For Myself

Today I completed a project. Completing anything in particular is always a bit of a 'Hurrah' moment round these parts but this project was a veritable 'You little Beauty' moment. I sewed. I sewed MYSELF something. And it WORKED. Tight Ass Table Spotlight fabric + Simplicity pattern 2209 = A little 50s inspired frock action. I finished just as I heard the boys stirring from their midday nap ... so here is the ' just quickly pop it on over my current outfit' photo shoot. So over the jeans it went. The pose, that wasn't my blue steel ... the sun was in my eyes and the chickens in my bloody spring bulbs.Clearly I am on some kind of roll or is it mission? because last week I made something else. I conjured up this skirt from this pattern and then hung it on my newly blossoming quince tree in some sort of effort to look all arty, photography-like. Let's call it a fail - please go lurk on a photography blog if you are artisitcally offended, but by this time I had one of the boys on my hip, so another outfit change was a serious NO GO SISTA! Before I started, I took all my measurenments and it said I was a size 18 ... but by the amount I had to run it in the back ... I'd say I was a 12-14.A little jaunty? Nothing like a wardrobe that contains nothing it seems bar black and a budget that is far from being in the black, to act as a little motivation. As I got sewing I also got thinking. I realised that the last time I sewed myself something I was 24. I was working overseas. I sewed on a borrowed machine on the tiled floor of the condo I lived in in Singapore (we didn't have much furniture). I didn't use a pattern I just cut around a dress I liked at the time and sewed up some side seams and made it up. It was very, um, grungy... and I thought I looked HOT. Only took me a little under a decade and a half to have another go at it. AT this rate I'll have an entire wardobe by the time my one year olds graduate from high school. Ace!

Shoulder Ties, cake and fairies

These dresses seemed to be a firm favourite on the market circuit last summer. Some beautiful new fabrics for them this season ... I love cotton voile - it is my absolute favourite. I am still squeezing Edie into her size 1 shoulder tie dress ... as a top ... I'm not making her flash her knickers in public or anything like that. Anyways ... she does that of her own accord. Public rolly pollies are de rigeur.

It's been a magical weekend. I got excitedly summoned from my sewing frenzy to eat this ...

and yesterday we all got to go to the magical fairy garden party as a fundraiser for the Clifford Craig Foundation. I realised at the last minute we had no suitable fairy wings ... and wings were the ticket to a free icecream ... so I whipped some up using some stiff vintage, flocked organza I have kicking around in the 'I love it, but what to do?' pile. They had a white elephant stall there- and I picked up some booty - will post later! The garden was to die for ... made me get all inspired so I bought a stack of pot plants from their plant stall too! Just a quick post - back to turning straps and shirring elastic. Don't be jealous.

Niche Away for another day

Had such a lovely time at Niche. It was very lovely to share a stall and hang with this gal. It was lovely to revel in the superb aroma of all things handmade. It was lovely to eat cupcakes. It was lovely to buy uber cool ring. It was lovely to do a swap and get me paws on goodies from this talent oozing lass. It was lovely to meet a whole barrel of stall holders. It was just lovely to be amongst 'eau de market'. It was lovely to see some old customers faces. It was so lovely I forgot to take photos. I took but one and then got sidetracked. Sorry. Suse took some. Go there.

Niche is a coming xx

OK .. so it's been a little while since I've posted ... but I have an excuse -I have been chained to my sewing machine in sweat shop conditions. Occasionally someone slips me a glass of water - or Dunc places chocolate directly in my mouth so I don't get stuff on my dresses. But it's all for Niche this weekend. I'm thinking after that I can kick back a little? Anyways - this is some of the aforementioned stuff that will be at the market - I will post something of greater interest, wit and humour soon - for now - this is my very, very best.

Edie's in the red winter dress at the top ... she has her cute wee Black Eyed Susie clip in her hair... the dress also comes in other fabrics and colours including this guy below...

Then this lovely vintage fabric I got from etsy arrived in the nick of time ... so I thought I'd go with some more library bags ... (warning - average photo follows!)

Then the Blythe dress gets a red and blue makeover with a little vintage fabric pocket.

...and those of you who know me may be a little surprised that there is a pink(ish) dress on the menu ... not usually a fan but then I had this beautful pink and brown damask and thought I would be a pink person crowd pleaser...

Shameless pre-market plug, I know... but come anyway - for the other stuff ... Sat and Sun 10-4pm - 20% of everything you buy and 100% of what you get wrapped goes to St Giles - it will be retail feel goodness for you

autumn

Autumn is here. You can feel the crispness creeping into the air. Clear sunny days but that edge of chilly. Leaves are starting to change colour and green grass is slowly becoming a patch work of oranges, yellows and browns. Where walks in parks involve dodging falling acorns as a brisk breeze encourages them to head south for the winter. The change feels good. A change that makes you pull things closer to your chest to be wrapped in arms. A change that sees you dig out the comfy winter pyjamas and don the fluffy slippers. A change that makes you want to eat mashed potato and hearty vegie soups. I love a bit of Autumn.

the chipmunk and 'the crappers'

Alright ... are you getting sick of blog entries about product shots? After chasing a wee toddler around the garden with my camera, when she is just keen to catch 'the crappers' ... hmm ... read 'caterpillers', I feel a swelling of pride that I managed to get one usable photo out of 30. Must say it wasn't my most inspired idea to give her favourite snack food - cashews - as a down payment - 20 of those 30 out takes she resembled a chipmunk. Does anyone else find the lag between pushing the button and 'the click' on a digital camera slightly frustrating. I'm going to save up and me one of those 'flash' ones ... you know so I look and feel like a pro-fesh-an-ale. You know, on location in the bahamas. Dig it?

working for crackers

The agency sent me this supermodel ... to show of the latest dress in the fleshy colour. 50% wool, 50% cotton 100% Tassie. She too is happy to work for biscuits and sultanas. This is her blue steel. Such a beautiful wee thing! My usual Supermodel has taken to insisting on choosing her own accessories. Hat, models own.

Turquoise

I bought this turquoise cotton poplin ages ago. It has been sitting in my stash for so long ... until this beautiful damask arrived. Finally it found its purpose. Such a beautiful colour. The damask is actually a deep chocolate brown with turquoise. Edible. They'll be at the market...

Purple

Snaps of dresses to get this online shop realised. The model was perfect, although action shots were required as she chased 'the flutters' aka the cabbage mothe ruthlessly attacking our broccoli. Dunc pulled off a karate kid-esque capture of one the other day, so now visits to the garden are filled with cries of 'catch it! flutter! this one! catch it!'

All Tasmanian

New dress. 50% cotton 50% wool tasmanian fabric. Made here. Think a little pocket detail is required. Comes in a beautiful fleshy colour too. Getting my online store happening. Slow going when your model has taking to the run and go! go! go!

New Dress

We headed into town today and decided to test drive a new hat, or rather bonnet. It wasn't quite finished but it matched Edie's outfit so it got a run. In the mall there are these cushions. They talk. I know. They say stuff like "Ouch" and "Get off me". It doesn't seem to work with the children playing there. In my observations it seems to spur them onto greater and greater acts of cruelty toward the cushions .. you know .. hard core jumping and stomping combined with maniacal laughter. Small people scare me sometimes.Anyways, Dunc went on Edie watch when we got home and that gave me time to finish a dress that's been sitting on my desk for yonks. It's for winter. It's a prototype. I used bibs and bobs from my stash. I had to settle for brown ribbon ... I'd wanted to pick one of the chirpier colours from the fabric...but...I am so happy with it, in a 1970s kinda way.

I think the hat is a bit much with this outfit ... she's a little too little house on the prairie ... what do you think?

But she is still my beautiful girl and any model that is happy to be paid in biscuits, makes this Mumma happy xx

Little Red Dress

I have been working on this idea for a while in my head. I finally sewed it all up yesterday for Edie. I am thrilled with the outcome.

We took the dress for a test run in Princes Park. I'd be drooling too if I got to ride on my Daddy's shoulders on a beautiful spring morning in my fancy new dress!I will get some of these together in sizes 1 - 3 for the end of the month. There will be other colours ... but you'll have to wait and see xx