Poppies and Winter Sales ...

Finally, I've got to sewing up the blouse lengths I bought some time (a long time) ago.

Here is the poppy one ... nearly finished. Just needs sleeves, hem, button & button holes! Not bad considering I cut it out last night.


I hit the sales yesterday and bought a beautiful waistcoat/trouser set in charcoal grey - which will match this blouse beautifully. I also picked up a winter dress (like a pinafore with cap sleeves). I can wear the dress as it is under a jacket, or with a skivvy underneath it ... just need to get the 'right' sort of skivvy. My work wardrobe is starting to take shape very nicely!

Mrs R

Groovy Pants ...

HH & TBM have been drooling and dreaming about LoudMouth Golf pants ... but the cost to bring them over from US is prohibitive (about $180 after postage and exchange). So, after some discussions and sweet talking, I agreed to making the boys some pants.

Here is the first pair! I went to Spotlight, and found this fantastic fabric for $4/metre! Plus, they had a 20% off sale. So, these ones cost under $15 all up! The pattern was easy to make, but the fit was horrid. I ended up taking about 2" off the width of them on the outer and inner leg to get them to fit ... lots of muttering and stomping was involved!

Unfortunately, they have faded a bit ... but, at $4/m (less 20%) what can you expect? I have since made another pair - same colourway, but striped. Very clown like!

These are the next pair ... TBM's! He's rather proud of them!

They do look a bit like pyjama pants, but he's happy enough. After these, I made another pair out of black/white checks (about 1cm square) ... they are rather eyeboggling!

Boys are at a 2 day competition this weekend, hopefully the pants will contribute to their playing style!

Grin, Mrs R

Back in the groove ...

Well, not really sewing much ... but have been thinking about it! I'm sure that counts. I've just started clearing up my sewing space (yes again!) ... and finding the bits and pieces that need finishing.

Popped into a new opshop on Thursday, and bought these gems!

The magazine is 1959. Think the pattern could be the same era ... it's still factory folded - just beautifully kept!

My happy husband has hung my certificates on the wall for me ... I'm so thrilled with myself! Talk about a big head. I have 3 assessments and 1 test to complete and I will have finished Cert IV Management (HR). He'll have to put another hook in the wall!


Anyways, off to have another cuppa.

Mrs R

Sunny Saturday

Well this morning, the boys went to the golf course (as always) and LMS went to an Activity Group run in our shire (she's learning cooking), so I had most of the day all to myself! I headed on down to the coast to look at the fabric shops. Got to Spotlight and was just overwhelmed, so rang my mummy and asked if she'd come and help. They don't live that far, so I drove there, had a lovely morning tea, then kidnapped mum to go shopping. We ended up back at Spotlight and it was great to go with someone that:

a) loves me

b) likes touching fabric as well

c) has a good eye for colour

d) isn't offended when you don't like their choice, and

e) is really happy when you find something you like.

I ended up with 3 lengths of fabric and a new pattern. I was really happy with our choices, and have washed and ironed the lengths, so that they are all ready to go.

Burda 2561

Here's a picture of the re-constructed men's shirt I made. It worked beautifully EXCEPT for the fact that I cut the scoop too low and it showed too much chest. Well, it was a good exercise, and I proved something to myself.

Mrs R

On the wish list ...

I found this beautiful blouse at Couture et Tricot ... I love the sleeve detail on a plain traditional classic blouse. Here is her re-creation of it. I like the shiny pink!

Here's the technical line drawing of it.

Figured that it would be fairly easy to re-create using a plain shirt pattern, and just take the sleeves straight down from the armhole. Would be low fuss for wearing, and because the ruffle detail can be smoothed down, ironing wouldn't be a problem. Next challenge is to get the right sort of fabric. I can envisage it in a crisp cotton, but then, I can see all blouses in a crisp cotton! Was thinking white (as always), maybe with a slight self pattern to it ...

Hmmmm ... will think on it for a bit, but I can see it being added into my work wardrobe!

Time for bed ...

Mrs R

Hmmmm ... not too sure

Here is me, playing around with the shirt. I pinned darts in the front to bring it in, it's obviously huge in the arms/shoulder area, but fits ok around the hips. Tried tucking the collar in to see what a mandarin would look like, not convinced.

Darts ...

Collar ... (scar is healing nicely)

Pretend Mandarin collar ...

Am up to seeing if it fits my Happy Husband and whether he'd like it for winter. Not sure if that's a cop-out or not. Maybe I'm a 'from scratch' type of sewer and not a re-fashionista ...

Mrs R

Post Shower: Got it! Scoop neck (get rid of the collar completely) and add small stand up ruffle, maybe 1.5cm high. This can be from the excess length at the bottom of the shirt. Will cut the armholes out properly (using a current blouse pattern) and modify the sleeve head to fit. Thinking will do an inverted pleat at the hem of the sleeve to bring it neater at the bottom. Basically, thinking it 'out loud'.

Out and About!

Popped into my favourite op-shop (Treasures on Railway Pde, Kelmscott) and had a hunt around. I found 2 metres of nice soft shirt fabric which was marked down to $1. Bargain! Will put that away for the 'right' project.





Found some beautiful patent leather mary-jane shoes, but after I got over the joy of mary-janes, realised that they weren't 'quite' right for me. Settled for this beautiful pair of Spanish leather loafers. Will look perfect with trousers, easy to wear and comfortable.



I have been wanting to let my inner creative beast out, and so bought a men's shirt to hack into. Have had delusions of getting a crisp white cotton shirt for work that fits, this way, it might happen. Here is the 'before' picture. I need to hack about 3 inches off the shoulder line, do some tricky stuff with darts to make the bodice fit, and then ... well, that's when I get creative! Have some thoughts of adding ruffles to the bodice and sleeves, but may not have enough 'scraps ... will have to see. Could get tricky and do something fun with rik-rak. The possibilities are endless.




Dropped some of LMS' bedroom off to our local op-shop and picked up this lovely pattern. I think it has alot of potential. The front variations are different - roloux loops & buttons/zip or absolutely nothing (stitched). Will make up a test run first.





I remember reading an editorial recently (Stitches magazine I think) and the gist of it was that sewers need to stock up and do some stash building for the economic downturn. The theory is that a) it will put money into the fabric shops, and b) when times are tough, you will have fabric on hand that you can sew with. Not totally convinced about the theory, but it's food for thought.

Mrs R