a promise...

the left overs from here...
spied...

another pair of boardies requested....

really???

out of this fabric... are you sure???

OK, on the one condition that they are never to be worn with the shirt...

even as pyjamas....

yes mum...i promise....
thank goodness there is no fabric left...
i hate to think what else i could be making....

go figure..

the brief this time was..

1. vintage print - (he picked the fabric)

2. vintage cut

3. rounded collar

i think it looks like a pyjama top, but he loves it...

what goes on inside a 25 year old male brain...go figure...
i just sew to the brief and keep my opinions to myself...
then i know it will be worn...

home made is in demand...

shirts abound in this house with 3 grown men all similar in size..
coat hangers full of them...
but no, but we need/want a red chambray....
a homemade red chambray...

with short sleeves..(man i love my twin needle)


and one odd button...

voila...
but not a model to be found...

pattern: Simplicity 7030, an oldie but a goodie..

p.s our rugs from our trip to turkey arrived...
it looked so big when we bought it, and so small in our room..
but i love it, and the memories it provokes every time i look at it...

colour blind....

a visit to the op shop from miss s, rendered a bag of goodies for me to alter and play with...
this was two over sized... i have to say "shifts" for over sized bodies....obese bodies....
originally two squares stitched together, with a hole for the head to go through....

the fabric got me in...
i cut off the side seams and was left with nearly a 2 metre piece of fabric from each shift...

summer fashion in the shops here, seems to be all about colour, bright, contrasting colour, with no connection.....

here is what was born....

not loved by Miss S...

but I am certainly a happy recipient of a new summer dress....
let out the drawstring and it goes from a 10 to a 12...

There are two more over sized shifts to dice into....
oh the possibilities....

i cut this pattern from an existing top that i love, added some length and an uneven frill on the bottom.... i know the photos don't show it, but the back is slightly longer than the front...

i have so many projects to start....wish i could find more hours in the day....

new boardies

a new year breaks the blogging hiatus..amazing what holidays can do....life slows...time to think...time to do....
sorry to have been missing for so long...i hope you still remember me...i promise to be more reliable in 2012...

so this is one of my christmas morning converstions with 25 year old son....

mum...tom i dont think you can wear those boardies to christmas lunch they look disgusting.
tom....jenno, they have been around the world, they're my favourite, i love them.
mum....tom they are revolting, threadbare.
tom.... ok then, but dont throw them out....infact why dont you make me a new pair
mum....why dont your buy some, you now have a full time proper job remember.
tom..but they are really comfy boardies and i cant find any new ones i like.
jen..i will have to unpick them to get a decent pattern...cough cough (jen thinks to self...terrific, that gets rid of those boardies!!)

so unpick we did..

and here is the result...and they fit...and he loves them...and i loved using my double needle..

i havent used it in months, and i'm asking myself why not..it gives such a great finish...
there are terrific tutorials on the web for threading your machine to accomodate it...

wishing you all the very best for 2012..
i hope your new year is full of much fun, love, laughter and time to craft...

companionship....

my family have gone to beach house, but i have a few days of work before i can join them...

a quiet house...

into the stitching room to fill my time...

a lovely piece of fabric from tessuti..a joy to work with...sorry i don't remember what it was, a seersucker stripe, and i think it may have some silk in it as it has a lovely sheen..

made in 2 hours as the pattern told me i could, from cutting to blogging... easy...
a few adjustments from last time...
centre back and front cut on the fold...
a band around the hem...
satin shoulders...
i had trouble photographing this being home alone...
my companion helped me...see him sneaking into the background..
first from afar...
then closer...
until finally i got the message...
Nelson...loyal...lovely...always by my side...my black labrodour...L.O.V.E....

gather drape dress...

for miss s...

gather drape dress no.3

one piece...

cleverly constructed....

easily sewn...

drape drape... yet to disappoint...

has anyone stitched any of this book in woven fabrics...
i wonder how they would sit/fit?

miss s is off celebrating exam results at Southbound, so she cant model this for you...

oh to be a school leaver again, i am envious of the freedom...
no real world responsibility yet....
i cant get off my merry-go-round, and she is yet to get on hers...sigh...

draping again

another great top from my new japanese book... drape drape...

i am so impressed with these books...the patterns are just gorgeous...

fabric purchased while in melbourne from the fabric store in fitzroy.
100% sheer cotton gauze...
shame i cant get a photo from behind because the folds are just as lovely...

i cant wait to wear this top it just feels...right...

#2 son asked if i had cut up the fly net....boys!

if only i could read japanese

just before christmas a much anticipated parcel arrived from tessuti....

Drape Drape
ISBN 978457911253

and it did not disappoint...

with only a few hours to spare, i set about tracing out the pattern, which usually takes some brain power. however i was pleasantly surprised at its ease this time..so with time to spare i started stitching, only to discover i had not cut it out correctly! grrrrr

however because this is not in a stripe or a plain fabric, i think i can get away with it...
pick the fault...
yep...i cut the folds as a separate piece....
this is such a comfy dress to wear..i can see a few more of these being made...
but not yet there are soooo many others in the book that i want to try..

Image 1 of 9

breathe mother dear...

we have studied hard...and sat final exams...
we have graduated...with laughter and tears....we have survived leavers week...
we have won two awards...

miss s is very much like her dad...
award 1. citizenship...
but she loves art, textiles, and craft, and most things visual..like her mum...
award 2. materials & design...

Congratulations miss s, your dress was stunning...hours and hours of hand stitching and sequencing...months in the making...all worth it...

But yet, we have come home from boarding school, and now have to fit/stuff all belongings back into bedroom cupboards..
if you could only see that room!!.....

breathe mother....

This is how i found that award winning dress!!!...
note to self...must do some more parenting...

A-Z...

meet the sarrouel pant...
made for miss s...
from this book...
what fun...
now for a blouse to compliment...

'n' has been asked for, with alterations... add this, and leave that, and longer here..and shorter there...

I DON'T READ JAPANESE...how am i meant to adjust the pattern...i have hard enough time just tracing the thing from the book?....

yes darling girl, of course i will give it a try!!

blending in with the furniture....

a new summer dress for me...

pattern: New Look 6890
fabric: silk satin/poly mix
will be great by itself or worn over white linen trousers
the only alterations i did with the pattern was to cut off about 20cm in length and remove a bow on the front gathering...im not a bow sort of gal...


i just wont be able to sit in our lounge room
or i will look like part of the furniture....

diversion therapy...

there is lots going on in this household at the moment...
emotions are heightened...at least mine are...

one chick flying to the other side of the world, one chick changing student houses and raiding cupboards, and the last chick gearing up for final school exams...plus work has been soooo busy...

it has made me realise how much i depend on my stitching room to find the calm...to recharge...to find peace... seek solitude...and to re-balance...

this has been a project that i can just sew without having to think..straight lines... one after the other and again some...to escape the emotions...5 minutes here...30 mins there...
now for the sandwiching and quilting..
the fabrics in this moda range (french general) have the most lovely reds, subtle, faded, yet with lots of depth...
the fabric was a gift, not something i would normally choose, and they have really grown on me...

and whilst i love the reds...the greys are to die for...

suggestions required..

a few months ago i won a give away from the fantastically talented Sarah... from the last piece.
Moda roll... french generals...lovely muted reds...it is a jam roll not a jelly roll, so the strips are only 1.5 wide..
over the past few days i have created these blocks, with no real direction....thinking i might shadow them down in colour grading...but.....
note to self...don't do that again...
now i dont quite know what to do with them...or what colour to use as sashing...or whether to keep patching....
the dilemma....
would love some suggestions...