Feb 25, 2012

Disappointing

Leopard shoes came and where too small :(
Bag came an is fantastic tho!!!
Have to get crackin on my craft swap gift, less than two weeks to go.
Apart from that...nothing really to write.
Thinking about not blogging anymore, no one comments so what's the point?
Oh well.

We'll see.

Feb 23, 2012

Yay for stuff!

Feeling better!
Must have been hormonal.

Completed a red polka dot box pleat skirt but I'm not postin pics yet because I buggered up the back a bit so I need to fix that :P

I got my seven vogue patterns in the mail yay! Can't wait to start :)
Also, Colette's sewing book and my 50s/60s fashion book came so I'm a happy chappy!!!!
So many patterns, so little time!

On another note, look at my other goodies I'm waiting on in the mail!!!!!

Photos are jumbled cause phone app sucks.

Feb 19, 2012

So very slack and sore

My ribs are in a bad way at the moment, I'm not entirely sure if I wrote about it in my first post (I'm on my phone and feeling too lazy to check) but for the last almost six months I've had terribly painful ribs which did have me bed ridden for the first few months.
I start physio within the next few weeks as my left arm is loosing feeling since I have been avoiding using that side of my body for so long.
As you can imagine my sewing has to be quite limited because of all this.

At least my partner can walk about with his cane now which gives me a bit of a break.

I havnt really done anything craft wise this week apart from cut out a present for a online friend, it's sitting there ready to pin and sew. She's going thru a really tough time with her husband very ill so I'm sending her a care package to brighten her day a wee bit.

On another note, I've somehow lost three black zippers in my house so I've been unable to finish my leopard skirt...

Bah.

Highlight of my week was looking after my baby nephew. Anyone who knows me, knows how clucky I've always been for my own bubs but due to medical issues this may never happen.

Right well I'm depressive this week so if you are reading let me know what you do to cheer yourself up!

Feb 15, 2012

Leopard lover

I cut this out a few days ago but I thought I'd update ya'll :)

This is a skirt that's from the same pattern I used for the other pencil skirts but has box pleats at the front. I've also cut it to have a wider waist and the zip & slit will be at the back.

When I first pinned it to the dummy I wasn't sure about the pleats, they looked odd and unlike anything I have worn before, so I let it sit for a few days before I decided if I would continue. But I have decided that I think I do like them and they will be something different, plus I received some positive feedback from friends on facebook so I will get cracking on it in a few days (I have my sisters baby all day tomorrow, so I have to be fun aunty!)

So what do you think so far? Also, is there any designs that you have struggled to like yourself?

xx

Feb 13, 2012

Pre Shrinking fabric

This is by FAR the thing I hate most.
Everytime I have to do it before a new project I put it off as long as possible, especially given the crappy weather here at the moment so I have to dry them inside which takes 24 hours or more.

I'm annoyed.
I have five of the same fabrics, same print, same company etc just different colours. I pre shrunk them all the same as the instructions said too; warm hand wash. Now four of them are perfectly fine, nearly dry and looking chrisp and ready to iron...but alas, the purple hates my guts.
The dye ran like crazy, and has ruined the white polka dots. And if I was to ever do anything with it, anytime it was washed it would run and ruin everything, like it ruined a pretty navy and white striped material I have.

So hopefully me storming into lincraft with it an demanding my money back will work, as it's useless to me now unless I decided to just use it as a Muslin, but I think the print would throw me off too much.

Damn all.

So what's on your sewing project list at the moment?
I've made up my plan for my craft swap and need to make a pattern and muslin but I have three more weeks to go for that, so I think I might make another skirt...

Feb 11, 2012

Cherry skirt finished

It's done!
It look me a week to finish as I had to put it aside and look after my bed ridden partner.
As I had thought it would, it's a few inches shorter than I'd like (I like things to my knees) but it'll make do.
I kept to my original plan and added the chrochated lace to the hem and it looks quite pretty.
It didn't make it quite to my upper waist but it sits higher than the purple skirt did.
The photos I have are terrible so please forgive me! It looks quite lumpy cause I had to twist my arm around to photograph it which in turn made me bend.

Feb 9, 2012

Craft Swap

I am admin of a 130 member sewing and craft group on Facebook.
I felt like their needed to be a smaller group where I could get answers and share my sewing journey, rather than devote my time to the other Australian sewing group that's over a thousand members.

I took an idea I had seen all over the net, the craft swap. What happens is that you are matched up with someone randomly and vice versa and you each have a month to hand make something.

I've got a few ideas but for the woman I was matched with I feel like I need to hunt for the right kind of fabric to make it special for her :)

Very excited to see what everyone creates and their reactions!!
Hopefully no problems arise.

Has anyone known of any issues that have happened with craft swaps?

Feb 7, 2012

The Walkaway Dress

I think everyone has a sewing blog has made at least one blog dedicated to this dress.
It's retro Butterick (1952 first release) B4790.

Now I'm intrigued by the apparent easiness of this dress, as I've need made a dress from a pattern.
But.
I've seen alot of photos of this dress made up and it can look terrible, absolutely terrible.

I find the neckline pretty terrible, like a hospital gown. I'd love to to be able to change it but I don't think I'll attempt to on my first try.

I've decided to make the crinoline I've found on the following website and also follow the sewalong they had for it. Just to be on the safe side and I feel that the little crinoline on each side will add some shape to the dress.

http://www.edelweisspatterns.com/blog/?p=850

Plus I also feel that this woman actually got this dress looking perfect.
Hopefully my big bust won't ruin the lines of the dress too much :/

Now! To figure out what pattern/colour of fabric to use...

Feb 6, 2012

Be still my heart

First of all I should explain the Bambi in my blog name.

While I'm know to be quite bossy, I've been told by many people I'm a bit delicate like a orphan child (thanks guys :/) and I fall over alot.
Like, a hell of alot. Not tripping over anything or running too fast, just standing there, maybe on a completely flat surface with nothing happening and I'll just fall over.

Maybe I actually have a ear drum problem now that I really think about it...hrmm.

Anywho! That's how I got my nickname many years ago, I'm useless and Im terrible at existing lol. Which brings me to the point of this post!!!

This freakin fabric!!!
I just wanna grab it and smear it all over my face while singing "unforgettable".
Does no one else get that excited when they see a fabric that just screams "BUY ME, I WAS MADE TO BE WITH YOU!!"

Ordering it this Friday from America, 3 yards! My plans are to make a pencil skirt which takes up about 1.5 yards, but I havnt thought about what to do with the rest yet.

Any ideas?

Wearing your own

There's something so satisfying about getting dressed and putting on something you've made that your so proud of.

Today I'm wearing my lemon circle skirt with a yellow cardi, with black mixed in. My stockings are dark navy so their a faux par, but oh well!

Oh, and check out my gun brooch!

Feb 5, 2012

Pretty In Pink

Oh dear.
So I had a belly ache today and it was terrible weather, so I bailed myself up in bed under my new quilt (thanks ma) an watched Pretty in Pink.
I love eighties movies and music...but when it comes to fashion it's like someone threw up on everyone!

The only terrible thing about this movie is when Molly takes the beautiful pink 1950s prom dress and went to town on it with scissors.

Oh my god.

The travesty she creates is this horrible sack dress which makes me think she really didn't know how to sew at all.
Just makes me super sad that not just one, but TWO dresses had to die to create such a mess.

DON'T LET HER NEAR MY CLOSET.
Bah.

I crave you darling thing you

These jeans...these beautiful works of art, I could just EAT you up!
I've been looking for a pair of vintage styled jeans for what feels like forever.
Jeans today seem to sit on me with karma in mind. What I mean is, I must be a pretty horrible person for a piece of clothing to make me look THAT bad. Bastard things...
Anywho.

Back to these sexy jeans!!!!
They nip in at the waist and just fall down your body. Oh, how excited I feel just looking at them.
And before you start to think "Wow this chicks got issues being so excited over pants", you have no idea how bad pants of any kind look on me.
I'm 5'5, have a 35" waist and 41.5" hips, short legs...bah.
PANTS DON'T WORK ON THIS BODY
I always end up looking uncomfortable and like I've tried to force my pudge into someone else's business.

Before you say "Make them yourself" nooo, so not ready to tailor make pants, let alone jeans. It's quite awhile away yet and I adore these too much to not support her work :)
For hand made jeans, the price is cheap in my opinion, and the sailor detailing is to die for. These are deff on my "must save for or sell kidney for" list =)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72472006/1930s-1940s-vintage-style-light-blue

Feb 4, 2012

Way to set myself a goal

Seven pencil skirts.
Including the cherry print I'm half way thru, I'm going to make seven...
I may end up having a stroke after them all, I just hope by the end I'm so pro that I can custom fit them perfectly!!
As you can see by my photo I've got my swatches all cut out and ready to get zippers tomorrow. This is the first time I'm actually prepared prior, I've even made a list.
Go me.

On other news, my partners got a bunch of his friends over and there all huddled around our dinning table with their respective computers playing civ.
Mostly it just turns into them all bitching about who's not here lol
Worst than women they are!!!

So...think I'll ever have someone comment on my posts? Or I'll live on being self indulgent writing and posting for the sake of my own keep sake?

Oh well.

Cherry skirt update

I've hit a wall.
I just realized that I don't have a black zipper or enough interfacing to continue. Shall have to make a trip to spotlight tomorrow!!

As you can see in the photo it's got more shape than my first pencil skirt.
The larger and longer darts are working a treat.
Just tried it on all pinned (darts are sewed) and it sits wonderfully but as I feared it is slightly too short for my liking. I need things to my knees or close too or I feel nakey.
Just have to make a choice between more cherry print at the bottom or maybe just a plain black cotton...I'll ponder on it.

Im sickly

Well I am!
It's like I have the worst gag reflex right now and I keep throwing up or being the acidiest person EVER.
And its too hot.
*whinge*

Still attempting to put my latest project together.
I've take the top half of the pattern for my pencil skirt and used the larger size of of the darts on another pattern for the front.
It's going to be shorter, HOPEFULLY sit at my waist instead of the hips and I'm adding lace at the bottom.
Oh and it's cherry print cotton...

One thing I might change at the end is add another panel of the fashion fabric to the lace if it's too short for my liking.

I most likey shouldn't be attempting this while I'm so sick, especially given the fact for two hours this morning I was totally delirious and nearly crying for two hours trying to get my overlocker to work...BUT you can't hold me back when I want to do something!!

Wish me luck :/

Circle skirts is where I started

So a few months ago I actually started sewing and like many lassies, I started with a circle skirt.
I've made three, starting with the black, the blue then finally my beloved yellow.
Each improves from the last quite considerably as you would imagine.
I discovered that tea length is a no go with me being short (5'5) so I still need to shorten the black and the blue to just below knee length.

First pencil skirt

I made a pencil skirt over the last three days, my first infact.
This skirt nearly killed me emotionally.
Everything just kept going wrong, somehow the waist band ended up being too small, it would sit right, the lining poked out in the zipper, it gathered oddly at the side split... But I'm the end I decided if it was gonna be an jerk, I'd transform it into a mishap gone couture!
I added length to the waistband and covered it up with a pink leopard how I made to size and made the gathering look intentional with a self covered button at the top of the spilt in the leopard.
This sits at the hips which I'm not used too, so next time I will deff make it a high waisted skirt.
Fashion fabric is a deep purple cotton and I lined it even tho the pattern didn't call for it (I almost can't stand things to NOT be lined) with a hot pink silky rayon.
One thing I do need to alter is the back dress hook, it needs to be over a few mm to be perfect.
For my first go I'm pretty happy considering I'm only used to making circle skirts!

My baby Buddha

About seven months ago I rescued a 11 month old ridgeback cross lab. His name is Buddha and is one of the biggest dogs I've ever known.
But he lives like a gypsy. He has a cubby house for himself that's huge, carpeted, blankets and toys galore, but he will instead sleep in a hole in the ground he's dug.
Why must he act so...special?