A little inspiration

Spring Jonquils

Hello, how's your weekend been?  I know I haven't posted for a little while but I have been finishing off a few bits and pieces that I've been working on for a few weeks.  Over the weekend I've been busy trying to get some sewing done ready for a Spring luncheon next week and trying to catch up with all the blogs I read.

I've noticed over the short time I've been blogging that there are many sources of inspiration on the web.  I find lots of things I want to try or that interest me and bookmark them.  That way I can go back later when I have time or I'm ready to use them.  I've been doing this for a while and thought that maybe others might be interested as well and decided that I might start posting a weekly inspiration post.  These are a few I've found this week.

• Want to make your own bias why not try Portia's easy method
• Gertie shows us how easy it is to convert a skirt dart to a hem flare
• Portia gives us a easy tutorial showing how to draft a simple top .    I'll have to try this out for myself.
• Ever wanted to know how to grade your patterns.  I do and Megan gives us an easy method with this quick tutorial showing us how.
• Perhaps you would like to decorate your house with pictures.  Elsie shows us how to make our own canvas pictures using photos.
• I'm loving how Maria does her vintage style curls without heat.  I'm going to be trying this one.

Now I'm getting back to my sewing so I will have a dress to wear for the luncheon.

Self-Stitched September 2011 - my thoughts...

Well September is now well and truly over, I've had time to think about the challenge and I wanted to share my thoughts on wearing me made clothes for a whole month.  Firstly, I want to thank Zoe for hosting this challenge.  I love to see what other people are making, it inspires me to try things I would never have considered and challenges my creativity in ways I couldn't have imagined, but more than that I love the sense of community that transpires from the sharing and comments received of our daily outfits.   So Zoe, thank you!!

As I have mentioned before I have only returned to sewing my own clothes for a relatively short period of time and you probably realise that I participated in Me-Made June as well.  So for me, it became very boring (I'm sure it did for you too) as I felt I was repeating the things I wore in June (which by the way, I was) and wearing the same things over and over.  There didn't seem to be any variety.  You know, same ol', same ol' resulting in me choosing not to wear hand made garments for the last few days.  And the photo's - daily shots become very tedious after 30 days.  So to cap it all off, let me start with the last couple of  photo's I had taken...

Day 24 was the first day I actually decided not to wear hand made clothes, hence no photo.

Day 25

What I wore:
Sweater: Worn previously
Top: Handmade, seen previously
Jeans: Target
Necklace:  Lovisa
Shoes: Nike
 
Thoughts:
I thought today I would try a bit of colour blocking.  This is my teal top worn several times before, teamed with a purple cardigan (the colours are not true in this photo) a necklace including both colours and royal blue which in my opinion brings it all together.  The colours are very strong jewel tones.  Do I like it?  Yes, I think so.

Day 26

What I wore:

Top: Handmade, seen previously
Cami:  Target
Jeans: Target
Necklace:  Murano glass pendant
Shoes: Nike
 
Thoughts:
None.  I've worn this combination before.  It's like a signature style for me.


What did I learn...

This is my second self stitched month and I definitely have many more things to wear than I did in June.   Even though I have more clothes it still is not enough to give me any variety in my outfits and this became very boring for me and for my posts.  For this reason I didn't post every day but put a few days together in one post.   I know this lack of clothing will be short term because as I continue to sew my wardrobe will expand.

I learnt that I am a random sewer.  By this I mean that I choose things to sew at random without giving much thought as to whether I have anything to go with it.  I see something I like and make it.  This creates a wardrobe of orphan garments.  Another thing I have come to realize is, it seems the only thing I like to make is TOPS. 

Aaaaahhh!  Now this brings me to the GAPS in my wardrobe.  I have a couple of skirts but don't wear them as often as I could; the cause, I have very little to nothing to wear with them.   Plenty of tops, but all wrong.  Now I found gaps in June and thought I had been working on them but alas, nooo!  There are still many to fill.

Another thing I learnt is that my tastes in style have changed a lot over the last few months.  Mostly I like to 'live' in jeans and T's but as I look back over the daily photo's, read more blogs and make more of my own clothes I find that I'm not content with this style any longer.  I need more variety.  I'm lusting after dresses (some ladies participating have so many dresses to choose from, I 'm feeling jealous because I have only two), more vintage (definitely a strong tendency toward vintage, particularly dresses) also more skirts, trousers and jackets.  I have a growing desire to be more polished in my style, (think Audrey Hepburn, so elegant!) instead of sloppy with an 'anything will do' kind of attitude.  I have very little in my wardrobe that's polished and elegant.

Something I'm determined to work on now, is to make my wardrobe more workable and versatile.  To have something suitable for any occasion whether it's for work or play.  My criteria - it must be polished AND elegant!

If you participated, what did you learn and how did you feel by the end of the month?

Vintage discoveries

After my mum passed away I inherited her dressmaking patterns along with all her sewing paraphernalia.  Sadly the patterns have been sitting untouched for many years.  Although I kept her patterns because I loved them, I had never really looked at them.

As my interest obsession in vintage patterns has been growing since I joined the blogging community and my discovery of other vintage lovers blogs like Casey, Debi, Gertie and Rosy, also Sew Retro, I decided today was the day to check out what was actually in the chest where these patterns have been stored since 1995.

After opening the chest and removing a few sewing related boxes and books of mum's this is what I was left with.   

Treasure chest

I had the most wonderful time going through them all.  I thought the best way to sort them was to start with all the pre 1960's patterns.  I then sorted them into women's, men's and children/babies.

Damaged pattern envelopes

I've found that I have many wonderful patterns like the lovely lingerie on the left and the beautiful evening coat on the right.  Sadly, as can be seen above, many of the envelopes are damaged although I'm sure all the pattern pieces are accounted for.

Being the compulsive list maker that I am I started an excel file to catalogue the patterns and put them in some sort of order.  Some patterns are dated however, most are not.  I would love it if anyone can help me out with some dates.   Here are a few of my discoveries.

1940

McCall 3912.  I love this evening gown but it's very low cut and I probably wouldn't wear it. (Actually, I can't imagine Mum did either)

Unknown

Dress 7219.  This one was ordered through the Melbourne newspaper "The Sun".  I can't find any information about these patterns.  I'll be making this one for Summer.  I may even do a contrasting top.

1940's?

Dress with attached six gored skirt - Butterick 1411.  I love view A (the larger one on the left). 

1941

Housecoat - McCall 5737.  The short version will definitely be joining my wardrobe.

Unknown

Blouse - Butterick 6887.  I want to make a blouse and was hoping to find a long sleeve one, but nup none however, I did find this one.  I love the version in the center with the wing collar.
  
I will show you some more in another post.  I have spent a most delightful afternoon making some wonderful discoveries.  What do you think...

Buy Nothing New Month

Have you taken the challenge?  I have!

"I pledge to beg, borrow, barter, swap and Buy Nothing New throughout October."

Living a sustainable lifestyle is a subject I feel quite strongly about.  Our daily choices have an impact on the world around us.  In my everyday life I strive to lighten my footprint on our planet by recycling items that no longer serve their original purpose.  I don't see the point in spending my hard earned cash unnecessarily, especially on items not intended to last more than a month or two, as I'm sure you all don't.  As this is a sewing blog I won't go into a great debate about these issues here but I do encourage you all to think about how you spend your money and what you spend it on.  Is it necessary or can you make do without?  Perhaps you can recycle/refashion something to achieve the desired outcome. 

Having taken this pledge I will not purchase any new items (apart from essentials, food etc) for the month of October.  Therefore, I will not be purchasing any new fabric unless it is thrifted, however I don't think this will have any impact on my sewing as I already have a large stash of Spring/Summer fabrics just waiting to be stitched into garments.

Frugal living with a make do and mend attitude is a sustainable lifestyle so why not follow the link and take the pledge.  Just think of it as a stress free, low impact savings plan.  Are you with me?