Kittys Drawings

Hi!!

Yay a new post! It’s been fairly quiet around these parts here. On the blog anyways – cos I’ve been all over the place at home! The two drawings I’ve got going on are pottering away very slowly. Doing 30mins here and there which isn’t a lot of progress really. I don’t want to rush to finish because every time I do a little bit I keep seeing how much is left to do and I don’t want to leave any sections behind.
Last night I also started trialling the new Corel Painter 12 which was released just the other day. It’s pretty flash so far – looks quite different and is quite a bit more intuitive to use. However I did notice a couple of glitchy bits and I’m not sure if it’s because I still have the older version on my computer or I just need some more RAM. I really should take advantage of the potential 16GB I could fit into it (GEEK ALERT! I should have forewarned you ) Moar Powah!!

*ahem*

Moving along.

Sewing…

I’ve finished this totally cool wrap dress using Mccall’s 5585 – from the 50′s or early 60′s I’d say.

… ta daa (why so serious?)

It was very easy to make, but also quite time consuming because there is a lot of hand-sewing to do. The construction is quite simple and awfully clever- it just fits over your head and there are two buttons each on the front and back where you can attach it at the waist. You only button one side and then the waist tie passes through the other set of buttonholes to tie it up. The buttonholes are simply gaps you leave in the waist seam. Very very clever! So since there are no side seams that attach, there’s 4 sets of facings down each side. Hence all the hand-sewing. Don’t forget the hem – which is almost a full circle but split in two.

It’s absolutely one of my favourites so far and there’s actually nothing I’m unhappy about for a change! It gapes a little under the arms and there’s plenty of room in the bust which isn’t all that necessary but it makes for a very comfortable dress. THESE are my “track pants” (from now on….yes I do actually wear trackies – but they never see the outside of my house). I made this from a bed sheet too by the way – if you remember my stash post from a little while ago.
So perfect for Fiji! I think I could make a couple of these!

Check out Puss going for a wander. She doesn’t like to sit still very long.

And the back – it’s meant to be reversible but I don’t really like high, square necks so I’ll just stick to wearing it with the V in front. Because of this I’m also considering putting the two buttons that are meant to be on the inside, on the front and outside so I can attach the skirt without the ties. At the moment it has a bit of a habit of sliding back – and two buttons would look cute at the waist don’t you think?

Please excuse the terrible quality of the photos – winter in Melbourne leaves only the most measly skerrick of light to work with at the end of the working day. And it may still technically be autumn but it sure as hell don’t feel like it – Winter’s blown in with full force.
Also – my posing really sucks! I still need some major practice. Boo.

Umm – what else….
I’m about to go finish the hem for a black cotton skirt that will go with my Miss L Fire shoes. I found a really heavy cotton and thought that gathering/pleating almost 2 metres of fabric into my 63cm waist would be a good idea. It works fine, but the result is a rather puffy skirt which is kind of cool but a bit different to what I’m used to. The outfit I imagined in my head has turned out like Where’s Wally meets Alice in Wonderland. Interesting! Photos soon I promise!

AND – A very busy few weeks coming up ahead. Actually, I think I’ll be pretty flat out right til Fiji (which is tail end of June) – I’ll be in Tassie next weekend visiting the folks and friends down that way. I’ll be stuffing my face with lots of food (what’s new!) and trying not to freeze my ass off.  Then the following week I will be partaking in the Love Vintage Fashion Fair as a model for the lovely Nicole at Circa. Tomorrow I have my fitting so I’ll find out what I get to wear! Yay! I really ought to save some dosh for any treasures I might find there.
Somewhere amongst all that I need to get a haircut (see how long it is! hehe). BUSY! Argh!

I think that’s it for now! I better tidy up all these odds and ends because I’m feeling rather restless with all these half finished projects. Ciao!

Hi All

Yay I have a sewing post for you!

I am so behind. But this is the only thing I’ve been fairly pleased with since I made the charcoal version of this skirt.

I made some adjustments to the pattern, most of which were successful but I still have some things to learn!

Here is what I did:

• Moved the front darts in closer together.
• Shortened the final length by maybe an inch. I did this by folding the pattern in two places – one inch near the hip and one just above the kick-pleat.
• Narrowed the hips
• Gave it a tinier bit more of a ‘wiggle’ shape
• Lengthened the strip I used for the waistband so there is more of an overlap for securing the skirt. I used a largish snap fastener and a hook and eye designed for pants and skirts (so its quite a bit bigger than the tiny ones you get on dresses).

Puss squirming in my arms - look at those paws!

There’s a few things I think still need tweaking. Both to do with my sewing skills and with fitting:

• I went a bit crazy with narrowing the hip and I think that’s why the skirt bunches at my waist. It’s annoying how much the final fit changes once you put the waistband in!
• Instead of taking so much out of the hip, I should have taken that wiggle shape thing further and narrowed the bottom of the skirt more so it cuts in closer to my knees. I really want a wiggle skirt!
• I could still learn a bit about tidying up finishes around the closures. I’m getting better at the hand sewing and this one is fairly neat but could be neater.

That's Boofy mid meow "Mowowowoowwowwwww" he says

I really love this pattern – even though it’s only the bottom of a dress pattern. It’s so quick to make and looks pretty good. I like the length a lot – just at the knee. A fraction more flattering than just above the knee.
I find that skirts that hit above the knee tend to throw out the proportions of an outfit. With a blouse and high-waist skirt combo, the skirt needs to be proportionately longer than the blouse section. Roughly the Golden Mean It’s just more pleasing to the eye hehee.

I can't get over his expressions - always priceless!

Hmm – what else… ah yes, the fabric. This is an awesome, thick khaki cotton I found at the Salvos. There’s tons of it left and I shall one day hope to make a blazer for this one too. Or I will turn the remainder into a wiggle dress. Maybe I have enough for both (there’s heaps!).
I underlined it with some white sheet. The same as I used for the pastel striped dress. The zipper is brown and so is the hem tape I used. Not that you see that but it makes me feel a little calmer knowing the insides coordinate. It’s the same kind of happiness a girl gets from knowing she’s wearing some nice frillies under her dress

Oooh cheeky!

Haha.

ANYWAY – Time to wrap it up. I have so much more to say about sewing than about drawing! Art speaks for itself a little better ….

So I also have some fun stuff…
Tomorrow I will post another GIVEAWAY! Just a mini one! My blog is no way going to turn into an ad machine, but I received some skincare products to sample as part of a promo company I’ve signed up to. Cos I like free stuff. Who doesn’t like free stuff!? They gave me a whole bunch of decent sized samples with the encouragement to give them to friends. So why not share the lurrrve? More details to come

Ciao peeps and enjoy your weekend!

Hi Everyone!
Oo-er I’m a bit slack on the blog front at the moment aren’t I!

To be fair though, I’ve got an excuse. My bro is up visiting from Tassie. I did finish a dress just before he got here though…the “red” one – which I thought would turn purple when dying with blue – which it did – despite me saying in my last post that it was looking rather blue. That’s because I was looking at it while it was still wet in the washing machine. Ha! The purple is awesome though!

This is Butterick 6876 – A button front dress from the 50′s.

It does need a few fixes. The bottom buttons are a bit out of line – so I might snip those off and reattach. I also underestimated just how many buttons I’d need…and when I went back to Lincraft, I couldn’t find them anywhere. Even though it was only a few days later! BOO. So I’ve just safety pinned the bottom closed for now.

The pattern was very easy to follow. I did a bit of fitting – taking heaps off the side seams and shoulder seams. It fits really well in the bodice so I’m rather proud of myself for that. I also used bias binding on the sleeves which worked out nicely too. The collar was dead easy – a lot less trouble than I was expecting. The hip area needs to be smaller I think. I need to find a way to take excess fabric out from around the front of my hips. Any tips on this?

I got to use my “new” buttonholer. Wonderful little gadget that! Only took a few minutes to do all ten buttonholes. It CHEWS through bobbin thread so I had to change the bobbin halfway through and then I only had just enough to do the last few.

Lots of pics this time. Got a bit more experimental with the locations. I credit my bro for the photography – he did a really good job!! We went out to the street in the back of my house. Lots of cool walls and textures and colours that worked well with the rich purple of the dress. And I’ve found a new indoor location. Still accompanied by furry intruders of course hehee.

Now I know you’re all wondering where the drawings have gone. I have been working on them. I’m having a go at attempting more than one piece at a time. So the longer project is still in the works but I started something quick last night which I should be able to finish in a few more hours. So I’ll have TWO drawings ready soon. How bout that!

As for the giveaway…I’m about ready for that too – When I get my shit together I’ll organise things for that. Expect my giveaway post next week! Woohoo!

Till then, seeyas!

Hi!
So the zip is fixed and I can wear my new dress. Yay!
Here’s some gratuitous ME shots – with Puss getting in the way as usual.

Scuse my dumb head

Look at that regrowth! Arrrgh – gettin it FIXED on the 22nd – still way too far away!

Yay scallops

So there ya go. Overall I’m pretty pleased. It’s a bit shonky but hey it didn’t fall apart on me when I wore it today.

Bya!

Hi!

Exciting day! I just picked up my Vogue Kris Kringle present for the year – weeeee I am so happy! I got utterly spoilt with a whole bunch of awesome stuff from lil-miss. *squeeeee* THANK YOU if you’re reading!
Of course, I couldn’t wait to open it – bugger waiting til Christmas! Hehe.

For those not in the know – Each year the girls (and guys) on the Aussie Vogue forums do a KK. The lovely Purplewhiskers takes the time to organise the whole thing, collating the email forms we send her and passing on those details to a randomly picked forum member. Then we all go out and buy a present and send it off, while eagerly awaiting our own in the mail. I’ve always had fantastic presents and have been participating for about 3/4 years now. I looove shopping for my KK too – it’s never been difficult to buy a stranger a gift surprisingly.
Mine hasn’t been sent off yet – I have been truly behind. The present is all bought and wrapped I just need to go and deliver it.

Now what did I get? I would have been easy to buy for because my Etsy favourites list is immensely long and filled with heaps of items within budget. lil-miss got me exactly what I wanted.

Have a look at all the goodies:

A perfect skirt pattern! Woo! SO versatile.

Yum smelling Lush stuffs. Soap and a bath bomb. They made the whole package smell awesome!

Sewing bits and pieces like some nice hem facing, zips and lace trim. Some AMAZING buttons! They are so fabulous – perfect glass vintage ones from an Etsy seller I’ve been eyeing off for a while.  There are 15 – plenty for a dress or 2. Wow.

Also – she even considered my kitties! They each got a toy to play with which I just know they’re going to love.

This is the lot of it. So stoked!

While I was at the post office I also picked up my latest fragrance purchase. I’ve wanted a bottle of Penhaligon’s anything for a long time and they finally had some stock on StrawberryNET – didn’t take me long to snap some up – for a supreme discount price of $53 including shipping. These are usually $120 or so in the boutiques here (not stocked at Myer etc). Unlike many of my previous perfume purchases from SN, I have sniffed this one before.  I’m very partial to soft florals and this really fits the bill.
And would you LOOK at the PACKAGING!!!

So cute!! Smells divine too – bright and fresh on the opening and then dries down to a soft, delicately spicy warmth.

What I also have my eye on is Penhaligon’s Douro – which is actually a cologne but hey, I wear Bvlgari Pour Homme occasionally….anyway – its all lemony and soapy and incredible. But that’s on the longer wishlist along with Parfums de Nicolai – Sacrebleu and Comme des Garcons – Stephen Jones.

Can you tell I really love perfume???

I’ll stop yabbering now. I actually have a drawing to work on. Spent 4 solid hours on it last night. We’ll see if I can squeeze out a repeat performance today but I’m pretty damn tired. Sooo – till then…

Ciao!

Hi everyone!

I thought today I would show you all my house. Since I’m always rabbiting on about how awesome it is and I don’t even have any photos. We moved in last October – renting of course – I could never afford to buy a house like this!
When we walked in we were all “OMG” – I was running around saying “eeeee I LOVE it LOVE it want want want”.
We were mega lucky because the Saturday we went to inspect, it was Grand Final day (massive sporting event “football” for my overseas readers – pah! I have little regard for sport ) so there was no one around. Only two other people came through that day and we managed to schmooze the real estate agent. He even gave us the keys that weekend and told us to show our friends around and come sign the lease on Monday.
So when we went to sign all the papers he tells us that he had over 14 emails asking to come see the property because they were too busy watching “footy” when the open for inspection was. Well – you snooze you lose! Ha!

Onto the tour – Let’s preface this by saying I’m only showing you a fraction of the house. The main bedroom is nowhere near ‘display quality’ as yet and the second bedroom is an utter shambles right now on account of my sewing projects strewn all over the bed.
The rest are the rooms we use most often and a part of the way to being decorated in how we like. All these white walls we constantly need MOAR ART to hang on them.

I’m really not much of a home stylist either so I know there’s all kinds of pics here that could be presented better.

K – I’ve tried to put everything in some semblance of order. The French doors lead out to the courtyard and the window is really high and arched – too high to photograph. It reaches well into the second storey. We have two mezzanine floors above the ground floor Puss likes to sticky-beak and follow me around the house so she’s in quite a few of these photos! The pic on the right is the entryway. There’s a powder-room on the left and the garage on the right. This view looks towards the inside of the building. Picture a big barn with a shared driveway down the middle and all the apartments branching off.  Bamboo floorboards which are nice and quiet compared to hardwood

Boof relaxing (furring) on the couch. That’s his favourite spot and he gets rather upset if you sit in it. The couch set I scored off eBay for $90! Freshly re-upholstered too – great colour. They’re supposed to be Parker …they look it. If they are, then I really really did score a bargain!

Dodgy blurry photo. All these are natural light btw – That’s what I love most about this house – so much light!
Also, the beginnings of our art collection. All from Outre Gallery hehe. We plan to cover both walls eventually. Excuse the vacuum cleaner in the corner *ahem*

The steamer trunk is another eBay find. I won the auction for $150 but the guy dropped his price to $50 after telling us that it had woodworm holes. No matter, it’s great as a coffee table hehe. I really should move that box eh, doesn’t look good there does it.  See – not a stylist at all!
Abstract wooden form there is a piece Dad made and gifted to Jonny

One of our Expedit bookshelves. They’re so handy! Few knick-knacks and models…Playstation….etc

My lovely kitchen. Which is awesome. Except no pantry – see? Kinda annoying. I need to get my butt into gear and design something for dad to build. It needs to be enclosed as that shelf has everything rather precariously balanced. And look – dishwasher!! Been a while since I had a dishwasher before we moved here. I hate doing dishes! Still need to do some of course but its that much more tolerable to have a machine do the majority of the work.

My Ikea stainless steel bench. Another thing this house lacks is bench space. So I “needed” this. Its very handy. Dad made me that chopping block. And the little wooden bowl in the background there that I put sugar in.

From the kitchen to upstairs…. Curious kitty

Random things….Jonny’s collection of “stuff”…on our second Expedit…

Girly art on skateboards…..And my paintings on the right. Sitting on my easel. That Dad made for me. Yes, Dad can pretty much make anything
The stairs leading up to the main bedroom are behind the easel.

My jewelry sitting in a hand-tooled leather bowl I brought back from Hungary. Some paintings Jonny’s friend gave him.

Jonny’s red “man chair” – that Puss really loves to get her claws into. Such a naughty cat!! You can see the top of the rangehood there and the window that leads to the courtyard.

Jonny’s desk. Much more sparse than mine. He doesn’t use his computer – preferring my laptop instead. And he says he’s not a Mac convert. Bull!

My desk. You’ve seen all this before….

That door leads into the second bedroom (with its own bathroom). Bookshelf packed full. No more room for anything! Jonny’s mountain-board which he doesn’t ride all that much.

Aaaand my new sewing area. Yay! I need more storage solutions. Everywhere. I want to hide stuff – begone STUFF!!

So that’s my PAD. I love it. Great place to live even though it’s not quite magazine quality yet. Yes, I want it that way too hehe.

Nowwww – better do some drawing huh?

Seeyas!

Hi All

Slackie blogger is back. Been a bit of a hectic week here at home and also we’ve been SHAPED. How can that be when we’ve got a 70/70GB download limit??? Well I’m sure downloading 50 or so gigs of files won’t help *ahem*…so I’m posting in those rare few hours of awake-ness before 12pm on a weekend ehehe.

This week’s life drawing we were focusing on the head and how we shouldn’t treat it any differently to how we draw the rest of the body. It can be hard trying to draw a face quickly while disassociating yourself from the fact it’s a face and trying to get all the features accurate. We were told not to aim for a likeness, just DRAW.
And draw I did

So here’s the results…A bit blah but I like the last one. Usual mix of quick warm ups, contours and then the longer poses at the end.

And this time Boof wanted to check out what was going on. This photo is better of the drawing too – less blurry! I SUCK at photography ehehe.