Hooray! I've sewn something!!

With all that's been going on in my life recently (my birthday, getting married, going on a honeymoon, going on another honeymoon) I haven't had much time to sew.  Until last weekend that is!

I SEWED SOMETHING!!!!!

For those of you that don't know, I'm thoroughly besotted by lilac at the moment... it seems like every other thing I buy is lilac.  Lilac necklace, head scarf, shoes, fabric... I'm eyeing off a vintage bag, and a vintage coat.  So it seemed only fitting that the first thing I sew is a lovely gathered lilac skirt.

I used a dress patteren that I've made before, but just cut the skirt pieces out, then cut out the belt pattern piece from the same pattern to make the waistband.  That gave me a nice cross over end bit for the button:

Unfortunately its a fraction large, but because I did the buttonhole horizontal that gives me a bit of play, so I'm going to add some hook and eye's to secure it at its tightest point.

And now I have something to match perfectly with my amazing lilac plastic shoes!!!

Yes, they are plastic, and they smell like a My Little Pony!

I also 60% sewed another skirt, which I will (fingers crossed) finish this weekend.  Its from a beautiful dusty pink floral that I had left over from when I sewed a dress last year.  And I think skirts are great for winter, so I'm making a few at the moment...  I currently have the following things I would like to sew:

• the floral skirt that I started last weekend
• another skirt from a fabulous apple print fabric I found
• another skirt from teal and white polka dot fabric that matches a vintage head scarf I own
• another skirt - servicable black this time
• a lilac dress (which I have half cut out)
• a blouse from a lilac floral print cotton; and
• a magnificent house coat from pinwale cord, which I'm going to line in that fab soft minkie fabric

I think I'm going to be very busy sewing for the next little while... Hooray!!

Also (because I don't have enough to do) I bought this vintage duchess / dresser to restore:

Now I bought this for the princely sum of $32.50  It even has the tri-fold scalloped super tall mirror with it.  Total bargain!  Especially when you consider the handles:

So I'm going to sand it back and paint it cream, and then put some funky 1950s style accents on it to update it but still keep it vintage.  Keep your eye out for a future post on this one!

Anyway, I have a lot of sewing to do - so I better get going!

Beccie
xxx

What A Difference A Week Makes!!

Last week my sewing room looked like this - a complete PIGSTYE - and I was embarrased about it, but not too embarrased to show the whole world!

Who could work in a mess like this!!!!!

But now after a weekend's hard labour it looks like this!!!

And I'm sure we'd all agree that this is a much better working environment.  It took one whole day - basically I shovelled everything out, and then organised it, chucked out what I didn't need, and put it all back in.  I'm very proud of myself.

I even had room on my vintage trolley for a little wedding reminder - awww.  

That flower thing with the candle is one of the aisle decorations I made!

So now I can get on with some actual SEWING...  HOORAY!!!

For those that don't know, I'm going through a lilac phase at the moment - I'm totally in love with it.  So of course I want to sew myself a lilac dress and maybe a skirt, and then a blouse...

I found myself this fabric:

The fabric at the bottom I'm going to make into a dress (and I'm going to be tricky by combining the bodice from one pattern with the skirt of another).  The middle fabric I'm going to make into a blouse with a pattern I don't have yet... but it looks like this:

I really like the tie front - it will help hide the little pot belly I gained on my honeymoon.

Which reminds me, I really really need to get back to the gym.

And with the top fabric, which is a more pinky lilac than the other fabrics, I'm going to make a pretty skirt!

So much lilac - so little time!

Also, on other exciting sewing news - this pattern arrived in the post!

This purchase was inspired by Peter at Male Pattern Boldness, who recently sewed up a maternity outfit and opera coat for his 'cousin' Cathy.  Peter is hilarious - you can see the photo shoot of the completed outfit here.  Anyway, I loved the opera coat idea for winter and I found this lovely pattern for a house coat, and I just LOVED the back of it.  I'm going to make it up as a house coat in a pretty floral, as well as making it up in a usable wool to wear out and about during winter.  This means I'll probably sew the two at once...  I love new challenges!!!  But I have to find the fabric first...

I'm off to Tasmania tomorrow for a short second honeymoon (I know, I'm totally spoiled) so no sewing this weekend.  But I have made a start cutting out my lilac fabric for the dress and the skirt, so it shouldn't be too long before I can get back in front of the sewing machine!

Thanks for reading

Beccie
xxx