nostalgic nz recipe books

I love to bake! and I love to read about baking. My favourites are the nostalgic, story telling baking books full of interesting recipes, stories and tid bits about the makers and bakers of the recipes. Here's the latest 3. First up, was this really lovely book called 'Gran's Kitchen' full of recipes from the notebooks of 95 year old Dulcie May Booker. A lot of love and care had gone into the presentation of this book. The hardcover reminded me of the old 1970s school maths textbooks. Reading it, I felt as if I was in Dulcie May's kitchen on busy baking days...

next up was the long awaited second book "A Second Helping', written by Alexa Johnston of 'Ladies, A Plate.' Again more great recipes with lots of notes and stories. Just as impressive as her first book. As always, lots of historical facts that detail the cultural and social aspects of the recipes.

then finally this gorgeous book simply titled 'Home Made.' More NZ based recipes filled with stories and comments from the cooks and bakers. In this book is the well known 'donkey drops' recipe by Nanny Oakes as well as other equally interesting, attention grabbing recipes (even a dead possum recipe urgh!)

simply put, great reading for the baking soul!

out of print patterns

sometimes when the new season's pattern books are released, patterns that I've had my eye on for a while are 'discontinued.' On occassion I've gone on a pattern finding expedition, using ebay, etsy and the pattern companies websites. At times it's been a frustrating and costly process.  

lately I've discovered that a couple of my local sewing shops are now selling oop patterns for $5 each, which is something totally new.  Yesterday I managed to find 9 patterns that I'd been interested in. Will I ever get to sew them all? probably not straight away but at least I'll know that they're on hand if I need them.

bespectacled

sometimes it's easy to put things off until it's a necessity to get to them. Today was the day! an optometrist visit for a long overdue eye check as well as sorting out some new specs. My favourite ones in the photo above, were getting very loose and kept sliding down to perch on the end of my nose, giving me a quirky 'peering over the glasses' granny/librarian look.

I opted to visit Specsavers (their celebrity spokesperson is Gok Wan) and paid $10 for the eye exam. The tests were thorough and efficient and I'm happy to report that my prescription actually needs to be weaker than what it was previously, yippee! no wonder my eyes kept feeling strained and tired.

then it was on to the awfully hard job of choosing new frames. Despite the sales assistant's best efforts to channel some fashionista vibes (pink? orange? green? gold? stripes??), I resisted hard and chose a pair of black specs (similar to my old specs) and a pair of tortoiseshell specs again, in a similar shape. See, I'm keeping my wardrobe in mind. Anyway it'll be 2 weeks before they get here, can't wait! 

pyjama pants

Miss 12 has grown over the winter and now her pyjama pants are far too short. She likes her pants to be long and slouchy. I've joined the Pajama sew- along over at http://www.sewmamasew.com/ for motivation and inspiration. My last pants adventure for Miss 12 was the burda wof skinny pants that I blogged about last month. They weren't a success. The front of the pants looked great if she stood still however when she moved around the front tended to puff up at the bottom of the pleats in the crotch area. The pleats are long and deep adding an unwanted fullness. Sorry no photos. I couldn't convince Miss 12 to model the pants for posterity's sake.

moving on to the pyjama pants, here's the pattern that I've chosen to use. Yes it's another easy peasy pattern that's been lurking in the pattern box for a while. There's plenty of knit fabric in the fabric stash, oops, I mean collection, to make her up a couple of pairs.

banana cake anyone?

for Fathers Day today, dear hubby enjoyed his favourite moist banana cake. This family favourite is easy to bake and tastes absolutely yummy. The overripe bananas that lurk in the fruit bowl are just right for this cake. Here's the recipe:

Moist Banana Cake

125 grams softened butter

1 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

3 bananas (mashed approx 2 cups)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 tablespoons hot milk

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mix well after each one. Stir in the mashed banana and mix well. Next, stir the baking soda into the hot milk and add to the mixture. Lastly, fold in the sifted flour and baking powder.

Pour mixture into a greased/lined 20cm tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Use a cake tester if you're not sure. Cool for 15 minutes in the tin, then turn out and cool completely on the wire rack. Then ice with the lemon icing.

Lemon Icing

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon butter

2 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Heat the butter & lemon juice and stir until the butter has melted. Mix all the ingredients together until it reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency. If it gets too firm, just add a few more drops of water.

how about this photo of my little cake lover who swiped a chunk of icing off the cake just after I'd taken the cake photo! love her smug expression!

new mccalls palmer/pletsch patterns

the new McCalls winter/holiday collection 2009 email was opened this morning with great anticipation. I wasn't disappointed. Among the 49 new pattern designs is one 'possible' and one 'must have' palmer/pletsch pattern that will eventually join my sewing queue. First up is this 'possible' pattern for 'the perfect wardrobe.' I'm intrigued by the jacket although it's too boxy looking to be flattering on me. However, I love the inverted pleat in the back and the a-line trapeze shape. 

then there's the 'must have' pattern for 'the perfect knit dress.' The main picture featuring the very busy red/black/white print almost put me off and I would have scrolled right on by if I hadn't read the description. I'm on a mission to find the perfect knit dress pattern for me and this could quite possibly be it?

1st blogoversary today

today I'm celebrating 1 full year of blogging fun. When I started this blog, it was "a means of documenting all the different avenues that my journey into sewing, arts & crafts will take." 282 posts later, this is definitely happening.

anyway, thanks to all of you who take the time to read, follow, link, leave comments and email me. I really appreciate it. Don't forget to have the traditional blogoversary cupcake. It just wouldn't be a blogoversary without one!

shopping bag sewing

a quick trip to the supermarket last night turned into a logistical nightmare. A shopping trolley that kept veering to the right, losing the shopping list, couldn't remember what was on the list, spending more than I expected trying to 'guess' and to top it all off, no shopping bags in the car boot.

my reusable shopping bags have reappeared in the strangest places. My hubby has 1 in his 4WD filled with bits and pieces from work, Mr 10 has 2 filled with meccano, lego and comics crammed in his wardrobe, Miss 12 has 2, 1 has dirty soccer boots and smelly socks (pewww!) and the other is filled with all sorts of craft stuff. Even Miss 2 has 1 (don't know how she got it!) filled with her dolly family, blocks and storybooks  hiding behind the sofa.

so today it has to be shopping bag sewing day. I've found home decor fabric remnants to make up into roomy tote bags. The family have been warned... no taking of Mum's shopping bags is allowed!

singer featherweight

I've been wanting one of these sewing machines for a very long time. Today must be my lucky day as I found a really fine example on Trademe and didn't hesitate to press the buy now button.

The featherweight is a lovely little machine that has a wealth of history and interesting facts. It's portable and comes in a sturdy case. It's also said to be the only sewing machine in the world that has a book written about it and a dedicated fan club. I've read that it's a very popular machine with quilters.

I'm not a quilter and don't expect to start madly quilting anytime soon. I saw the featherweight in action as a child and made up my mind that I'd buy one for myself one day. Dream fulfilled, today was the day!

the bach

we've booked a Martins Bay bach for a week long stay next month. It's been a hectic and busy winter for our family so it will be nice to get away. No tv and very limited mobile phone reception - just perfect for a bit of rest and relaxation.

Dear hubby expects to get some reading and creative writing done while our children are planning to spend a lot of time at the beach. In case you're wondering, yes I am planning to take the sewing machine on holiday with me too... can't wait!

weight loss and sewing

no pics today. I've been steadily losing weight for the last almost 8 weeks. I've said goodbye to 10kgs (about 22 lbs.) The result has been a fitting challenge/nightmare as far as my sewing is concerned. Remember my first jacket in the mini wardrobe? it's now too big! the pants are baggy and loose! my satin printed top billows so much, I look like an expectant mother! (not quite the look I want to have.)

It looks like I'll be busy adjusting my clothes to fit as well as sewing some new clothes as quickly as I can. Yippee!!!!

magnolia blooms in the rain

there's nothing quite like the faint, sweet scent of magnolia blooms even when it rains...

back to vogue

while working on my top and Miss 12's pants, it's become obvious to me that it's time to do some more challenging sewing. So back to Vogue I go. Next up will be a jersey knit dress using Vogue 1027. I like to wear knit fabric so I'm really looking forward to adding this dress to my wardrobe.


then it's on to Vogue 2923 for the jacket. My gaucho pants need an interesting jacket and I'm completely won over by the drapey collar and the fact that I've got just enough fabric to make it!

sporty pants bwof 10/2008

Miss 12's sewing request is for a pair of sporty pants made from bwof 10/2008. The blurb describes the pants as having 'long darts, topstitched waist tucks and narrow legs.' A careful study of the photo suggests that I may have a potential problem with fitting in the front crotch area. So this afternoon will be spent tracing the pattern and then working on adjustments later.

To make things more challenging she's asked that these pants are ready for mufti day next week on Wednesday. So I better get cracking!

sewing tools

I've been making do with a old, cranky iron (my best iron stopped working when I was sewing my jacket) and a makeshift pressing ham and seam roll for my sewing. Today I finally found another great iron and as it sat on my ironing board, it was obvious that the ham, seam roll and even the ironing board cover were too shabby to be chic and were in desperate need of replacement.

I'm using Kwik sew 3571 and am sure to find the right fabrics in my stash. Then it's just a matter of getting a large bag of sawdust from the pet shop and getting to work...

finished gaucho pants

here they are all done and ready to have the press lines ironed in. I'm pleased with myself for speeding along and getting them finished. It was definitely a much quicker sew compared to my almost 3 week jacket.

I lined these pants in 'bemsilk', which is basically polyester. Not my first choice for lining but I didn't have anything else suitable in the fabric stash and I'm determined to use up fabric that I already have.

Next up is the satin top. After that, my family have put in their sewing requests, which I'll try to do while keeping my personal sewing going. Once you start sewing for yourself, it's very hard to stop!

right shade of brown

success at last! I've found a pair of shoes to wear with my new wardrobe pieces, in the right shade of brown. And for only $25 too. I didn't realise until I started looking for new shoes, how many shades of brown there are!

chocolate astrakan jacket

joining my wardrobe coat family is this lovely vintage chocolate brown astrakan jacket. The colour fits in with my new wardrobe too. It probably won't get an outing now as the netball season has ended for the year and spring is almost here. So for now, it'll have to hang in the wardrobe, looking desperately unhappy until next winter.

pants progress sew far

now that the pants adjustments are at last complete, I'm ready to start sewing. The main adjustments were my usual pear shape issues including a forward tilting pelvis and the resulting sway back. The pants are going to be fully lined and kept long so that I can wear them with heels. Hopefully I'll have the pants finished by the weekend. So much for a 'quick' sew!

To help achieve a professional fly finish (I hate sewing zips), I'm using Sandra Betzina's zipper installation method. I find that this method produces great results. The existing pants extension wasn't wide enough so I've adjusted it to measure 1-3/8 inches wide and 8 inches long, giving plenty of room for the zipper work.


After these pants are finished, I'll start making a top next using New Look 6807. Even though the pattern is for knits, I'm going to make view B using a liquid satin print (I'm a sucker for a challenge), and plan to sew a band around the neckline to make it a pull over top and omit the sleeves elastic. I'm hoping that it will make up into a flirty top.

Remember my Alice & Olivia pants? I started sewing them back in February then decided that they weren't inspiring me (too many steps!)so they ended up in the UFO pile. I've pulled them out and think that they might be worth resurrecting. I'll keep you posted!

butterick 5068

the next wardrobe item on my sewing list is a pair of long gaucho pants. I'll be using Butterick See & Sew 5068, which is still available here in NZ although it's OOP (out of print) in the US. I'm after a fast sew project which is exactly what a See & Sew pattern promises to be. It's 3 pattern pieces: front, back, waistband and no pockets. I'm a lover of simple things! but first I'll have to work on getting my long list of adjustments right before sewing a stitch.


I've chosen this poly-viscose linen look fabric which I got at a Spotlight sale for $4 a metre. It's a dark chocolate colour and will look good with my jacket. Thanks to some great advice from Mary Nanna , I took a trip across town this morning to Smart Dress Fabrics and stocked up on interfacing. It's a very nice store with friendly, knowledgable staff. Great service too!

finished jacket

it took 2 weeks to sew at a frustratingly slow pace but I can now happily say that it's finished. This was a sewing project with a few glitches along the way:

not enough fabric. I had 1.6 metres of 150cm fabric and thought that this would be enough. It would have been if I didn't want to have a collar. So I had to improvise. This was partly successful although I had to sew a centre seam in the under collar piece. (I'd bought the fabric at a sale and this was the end of the bolt.) Next time, I'll read the pattern more carefully!

my facings had to be cut out of the fabric I'd planned to make my gaucho pants. This has resulted in a slightly stiffer jacket than what I wanted.

I couldn't find the jacket interfacing that I wanted at Spotlight so I made do with an inferior iron-on interfacing that I had on hand. I'm making a special trip into Centrepoint this weekend to stock up so that I don't get caught short again.

I abandoned the idea of the hong kong seams (after I'd spent a bit of time making the bias binding) and decided to line it instead using a remnant of floral silk voile dug out of my fabric stash ahem, I mean collection. The lining fabric had grain issues.

my iron died.

I'm not done with this pattern yet. It's back in the sewing queue again to be made up in black for my next mini wardrobe adventure.

the jacket so far

I had hoped to finish this jacket by today however I'm still a few tasks off finishing. I need to add shoulder pads to balance out my silhouette, put in the lining, add buttonholes, buttons and back tab. Looks like I'm still a few days away from completion (probably 2-3 days at the most.) I need to be more realistic about my 'slow yet steady' sewing speed!


The pattern has been a relatively easy sew although I haven't found the quirky design features too endearing. The notch collar is actually a wide collar with the notches cut into it (not the best notch collar I've ever sewn) and making my full bust adjustment was a little tricky as the front jacket panels integrated with the side panels. I also repositioned the front darts to ensure that the apex of the darts were in the right place for my bust. My sway back adjustment was quicker as the back panel contour lends itself to being reduced easily. It's been a while since I worked on a jacket (about 20 years) so I have some technique refinement issues but overall, I'm pretty happy with the jacket so far. I hope to post my very first pattern review of this pattern (Simplicity 2728) over at patternreview later on this week.

miniature sewing

for about 6 1/2 years I was collecting 16 inch modern fashion dolls and would regularly make fashion doll clothing and jewellery that I sold online. My first sale on ebay was a vintage inspired ensemble for a Gene Marshall doll that sold for $40USD. It was a labour intensive process but because I enjoyed what I did, the time spent on it didn't matter so much. What I thrived on the most was the challenge of making a 'miniature' version of a human sized garment.

I was sorting through my photos last night and just thought I'd share a couple of images of my previous work.


jersey knit halter top with ribbon and snaps in the back teamed up with pure linen fully lined bootleg pants



a handmade beaded choker with female symbol. This was a really popular design.

Looking back, I can see that I produced quite a lot of doll garments. However since Miss 2's arrival I haven't felt inspired enough to do any of this doll sewing/crafting. Hopefully I might get back it to sometime soon.

mini wardrobe croquis

I like writing/drawing things on paper before starting a project, so working out my new mini wardrobe has been more about thinking, more thinking, writing, making lists, sketching, more sketching, choosing fabric, choosing patterns than actual sewing and taa-dah my mini wardrobe croquis is almost finished with just a few more fabric swatches to glue in (once I find where Mr 10 has put the glue.) The entire process is a lot like playing paper dolls.


The sketchbook fits in my handbag (yes I'm a lover of big handbags) and goes shopping with me. It's proving to be invaluable for buttons and accessories shopping. I used to be really good at holding a colour in my head and being able to match things closely but nowadays, having fabric swatches are a must.

I had another lightbulb moment when I realised that I'll need to build 3-4 mini wardrobes to suit the different parts of my life. Feels like a black/charcoal/grey/blue-red/white mini wardrobe should be next...

simplicity 2728 so far

the Simplicity 2728 jacket is slowly coming together. As my sewing time is limited, I've had to make a list of the construction tasks and spread them out over a 7 day period and then tick off as I go. So far the pattern has been cut, adjustments made, fabric cut, interfacing attached. Tonight it's cutting the bias strips for the hong kong seams (from the peachy orange polyester) and then the start of the jacket body construction (without the sleeves.) The sleeves and collar are for tomorrow.

it's a slow process that most sewers wouldn't even consider but it works for me. The days of pulling all nighters to finish sewing a garment or sewing instead of doing the household chores don't work for me now. I hope to show the finished garment next Monday and then get started on the next item for the wardrobe.

mini wardrobe begins

now the school holidays are finally over (the last of our holidaying children returns to school tomorrow), I can start sewing again.


my sewing plan is to work on creating a mini wardrobe based on an 'orphan' skirt thats been lurking in the back of my wardrobe mainly because it didn't go with anything. I'm planning to make at least 4 items to go with it so that I can have 4-6 distinct looks. My colour palette is chocolate brown/turquoise/teal/off white/burnt orange.

first up in the sewing queue is a short jacket to be made up in a chocolate wool/viscose mix. I'm using Simplicity 2728. This jacket will have 3/4 sleeves, the wide notch collar and back tab. I'll omit the pockets, as they're unflattering on a pear shape and use contrasting hong kong seam finishing instead of lining the jacket.

my wardrobe mantra is: introduce colour, wear what flatters my shape and think mix n match.

from sewing past

look what popped up from my sewing past. My mother decided it was time for me to have it. This was my 21st birthday party frock that I made back in the mid 80s.

The dress pattern was Vogue 1125 designed by Bellville Sassoon and was a very interesting sew. There was a lot of fiddley sewing where the neckline ruffles extended into rosettes. I chose the wrong type of fabric to start with (I had to have this particular shade of blue) that needed quite a bit of stiffening to make the rosettes stand out. Of course that didn't last the distance as a trip to the drycleaners had the entire dress return permanently droopy.



Miss 12 put it on today, whirling and twirling in it, before announcing that this dress was perfect for any girls princess fantasy. I guess it was my 'cinderella' time.

wooden hangers

the wardrobe cleanout last week also saw the exit of my horrible array of plastic and wire coat hangers. They were so ugly that I couldn't even bring myself to take a photo of them!

Then I wondered what I would replace them with? searching Trademe, I found these gorgeous wooden hangers. They're from a retail fashion store that had closed down and now look really good hanging in my wardrobe. Only problem is that there's no clothes to hang on them. So I'm looking forward to next week when school holidays are over so I can get some of my planned sewing underway.

classic choc chip cookies

sharing another recipe for our favourite cookie...

CHOC CHIP COOKIES

180 grams unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
150 grams choc chips

1) Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius.
2) Put the butter, sugar, vanilla in the bowl and mix with an electric mixer until it's pale and creamy.
3) Gradually add the eggs and beat well.
4) Add the sifted flour and baking powder and mix until it forms a smooth dough.
5) Fold in the chocolate chips.
6) Roll into balls and then place onto your lined baking tray and press to flatten
7) Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden.
8) Allow to cool on tray. Makes 12 cookies.

Enjoy!!!

burda wof magazine

I've been resisting the lure of the burda wof magazine for a very long time, completely determined not to subscribe. After all, I have loads of patterns, many which haven't even been used, so why would I want magazines full of patterns? then I bought this withdrawn copy of burda for 50 cents at the library book sale.



flicking through it I found this cute cardi tie top which would be a great addition to my wardrobe capsule. A cardigan is my alternative to wearing a jacket. The suggested fabric is a 2 way stretch jersey knit but I think it would look good made up in a drapey merino wool, making it perfect for both warm and cold weather. Another addition to the ever growing sewing list!



there's also this casual jacket which I think would be a possible as the detailing around the collar and front edges gives it a cardi sort of feel. Although I've hit a snag here as the pattern sheet for the jacket is missing.

Oh and yes, I've asked the local magazine store to put a Burda wof aside for me each month lol!

goodbye black

even though I'm not able to sew at the moment, I'm still doing a lot of thinking about sewing. Most of it prompted by my wardrobe revamp journey. Yesterday I finally bit the bullet and went through all my clothes and shoes. I'm pleased and equally embarassed to say that I had a ruthless cull and this morning delivered 4 very full rubbish bags of stuff to the hospice shop. Don't get me wrong though, I haven't completely ended my love of black. I've kept a few pieces to wear plus some for sentimental value...

comic relief

youtube is great for finding comic relief. How about the current Air New Zealand ad campaign?

tummy tuck jeans

on my wardrobe plan was a new pair of dark blue/black bootcut jeans. I'd read recently about the 'Not your daughters jeans' and got the chance to try them on. These jeans do live up to their reputation of being able to give the wearer a nice shape. The fabric has a decent amount of lycra in it and is much softer than conventional denim. The trick is to buy a size smaller than what you'd normally wear. That way you're tucked in and held up in all the right places. Unfortunately at over $320 a pair, they're not very affordable at all.

After a day of trying on jeans and getting close to giving up on finding a comfortable pair, I decided to go to Farmers, a local department store. There I found some tummy tuck jeans, with a great support panel across the tummy area. It didn't have as much lycra as the NYD jeans but still does provide a comfortable fit. I chose a mid-rise bootcut style in a dark ink blue denim. Best of all it was $50 on sale, so I bought a couple of pairs. Thank goodness for mid year sales!

art of tivaevae

'The Art of Tivaevae' Traditional Cook Islands Quilting
by Lynnsay Rongokea & John Daley (Photographer)

I've been wanting to read this book since visiting the tivaevae exhibition at the Te Papa museum back in May. I was pleased to finally find it at the library.

It's a fascinating read about the art of tivaevae and how it's evolved over time from it's original introduction by missionaries more than a 100 years ago to it's valued and vital place in local Cook Island life and culture. I'm enjoying reading about the artists, the ideas behind the designs and the stories of the tivaevae. Even more impressive is how the art of tivaevae is now a widely recognised artistic form. The photos are a visual feast of colour too.

A thoroughly enjoyable book!

copycat

earlier this week I was doing a google search on charity knitting when I came across an unpleasant surprise!... someone had copied my blog posts about charity knitting and then had it published in an online magazine. To make matters worse, they'd been paid for it. I was so annoyed that I wrote to the online magazine to let them know. Here's their response:

Dear Norma,

Thank you for your email and please accept our apologies for publishing this.

We receive quite a lot of plagiarised poems and stories and check these via google but we've not had any problem with opinions articles before. Certainly we will check these as well in the future!

We have removed the article from our online magazine and deducted the reward given to the member who sent it in. Please accept our sincere apologies for this error. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

I'm happy with the result. Rant over!

mannequin sisters

school holidays=no sewing or crafting.

We're often out and about discovering and exploring. On one of our trips we found these 2 vintage mannequins in Hamilton and somehow they've ended up coming to live with us. They're in pretty good condition for their age (probably around 1960s/1970s) with the strangest long shaped heads and the tiniest size 6 bodies. Apparently they were made redundant from their last job when the small town drapery shop they worked in for years closed down.

The sisters are now named Milly and Mandy and have taken up residence in our rumpus room. We've bought them some wigs from the $2 shop - they actually look normal with wigs on. Now it's just finding them some clothing!

gaucho pants

I haven't found the right fabric for my dresses yet. It's school holidays for the next 2 weeks and I've no intention of fabric shopping with children in tow. So I've put the dresses on hold and moved down the list to the gaucho pants.

These aren't the decades old culottes that were around in the late 70s. The gaucho pant has a more streamlined, classic look and will be perfect for casual wear. I'm using McCalls 5251 and I'm thinking of making a combination of views A and C in a good weight black knit, without the fold over waistband of view A or the cuffs of view C.

pear shaped

Gok Wan, stylist extraordinaire, says one of the essential tips for being fashionable is knowing your body shape and wearing clothes that enhance & accentuate all your good points. He uses the term 'hot hips' for us hippy girls but I'll just stick with pear shaped.

So keeping this in mind, I'm thinking about sewing for myself in a totally different way. As you'll already know, I've decided to introduce colour into my wardrobe. At the start of this process, my wardrobe consisted of 99.9% black clothes and shoes. I felt comfortable and safe wearing head to toe black. I admire colour but was always too self conscious to wear it. That's all about to change!

Ok, so studying what flatters my shape, here's what I've found looks good on me:

- V and deep scoop neckline
- A line skirt style
- Empire line/baby doll dress style
- knee length is elegant
- long tunics & tops that sit halfway over my hip
- longer length cardigan/jacket
- slim longer length sleeves
- bootleg/straight/slightly flared jean/pant

keeping this all in mind, my sewing 'to do' list so far looks good, except maybe the gaucho pants which I'm not too sure about. I like the idea of 'capsule dressing' that Gok talks about. Anyway, it's time to start thinking about colour...

simplicity retro 3559

it's nice to be back blogging again after a full on week of caring for sick children with colds. The arrival of the swine flu has meant that children showing any cold/flu like symptoms have to stay home from school for a week. As a result not a stitch of sewing or crafting has been done.

In an effort to get motivated and focussed, I've made a 'to do' sewing list of the clothes I want to sew myself this year. You'll see the list in the left hand margin of my blog. First up is a dress made from Simplicity 3559. I'm a fan of the upright darts and the shaping of this dress will be flattering with the slightly fitted top and flaring skirt. I've read the reviews on patternreview and it all looks good. As for choice of fabric, I'm hoping to find a teal wool crepe or something similar.