Finally, some normalcy in my life

Hello everyone.  I thought I'd pop in and let you all know that I'm still here.  Even though I have nothing really to show you right now I hope to soon.  Things have been very hectic here for the last couple of months, what with selling our house in Melbourne and having to empty out the remainder of our contents along with starting a new job and getting my head around the training  and all that goes with it - whoa, my head is still spinning!  it left little time for any sewing.

However, on the weekend I did manage to get into my sewing room, though I didn't really achieve much. :(  I stitched the collar onto a blouse I had started making about two years ago that I found when clearing out the old house.  (Stashbusting?  Mmmm... not sure that it can be counted as Stashbusting, but I'm going to anyway.  Well I will when I finish it.)  I did however, make a bit of progress in cleaning up the mess that seemed to have multiplied while I wasn't looking, so feeling much better about that.

During my clean up I was putting away some patterns that were sitting on my sewing table and came across the pattern I was going to make for the Sew for Victory challenge and it left me feeling completely ripped off disappointed that I wasn't able to finish due to an injury when I remembered seeing this on Instagram.

Now I'm feeling so much better and really excited because Rochelle and Tasha have just announced they are hosting 'Fall For Cotton' - A vintage sewing challenge for the cotton lover and I AM soooo in.  Being a lover of the 1940s and especially WWII fashion, and... well... everything 1940s this sewing challenge is right up my alley perfect for me.

I had decided recently that I needed to add some shirts and blouses to my wardrobe and I already had a 1940s pattern in mind, Simplicity 4750, when they made the announcement so the choice of pattern was easy.  I'm planning on making view 3, the white one.  I just wasn't planning to make it straight away, after all it is winter here so I'm not in need of a short sleeve blouse for a while yet.  I haven't chosen my fabric yet, although I have plenty of cotton fabrics in my stash to choose from, I just can't decide if I want a plain or a print.  I'm tempted to make both but don't think I'll find the time to do two before the end of September - we'll see.  One thing is for sure tho', this time I AM going to finish. 

Is anyone else joining in the Fall for Cotton challenge?

On finishing, I will say that I haven't been completely slack.  I've managed to get in a little knitting.  It's much easier to pick up and get a few rows done in five minutes than it is to make a little space in a messy sewing room.  I'm making a vintage cardigan - not sure what year it is but I'm thinking it's 1940's.  A pattern I picked up from a secondhand bookstore.

What are you crafting at the moment?

Oooh...1940s my favourite decade

With my ever growing infatuation obsession with the 1940s I've been wanting to try out some vintage patterns.  I've got a few that were my mother's, I've collected a few from thrift stores, ebay, etsy, etc and I have several reproduction patterns all waiting for me to make a decision on which will be the first to join my wardrobe.   My last post showed that I decided to play it safe with a very classic style skirt which wouldn't make me feel self conscious to wear a vintage outfit.  I really want to start including vintage outfits into my daily life like so many others most of them much younger that me, that I read about in our wonderful blogging community.    Yeah, I know, I'm not 20 anymore and I have the greatest fear of looking like 'mutton dressed as lamb'.  I feel there is a real stigma with people wearing clothing that is not modern and contemporary but my love of these vintage styles is slowly taking over my life and ya know what, I don't care anymore.

When I saw that Rochelle over at Lucky Lucille is hosting Sew for victory! A 40s Sewing Challenge I thought what an opportunity to indulge in this all consuming love of 1940's.

I decided that I will make a dress for this sewalong.  I've narrowed it down to a couple of dresses and now I just have to decide which one.

Sense and Sensibility's A 1940s "Swing" Dress.  I love wrap styles, they're so flattering.

Butterick 1411, View A; this is another one of my Mother's dresses.  Isn't the collar cute?

A reproduction; Vogue V8728.  This is the first reproduction pattern I ever bought and I haven't made it yet.

Australian Home Journal pattern #5963  - the green dress.  I love the faux collar on this one.

Another Australian Home Journal pattern #5966 - the red one.  I like the interesting line on the bodice/midriff and the shirring details.

They're all so nice, it's hard to choose.  I think I'm favouring either the Swing dress or the Butterick.  Which one would you choose?