Focus Lizzy… Focus!

I tend to talk and write a lot. What can I say I talk, I type and words just come out!

So I’m attempting to rattle on less tonight, it’s getting late and I need to sleep otherwise I end up SewCrankyLizzy.

PATTERN REVIEW RTW

Voting is now open on the Pattern Review website for the RTW competition. I’m quite sure that there are a few entries there that are going to smash my humble little gingham shirtdress but I’ve decided that if by some miracle I do win the $200 Mood voucher, I’m going to buy something (in addition to my dream Anise fabric) to giveaway on my blog. I figure you all want something from Mood Fabrics just as much as me – so part of being happy is about sharing it around You are all so generous and kind to me, I would like to give a little back in the form of Mood fabulousness if possible. I guess that would be interpreted as an enticement but it’s not intended that way. A lot of what I have achieved has been inspired by your kind words and encouragement, you are all as much a part of my sewing as me. Maybe I should have wait til after the competition. Ah, I prefer to be upfront and just say things like they are. It’s just something I want to do & it’s not an afterthought Read more about this project here.

My Shabby Apple RTW inspired dress – I love it with my dark red belt, patent red slingbacks. I have worn this A LOT. Making it a sewing win regardless of Pattern Review competition outcome.

VINTAGE DRESS

I’ve also made up a vintage pattern – see if you can pick which one…. Thank you SuzyBeeSews! The bodice of this is very much like the Peony but it fits without alteration. I made this from an old doona cover from a charity shop – I as nervous about the fit but it fitted perfectly. The skirt is a little too gathered for the dress, I just used all the leftover fabric once I cut out the fabric. I didn’t have enough doona cover for the flared skirt in the original. I love this bodice. I want to make the dress again – sleeveless version.

Vintage McCalls. That’s one of my beloved pieces of furniture, a early 1900s settee, from my childhood bedroom.

DISTRACTED

I’ve been distracted by Sewalongs. I can’t help myself. I have almost finished my New Look 6000 for Scruffy Badger’s Polka Dot NL 6000 sewalong. It’s more splodge-a-dot but I like it. I love this pattern. I confess I had been put off it because the envelope was so thick LOL. The neckline on this is not playing nice, it looks smashing but the facing does not want to stay put – damn you drapey fabric… although the pleats look lovely… I want to make it in a ponti fabric for work. Love this pattern.

New Look 6000

Despite having the perfect pattern for the Sew for Victory Sewalong…

Sew for Victory. An original 1044 pattern.

YEAR OF THE JACKET RESUMES

I’ve decided that my London trip is too close and I would like to attempt to make a jacket to take. Hmmmm, I know ambitious….

Burda 03/2013 jacket. A pretty wool blend.

I also got this raspberry stretch lace and would love this little cardigan from the latest Burda magazine. Don’t you think it would look fabulous with a black Charlotte skirt and a skinny belt…

Burda 03/2013 lacy cardigan

Focus Lizzie. Focus!

Oh and my Tessuti competition fabric arrived…

Tessuti package – how awesome is that packaging!!

Fashion Star Winner… London calling… vintage patterns…

Quadruple whammy post of extreme excitment!

The Fashion Star Draw

Yes I finally got around to drawing the McCalls 6611 Fashion Star jacket pattern. I admit some of the delay may be due to my sewing room transforming into a complete war zone (me vs the stash – we are currently negiotating a truce).

Shut up Lizzy we don’t care about your messy sewing room just tell us who the winner is… *sniff* OK I get the hint…

The winner is… (courtesy of good old random.org)

BLOGLESS ANNA

Blogless Anna wins the chance to become a FASHION STAR!

just goes to show that karma is real! Blogless Anna sent me the most amazing length of silk DKNY last month (that’s it in the background) what goes around comes around!

And in more exciting blogging news (well exciting for me)…

I’M COMING TO LONDON IN APRIL

The gorgeous Rachel of House of Pinheiro is organising a bloggers’ meet-up on 20 April at the V&A. We can pretend to be genteel while drinking tea (with some hugging, giggling and squee-ing thrown in). Then onto Goldhawk Road where I shall be happily led astray (really ELH they made me buy it).

Anyway, hop over to House of Pinheiro as Rachel is the fabulous organiser and needs numbers etc. So if you are in London or nearby (which is pretty much anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, after all I’m flying for 24 hours straight just to get to London, thank goodness they allow knitting needles these days) please come along, I’d love to meet you!

The gorgeous Rachel of House of Pinheiro (IRL I probably only come up to her kneecap)

So I must race off and start sewing a squillion things (I never exagerate) as I’m sure this will lead to a wardrobe crisis like no other!!

VINTAGE GOODNESS X 2

A delightful work collegue gave me the most beautiful vintage patterns this week. It was such a surprise – they were her grandmother’s. Her generosity is overwhelming. How precious are these??

Grandma’s patterns – too precious. She must have been a snappy dresser!

Grandma’s patterns – I’ve just realised what the blog accessories department is lacking! GLOVES!!

Grandma’s patterns – this one is a magazine pattern from Australian Home Journal. I just love that advert, who would have thought a rollette rolled on??

I’m so grateful to have them and can’t wait to try some of these vintage numbers out. I hope I do grandma proud.

And just before I left for Tasmania I receive the most awesome package from the Trouser Making Champion herself – Suzy Bee Sews! After my vintage Jiffy post, Suzy contacted me and asked if I would like her collection of vintage patterns that were not her size. I’m still in shock, awe and amazed. However I did pass on one of the patterns Suzy sent me to Pretty Grivenances… it was not my size and she was tweeting about making a jacket and it was just so it just seemed right to pop it into the koala canoe and send it over to her.

Patterns from Suzy Bee Sews: How cool is that skirt pattern!

Now I just adore that envelope that reads “the envelope contains ANOTHER RELIABLE DRESS PATTERN.

And what did I send to Anne?

A Coat for Anne

Can’t you just see her now, swanning about, gesturing grandly with the adorable German hounds?

As much as I loved and adored this coat… it was destined for another

And that’s what makes our sewing blogsphere so cool…

I’ll be with you in a Jiffy… with a Pattern Pyramid!

Simplicity Jiffy 4977 – at the Lighthouse, this is only a few minutes from my home… I really do sew by the seashore!

When I said I’d be with you in a Jiffy… I really meant it!

In November I won a Pattern Pyramid on Made by Trisha’s blog. I managed to keep quiet about it as I knew it would take while to arrive from USA. Trisha was off at a conference, check out the dress she made to wear to it here.

The pyramid arrived this week… and you will be pleased to know that I’ve already made two things! Hey don’t look so shocked, I’m not SewBusyLizzy for nothin’! LOL.

OK I know that you ain’t so interested in my sewing as you are in the Pyramid itself, huh? *sniff* After stalking many a Pattern Pyramid I understand, really I do *sniff*.

And yes, it’s a pretty good one.

The jury is still out, I can’t decide what to keep. At the moment I’m a little bit in love with the very simple Jiffy 60s number. And yes, that’s the Jiffy that I’m wearing at the top of the post

Simplicity Jiffy 4977

I made the Jiffy on the spur of the moment. I was digging through the stash looking for something else and stumbled across this vintage fabric (you know how that happens) I picked up at an op shop for $3 for 3 meters. I suspect it’s a 70s print. I have no idea what it’s composed of… but it’s quite heavy, a twill weave and has a fabulous drape. It just felt ‘right’ and in a jiffy – or a few hours – the Jiffy was born. Miss 9 and ELH decreed that I should make the sleeveless number so I obliged. I even had some vintage hooks & eyes to close the back (it’s supposed to be a button & loop but this felt ‘right’). So total cost (excluding electricity and cotton etc for those auditing types) was $2. I have enough fabric left to make an Alma with this

My modern cheating touch was to use my brand new overlocker/serger to finish the seams – this fabric is a ‘frayer’.

Simplicity Jiffy 4977 – interior

Verdict? Jiffy = lots of fun and a very comfortable dress!

Now I had thought I would keep Simplicity 4687 – the shift, jacket and overblouse. So cute! It seemed the perfect solution to my Christmas dress dilemma. I thought I would make a red dress with a green lace over blouse.

Simplicity 4687 Pattern Pyramid fail

Glad I muslined this. It’s too big. Yes, yes, yes. I could grade the pattern. I could make alterations. And I really admire people that do that. However for me… there is a world of patterns out there that fit me and I’d rather fritter away my time with those This was nice enough to sew but a major sewing/fitting fail. I could not even be bothered to tidy up the hem for the pictures

Simplicity 4687 Pattern Pyramid fail – back view – it’s huge!

Verdict? I’m not a vintage size 12. Lesson learnt. It’s staying in the Pyramid.

I’m still dying to try the 6512 pants… they might be too small though. And trust me you don’t want to see my stretch marks in that crop top. I am a small person and had two babies around the 9 pound mark – scarred for life I tells ya. I’m sticking with the dresses.

What am I keeping? I don’t know!!! Decisions!! I thought about tracing off the pattern but decided I will just throw a few more in. I have plenty of vintage patterns and I actually love seeing how the Pyramid morphs and changes with every blog it passes through. At the moment the Jiffy is definitely the front runner. I can see myself making this up many times…

What should I throw into the mix? A jacket? A Vintage Vogue? An 1980s fashion crime?

Excited? Wanna win? You can find the rules of the Pattern Pyramid here - when it was started by the lovely Karen of Did You Make That? In a nutshell you must have a blog to participate (sorry non-bloggers!). Leave a comment and let me know if you are in!

The Pattern Pyramid winner will be chosen by a lucky draw on December 23, 2012. Good luck!

JIFFY DRESS
Pattern: free
Fabric: $2 op shop.

LOCATION
Tacking Point Lighthouse, Port Macquarie
Tacking Point Lighthouse is Australia’s third oldest lighthouse. It was built on a rocky headland about 8 kilometres south of Port Macquarie in 1879 by Shepherd and Mortley, to a design by the New South Wales Colonial Architect, James Barnet. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW). Tacking Point was named by explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802 during his 1802–1803 circumnavigation of Australia
(source: wikipedia)

Oh and if you have read this far it was WINDY today. Really windy… we were lucky to get these pictures… some of them looked like this…

I’ve been nominated for some blog awards – more on that later… oh and I made the Sewaholic Lonsdale dress. Verdict: sewing WIN! Photos soon.

A VINTAGE DRESS FOR THE OLD GAL

Yes, it happens but once a year.

No I’m not talking about me wearing brown clothing – or even Christmas, Easter or New Year. These are all things that we celebrate with great noise, joy, street parties, lots of chocolate, drinking and so on.

This once a year event is my birthday which I generally let pass with as little fuss as possible. No noise, chocolate (maybe some drinking) and the biggest party is my children unwrapping my presents as they get more of a thrill out of it than me. I don’t even really like birthday cake. Yes I am BORING.

This year I am making an exception for you! It’s my birthday tomorrow (20 November – remember I’m a scary scorpio LOL) and I’m making a little bit of blog noise… because I have a new dress and that’s what I do in this corner of the world.

I didn’t make it. I didn’t buy it.

My mother-in-law bought it for me at the vintage dress fair in Hobart. It’s a 1950s dress!

Happy Birthday Vintage Dress – bodice. I’ve got my hand on my hip (cos I’ve got old gal attitude) my shoulders are not lopsided!

It’s a very simple dress but beautifully made. I’m sure whoever owned it before me, loved it dearly as it is in amazing condition.

When I found this on the rack I didn’t think it would fit. Its waist is 24 inches (I always remember how Scarlett O’Hara’s waist was 18 inches. Seriously! How small is that!!). I was convinced it might not even do up but I decided to risk my self esteem in the pursuit of chocolate lace (so there is chocolate at this party). It did, and it fits like it was made just for me.

Happy Birthday Vintage Dress – old gal can’t handle the snow glare!!

Since I am always boring you to death with beach pictures, I decided to take advantage of the snow in Tasmania and frolick about in the snow for these pictures.

Happy Birthday Vintage Dress – back view

And you want to see inside? *blush*

Vintage dress – inside

And the shoes? I know that Anne of Pretty Grievances is dying to know…

Well… my husband’s size 13 sneakers…

Happy Birthday Vintage Dress – the shoes

I know stylin’! In my defense I hadn’t planned on any vintage dress photo shoots while having a long weekend in Tasmania. My boots would have been much harder to crop out! I spent most of my time dressed like this…

Vogue 1247 skirt and Sewaholic Renfrew cowl neck

Don’t ask me my age – it destroys a gal’s mystique and it makes me glare at you like this…

Happy Birthday Vintage Dress – the super model frosty stare… actually just snow glare induced but makes me laugh all the same…

More importantly – the burning question for today is… what is the best way to get rid of a ‘musty’ smell. I’m a little terrified to entrust this dress to a drycleaner… I’ve heard a theatre rumour that the wardrobe people use a vodka/water spray to freshen up clothing between shows… More research required… and if it doesn’t work at least I can drink the experiment….

And Happy Birthday to the zillions of sewing bloggers born in November! Clearly Scorpios love to sew!!

HALLOWEEN – TWO LITTLE GHOULS

In my childhood world there was no Halloween, yes we knew about it but it wasn’t something that really was celebrated in Australia.

It’s only been in the last few years that you can now expect a door knock and little faces begging you for yet more sugar.

This year I have relented and will let my girls do a little ‘trick or treating’. The eldest was so excited that she coaxed/coerced her grandmother into helping her sew a costume on the recent Tasmania trip. They did an excellent job! My only contribution to this outfit was stitching on the droopy sleeve ends – the instructions were rather unclear and I think Grandma was also a little worn out by the excitement of Miss 9!

We snapped some snow shots while at the holiday house (as snow is a novelty for us!)

Halloween Costume 2012 – made by Miss 9 and Grandma

Halloween Costume 2012 – made by Miss 9 and Grandma

She is my daughter so she insisted that she have a few more shots taken at home as she had finished accessorising the outfit. Yes, that’s my girl!

The witch and the vampire

The little munchkin of the house is in the Halloween fun – but wearing a hand-me-down black velvet dress. We shall accessorise her Halloween look with some dripping ‘blood’ down her chin as she wants to be a vampire. Yes, it’s not enough that she sucks money from my wallet, she want your blood (and lollies) too!

While in Tasmania in early October, I stumbled over a poster in the fish ‘n’ chip shop on the Friday night I arrived. Hooray!

So after a brief stint at Salamanca Markets on Saturday morning (closing early due to bad weather on the way)…

Salamanca Markets, Hobart. Mount Wellington looming in the background

Grandma (my mother-in-law) and I took off to Frock Up Hobart. It was small but fabulous. They occur all over the place – check out their website for more details if you are an Aussie.

It was mainly clothes. Some very expensive clothes – I could not even find a price on this dress but the cherry necklace was $460… but the use of the border print is fabulous and would be easy enough to replicate…

Vintage Sundress

There were a few patterns and magazine but not many. I did pick up this cute 1950s magazine…

Vintage Magazine – no patterns but lots of lovely pictures!

I also found this little blouse pattern in my size, or close enough. Hopefully the pattern is kind to me as I would love sleeveless one with some capri pants!

Vintage blouse pattern. I love the owner’s name! Thanks Lynette

My mother-in-law also bought me a super special birthday present… but you will have to wait until November 20… as it’s my birthday dress! Oh, it’s sooooo lovely….

Happy Halloween everyone!

And I hope those how have been sheltering from Sandy are safe. x

WIGGLIN’ along

Just a quick note to let you know that I’m wigglin’ along quite nicely… so far… fingers crossed…

Gertie’s Butterick 5814 – pattern and fabric

This dress has not only lining and boning – the skirt is underlined. I’m learning lots of new things as I go along (like making sure I read the instructions before stitching – seems like a simple concept but I’m sure you struggle as much as me with that!!). So far I think Gertie’s done a great job with the instructions and everything is fitting together beautifully.

I’m only 18 steps into the 54 steps of instructions. Here’s the bodice front…

Butterick 5814: the bodice. Progress shot, this is just the bodice front….

I was a bit stumped on the bodice boning but figured it out. I was thinking that some shots of attaching the boning might be helpful to some people?? Or does everyone know how to do that? This was a ‘newbie’ skill for me but once I got the hang of it, I was slammin’ down that bonin’ in no time ma’am. There are two pieces of boning in the front and four in the back of the bodice so I got a bit of practice and it ended up v.neat.

Tonight I attached the bodice sides to the bodice front… and started to underline the skirt pieces…

Butterick 5814: WIP. Bodice with the side attached. I have hopped ahead a few steps and started underlining the skirt pieces. Need to trim the boning back as well…

Next I need to slip stitch in bodice lining side seams in place.

IN OTHER SEWBUSYLIZZY NEWS…

Today I reached 100 blog followers – thank you I’ve done several little happy dances tonight (the dog was only slightly amused at my antics).

My family is away but ELH, being the ever-lovin’ husband that he is, thought I might make it to 100 followers while they were away… so when I sent a message to him to let him know I had achieved the 100th follower goal (which was another Busy Lizzie (with an ‘ie’ and she lives in Brissy – and even funnier, she set up her blog just a couple of weeks after I set up mine in April – how is that for freaky – so you better go and check her out too!)… he immediately sent me back a message…

He instructed me to go and look in the fridge on the bottom shelf at the back and I found this…

Moet – celebrating 100 blog followers!

Gotta love a man like that xxooxx

So I better pack my bags as I am off to Tasmania for the weekend to see the lovely ELH and my gorgeous little poppets tomorrow afternoon. There will be no more wigglin’ this weekend however my daughter has been making a Halloween outfit in Tasmania and apparently I am not allowed to sit down and watch the ‘really good movie’ that I sent down for the girls to watch (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) until I attach the sleeves for them.

But I might find some time to read a bit of this.. it arrived today – thank you gorgeous Kat of All the Whimsical Things.

Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing – I’m so intrigued by Gertie and her achievements – and interested to try some of her patterns and see what might work on this non-Wiggle, I do adore ‘girly’ clothes.

Kat tweeted she had accidentally ordered two… so I offered to purchase her ‘oops’ book, she even popped a reel of thread in the envelope. Thanks Kat! This book seems to be everywhere!! I had to get the post office to search for it – they claimed it had been delivered…. yeah right! Some postal worker must have been out the back ogling the gorgeous dresses, layout and fabrics!! LOL

Sewing – it’s the most wonderful little hobby niche filled with the most amazing people.

Talk soon xx

PATTERNS & POSTCARDS

The Patterns and Postcards swop

While scrabbling through my pattern stash for spring, I decided it was also time for a spring clean!

So I’ve decided to offer up the following for The Perfect Nose’s Patterns & Postcards swop.

What are you talking about Lizzy??

The rules (direct from The Perfect Nose) are…

Patterns and Postcards is an inter-blog swapfest. General guidelines are as follows:

List it: You have till the end of September 2012 to scan/ photograph everything you’d like to swap (might be a good idea to break it up into separate posts as all that scanning can get tedious after a while) and post it on your blog (if you have one) or as a Flickr/ Picassa set or Thinglink image.

Make it accessible: If you’re on Flick/ ThinkLink/ Picassa or any other image hosting site, check that you’ve set viewing access to be public so that everyone can see your swapfest goodies.

Claim it: A lot of people have expressed concerns about dibsies, so as of today there is is no official deadline for dibsies, if you like something, leave a comment/ send a message/ tweet/ email stating what you like with a link to the post/ picture set of stuff you’ve listed for swap so your swapee can choose something for themselves (and decide whether they want to swap).

Tag it: If something from your list has been spoken for, edit your post/ listing to mark it as taken (or delete it from the listing) so that you don’t get multiple dibs on the same item.

Mail it: It would be great to have things decided on and mailed by the end of October so recipients receive them early to mid November (which leaves everyone free for focusing solely on holiday/ family/ shopping stresses without having to worry about swaps etc).

Keep it social: Send your swap partner a quick email or blog comment as soon as you receive your parcel. Not only is this the polite (read, humane) thing to do, it’s great for senders to know that the goodies have arrived safely and aren’t languishing unclaimed in a customs hold up somewhere.

I’ve just loaded all the patterns I’m offering into my Flickr stream – much easier than updating this page – so click over and have a look!

What to swop? Leave a comment below or on the image of the pattern you would like to swop for.

PS. I haven’t had a chance to double check all the vintage contents so if you want one I’ll let you know if it’s all in tact. Just thought I would post this – otherwise it might not happen at all!

VINTAGE PATTERN INDULGENCES…

As if there are not enough temptations lurking in pattern catalogues, fabric shops, blogs and magazines, the world throws vintage patterns and fabric on Ebay, Etsy and op shops our way too.

I am weak…

I paid $2 for this but discovered the bodice pieces were missing. And the sleeves! I can draft the sleeves but I think it needs the bodice pattern pieces to be ‘the real deal’.

I have given in…

Not super old but only paid 75 cents for these. I love the wrap dress – the shop assistant marked it down at the check out to 25 cents! Op shop finds.

Several times…

Vintage jackets and dress patterns costing a grand total of $1.50. Junk shop find (and that’s a nice term for that shop!). There might be something wrong with me but I quite like that shorter brown jacket and the green one.

I have resisted buying this several times at Spotlight – even when it was a ‘bargain’ at $9. I got this for 25 cents at the op shop! hooray!

Then there are these beauties… much more expensive but so so lovely…

Vintage Simplicity dress – very Cambie-like. I’ve shown you this before but I love it! I’m checking the mail box everyday waiting for its arrival from the US. Purchased on Etsy.

I just love these. I pat them often.

QUESTION: Does that big skirt pictured above need a massive petticoat or horsehair braid or something spectacular to look like that?

How gorgeous are the crossover pleats on that Vogue skirt? I die!

Other scores have included a metre of burgandy raw silk for 50 cents, enough fabric for a work blouse for $1.50, four zips for 50 cents and a few other bits and pieces.

I love op shops and funnily enough the kids enjoy trawling through the cartons and shelves as much as me!

I’ve still got to check the envelopes for all the pieces but it’s been fun so far! I might use some of them in a giveaway at some point but in the meantime I plan to pop them in a sealed plastic slip, take them out and give them a loving pat every week or so.

I’m about to indulge in a vintage mini muu-muu pattern. Why? Why not! LOL