winter

Today's photography task was to focus on capturing some of the interesting winter moments in our back garden: a single leaf on the magnolia tree, a lovely ornamental bush and the old concrete bird bath surrounded by fragrant rosemary.

1970s patterns

I'm inspired by the many talented, blogging sewers who sew up a storm with their favourite vintage patterns. It seems that every retro sewer has a pattern era(s) that they enjoy sewing. The 40s, 50s and 60s seem hugely popular and I love seeing modern day interpretations of classic designs. The 60s and 70s styles in women and childrens wear appeal to me the most. With the Simplicity "look slimmer pattern" collection being my favourite. These 70s patterns suit my silhouette and are more flattering on me than the A-line mod inspired styles of the 60s. Here's a look at the 2 patterns that I'll be making up for myself.

Simplicity 5914 - this pattern is designed to make the dress wearer look slimmer - sounds great to me! I'll be grading this pattern down to fit and then making my usual adjustments. I haven't chosen a fabric yet although I plan to wear this dress more as a tunic with jeans. So I'm considering making this dress up in a cotton print.                                                

Simplicity 6213 - this pattern deserves special attention. I love the formality of it's design - it reminds me so much of what air hostesses wore in the 70s. Again it's another 'look slimmer' pattern (my favourite sewing theme at the moment) which I'll have to grade down and then again make my usual adjustments. I just love the contrast piping and buttons details. This is going to be a very fun sew!

the buzz

Photo: Jill in WV

Photo: Tehrin

I always get a buzz when a happy buyer shows off a bjd item that I've made... here's customer photos of a psychedelic print top (top photo) and a pair of knit tights (lower photo) that I made. It's also a timely reminder that I should be stocking up my etsy shop with more bjd goodies.

to market

a visit to the local farmers market was the best excuse for using my new handmade grocery bags. Hot off the sewing machine and ready to be filled with loads of shopping. These bags were made using Butterick 5413 and some funky 'green' themed cotton fabric and vintage bias binding. The pattern makes up a nice, roomy bag. At the market, the local growers, farmers and artisan food producers sell their wares directly to the public. There's every imaginable in-season fruit and vege, cheeses, artisan breads, jams & preserves, coffee... the list is endless. So of course, I had no difficulty filling my bags with lots of yummy goodies. Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera, maybe next time I'll take photos to share.

hello dollies

Friday afternoon is the perfect time of the week to sneak in a little op shopping. My favourite thrift store had undergone a massive revamp and this was the first time I'd been in for a while. Although it looked absolutely fabulous, probably as great as any department store, I kind of missed the familiar clutter and mess.

Todays find were these 3 vintage dolls, circa late 1960s/1970s for $12.50. These poor dollies were from a deceased estate and have an overwhelming pong of mothballs and lavender water. That said, they have been lovingly played with, enjoyed and cared for. The best thing about them is that their bodies are in great shape (no frankendolly surgeries) and they have all their hair. To get them back to looking as good as new, all they need is a jolly good clean... then these lovely dollies will be saying hello to my little girl who has plenty of social engagements, (think tea parties, picnics and the like) for them to attend.

tahiti

the very first item in my 'island sewing plan' is this thrifted poly-cotton blend lavalava (sarong) from Tahiti which I bought for $3. From the looks of it, I'd say that this lavalava has spent more time in the drawer than being worn and may have even featured as a table cloth in it's former life. At 90cm wide by 180cm long, there's plenty there to maybe make a top for myself or even a girls twirly whirly dress. Yes I'm really trying to make it work!  

vintage boucle coat

the latest addition to my wardrobe coat family this year, is this lovely vintage boucle coat with a luxurious fur collar. Each winter I'm on the hunt for another 'perfect' vintage coat to join the ever growing coat collection. This beautiful coat is a lovely example of 1960s glamour at its best and is a perfect backdrop for my vintage brooch collection. Just right for chilly winter evenings at the netball courts too!

new beginnings

my experience with the cyber stalkers has given me a great deal to think about. In an effort to maintain the privacy of my family (as comments were also made about my children), I've decided to revamp this blog and remove the blog posts that refer to them directly. So it's a new beginning of sorts, for both myself and this blog.

buster the cat

Time for a snooze in the afternoon sun..

You've got your photos, now leave me alone!

finally I've got photos of our elusive cat Buster. This cat has to be the most unco-operative model that I've ever worked with. At last 2 photos of our feline family member for the family photo album.

flowers

Todays photo task was to look at flowers up close. I love the macro setting on the s9500 as I seem to be fascinated with tiny details at the moment. Everything is so much more interesting up close...   

garden

just a quick post to share the first few photos that I've taken using the s9500. These were all taken in our back garden using the automatic setting on the camera and on a slight cloudy, sunny afternoon. I still have to read the manual and learn about all the different settings as well as use a tripod to avoid shakey hands.

Thanks to all who've taken the time to send me an email or leave a comment about the cyber stalkers. I really appreciate your support. I'm going to keep doing what I love.

cyber stalkers

I'm sad to say that this blog has become the object of unwanted attention from cyber stalkers, who have taken the contents of some of my blog posts and have been ridiculing me elsewhere on the internet. I don't know these people and what they're saying isn't enough to get the police involved. I love blogging about my interests and sharing with you all and I'd be really sad to give it up. So please don't be alarmed if this blog suddenly changes format. They haven't got me beat yet!

BSA 1952 motorcycle

a very good friend came to visit with his all original BSA 1952 classic motorcycle. It was a lovely surprise!  even more surprising was my realisation that a classic motorcycle is a thing of beauty. Imagine the miles it has travelled and the many journeys it has made. It also seemed a perfect opportunity for a final photo with my old camera - the new one arrives tomorrow. 

samoa

it's hard to believe that our trip to Samoa is just a few months away - especially with the cold and rainy weather we're having here. I'm not too good with sewing for a purpose (especially if I'm required to stick to a sewing plan over a period of time). However I do need to make some clothes for the girls and I to wear while we're away. I'm looking forward to Samoa's tropical climate, especially the hot, sticky heat that makes relaxing in the shade a necessity. Now I just have to make a realistic plan of what I can actually sew...

reading aloud

Slinky Malinki

was blacker than black

a stalking and lurking

adventurous cat...

our current read aloud story is another Lynley Dodd delight called Slinky Malinki. It's a pleasure to read - the language is poetic and has such wonderful rhythm as we learn all about Slinky's kleptomania. Miss 3 has declared Slinky her all time favourite. Poor Hairy Maclary and his doggie pals (stories also by Lynley Dodd) have moved into second place which is a little sad since I love to read those stories out aloud too!

new camera?

There are so many fantastic craft and sewing blogs out there with the most beautiful photos. Photos that make me green with envy. So lately I've been thinking a lot about my blog photos and how I can improve them. And they do need improving! Up until now I've been making do with my Fujifilm J10, a simple point and shoot digital camera that does an ok job. It's ideal for snapshots but isn't the best when it comes to showing the detail that I want. I did have a fancy Panasonic Lumix with all the bells and whistles which bit the dust when I dropped it in our fish pond. I replaced it with the J10 just in case of future accidents.

So now I've almost convinced myself that a new camera is just what I need and that it has to be the Fujifilm Finepix S9500 or even better. It's a humungous leap from what I'm using at the moment but I'm looking forward to the challenge of a new camera! My other motives for the new camera are so that I can take lots and lots of photos when we're away in Samoa and also the fact that our GST rate in NZ is set to increase from 12.5% to 15%.

Yeah, just about convinced myself...

crochet crinoline lady

put gingham and crochet together and the end result is a beautiful supper cloth with crochet edging and a crinoline lady posing at each corner. Without a pattern, it took some trial and error to get the lady to look just as I wanted her to and I'm very happy with the result.

I'm on a bit of a crochet buzz at the moment, so next I'd like to try making this swan doiley. Why? I love working in miniature and the idea of crochet swans with long delicate necks and tiny beaks really appeals to me. For true nanny chic, the finished doiley will be displayed underneath my maidenhair fern.

The bach is booked for the end of year holidays. This year we're heading to Scandrett Bay which is the next bay over from Martins Bay where we usually go and we're staying in the 'Graham Bach'. As you can see, there's a 70s retro theme in the decor and the water is right at the door almost. All my favourite things in the one place! We're still set to visit Samoa later this year too.

making poi

my latest crafting endeavour has been to help Miss 13 make poi for her PE (physical education) assessment. This is the second set of poi that I've helped her make. My job was to tightly braid the 4 strand cord that the balls hang from.

For those of you who aren't familiar with poi, it's a traditional performing art by the Maori people of New Zealand. The poi are made up of balls hanging from flexible cords. They are held in the hands and swung in  circular patterns. Historically the poi were made from all natural plant materials. Now, people use whatever is handy. We used dacron stuffing, supermarket plastic bags, bin liners, cardboard, sellotape and wool. If anyone is interested I'm happy to post up a tutorial on making poi. Just let me know by posting in the comments section or send me an email.

They are a lot of fun to make and use!

quiet

I wish I could write about brilliant things that I've been creating. Instead it's been very, very quiet on the creative front while at home it's been a hive of activity.

With the arrival of winter, Miss 3 has been sick with a terrible cold and has spent the best part of almost 2 weeks at home recovering, Miss 13 strained her neck at netball and had to take a few days of school to recover and Mr 11 is having growing pains. On top of this I've struggled on with a nagging head cold and feel absolutely drained at the end of every day.

Suffice it to say, that my motivation to be creative is at an all time low. Hopefully I'll get back to making stuff soon, as there's a few things by the sewing machine ready to go...

a mother's day

it's breakfast in bed

 special cards

lots of hugs and kisses

and then back to

washing

dishes

shopping

and more...

all that makes us mums great!

party skirt

with the arrival of another birthday party invitation for Miss 13, there's always the usual question of what to wear? She found inspiration in the Dec 09/Jan 10 issue of Dolly magazine with a canary yellow Ladakh frou frou skirt RRP $79.95. I made a quick trip to Spotlight for some black cotton satteen, black tulle and an 18cm zip. I especially chose the satteen for it's sheen and weight. It can hold out the gathers well without going all limp. A tulle underskirt would complete the skirt.

the skirt itself was easy to make. It's basically a shortened drindl skirt made up of 3 rectangles. I think nearly every sewer I know has made one of these at the start of their sewing experience.  I put in a centred side zip that pulled to the top of the waistband edge. It gives the skirt a neater and cleaner finish. The tulle petticoat was ditched at the last minute as we both agreed it was too much frou frou and reminiscent of a ballerina tutu. It does look really great on especially since Miss 13 has a nice pair of legs inherited from her Dad.                               

miniature tailoring

my latest obsession is sewing a miniature tailored suit for Owen (Iplehouse Akando).  The photo above shows an Iplehouse black silk/wool suit which sold out quickly at the somewhat unbelievable price of $163 USD. So I've convinced myself that I can easily make a reasonably good looking suit for a fraction of that price and complete with welt pockets, fully lined etc... the whole kit and kaboodle! I can't spare any detail, as after all this is meant to a perfect copy of a human sized tailored suit.

my starting point is this pattern from the Adams-Harris Pattern Company which will need to be re-drafted, enlarged, spliced and then I'll need some fitting muslins made before I can start cutting into my suiting fabric. I've found a black poly/wool blend in my stash which will be perfect for making up my first suit. The pants are easier as I have an existing pair of dress pants to lift a pattern from, it's just the jacket that's making me nervous...

pressing ham and seam roll

back in August last year I blogged here about making some new pressing tools for my sewing room. At the top of the list was getting a new iron which I bought straight away. I've just finished the pressing ham and seam roll at long last. The fabrics were all sourced from my fabric collection and the sawdust came from a local woodworking factory. I was a little frustrated working with sawdust, it seemed to get on to everything & everywhere including up my nose, in my hair, on my clothes, on the table, the floor... so it was a stop-start process! as you can guess, I'm very pleased to have finished them. I'm still undecided about making a new ironing board cover to match.

then to just challenge myself, I made a smaller scale ham and seam roll set for my doll sewing. This set was much easier to make and is stuffed with dacron.

I haven't achieved as much sewing as I'd hoped since my last post... it seems as if there's always something else going on! There's only 1 week left of school holidays and then the children are back at school.

at easter

after an egg hunt, Miss 3's excited face at the delicious thought of yummy chocolate treats. The 2 older children are now on holiday for 2 weeks and I'll be helping Miss 13 work through her 1st wearable arts design competition. It should be interesting stuff.

and then there's the new bike, a Raleigh Sphere 2.0 to replace the commuter bike I had. It met with a sad end. Anyway this bike rides even better. I'll be adding a shopping basket and rear rack next week. Just perfect for nipping down to the local Spotlight to do a bit of craft shopping lol!

Iplehouse Akando

when reviewing my ball jointed doll (bjd) sewing, it's become obvious that I needed new models. Just like the human world, new sculpts are being released all the time and the doll sewer has to keep up. So I decided to retire 6 of my sewing models, 3 have sold on ebay with another 3 to go. Luckily with this hobby I'm able to fund my new models from the sale of the older ones. Then the next thing to do, is decide on the new models. I'm going to stick to sewing only for the bigger size bjds with a mature/realistic look.

My first replacement model is 70cm Iplehouse Akando. After a lot of research, I decided to buy a second hand Akando from a seller in Germany (yes, she gave him a celtic styled faceup) and today I'm off to pay his duties and rescue him from customs. Akando will be my 1st masculine model for sewing. Up till now I'd kept away from sewing for the male bjd as most of the males were skinny, lanky and adrogynous looking. Not very inspiring. Now Iplehouse have created an amazing selection of realistic, masculine sculpts including Akando - exactly what I'm after!

once I've got him home, I'll be taking his head off and sending that away for a new repaint. I've asked faceup artist Pepstar to create a natural, masculine look for Akando. (I wish I could do it myself but I don't have the talent or the paitence to learn). While his head is away, I'll work on removing his blue tatooes and then start putting together some basic clothing styles ie. t shirts, pants and hoodies to sell.

Occassionally I'll write the odd post about my bjd sewing, after all it is part of my craft and sewing hobby/interests but rest assured non doll loving folk, I won't be posting back to back about bjds.

play kitchen

this morning I finished Miss 3's surprise items for her play kitchen. The dish towel, oven mitt and apron were made up using a very bright yellow patterned quilting cotton and creamy cotton towelling from the fabric stash. The apron pattern is from skiptomylou

My young cook is now very busy concocting the strangest dishes. Imagine oranges, eggs and onions. Not very tasty eh? thank goodness I don't really have to eat it!

still here

just a quick post to let you all know that I'm still here. Our family life has been very hectic with 2 school camps, sports team trials (which seem endless), athletics competitions and our youngest starting kindy. I'm hoping that things will settle down very soon into a routine so I'll be able to get back to sewing again.

beat and sift

the worst thing about new fangled gadgets is that sometimes they break down and this week it's been the turn of my most used kitchen tools - the electric beater and fancy flour sifter to bite the dust. Rather than endure days of decision making at the kitchen store, I rediscovered these well loved yesteryear kitchen items. At the very least I'll be doing my bit to save electricity as well as getting a good workout at the same time. Now off to do some baking...

As for sewing, not much happening, the bicycle is proving to be too distracting!

bicycle

I have to introduce you all to my early wedding anniversary present... a Dutch commuter bicycle complete with the cane basket. Isn't it beautiful? as some of you may know I'm a fan of retro and this bicycle style has been on my dream list for a very long time. Back in the late 70s-early 80s I was the very proud owner of a Raleigh 20 cruiser which was a dream to ride on the flat. I rode it everywhere. The only problem was that it had one single gear and was a pain to ride up hills. This bike takes hill rides to another level... smooth and easy!

Now all I need to complete the picture is to cycle in heels and a frock, looking ever so urban chic.

ps. since this bicycle arrived, I've not been anywhere near my sewing machine. So I'll be doing a few late nighters to get my birthday surprises finished before Sunday.