Sewing projects completed and abandoned

Well I finished the silk floral straight skirt and I love it! Remember I was making

Simplicity 9825 which is now out of print.  I moved the zipper to the side and lined the skirt.  I like that is is between an A line and a straight skirt.

I'm afraid my photographer was not in the mood for creativity so I just begged her to snap these outside her bedroom, shame but you get the idea.

I have also made and abandoned a few bits and pieces but am currently making a toile from the Stylish Dress Book which I have had for a while but when Tessuti announced its arrival in English I couldn't resist a second copy.

I am trying Pattern S but making the sleeves a bit longer, watch this space....

I also spent yesterday morning breakfasting in bed with and my ipad and while cruising my favourite blogs found these guys in Melbourne,  Nicole Mallalieu Design and have ordered little kits for purses and make up bags, I thought this might be a way for me to use up some of my scraps and have some home made gifts ready made in the present cupboard.  

Where does the time go?

Well it has been quite a while and there are a few reasons for that - a lot of celebrating around my 50th birthday being a major contributor.  Now it is time for my liver and waistline to recover and normal duties to resume at home - the festival cannot go on forever.

As part of the 'festival' my husband and I had a lovely few days in Canberra, not the hottest romantic location du jour but an easy drive from home and a few things to look at and what's not to like about a teenager free zone for a while.  In Canberra we had a fabulous dinner at Aubergine and some very nice beer at a Belgian beer cafe called 'Little Brussels' in Kingston which really was very enjoyable - beer - I know but it was fun and the food looked great!  Other meals weren't memorable and our favourite breakfast joint, Silo Bakery, was closed both mornings we were there - bummer.  We went to see the renovations at the National Gallery which were beautiful and the new indigenous galleries are terrific.  we also re-visited the National Portrait Gallery and for the first time went inside the High Court of Australia which was terrific.  It was a Sunday so there was no-one around but the building is fantastic - you really sense the importance of its purpose and I will go back when court is sitting next time.

On the way home we stopped in Bowral to check out our weekender which is being re-let and were very pleased to see all the trees we have planted growing furiously and the place in pretty good nic - another year or so and we will be ready to use it again and it will be great.  For now, it is nice to know someone else is enjoying it and we don't have to squeeze in maintenance visits with all our other commitments.

A glimpse of what I miss...

What I'm not missing is feeling like we are never on top of the gardens and my husband always mowing the grass!!!!

Note there are no photos of the house.....this is the next project....

Holiday travels

Well, back home after a week of travelling and holidays.  It is always so nice to get home even tho we love travelling.  This time we went north to Port Macquarie for a few days with my sister and the childrens' cousins.  We always have a lovely time with them and Port Macquarie is so beautiful!

While the teenagers were sleeping, my sister and I went to watch the whales migrating along the coast - what a sight!

When the teenagers got up we went to Ellensborough Falls, a long beautiful drive through lush countryside and a good hike and great picnic when we got there.

Epiphytes

Imagine this as one 200 metre long drop

From the top

600 and something steps down and then UP again

Then, back to Sydney for a few days and then off to Melbourne for my daughter and I and to Brisbane to watch their team win the rugby, for my husband and son.  More later.  Oh and I have finished the skirt these holidays but need my photographer again, will post soon.

Close shave with a Tiger

I woke this morning to the news that the budget airline 'Tiger' has been grounded by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. This Coming weekend, I am taking my teenage daughter on our annual Melbourne trip and had booked with Tiger. In fact I had booked for a few weeks ago and had needed to change the dates incurring a hefty change fee. Now, it looks like it may have been good money after bad. They say they will refund our tickets but I won't hold my breath.

Each year for the past 5 years, we have done this mother/ daughter trip where we stay in a delicious hotel, eat yummy food, go to the Art Gallery and trawl melbourne's lane ways spending her pocket money and a few indulgences from Mum. We love it! Thankfully my generous husband just said 'quick book with Qantas' which I have done so we are still on track but I will never book budget flights again, well, maybe not quite never....Anyway, glad to not be up in the air with them if they aren't safe!

School Holiday sewing

Now the children are teenagers, my holiday responsibilities have changed.  I am required to make decisions about whether proposed social escapades are OK, ensure the cupboard is full of wheat bix, biscuits and treats as well as litres and litres of milk and to intervene when my teenage son starts looking a bit glazed over and unplug him from whichever device he is attached to and send him on a dog walk or to shoot some hoops.  The 'nerve centre' moves from the kitchen to my office/sewing room, the heater is on and the sewing cabinet is open.... woooppee.

First project is another Simplicity 9825 skirt. This time in yet another Tessuti Japanese cotton.

This fabric is so beautiful, it is hard to show the gold thread in a photograph although I think this one gives you the idea.

I am quite happy with the result although before I make this skirt again, I am going to alter the pattern a bit.  I always have to add a false hem because I forget to cut it longer and I need to make the yoke a little larger as it is quite snug.  I am also going to move the zipper to the side.  I plan to do all this in a toille and then use the calico as a pattern because I think when I have made these improvements, this could be a core pattern in my wardrobe.  I like that the skirt is between A line and straight and I like the yoke rather than a waistband.  The next fabric to make it up in is a silk twill in gorgeous colours... no prizes for guessing where I bought it!

A month can't have gone past!

But it has and its about time I got back on my blog!

I have been distracted from sewing with various other things over the past month and am feeling very frustrated by the ever increasing stash, earmarked patterns but lack of product. A late night picking up my teenage daughter from various school formal related activities, has meant a slow wonderful day at home with my pile of sewing jobs. I needed to clear the decks of the mending and altering before starting any new projects - DONE! (well, close enough).

I do have something to show you from the past little while. I have finally finished my red Hokko Bowtie dress which is an unashamed copy of the dress that Libby from Tessuti Chatswood made in the summer. Colette featured it on her blog and it looked so great and as I had the pattern already, I decided to make the same. I am so pleased I did and I have been slowly working through it in Georgia's classes at Tessuti Surry Hills.   'Gloria' has to model this one for me, too cold at the moment for summer dresses.

I had such a great time at Tessuti Chatswood on Friday with Libby.  We had not met before and when we worked out our 'link' with the red dress, a whole lot of other similarities came to the fore.  We seem to have the same taste and already owned the same patterns and fabrics in our stash.  I ended up adding a few more beautiful fabrics after discussing the possibilities they presented and ideas Libby had already explored with them.  Watch this space....

Now I am thinking about the next project to make at Sew Inn with Georgia. I'm currently thinking a loosely tailored jacket which I can belt with a thin belt and wear with a skirt.  Have tried to find a suitable image but its like the potato peeler - can never find it in a hurry! I'll post later when I find something.

Let me introduce you to Gloria

I found her looking for a home on ebay and living in the next suburb to me so I thought "meant to be"! I have made her the same size as me and she is donning my current work in progress - Simplicity 2588 dress. I can't wait to use her but I have exams next week so will have to be strong.