Stop me, before I volunteer again

Peonies and baubles in pink cake stand with vintage sheet as tablecloth

What?! Christmas is the day after tomorrow?!! Life has been a blur of work, domestics, supporting my husband in his business, final chats with the kids teachers, decoration my church’s Christmas Party (for 200 guests) coordinating two gifts, flowers and cards for two teachers, and trying to get to the gym and sew, before we go to New Zealand in Saturday.

Vintage ceramic Santa Chimney Vase, Deer Planter and Japanese Fifties Musical Carousel Ornament

I know everyone’s busy but I really seem to have overdone it this year but it’s been blogging that has suffered the most.

Vintage New Zealand Map, Tortured Willow in vase (so 90’s) decorated with miniature Mason Jars

It’s hard to devote lots of time to something that doesn’t make any money especially when Instagram is so immediate and gratifying.  So I am not apologizing for my slackness, but my life seems busier than when I started this blog and my lack of sewing has become frustrates me.  This blog should be called Silent Vintage Sewing, or more aptly, Copious Amounts of Opshopping, as that is the direction things are going!

Vintage tins in my kitchen with Acrylic Handbag Decorations

The needs of my kids keep growing and I need to focus on my youngest one in particular next year. He’s had a rough time at school and I want next year to be great for him.

Vintage 60’s glassware and comportes with baubles in blue, green and pink

Anyway – I will not make any promises I am unlikely to keep!

Christmas Tree from the garden, with vintage decorations, in a Fifties Concrete Tree Trunk Pot

I hope you swing by once in a while to see what I bought, rather than what I have made!

Baubles in Crystal Cakestand and Cloche, with Red Diana Vase and Australia Tray

Meanwhile here are some pretty pictures of the minimal decorations I have put up this year.

Red Baubles in Glass vase, Fifties Aluminium Apple Ice Bucket, Vintage Maori Dolls

I wish you a peaceful, reflective Christmas and thanks so much for your support this year.

Fifties Hairstyle by Alyce at Sterling Hair, Surry Hills

Lots of love

Trish xxxx

PS – here’s a link to my Hairdressers

Fifties Fabric from Hungary

So it looks like November passed me by in a blur as the “Silly Season” descended.

Here’s some eye candy in the form of some 1950’s fabric samples I have recently acquired.

They were in a lot of Hungarian textiles – which also included a large amount of eighties or nineties curtain fabrics – not going to show you those.

My favorites are the barkcloths which would be lovely framed but I thought the linen rose prints would make a lovely patchwork bed covering, don’t you think?

I can feel some new cushions coming on!

Make Do and Mend – Party Girl 70’s Leopard Jacket

A while ago I found this cool 1970’s Fake Leopard Fur Coat with contrast fur collar, made by Girmes in Oedt, West Germany.  For just $20 and In need of a little TLC – who could resist?

Her a sad-looking belt which was missing the buckle. I thought I could find a replacement and soon after I found this vintage brass “Aros” buckle which has the lettering inside the shape of Australia – what a great logo.

Vintage “Aros” Made in Australia Belt Buckle

If you want to replace a buckle you can hand sew it on, or if you are truly lazy, like me, use your sewing machine. The way to do this is to sew inside the hole of the buckle – you might like to pin it if you think it will move about, but the great thing is that the stitches disappear into the pile of the fur.

I also repaired one of the bust darts which was pulling open.  As the lining was free hanging, I just turned it inside out and re-stitched the dart – easy.

The funniest thing about this jacket was that in the pocket there was a Cruiser bottle top – oh yes, she’s a party girl.

Book Week Sewing – Finn the Human Costume

We love book week at our school.  Some people go all out. Here’s what we came up with.

 

Alex dressed as Bushranger Ned Kelly and Noah is dressed as Finn the Human from Adventure time (one of their favourite cartoons).

Noah is hard to please at times, but he was happy with this, and the reaction he got from his classmates.

Alex made his gun and did the painting himself.  I helped with the body armor which is under the my trench coat.

I made Noah’s hat and backback and all the info on how to do that is here.  (The only differences were that I used polarfleece, not felt in a double layer as I wanted the face hole to be stable).

I love an easy costume using stuff from around the house don’t you?

Gotta run as we need to urgently go to the mall and get more caps for Noah’s cap gun – love school holidays!

Thrift Life and What I bought at the Fifties Fair

Thrift Life

The gorgeous Astred over at Design Cherry is starting a new regular “semi regular” feature called “Thrift Life” which involves boasting about Op Shop or Thrift Store finds – I said I’d join up, you are invited to join in too!

She is a graphic designer, that lovely banner and button are her work.  Her blog is a visual treat, her home amazing and her colourful friends are like exotic birds.

Do go and check out Astred‘s fabulous blog and I hope you join in the fun!

Fifties Fair Shopping

So to kick off my contribution to Thrift Life – here’s what I bought this year at the fifties fair.

I was quite restrained this year while shopping . The fact that the prices were astronomical did help.

The pick of the day had to be these glasses. I plan to them made into reading glasses. You can’t have too many pairs!

This male Calypso dancer figure was cheap. He should be on a frame, and have a female partner, but he didn’t so he was just $20.   He’s hanging out in the hallway.

Finally, I couldn’t resist this sweet tablecloth.  I love the colour palette and strawberries – I think it needs to be reincarnated as a skirt, I know, another one.

Other business – Wardrobe renovations

My husband had some time off this week so we went to Ikea and are in the process of installing new wardrobes. Very exciting as the old ones were original from 1971 – damp, dark staring to fall apart and woefully inadequate for our (my) wardrobe.

I salvaged the vintage door handles and I hope that we can reuse them on the new white Ikea doors.

We will do the kids rooms too – when we get time.  Meanwhile – there are doors and parts stacked in the hallway – that’s nothing compared to the six months we had with a un-assembled kitchen taking up half the room – piece of cake;)

The “Cabbages and Roses” Dress

Well, this is nice! A Sew Weekly Reunion!

Thanks for stopping by – glad to be back and thanks for organizing ladies.

When I think back to last year, I don’t know how I managed it. Must have been a lot of adrenalin pumping!

I’ve hardly sewn anything this year it seems. A couple of kids’ costumes and some cushions I think! I have been at the gym, which has really helped the sore back I got from so much sewing last year!

So I was relieved that I could use this dress, which I had already started, for this Pantone colour challenge.

It was good to create a whole new dress in a new pattern, and use some colours I wasn’t really sure about.

This pattern has six pleats on the shoulders

Six sleeve darts

Six bodice darts

Two wrist ties

Four metres of hand sewn hem.

That was a lot of marking in sliver gel pen and tailors tacks. Time consuming, but not difficult.

The skirt pattern is my usual semi circular skirt pattern in 4 gores.

The petticoat I purchased in Linden (um, almost) green – was way too short. So I hacked the top band off and whacked on an extended top tier – in a polka dot lining fabric from my stash.

I was really happy with the dress and I had some lovely compliments the day I wore it. The hat was from an op shop for $10 and I managed to rip the hat elastic off it as I arrived home. My feet were totally filthy from all the dust at the venue

I am feeling very inspired to sew, with the warmest winter in Australia in 150 years, (scary) feeling very much like Spring already. I hope I can make time for it.

The Facts

Fabric: Cotton Lycra Sateen – bought in New Zealand for $50

Notions: One vintage metal zip $1, one organza petticoat $30, plus extra lining fabric

Pantone Challenge colors: Acai and Linden Green

Pattern: Simplicity 3621

Year: 1952

Time to complete: 8-10 hours

First worn: The Fifties Fair, 25 August 2013

Wear again? Yes, but I’m not sure where

Total Cost: $80

The Fifties Fair 2013 – What people wore

Had a blast at the Fifties Fair again this year. Here are some snaps of some of the lovely people who attended this year.

It was lovely meeting them.  More photos to follow…

The Cocktail Hour

My parents are coming to visit for a few days. Time to set up the bar!

Mum likes Gin and Tonic, so I have stocked up on lemons. My seafaring Dad is a rum drinker so I have bought cola and hidden it from the kids.

We love to spend time with them. They are very kind to visit us every year. They are very laid back, supportive and respect our beliefs even though they differ from theirs.

Cheers Mum and Dad! Can’t wait to have a drink with you!

Bursting with Buttons

I am trying hard to cut back on op shopping of late, due to an excess of hoarding, but here is a peek of some great vintage buttons that have recently come into my life.

My friend gave me a tip about a dressmakers dummy at an op shop in the Inner West recently. So first thing the next day I packed the kids into the car and off we went.

Sadly the mannequin was was tiny and I wasn’t sure she’d go up to size 16.  And I already have a tiny one.

I found the accompanying sewing box and this great tin – the buttons and tin were too good to leave behind.

Next we visited my father in law and after the Boci Ball game he saw me going through the buttons.

He said he had been meaning to give me this little stash for a while – aren’t these pretty?

First I plan to use the red ones on a cardigan – I love their art deco shapes and I don’t mind that no two are the same.

The sewing basket (and the contents) is available to buy on eBay right now.

Shopping for second hand items is such a hard habit to break, especially when you have been doing it since you were five!

Yesterday I walked out of an op-shop empty handed after nearly buying a packet of vintage iron on motifs, including an anchor, a ships steering wheel and racing cars.  A pair of green plastic knitting needles with black tops and a set of Vintage Yellow Rose Sheridan sheets.  Do you know what stopped me?  No cash in my wallet!

How do you exercise restraint?

Audrey Hepburn, Life Magazine 1962

My friend is listing this 1962 edition of Life Magazine on eBay shortly. It contains a nice spread on Audrey Hepburn wearing fashions by Givenchey.

All these garments/outfits are very bulky around the waist which look amazing on her diminutive frame – skinny girls take note!

An awkward moment with a very big bull