Three Bs

In my mailbox

Well look what arrived in my mailbox last week.....PATTERNS!!!

I won't have time to pull these out and play with them properly for a few weeks (ie. after assignments are completed) but in the meantime I'm enjoying seeing the piled up on my desk. I'm also enjoy reading and admiring the packets occasionaly. I love the styling, and I wish patterns still cost less the $2, 95cents in the case of McCall's 2318!!! I'm looking forward to making the top and possibly the short vest in McCall's 2318 (got to love the maxi vest!!!) I also want to make the jacket from McCall's 4777 (I quite like it in the check) and probably the skirt too. First on the list will probably be the Style pattern though, for quick sewing I think I will make the version with pockets, I love when my skirts have pockets.

Jackets

I have a bit of a thing for coats and jackets. It isn't quite of a par with my thing for bags but it is getting there. Fortunately I seem to have the happy knack of finding coats or jackets in op shops or if I do buy one they are usually a bargin.

I have two recent jackets acquisitions to show you today. The first was bought on a recent op shop trip for the princely sum of $8. It is a grey wool jacket, looks like it has never been worn, and fits almost perfectly.

One of my favourite things about this jacket are the lables sewn inside:

It would seem that this jacket was hand tailored by Sam, who serves Her Majesty, in Hong Kong for Mrs Hannon, who may have been serving in the forces??

I'd love to know more about this?? It sounds like such an interesting story. If anyone can shed any light on this please let me know. I'd also love to know what the number after Mrs Hannon's name is (AH35079), any ideas??

There is also the mystery of how this jacket ended up in an op shop in Sydney. Altogether intriguing!!!

This jacket fits me almost perfectly. I think Mrs Hannon and I must have been nearly the same size. It is just a little big in the body, very slightly long and the sleeves are just slightly short, depending on what I am wearing under it. This is quite a contrast to normal, I'm rather short so sleeves are usually way to long on me and have to be rolled up or something similar. I haven't had the chance to wear this yet but I really looking forward to doing so, it is certainly lovely and warm, perfect for the current weather Sydney is experiencing, and I imagine it would be quite fun to share the story of the jacket with anyone who comments on it!!!

This second jacket was also bought at an op shop. I bought this one about 2 years ago and I think I paid $4. When it arrived in my wardrobe it was beige. I don't know why I thought that beige would suit me - it never has - but I wore it for about 18 months before remembering this!!! It is a cotton jacket so perfect for Autumn and Spring. I discovered Wardrobe Refashion about the time that I decided that this jacket could no longer be worn and should be sent back to the op shop. With some inspiration from Wardrobe Refashion I decided instead to dye it. I got some dye on sale, removed all the beige buttons and dyed it. It didn't turn out quite how I was hoping but I still like the colour, the stitching didn't take the colour, but I quite like that too. It took me quite some time to hunt down appropriate buttons. I had a few red ones in the right colour in my button stash, but not enough. I hunted many shops for the appropriate colour red buttons but couldn't find them, I finally decided that metal buttons would look alright, it still took awhile to find the right ones (I ultimately got these at Tessuti Chatswood). After sewing all the buttons on, removing several loose threads and doing a couple of other small fixes here is the result.

I'm rather pleased with the final outcome. A fairly simple refashion - hardly counts as one, but I will certainly get more a lot more use out of it now.

Staying cosy

It is cold, grey, cloudy and wet today. Just the right weather for staying inside by the fire (ours doesn't work), under a crochet blanket (isn't stitched together yet), with a cat on my lap (still working on being allowed a cat), reading a good book (mustn't read, meant to be writing assignment), drinking hot chocolate (that bit I can mange, although right now it is a cup of decaf coffee in my hands).

Instead of living my dream I'm doing patchy bits of study interspersed with little bits of fun. The only bits of cosy I've had so far today are eating cinnamon and sugar on toast for breakfast at 11am while still in my pjs...mmm, yum, bliss, and adding a for more rows to my knitting while sitting in a patch of sun.

This is my 2010 knitting project. I'm such a slow knitter that it takes me forever to knit anything. This is rather ironic given I love buying yarn. Every year, once that chill in the air sets in, I start a project, most often a scarf. Often the scarf is still not finished by the end of winter and is relegated to the ufo pile. It is usually rediscovered mid winter the next year, after I have started that years knitting project, very occasionally a project get finished. Once the project is completed I am usually very proud of myself, wear the scarf to death over the next few weeks and then decide that I hate it at which point I never wear it again and it vanishes into some never-never!! Does this sound familiar to anyone??

Last year I did a little better and knitted two matching cushion covers, although they are still to have backs sewn onto them, and 4 hedgehogs to go to the Softies for Mirabel appeal. I knitted another hedgehog earlier this year for a friend, but as you can see the yearly scarf is back on my needles!! This one looks like it might actually get finished during winter. I'm knitting it using strands of two yarns knitted together. The bobbly purple one came from Big W and is I think 100% acrylic, I've used two balls so far and am planning on using three, the variegated yarn came from Spotlight and is Moda Vera Noir which is 75% wool and 25% polyamide. Not sure how the composition will turn out but I'm likely how the colours are mixing, the variegated yarn seems to lift the other purple and give it some life. I'm hoping to finish this in the next two-three weeks, depending on how assignment writing goes, then we will see if I can tackle another project for the year (maybe I should get out the crochet squares and join them together so I've finished my granny square blanket - it has been on the go for two years already).

My first refashions

Since I started my Wardrobe Refashion pledge I haven't had much time to do any refashioning or sewing in general. I have managed to finish off a few things that were already started though.

Here are a few skirt refashions and a from scratch skirt that I've completed recently.

This was an op shop purchase back in January. It needed a good wash and lots of loose threads cut off it. The waist was also very frayed. A piece of ribbon and 10 minutes sewing later and the waist bank was fixed! So simple and quick, it got plenty of wear over the rest of the summer. In fact my sewing teacher complimented me on it in March.

I think this counts as my very first real refashion (first one I started anyway). Unfortunately I don't have a before photo for this one. I bought a dress on ebay about 3 years ago, imagine the pic above extending up with the pattern getting sparser, it had straps and a sash in the same read as the binding around the bottom and top and about the width of the binding around the bottom. When I received it I found that it didn't fit, basically my bust was too big to fit. I decided then and there to turn it in to a skirt and hacked the top off. However, at that point I had no idea how to go about making a waist band of any description. I thought about making an elastic casing but even that was beyond me at that point so I left it to linger in my UFO pile. This surfaced again over the Summer and after my sewing course earlier in the year I felt more confident to tackle it. I decreased the size of the waist a little, put a side zip in and then bound the top with part of the sash. I was halfway through this process when I reaslied that the cream part of the fabric was VERY see through so I also made a lining. I was (and still am) very proud of this refashion and what I learnt doing it. It has been too cold to wear it since I finished it but I'm looking forward to putting it to good use next Summer.

This last skirt is a from scratch one, please excuse the really dodgy photos it was bad light and the mirror really needs cleaning!!! I used this pattern in my sewing class and came up with this idea during that time. The fabric was in my stash and has been for some time, I dip into it from time to time for multiple projects, no idea what composition it is, but it is a medium weight dark grey/black fabric. I sewed the skirt and then used up various ends of thread to stick the detail in the bottom. This idea came from the Wardrobe Refashion blog. A few months ago some one made a waistcoat using old suits and then using up their threads to stitch pattens on the fabric. I used this idea but just did a panel of stitching around the bottom rather than all over. I've worn this skirt to work a few times and had lots of compliments. By the way, the hem is not uneven, it just looks like it in this photo. Below is a closer up photo of the stitching.

I'll hopefully be back later in the week with a few more things I've been doing.

New beginings

Wow!! I don't know how I manage to let so much time go by between blogs. I could say that it is a sign of a busy life, yes I do have a busy life, but I'm not sure that it is that busy. I have some new things happening this month which will hopefully improve the regularity of me posting here.

Earlier in the year I did a short sewing course - 2 hours a week for 8 weeks. I loved it!! I've always been a creative and crafty person but I've never had so many ideas floating around in my head as I have had since I started this course. This course has really kick started something.

I've also been following The Uniform Project for the last 9 months or so. One year ago Sheena started wearing the same dress every day but accessorising so that she had a unique outfit to wear each day. One year later she has worn the same lbd for 365 days and raised nearly $80,000 USD for charity. It is worth checking out the story and the photos of each outfit.

A few other things have been going on in my life in the last 12 months or so too. I've been thinking a lot about sustainability and my part in making our world sustainable. I've been trying to reduce the junk that I seem to have collected over the last few years. I've been doing much more second hand shopping (or thrifting), I've been trying to reduce the amount of money I spend each week, I've been involved in the 1 Million Women campaign (check this one out if you are an Aussie women), I've been thinking about the slow cooking movement, I've been creating more things, I've been thinking about starting my own business.....

All of these things seem to be starting to culminate in me changing a few things in my life. The first of these things is that I have signed up for a 2 month pledge to Wardrobe Refashion. For the next 2 months I will not be buying any new clothes. Any clothing I acquire needs to be thrifted, refashioned or handmade. I think this may be a challenge, there have been a few thing on my I need and I want lists for a few months now that might need to be acquired in a more creative way than just going out and purchasing now!! I'm hoping that taking on the challenge will be just the start, I hope that it will be the start of me looking at my clothes is a new light. I've already started moving forward, in the last few months I've made a modified a few things already. You might also remember The Pile, some progress has been made on the pile which contains several things that need refashioning, or just shortening so they fit. I also had a big clean out of my cupboards a few months ago so all the clothes that I'm no longer wearing have either been sent to second hand stores or put in a pile for refashioning. I'm hoping that these next two months will be great for improving my sewing skills and also making me look at clothing in a new light and seeing the potential in things.

So, without further ado, here is my pledge:

I, Josephine, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings! Signed, Jo

Watch out for further developments. I'll get some photos of my recent sewing/refashioning up soon, just need to be home in some daylight to do so.

In my mailbox

A couple of weeks ago this package turned up in my letterbox. It looks exciting doesn't it. I was wondering what it might contain.

Carefully rolled up inside were some prints on fabric that I had ordered off the Internet. These ones are destined to be made into bags and cushions.

Flickr Favourites

Over the past few weeks I've noticed that many of the blogs I read have had a similar theme as have many of the entries each week in Flickr Favourites. Everyone seems to be anticipating the end of Winter and start of Spring. This reflects on two things, 1) I read a lots of blogs written in the Northern Hemisphere (although I live in Australia), and 2) It has been a long and hard Winter for many people in the Northern Hemisphere.

I completely understand the longing for Spring, at the end of Winter I too can't wait for those first signs of Spring, new vibrant green leaves, the pretty flowers, the smells, and of course the warmer weather. But for me the season we have just begun is not Spring but Autumn (or Fall). While I like Summer and what that seasons involves my favourite season is Autumn. For the last few weeks I have been anticipating the start of not Sprint but Autumn. The cooler weather, a reason to start wearing scarves and jackets, the stunning leaves, Autumn fruit and veges, wood smoke in the air. Well finally we have got there, Autumn officially started the week, not only by the calendar but it has been much cooler this week, I ate a beautiful crisp and juicy apple yesterday and last night while out walking I smelt the first wood smoke of the season. Bliss...here is my tribute to the season.

1. Apples 2. Autumn in Ashland 3. Reflection of Autumn 4. Autumn still life

More mosaics can be seen over at Artmind. (I'm a bit late submitting mine, but better late than never!!! - right??)

Flickr Favourites

A few weeks ago some colleagues and I came up with an idea. Each year our workplace runs a competition prior to Christmas called the 'Golden Rudolph' a couple of years ago this became the 'Goodwill Golden Rudolph' and the aim shifted to fundraising for charity. We thought that this year rather than trying to come up with an idea in the last few weeks and then having different teams in our workplace compete against each other to raise money for different charities we should all support one charity, raise money all year and get everyone one in our workplace (over 150 people) involved. We have spent the last few weeks writing this up as a proposal and getting approved and set up. We are now nearly there.

Two of the things I have been thinking about as part of this are a logo or mascot that we can use at each event, Rudolph seems the obvious choice, and running a craft stall towards the end of the year in the lead up to Christmas. So here is my homage to Rudolph, reindeer and reindeer themed craft (my craft stall will not be reindeer themed but we might have a token few!!!)

1. Little Reindeer Cross-stitch 2. reindeer colour and mono 3. Reindeer Pasta! 4. Stuffed reindeer & his gingerbread men

Pop over and visit Artmind if you would like to play along with Flickr Favorites.

In my mailbox

In an effort to blog more regularly I'm starting some weekly posts, the first being a Monday special called "In my Mailbox".

I had lots of mail today although unfortunately it was all bills :-(

So delving into the archives, look what arrived in the mail a few weeks ago.....

 

Aren't they the cutest thing you have ever seen!! Can't half tell I love Babushka dolls!!! In case you can't read the fine print, they are measure cups ranging from a 1/3 cup to 1 cup. Perfect for all your baking needs. I can imagine them lined up on the window sill of my new apartment (yet to be bought mind you), looking out and observing the goings on of the neighbourhood or kitchen, depending on what view they fancy. And imagine the tsk tsk tsk I will receive when I inaccurately measure the sugar, don't sift the flour or decide that 1 cup of choc chips would be a much better idea than 1/2 a cup. Cooking has never been so fun!

The lists continue

The Lists seem to have no end in sight - I'm really not making much progress. I wrote another List of things to do on Tuesday seeing as it was a public holiday. The List only had three things on it and yet only two got crossed off. Admittedly all four things were long, complicated, time consuming tasks but it still feels disheartening.

The addendum to the Lists is the Pile. The Pile is full of clothes and accessories that need some sort of work done on them. There is some hand washing to be done, some repairs, some shortening on slacks and dresses, a jacket that need dyeing and a bag from the op-shop that I want to pull apart and rescue the shell buttons off and then create a pattern from. All that alone could probably take me a weekend. Well we'll see what I manage to get through this weekend in between the other things that I need to do, including buying a pattern and fabric to do at the sewing course I'm starting on Monday night. Hopefully the Pile will become just a pile by the end of the weekend!!