Photo dump & new blouse

Pictorial representation of the books I read in 2013

Bow tie Blouse I made using Gertie's ( http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/) book for better sewing.  It is a test blouse - I have some other fabric I want to use to make another version but I am fairly pleased with the pattern.  It needs a few tweaks to improve the fit, but this one is chiffon so I don't mind the drape. My other fabric is cotton so I will adjust the darts a bit and take some width out of the shoulders if I can.

I paid for 5 buttons and when I got home I discovered there were only 3 in the bag so I used some teapot buttons instead. I didn't attempt the bound buttonholes... It isn't a technique I want to learn just yet. ;-)

Sew-a-saurus maximus

Finished this project - Simplicity 1882

 

I started this 2012 but struck a number of issues - inflicted by myself!

 Firstly, I was impatient and got the pattern a size smaller than I should have, planning to grade it up.

Then, while I was cutting it out I had someone chatting to me which distracted me and I ended up cutting too small. Fortunately I had enough fabric to re-do the back bodice and add some to the back skirt. It's not perfect even now but it is what it is. I ended up binding some of the seams that were fraying because I didn't overlock them ... you know when you haven't got the right colour on the overlocker and can't be bothered re-threading? Yeah that.

 

I also finished my coffee sack ottoman - yay!



It's stuffed with 5kgs of fibre fill and a plastic cube made from two plastic crate things that DH dissected and fused together.



I have heaps of projects planned and am trialling mysewingcircle.com as a means to keep track of the patterns I want to use with which fabric from my stash. I have heaps of stash. It really needs to be rationalised... *hangs head in shame*

However! One thing I can't decide is which blouse to make from some navy polka dot cotton I have. So dear readers, what do you think?

This one? View E (the green gingham)



Or this one? A retro bow blouse.

 

So many patterns and fabric.. so little time.

Robo-me

One of the difficult things when sewing for myself is getting the fit right. A sewing mannequin assists with the process but they are very expensive and not something I can consider at the present time. So I decided to make this.

DH was enlisted to help me. Much joking about kinkiness ensued.  Wearing a garbage bag isn't the nicest thing to do.  It gets very hot!  Just after this photo I ran out of duct tape, so DH had to go on a mercy dash to get some more.  

He did offer to drive me in my semi-naked-duct-tape-suit but I could barely walk. Actually, I couldn't even bend to sit.  Just as well no call of nature was required while he was out. I lay on the bed like some zombie with rigor mortis to await his return.

 

Once the duct tape supply was replenished, I somehow got myself upright again and the wrapping continued.  Until finally, the Robo-me version emerged. DH decided to use a colour over his flash to make me glow.  I think I look like something from a 60s sci-fi movie!

Here she is, stuffed as hard as I could get it with plastic bags. There are heaps inside there. I don't want to think about how many!  But better inside Robo-me than released into the environment.

What to call her? Any suggestions?!

Vintage Patterns

Some time ago my Mum went back to Australia for a funeral of a relative.  In the cleaning up that goes on after such an event she salvaged some vintage patterns for me!  Thanks Mum!

As far as I know, these are from the Australian Home Journal, a publication that the marvellous Trove has accessible online in digitised form.  (If you are looking for vintage knitting instructions, this is an excellent source by the way).

Unfortunately the digitised record only goes up to 1952 so I can't work out what date these patterns are from.  I think they are most likely from the later 1950s but I can't be sure.  If anyone knows, I'd love to learn the details.

This one is a blouse and skirt combo.  I think the blouse has kimono sleeves.  The detailing on the skirt is neat.

This one didn't have an envelope. The sweetheart neckline is lovely.

The sizing on the pattern is too small for me regrettably but I'm going to attempt to draft a version in my size.  That will be a major learning curve!

Arthur joins the family

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will have realised I have a "thing" about squids. The giant and colossal kind.

Mr9 is a keen student of them also, and received a plushie colossal squid with matching mug for Christmas which Santa had got from Te Papa.

So when I was looking through the sewing blogs I follow and saw this, I knew what one of my holiday projects was going to be.

Thus Arthur the giant squid came to stay.  Named Arthur as the latin name for giant squids is Architeuthis (arch-ee-tooth-us).

Arthur is a comfy body pillow. I suggested a bean bag but both children agreed that he should be a pillow.  A time share arrangement is currently being initiated to prevent the fighting that began as soon as he was finished.

He has an inner pillow (a gut sac) to facilitate his cleaning. This did make the project slightly more tricky since I had to put a zip in his mouth part area rather than just sew up the stuffing inside him.  However, I have learnt from bitter experience that there will be the inevitable snot/vomit/food/other mess that will get on his outer skin so I'd like to be able to put most of him in the washing machine.


Arthur enjoys a swing. 

Arthur thinks he could come camping with us. Somehow I don't think so.

Should you wish to make a squid, there are good instructions here.  I made mine larger than this though.  I got most of the supplies from Geoffs Emporium, a surplus store and I thought I would record what I used in metric for the benefit of most of the world who uses this rather than imperial. (Don't get me started).

Arthur took about:
3m of fleece for the outer part ($7.00 per metre)
2m of the cotton fabric for the underside of the tentacles (think this was around $5 a metre)
2 squares of white felt, one of black felt for the eyes (.60cents)
and a HUGE amount of fibre fill for the stuffing... my mum had a whole lot of quilt wadding she wanted to get rid of so that went in. Plus half a bag that I had left.  Plus 1kg and a bit of some bags I got from Spotlight.

New Look 6000 again & Simplicity 2675

Mine is made from a wool crepe, Miss5 is a corduroy that my mum sewed mostly and I finished off. Miss5 chose the fabric and insisted on the Hello Kitty stockings ;-)

I like the dressiness of this pattern. I was able to use some black textured fabric I got free from a seamstress who was shutting up shop for the collar. I really wanted a larger silver button feature but couldn't find one as big as I liked. Might have to go searching on Felt (felt.co.nz) for a brooch.



Also made some hand warmers for Hannah on request.

 

June? There was a month called June?

If there was such a month it went by so busily there was no time or inclination for blogging!  So no #blogjune for me.  Now at least I have taken a week off for school holidays and can breathe a little even though I haven't quite achieved all the craft things I wanted to do!

Have done some baking though.

Anyway, June... what happened?  Pies were made and consumed - excuse the phone photo but that's all I took. It's a Squab and Apple pie but instead of the alleged squab you use lamb instead. This one was particularly good.

I went to the Love Vintage and Retro market and scored 2 metal pie tins (one seen above), a dress pattern and a orange Tupperware jug with the top that seals on - the one with a star burst pattern underneath on the top.  I'm using it for felting because the start burst pattern is an excellent tool for rubbing the wool!

The children are doing fine at school.  Mr8 has started piano lessons which he seems to enjoy. Miss5 got graded for her yellow belt in karate and passed.  She isn't wearing it in the photo because they ran out of belts in her size and she had to wait until they sent hers to the dojo.

I read some books.  These are the ones that are recorded on my reading history but I've read more via the Overdrive ebook provider through Auckland Libraries and some from work.

The painted lady / Maeve Haran.
Sixteen-year-old Frances Stuart arrives at the Restoration court to find her innocence and beauty are highly-prized commodities, envied by the women and desired by the men. Before long, King Charles II falls passionately in love with her and will stop at nothing to make her his mistress. But Frances is no conventional court beauty.~ from the blurb. Lovely writing, interesting story.


The man who broke into Auschwitz / Denis Avey with Rob Broomby.
The extraordinary true story of a British soldier who marched willingly into the notorious concentration camp, Buna-Monowitz, known as Auschwitz III.~ from the blurb. Worth reading to get a perspective not often written about.

The skin map / Stephen R. Lawhead.
When Kit Livingstone learns that Britain's "ley lines" are not legends but pathways to other worlds, he's determined to find a map tattooed on a piece of skin in order to travel to the dangerous realms. But are the intricate codes more than they seem--can they really begin a quest to regain paradise? ~from the blurb. Am enjoying getting into sci-fi again after a long break.  This one is a nice mixture of alternative history, sci-fi and adventure/quest.

The cat's table / Michael Ondaatje.
"In the early 1950s, an eleven-year-old boy boards a huge liner bound for England - a 'castle that was to cross the sea'. At mealtimes, he is placed at the lowly 'Cat's Table' with an eccentric group of grown-ups and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As the ship makes its way across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal, into the Mediterranean, the boys become involved in the worlds and stories of the adults around them, tumbling from one adventure and delicious discovery to another, 'bursting all over the place like freed mercury'. And at night, the boys spy on a shackled prisoner - his crime and fate a galvanizing mystery that will haunt them forever. As the narrative moves from the decks and holds of the ship and the boy's adult years, it tells a spellbinding story about the difference between the magical openness of childhood and the burdens of earned understanding - about a life-long journey that began unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage, when all on board were 'free of the realities of the earth'."-- Publisher description. Recommended by the uber-boss of our unit at work.  Can't say I really "got" it.  It was interesting writing and a great vingnette of ship life and the characters involved.

The moon maze game / Larry Niven and Steven Barnes.
 Offered a dream job escorting a teenage heir on a fabulous moon role-playing vacation, Scotty Griffin, a personal security specialist, becomes embroiled in a violent reality game involving armed terrorists, psychological tests, and a large audience.~ from the blurb. Good old sci-fi yarn set on the moon.

In love and war : Kiwi soldiers' romantic encounters in wartime Italy / Susan Jacobs.
Non-fiction. It was interesting to read about the experience of the NZ soldiers and their romances in Italy and those who brought their girls back to NZ.

Here's a skirt I sewed (Symplicity 2411).  I really like this pattern but I think I should have used the view without the pleat in the front for this particular fabric (brown denim).

 

Yesterday I made some hand warmers. My felting teacher had given me the instructions ages ago but I hadn't yet made some. It was a bit of an experiment since I had to remember what she had said based on the diagram she'd drawn for me. The purple ones I made via her instructions. I ended up having to sew in a gusset for them to fit over my arms since they turned out so long.The sewn seams add a nice feature to them though.

The teal ones I made using a resist and in some ways I prefer that method for the simple reason I don't have to sew anything but it does mean more work to shape them and there is less room for mistakes in the fitting.  They are a bit thicker though - I must have laid out the wool a bit more generously and this means they are a bit less flexible.  Will need to watch that.  Still, they are going to my sister and she will appreciate their warmth.

 

Hoping to get some more felting done before I go back to work next week! But now, the fire needs to be lit... it's a foggy, grey day and I'm cold.

Mercy me! Ah've finished ma dress!

You may remember this post.

Butterick 5606 is not a pattern for the faint hearted.  In fact, if it weren't for the power of the internets, I may have chucked it all in.

I opened up the pattern and read through the instructions.  All looked easy enough on paper.  "Yep, yep, yep", my mental dialogue was going, "Not a problem".




Cutting out was okay - a bit tricksy to get all the skirt in but I'm pretty good at getting the most out of fabric.

I adjusted the back so it wasn't so low - do these people not wear bras or something?  Managed to piece the bodice together and then came across the sleeve gussets.  That is where things became unstuck.

Firstly, the pattern pictures didn't make sense to me.  When I attempted to follow the instructions I couldn't get the seam to lie flat... it was all puckeroo.  I consulted with my MIL who was staying and she also couldn't work it out.

I had several tries but each time the seam ripper had to be applied. Again and again.  My temper was disintegrating in inverse proportion to the amount of cotton landing on the floor.  I put it up in disgust because I had to make dinner, but while I cooked I decided to turn to Mr Google, and found this post.  Well, hallelujah it finally made sense!  After dinner I tried it out and it worked first time.  By this stage my fabric was looking a bit worse for wear, but fortunately I could use it for the lining.

The rest of the pattern went ok.  I managed to muck up the pockets a bit and they gaped open, but I've fixed that I think.  MIL kindly did the handsewing on the lining for me while I was at work which saved me some time.

I didn't make the belt as per the pattern - couldn't be bothered.  

Would I make it again?  Yeee-ees, but I'd do some things a bit differently.



Firstly, I'd probably find a cotton with a bit of stretch in it - the bodice is quite a tight fit for a busty wench like me - and I'm not proficient enough to fit it properly to me.  I don't have a mannequin, and it's impossible to do it on ones self.  I like the fitted look, it's just a tad on the tight side.

I would probably make the version without the bow at the back because I can't tie it myself, which means I have to ask DH to do it.  I fear DH is not the most expert in tieing dress bows.  Perhaps he'll get better the more frequently I wear it?  But yes, the button back strap option is possibly better.

(this is my "Great White Shark with Fruit" look)

I'd also remember to factor in a longer zip having adjusted the back hole to be higher. (I mean duh, I didn't think of it at the time but it means it's slightly harder to get the dress on by stepping in).

I like the pleats at the back of the skirt, it fits well over my butt without adding bulk.  The skirt is almost a circle skirt and swishes beautifully.  In fact I'm considering cutting out a skirt from this pattern and attaching it to a waist band because I like the style and length.

And just to get the vintage look, here's one with a Lightroom retro treatment...

Just need some white gloves and a matching hand bag and you can call me Joan.

Princess and Fairy skirts

Yesterday we had an invitation to a princess party.  I was a bit dissatisfied with the present I'd got for the little girl so at the last minute decided to make a fairy skirt for her.

Of course, I couldn't make one for the birthday girl without having one for Miss3. I need to get some more tulle for hers and remove the pink lace.

I also made a princess skirt each.

Ever since Sally posted about her French Knitting I've been thinking of getting one of these knitting bees for Mr5 to help with his fine motor skills. 

At first I wasn't sure he was going to get it but he was intrigued by the mechanics of it all and got stuck into making a "tube" as he's called it.  He seems to be enjoying it. ;-P  Gran might be getting a pot holder for Christmas!

I've had to do the odd bit for him because he does get himself mixed up sometime.  In fact, much of the one below is me redoing it because he managed to unravel a whole heap.  We've solved that problem by finding a bottle lid that fits over the prongs and prevent inadvertent unraveling.

I used to do this when I was a little girl but always had to get Mum to cast on for me.  Now I am the Mum so I had to quickly work out from the instructions how to do it!  I found it rather fun too and am seriously considering re-teaching myself to knit.  There are so many cool fibres out there and I can't really ask my Mum or my MIL to make stuff for me even though they would do it.

I'm on leave for the school holidays.  Here are the list of things I want to do while on leave!  Remains to be seen how much I will get done.

1. Various "health" related appointments e.g. dentist, "women's stuff"... not exactly what I want to do but rather have to do.
2. Make a dress I have planned for work. 
3. Sew up the pj pants I cut out for the family and never made up.
4. Sew the pinafore for Miss 3 that I cut out and overlocked. (I have a matching one!  She will hate me for it when she is older).
5. Go to Greedy Cat with the kids.
6. Have a long weekend in Rotovegas.  We're staying in a different place to our usual.. this one has a place you can cook your tea using steam from the thermal activity down there.  Mr6 is SUPER keen to do this. 
7. Have lunch with Em.
8. Learn felting
9. Make some cards and do some scrapbooking.  I have run out of cards for birthdays and kids cards.
10. Some other sewing things I hope.  Need to make a cover for my wheaty heaty.  Would like to make some pants for DH and Mr6 with matching hoodie tops.  We'll see.
11. Clean and tidy house.  Yeah, that'll last for about 5 minutes.

Quiet but busy and thankful

It's been quiet on this blog.  Life has been busy though. 


Most of you know (from my Facebook) that I'm starting a new job in July - as eLearning librarian over on the Main Campus.  It will be a move up for me though the position is only for 3 semesters.  It will be a secondment position and I'll return to my information librarian job after the 3 semesters.  I will miss the environment I'm currently working in but the job itself is going to be a lot more interesting for me in many ways and I'm excited to start.  In fact, I really need to be there now because things are moving quite quickly so I'm having to travel back and forth between roles and the two campuses which is a bit wearying.  I'm thankful for opportunities to extend my professional skills.

In amongst the applying, interviewing and associated angst that goes with that, DH had a job offer as well.  It wasn't a bad offer but would have meant some major changes for him.  The salary didn't quite compensate for those changes so he turned them down.  His current employers have since acknowledged his dilemma by giving him a bit of a rise so we're grateful for that, especially given the fiscal constraints we're all operating under.  I'm very thankful both of us have employment and employers who do what they can.

The whole family has been struggling with seasonal colds and coughs.  DD ended up with ear infections and I got sinusitus so with the help of antibiotics we are now on the mend.  Unfortunately the sinus problems have put me behind with my running efforts because it hurt my teeth to run! Hoping for better in the coming weeks.  I'm thankful we have reasonable health most of the time.

We've been working with DS on his reading as he is a little challenged by it.  He's getting some help at school, and we're using a kit to help strengthen his eyes.  We think it is helping.  I'm thankful for our local school which noticed he needed help and is trying to give him help even though they have little funding.

Both children are having swimming lessons on Saturdays which reduces my free time but they love it and it is such a necessary life skill in New Zealand.

I've been doing some sewing. These little kimonos are from this book and are for little Samuel Clarke. They aren't perfect (my home sewing rarely is) but hopefully will be nice and light.

Yesterday we ventured down to the Tron to make felted slippers with a scrapbooking friend V.  We had a bit of adventure trying to get them to work but I'm pretty pleased with mine even though they look a bit scabby since I patched a few holes with the inside colour.  I'm going to do a few things to improve them, like bind the edges.  DD is keen for me to make her some - she has asked several times already when we're going to get her wool and I am to make some with butterflies on apparently.  Also they have to be "pearple", her favourite colour.  I'm wondering if there is a better place to get wool from other than Spotlight - if you know, tell me in the comments.  Online is fine.  I'm thankful for friends and for a measure of time and funds to do crafting projects.

V and some of the other girls requested this recipe.

Sweet Corn Chowder *

3 oz butter

2 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup canned creamed-style corn

2 cups fresh corn kernels (frozen is fine)

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons cream (optional)

2 Tablespoons fresh chives to garnish

Heat butter in large heavy based pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat for 5 mins or until golden. Add garlic and cumin seeds, cook 1 min stirring constantly. Add stock and bring to boil. Add potatoes and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Add creamed corn, corn kernels and parsley. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Stir through cheese, salt and pepper, and cream. Heat gently so the cheese melts. Serve sprinkle with chives. Serves 8. 
* This is a vegetarian soup, but I like to throw in some bacon bones or a bacon hock into the stock as I feel it gives it more flavour depth.

and also this one which is from the magazine Dish, 11, Feb 2007-May 2007, pg 90

Hazelnut, Chocolate & Polenta Cake

325g butter at room temperature
325g caster sugar
1 teasp vanilla
300g hazelnuts, roasted, skinned and finely ground
35g good quality cocoa, sifted
4 eggs
160g fine, quick cook polenta
1 1/2 teasp baking powder
1/4 teasp salt

Raspberry Sauce
500g frozen raspberries, thawed
icing sugar
1 lime

Perheat oven to 160 C. Grease base and sde of 26cm cake tin with melted butter or canola spray and line both with baking paper.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla together until pale and creamy. Mix through the ground hazels and cocoa.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Combine the polenta, baking powder and salt and fold into the batter.
Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top.  Bake for about 50 mins or until skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. The top will have formed a good crust.
Transfer to rack and leave to cool.

Raspberry Sauce
Place the thawed raspberries in a food processor with 2 Tablesp of icing sugar and blend until smooth.  Taste and add more icing sugar if needed.  Then add a good squeeze of the lime juice.  Blend again and strain the sauce through a fine sieve, pushing the sauce through with the back of a spoon.  Discard the seeds. Pour sauce into serving jug.

To serve: Dust top of the cake with icing sugar and serve in slices with raspberry sauce and creme fraiche or yoghurt.  The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Serves 10-12.

I'm thankful for cake. ;-P

Speaking of recipes - I rescued this gem from Mum & Dad's last year.  It's one of those fund raising cookbooks that were popular (and may be still are).  This one is from the 80's.

It includes such gourmet delights as:

Check out the sponsor on this page - Rainbow Chinese Restaurant Finest Chinese cuisine.  While I was growing up the only "ethnic" cuisine available was Chinese food.  Indian food we made at home and as for Italian, Turkish or other international foods... well, you were out of luck unless you could cook them yourselves as well.  The Rainbow was popular with us kids.  We got to go there for our birthdays and for a treat.  I'm pretty sure they had the standard fare available in the 80's for such an establishment but we thought it was special particularly when we got to have deep fried ice cream and deep friend banana for dessert!

Then there is this dish - I know you'll be after making it for sure!

Sorry, but possum is unlikely to be on my menu.  It would all be given to the cat.

Oh, remember what I said about international food?  Here's the 80s Kiwi version of pizza.

That's right.  Spaghetti on scones =  pizza.  Actually it's not too bad but lets be honest - it is NOT pizza.  It's scones with spaghetti on top.

It's not all bad this little book.  There are some good old fashioned baking items that I like in it.  The scouting advice is amusing too.  I'm thankful for a family who is adventurous in their eating habits.

The sun is shining so I'm going to hang out some washing!

a bit of sewing

My machine saw the light of day!
Got some other projects planned for the days I'm off work :-)

Both these are for Missy Moo.  She seems to like them - especially the "arphalents" on the apron.

Lego classics

V.J. Day Times Square
Originally uploaded by Balakov.

You've got to love these lego recreations of classic photos.

This one is V.J. Day Times Square. The set can be seen here.

Here's my baby in a dress I smocked way before I had any kids. Lucky I tried it on her because next summer will be too late I think. She will have grown out of it. It's supposed to be a size 3 I think. (Slightly differing colour cast due to DH manipulating levels. The bottom one is true colour but she wasn't smiling!) Photos by my lovely hubster who took my hint of "needing a photo" while I was rushing around getting ready for church yesterday and went ahead and took one.

Just a weekend sew and sew

Been trying to get some sewing done.

Some time ago, Nichol Magouirk posted a card to demonstrate dry embossing which I loved. I'm "in to" trees right now. I had this idea that they would be cool on a skirt. I made some for a couple of eco-bags and then decided to add some to a skirt.

I had some material I'd been given that was quite old but seemed fine and I sewed it up, wore it once and the material ripped on me. Obviously it was rotten! To say I was gutted is putting it mildly. So last weekend I finally got the enthusiasm to remake it with some new fabric!





















I went into Spotlight looking for something (a zip I think) and naturally gravitated to the fabric section (as you do) to discover they had their summer cottons out to tempt me. So this one lept into my arms along with a pattern.













Not sure now about the length... might be too short for a 30-something-on-the-downward-slide-to-40 to wear to work ya think? Or am I too self-conscious?

Then I couldn't let my daughter miss out so she got a skirt from this cupcake fabric using this free pattern, and I have plans for one like the green polka dots from the apple fabric.















I would have made up the apple fabric this weekend but I discovered a few things:
a) I'd cut the wrong size out (too big)
b) I ran out of interfacing and Spotlight (who have the worst customer service) didn't have the right type so I had to go to the Fabric Barn
c) Fabric Barn in Henderson are closing down (and all fabric is half price so another 2 metres of fabric lept into my arms there)
d) so frustrating to reduce the size having already done the over-locking that I only managed to do one skirt instead of two!
e) being grateful for small mercies that I cut it too big and not too small
f) I need blinkers when I visit fabric stores otherwise I end up seeing things that want to come home with me
g) I {heart} fruit prints