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!

July

Wow there I go again, start the year off with a bang,and then nothing. But this time I've actually been creating during my blog hiatus..

Crocheting gloves, hats, sewing in the first half of the year, art with the kiddies and a few extracurricular activities for homeschooling.

I've also been able to finish a few UFOs that have been hanging around a while. BUt I do have a black and white jumper for Gilby that I was supposed to have finished last year. I think that better be my next project!

Craft Markets....

...So today we went to the Glebe Markets, situated in the Glebe public school grounds.

It was very cute. Very small isles between the tent covered stalls, with a great mix of vintage clothing, books, beautiful jewelery, handmade clothing, paintings, crafts, etc. etc. and of course the necessary food stalls.

It was only a quick trip however as the rest of my family is not a fan of incense and crowds, looking at clothing, and the moaning started almost as soon as we got there lol.

I wanted to go and have a look, because I'm thinking of setting up a stall there, two goals I am wanting to achieve this year are to put actual products into my etsy store! and to have a regular stall at the markets. I have a couple of ideas on what I'll sell, but haven't started yet.

I think I will make a firm goal to get enough items to set up a stall at the beginning of March, mabey the markets are not the best idea, seeing as its the beginning of winter here, so mabey start the Etsy store then, markets in the spring?

~ooOoo~

We went to the Salvos store in Tempe, after the markets, they had a big stock of cool sheets, that I thought could be cute girl clothes, as well as a funky bordered sheet that would make the perfect beach dress for yours truely, but we just ended up with a few books and a 8mm set of knitting needles, very restrained spending. Go the budget!

~ooOoo~

After a quick rest up about and something to eat, we headed of to the beach, hoping that the heat of the day (30 deg cel!) would be gone by 4pm, it seems that everyone else and their family had the same idea!, not a tree for shade left and the carpark was packed! So in the end my hunny and the kids went to his brothers for a swim, while I came home to try and make the daughters shorts, which didn't happen :(

~ooOoo~

I ended up surfing, the internet that is, my favourite pastime at the mo!
I just love this lady's sense of style!
Fashion For Nerds

So that's it for today.

BYE

8 days into the new year...

...a crafting I will go, a crafting I will go! Spotlight twice in one week, thats cool, but I was very, very good, and only go what I actually went for, and they were having a huge sale!! Winter wools for cheap as, lovely georgettes, etc. etc. but I managed to bypass all temptations, Thank ya, Thank ya very much, no need for applause!!

So the kiddies and I went to Spotlight, for some bits and bobs this week, and my girls I'm proud to say, have the crafting bug just like me, my son on the other hand couldn't wait to get out of there lol.

Everyone though, definitely have firm ideas on what they want me to make for them, I got Thomas the tank requests, twirly skirts, cap sleeve jumpers, etc. So back at home we all got to drawing fashion boards, and the girls are really into it, I'm quite pleased.

We have a long list of things we want, but what I'm after is not the one piece wonders, but clothes that can work together in several different ways, classic pieces that can be worn year after year and still look fashionable, for me anyway, for the kids, I want them to be able to wear their clothes for at least 2 seasons, and to be able to layer, when the weather gets warmer, or remove pieces when the weather warms up.

~ooOoo~

The pieces I would love to make, and have wanted for as long as I can remember are:

1. The white shirt - I read an article years ago on a woman they interviewed, a home magazine of some sort, I can't remember what it was about, all I can remember is loving what she was wearing, her favourite clothes to garden in??? was a loose, white shirt, it looked like a very light cotton, tailored, but a relaxed look, I think the sleeves were a sort of batwing type although not so 'batwingy!?' haha, which she could either wear with cuffs buttoned or rolled up. Obviously she had no young children lol. But she looked lovely, like those ladies who roam around their English manor grounds clipping roses or checking the gardener is putting the spring bulbs in the right spot!
2. The white handknitted jumper - The same woman from the same article, she had knitted a white lacy, also batwing jumper and she looked divine in it, of course in saying that, I'm not that excited about batwings on me, but I think this year I may give it a go.
3. The little black dress - now I have had little black dresses, very little, as a youngin lol!! But I think now I'm on the edge of the big 40, I may be ready to get a classic little black dress, you know a tailored to my exact fit, little black dress, that can be dressed up or down and always makes you feel confident and beautiful.
4. The mid-calf length wool coat - now as we live in Australia, the need for a long wool coat is minimal to none lol, but a future goal of our families is to have a white Christmas in Germany, so, I am getting prepared for this eventuality. New Zealand on the other hand has many opportunities to wear a wool coat, so I am looking forward to going home for winter this year and wearing my coat.
5. The perfect pants pattern - now rather than an item, this is a wish for the perfect pant pattern that flatters my figure. I know how I need to get it too, I have to draft it myself, BUT I'm lazy, an drafting is sooooooo tedious, and labour intensive, and theres a ton of muslin sewing, and refitting. I want to find my perfect pattern already made for me to make, not much to ask, but hard to find, onward I go though!
6. A dress makers form - I know this isn't a piece of clothing, but I've always wanted one, and I saw a blog recently, I will have to look for it, where she makes her own form, to her own form, haha, out of that brown gummed tape. So this goal is suddenly more attainable this year yay, although I may have to wait till Christmas and get my sister to help me, Ma Hunny is not that patient with the things I like to do!

I am so excited to be making my wardrobe this year, and want to make sure its full of things I love.

So I guess the first thing to do is decide what I will be doing in my new wardrobe.

Well the I'm am a lady of leisure, meaning I am a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother, so mabey a lady of others leisure lol. But we do have HS classes, extracurricula activities, and of course a NYs resolution, church. As well as holiday wear and a few parties with my husband.

I do plan to mabey get a part time job this year, although I doubt it would be any where that I could wear a lovely fitted suit and skirt, or a flirty summer dress lol. But I think mainly I want to wear lovely clothes every day, whether I'm going somewhere or just staying at home:

• I want lovely, flattering pants to lounge around in at home, (gym clothes strickly for excercise!)
  
• I want dresses that I can wear shoppin, and then dress up a bit to wear out for the night or to a bbq.
  
• I want to be a put together mother, not a throw on what ever is washed mother!
• I want to feel good in what ever I am wearing, knowing it is well made, fits beautifully, and I can get the same style whenever a new colourway need strikes!
  

~ooOoo~

Now what have I sewn the last few days, besides making plans for the year, only one thing, we've mainly been designing, and researching rather than creating, but I did manage to sew a pair of good shorts for me, it went together like a dream, the zip sailed in smoothly, I had a bit of trouble ironing as the material is slightly sheeny and doesn't iron quite flat. But, I went to try it on, and it didn't fit, in fact it was so tight I could barely do the side zip up.

Now I know what I did wrong, I measured my self and didn't stick to the size the pattern said, I have always been a size 12-14 in RTW (Australian sizing) but slowly after 3 kiddies I've let my weight creep up to 70kg (11 and a bit stones) so now in RTW I'm a definite 14, but when I checked the Simplicity size chart I was a whopping size 18, I've never been that big before, so of course I thought the pattern was wrong, NOT!

So now I have to face reality that I need to sew the bigger sizes, in fact when I checked my McCalls pattern for my next project, I'm a size 20!!! Now if someone can explain to me the size differences I would be happier. I used an online converter to see what size an American 20 would be in Australian sizing and it would be a 22! However, converting my RTW size 14 to American would make me an American 12. ANd on another website an American 10 is equivalent to an Australian 14, so WHAA???

I guess though, the mainly lesson to take from this, as told to me by my husband while he was comforting me, (lovely man) is to measure twice, cut once. haha.

["now where did I put that treadmill, check behind the rolls of fabric"]

Pics up later, too depressed, will sew Merah Moo's, new shorts tomorrow, and mabey a matching tank, that'll make me feel better!

ANyway, gone on way tooooo long, looks very boring so sorry to anyone who might read this, but I think I just had to get down my goals and vent frustrations to move on with my sewing.

So there it is, I actually feel much better lol, so onwards to my next project.

Night Sewing Land, sleep tight

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

Day 3 Resolutions still going strong...

Well today was more crafty than bloggy, don't want to spend every day on the computer, so I am making Sundays a technology sort of free day, will try the no phone on, mabey, an hour on the computer, and some tv.

Anyway back to the crafting, finished a barbie dress today, dada:

She has the first leg warmer which is for another set of clothes. I have to iron the skirt again, mabey damp, because it keeps on turning up and you can't see the eyelet decoration along the edge.

I don't know about you, but I've never used 2mm needles before, it's like using a really long toothpick but bendier! The wool is just a cheap 4ply I picked up. This was not one of my most favourite projects, the stitches were tiny and hard to work.

However, I am bound by the bond of mother/daughter promises, done when one was feeling very creative and more energetic, to knit several clothes or sets of clothes. And her choices are not the straight skirt and scarf type! Anyway, I will be posting the pics as I finish them.

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And this next picture, is from Lisey's first attempt at crocheting, and I think she did a brilliant job, they are very precious. (Now we have a baby due, not mine, this year so all baby related crafts will be for said baby, save me explaining every post!!)

She chose her colours, and I had the needles at home. An 8ply in two different colours, in fact I think they are different types of wool.

I'm really glad she has started liking crochet, we did start on knitting, but I think the amount of time it takes to finish a knitted product put her off.

She made this pair of mittens today, with a practice one yesterday, so that is satisfying, to start a project and end up with the finished product all in the same day.

Thats about it for me today. We didn't do much else, just lazin' about before starting the workin week again!

Sleep Well World.

Christmas Crafts, Presents and other stuff...

...I can be very creative when in the mood, for instance I have finished 4 crochet hats for Christmas just recently, plus a few other hats to boot in the last couple of months.

Actually all year I've created,....just haven't blogged about it, but that's all about to change, you see one my new years promises, hopes, resolutions, (the full list can be viewed on my everyday blog lol!) is to create more, and the other is to blog more, so here I am blogging and creating!

Any way as I said I did 4 hats for Christmas presents, got the patterns from a variety of sites of the internet, and should of done more but didn't.

These photos are modelled by Lisey:

Not the best pictures we hastil took them just before wrapping!!

This on is more of a rasta type hat, where all your hair goes inside. Lisey didn't want to wear it like that though.

This is a turn up beanie for one brother This is more of a hat with a slight brim round. For the other brother.

And this is for my sister inlaw, a beret, which has a peak in the front, you can't really tell from way I took the photo, plus the camoflage type wool doesn't help.

If I can find the other hats I made, and the variety of jumpers I actually finished this year, I will post. They're in storage right now (summer here).

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So part of my crafting resolution, beside blogging about it more, was to do it more, a major goal is to make all our new season clothes or at least a set of clothes each for the season, and to do knitting and crocheting more.

So yesterday on the first day of the new year I made these, cutie little booties for the new baby to be:


And today, we went to Spotlight, my big girl got some wool and is crocheting her cousin to be some mittens, I got some wool to knit some barbie clothes!?

And we got some material and patterns for summer shorts for us all, the actual material was on special, so for me and Lisey our shorts were $4.00 each, and for the two little ones, the material was $2.10!! now that's a bargain lol. The patterns were more expensive of course, but we will use them several times, so very cost effective.

So all in all, for the second day of the year, I'm doing pretty well, I didn't bake today, but, I might have to ammend that resolution, haha!

Photos to follow hopefully tomorrow, but that's all for now.

Love an hugs world