it turned out real well, she gave it to her nana when she came over.


I've found a few great sites with all sorts of great information and patterns:

• Craftster: Which is a forum for all types of crafts. Has to do, patterns etc. A great resource for any person wanting to connect with other crafters, and see some real excellent products! Has a no selling policy in the forum posts.
• Knitting Pattern Central:

  An online directory of 1000s of links to free knitting patterns.

  I have already made legwarmers, some great lacy fingerless gloves, and some toys, all in various stages of being finished!! So when I have some finished products, I will post pictures.
• Weekend Designer: Just found this its a Wordpress blog by a professional pattern drafter, he puts posts easy patterns of todays fashions, that most of us would be able to draft ourselves and make! He wants to show us how simple it is to draft and make for ourselves, so get sewing!!
• Burda Style. Open source sewing: Also just found this one.

  Copyright-free sewing patterns, step-by-step tutorials, skill sharing, inspiration, project ideas, and people just like you.

I've been trying to get inspired to sew, I think all I have to do is sew!! Inspiration comes when you create.