Kittys Drawings

Hello everyone!

Apologies for the lack of posting last weekend. We didn’t get back from Blaigowrie til quite late. The big ride on the scooter was quite a success…I won’t tell you how I managed to get more scratches in it (eep) but I will tell you that I got down there and back without anything seriously bad happening. For those folks not from Australia, Blairgowrie is about 100kms south of where I live in the inner suburbs of Melbourne (depending on which route you take)…It’s right at the bottom of Port Phillip Bay and is a popular spot for city people wanting to get away for the weekend. Mind you, it’s hardly ‘country’ or even remotely isolated…Melbourne is such a spread out city that the entire trip down the bay is built up with plush beach houses of varying scale and style.
Anyways, we had a good time – playing board games, drinking and just blobbing about. Yay

So on to this week’s sewing project…

This has been the first project for the year following my new resolution of taking my time and finishing things properly. I’m so happy with this top that I can even show you the insides The pattern is Mccall 6475 from 1946 and I used a cotton blend of some description in a nice orange floral. I don’t usually go for orange but I loved this print as soon as I laid eyes on it. It’s another one from Savers from way back. The fabric has a really great drape to it and is soft and airy. It may be a rayon/cotton blend…Not sure. It washes ok from the little swatch I tested….so who knows what’s in it.

A few notes about the pattern and finishing:

• I made view C which you can’t see on the cover but the only difference from view B is the peplum at the bottom isn’t gathered as it’s designed to fit under a skirt.
• I don’t think this would work with anything but a super drapey fabric. There’s a lot of gathering that needs to fall nicely. I’m happy with my fabric choice!
• It’s VERY blousey – considering how small the size is, and it IS meant to be roomy, but there’s a LOT of room. Tight, structured waist definition is absolutely essential for styling this!
• The cute details are a bit lost in this print but I would love to make this out of a plain, maybe even sheer fabric

• I finished as many seams as I could with rayon seam binding.
• The side seams are zig-zag stitched because I ran out of that colour seam binding!
• I made a narrow hem finished by hand.
• The side closure consists of three snaps and a hook & eye on a placket. This is SO much better than a zip – And yes I will keep going on about that forever.
• I omitted the shoulder pads….for obvious reasons. I guess some light ones wouldn’t look too bad and they are very much essential for the era…One day I will make some and see how they look.

Yay! I’m really pleased with this top and I definitely want to make more versions of it. It took about a weekend to do – The bound seams were fairly time consuming but if you omitted those this would take no time at all to make. Once again, this is another one of those 40′s patterns with neat little details. I love how the sleeves attach to the neckline. Mccall’s patterns from the 40′s are especially excellent. Side note: I’m actually waiting on a heap of patterns to arrive from Etsy, eBay and a super special Mccall’s from Patterns From the Past.

Notice I also got my replacement grey shoes from Asos? The 38 fits much better.

Well that’s all for now. I have to start on a new project…I don’t even know if I’ll have anything new to show for next week! I think I’ll have to actually do some drawing! How bout that!

Heh…

Ciao then!

Sorry for the lack of arty posting lately. Been feeling in a bit of a slump. Still sketching daily but kinda not feelin it. However, I’ve got two client projects on the go which aren’t problematic at all which is excellent.
I think I have worked myself into a “MUST BUY NEW COMPUTER” mode and so trying to do anything on my clunky old laptop is getting me frustrated. I am entirely sure it’s just an excuse as I am known to do that. What for I know, it’s not like it’s benefiting me in any way to be always making excuses! TERRIBLE. But identifying the problem is only halfway (only a quarter even) there.
Soooo, even just writing this out is motivating me to get off my butt and back into it. Browsing the talent on ConceptArt always helps too.

But since I have nothing worth scanning at the moment, I shall show you some purchases instead. It was payday not long ago and of course I have a massive list of favourites on Etsy which I’m always itching to lay my hands on.
These are the items winging their way over to me from the US.

A stunning 50′s/60′s wool suit. Cos I don’t have a suit yet and this is so pretty and looks like a fabulous cut.

A navy vintage hat. I don’t wear hats generally and this is a good price and versatile colour so that I don’t feel too bad if it doesn’t look good on me. There are SO many beautiful hats on Etsy!

And finally, another dress….cos a girl can never have enough dresses. The colours are cute and summery and looks flattering. Thankfully I’ve gotten quite good at being able to judge what will fit me well without needing to try something on. There hasn’t been one online purchase I’ve made that doesn’t fit me.

I can’t wait til they all arrive! Cue postie stalking….NOW!

Ciao!

Omg – posting on Christmas Day. Who’d've thought! Welll……I am waiting on the darling boyfriend to return from work. My lamb roast is in the oven (shit, that reminds me, I have to put the potatoes on!) and the dessert is setting in the fridge – Vanilla panna cotta with raspberry coulis. Mmmm.

So in the meantime I got to browsing Etsy…which lead me via some tangents to other vintage sites…..and spying a pretty pretty dress which was alas, sold. Damn! So I drew it instead. There I was thinking I’d be too lazy to draw over the Xmas break – but sometimes the urge to pick up a pencil is too strong and a drawing just happens.

Now, it’s hardly polished or anything fancy – but colour sketches always turn out nice enough to put on the blog. So here you go – something to look at while you’re trying to digest all that Christmas food and trying not to fall asleep. Heh

Hope you’re all having a good holiday! I am

Teeehee.

Just a quick on cos its 6:04am and I gotta scoot off to work soon. I drew these yesterday and Tuesday. Some ideas for ConceptArt Character of the Week which I wont make on time but no matter – it was fun sketching. Bride of Frankenstein if you cant tell

Without and with reference in that order.

And possibly the most AMAZING vintage 40′s silk suit I have ever seen in my life. If only I could afford the $325USD it costs! Seriously. I am scheming and planning ways for me to lay my hands on it. Though I’m afraid it may show my shopping addiction way too much if I were to purchase it as for that amount of money I could get myself a kitty and all the things the kitty would need.

*sigh*