Kittys Drawings

Hi All

Just a quickie to say a big THANKS to all the folks now adding me on Bloglovin (link over there ——->>)

I am so sad to see Google Reader going and have already imported my feeds into The Old Reader.

Other ways to keep in touch are of course Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

And since I’m way more active on Instagram…here are some latest pics

Ciao for now!

Hello!
On Friday I finished this pattern:

I’ve had this one for a while but wasn’t sure what to make it up from – I didn’t have anything in my stash that would fit the bill – the bill being a lightweight fabric with a lot of drape….Rayon? Yes. I don’t have a lot of it and what I do have is already earmarked for other things.
But then I saw that Sew Retro Rose had recently been to Spotlight and found RAYON there – tropical print rayon at that. WITH BIRDS ON IT.
Omg!!
She was so kind as to purchase me some and send it my way, and this is what I made – also a wrap dress but from the 40s instead of 50s.

This pattern came together really easily – complete in two and a bit sessions – probably about three hours all up. There’s really not much to it – I can’t even say what was the hardest part. Even the hand sewing is quite minimal, just tacking down facings. I finished the seams with rayon Hug Snug binding – though there are two French seams on the back gores of the skirt. I did a narrow hem as I think this looks neater on wrap skirts where the sections can flip up more than in a regular skirt. It also makes this a very economical dress – I used about 2m of quite wide fabric.

You can’t see the details too well in these pics – it’s the curse of prints I guess – but it’s more apparent in real life The gathers at the front are awesome – there’s five rows there and also some at the shoulders.

The closures are just two sets of hook & eyes and a tiny snap at the bust to keep it from gaping open (learnt this the hard way *cough*).
It’s a very breezy, casual and comfortable dress that is perfect for any more 38°C+  days that may be thrust upon us this summer. Plus this amazing fabric works with a LOT of colours, most notably red which always makes me very happy.

The shoes are Miss L Fire of course – I just had these re-soled so they get to be worn again. They’re a smidgen big though so can be annoying to walk in for long distances. I’ve put little heel stickies in them which has helped a bit. They’re my standard EU size 37 – does anyone else have Miss L Fire’s that *dont* have straps and can tell me if they ALL run large? In case I want to buy another pair of pumps…(likeliness of this happening: 100%). This is why I usually buy shoes with straps because then, a tiny difference in size isn’t going to have your shoe falling off your foot every fifth step.

Any-whooo….I don’t know what to start next! How bad is that! I’ve got some odds and ends that need doing – patterns to trace and things to mend. Not sure if I should get stuck into those?
My green coat is still on my mind too – I’ve found a place on eBay that sells heavier weight silk charmeuse for either $20p/yard for 100% silk or $10p/yard for 60% silk, 40% rayon. I need at least 7 yards just to be safe. Thoughts on what I should get? Both are an investment and this coat already isn’t cheap so cost, while it is a factor, I know I just need to suck it up.

Ugh – and my pics are pretty grainy and out of focus today – the camera wasn’t behaving….

Well that ought to be it for today. Till soon…

Hi All!
Ah so I didn’t post last week. And this week I have no new pics to show you – not of new creations. Just a few Instagram and Hipstamatic shots from the last few months. Instagram username is kittysdrawings if you want to follow I’ve been on for a while but only posting regularly there only recently.

Winning you say??
Wellllll Friday was a very lucky day for me! I got an email saying I’d won a $200 Witchery gift voucher thanks to Schweppes for my comment left on Esme & the Laneway’s blog competition I honestly didn’t expect to win since I’ve never been very good at those creative entry type contests – mostly because I’m terrible at those naff little rhymes. But thankfully it seems that wasn’t what was required here and I’m super happy to have won! I will spend the money on some nice accessories and I did take a peek in Witchery the other day and they had some cool rust coloured skinnies. ME in denim?? Yessir – on my scooter! Ha ;-P I did consider the FLURO YELLOW ones – harkening back to my old raving days and also, no one could claim they didn’t see me if I ride past wearing those. BUT, the Mr doesn’t approve and it is pretty mental to be wearing fluro yellow jeans I guess. Heh.
Anyways – accessories and maybe something for the boyfriend and whatever other nice things I find. Yay!

But that wasn’t all that I won! I woke up Saturday morning to another email from We Sew Retro informing me I now had $40 to spend on vintage buttons at Vintage Necessities! Now that might not seem like a huge sum – but $40 will get you a heap of buttons. 40′s vintage buttons at that! *excited* YAY again!
Here are a couple I selected: (Pics are from Vintage Necessities )

Onto other things….

Random shots of SHOES. Oh my god I LOVE THESE SHOES. Got them for a song off eBay. Melissa are apparently re-releasing this style in August. Do I want another pair in a different colour????

I’ve been working on my 1940 trench coat. More WIP pics can be found on Facebook.

The weave is gabardine I think – and the fibre content feels like a blend with some poly in it. Kinda sticks if my iron is up too high and doesn’t like to press that well. It’s not REALLY difficult but enough to be annoying. The rest is cotton I guess? It frays like a b**** as you can see in the photo! I’ve zigzagged all my seams so far and it will be lined too. I don’t currently have any lining for it but I’ve made the pockets out of the same black satin used as the contrast in my Cambie Dress. I might lay out my pieces for the lining and see if I have enough of the black to line the rest of the coat.

Progress on the green coat is slow – my purple silk & rayon lining arrived which looks great. It’s thin though which will require underlining if I want it to have the strength and longevity I expect. Which means another fabric purchase. Coats sure are a lot of work!

I also received a One Lovely Blog award from Purls and Pleats I’m notoriously slack at responding to these things but Marrie took the time to actually email me saying she’d passed it on so I think I should answer. I’m supposed to list 7 things about me. Sounds difficult. Umm…Okay lemme try:

1. I listen to audiobooks while I’m sewing. I “found” a Top 100 Sci-Fi audiobooks and have made my way through Neuromancer, which was excellent…The Mote in God’s Eye which was kinda lame and I didn’t finish it, and now onto To Your Scattered Bodies Go. This piqued my interest because of the curious title and the story is even more interesting. I wont tell you more about it but look it up if sci-fi is your bag. It’s not for everyone but I LOVE it.

2. I watch a LOT of movies. So many that I am now pretty indiscriminate with my choices. I’ll start watching almost anything (romantic comedies are usually on the no-go list because of their painful formulaic boringness!)….finishing is another matter entirely. And I don’t like to read reviews or know much about a flick before watching because I don’t want them to influence my opinion.

3. I almost never eat breakfast at home. Hehe. On weekdays I will have cereal or porridge at work (depending on the season) and on the weekends, we almost always go out. Even if it’s only for a ham and cheese croissant and a coffee. Does that sound decadent to you?  It’s not that I don’t enjoy making breakfast, but where we live there is such a wealth of options for eating out it’d be a shame to waste those opportunities. Heh!

4. I’m a crazy cat lady in training. Yep. Not surprised though are you?

5. I do zero exercise – except for a bit of walking here and there (sometimes the 2kms it is to walk into the city from home). I’m not proud of this fact – dedicating the time to be healthy should be important but when I dont get home til 7pm on a good day, the last thing I want to do is lift heavy things. However, I’m seriously considering going back to muay Thai and maybe boxing since my old gym is on the way home from work and it’s the one sport I actually enjoyed. Just need to stop procrastinating…..

6. And while I’m at it…I’m pretty darn good at procrastinating. Not everything gets the Master Procrastination treatment – but things like organising my tax return, calling people, some emails, design work (sorry Mum!!!!) and mending clothes gets put on the back-burner something chronic. Argh!

annnnnd 7. Just to be stupid. Last week I spent $8 on butter. And I don’t regret it one bit. So unbelievably delicious.

On that note, I think I shall leave it. Next week I should have some sewing posts for you. And I won’t tag anyone for this blog award cos – meh ;-P

Til soon!!

Hello Everyone!
Woowee am I excited to show you this latest creation!

EVERYTHING is awesome about it ;-P If I do say so myself! Haha.

Pattern: Butterick 3989 – from early to mid 40′s I think. From the amazing Evadress Patterns
Fabric: Awesome tropical print rayon WITH PINEAPPLES from eBay. This isn’t vintage as the selvedge mentions “Hoffman Internation Fabrics 2001″. How COOL is it!? I have another piece which has Plumerias and palm trees on it!

Notions: Just a heap of snaps and thread. Duh.

Cost: About $28 – The pattern was $20, the fabric I got three yards for $6 plus shipping, and snaps are cheapish. Still enough fabric left for a top
Changes Made: Made it knee length – easy! ZERO fit alterations – These patterns fit SO well straight outta the box! Yay!
Finishing: I used selvedge as best as I could, and rayon seam binding on most seams. The curve seam at the front I zigzagged.
Notes: I made a boo-boo with this! I don’t usually make any serious mistakes but here I did. I traced the front draped skirt piece to make a new piece, since I didn’t think I could do my usual trick of folding the pattern piece up to shorten it. It’s a bit of a weird shape and I didn’t want to hack at my pattern. Yes I am naughty and cut straight from precious pieces of paper that are older than my grandma (almost). Though this wasn’t the real reason I made a boo-boo, but it probably helped. See, this dress has quite a few pieces that are only cut once, so it’s important you’re cutting the right side of the fabric. Get where I’m going here? Yep! I cut this piece the wrong way round so I had two left facing skirt sections. Derpalina!
Easily fixed though and the rest of the make was easy….

Until I got to the sleeves…

Yeh this confused me for a bit. I couldn’t figure out how the little tiny sleeve section was to join the cap sleeve, and still be finished on the outside. I decided to just follow the instructions and baste each piece in (instead of taking a shortcut and sewing straight away) – and what do you know? Patience won out and it made sense once I’d basted it all together. It’s a bit of an interesting way to finish a sleeve – and involves less hand sewing than Mccall 6006.

The gathers are so cool, as well as the asymmetrical neckline. These details might have been more visible using a plain fabric but I LOVE prints so much.

Next project and other things – My 1940′s trench coat is cut out. I also found some lining online for my green coat. Silk and rayon blend from Vietnam – the price was very good so I’m hoping it’s nice when I get it. It’s going to be a rich purple colour – a nice contrast to the apple green. *GRIN*
Also went to Brunswick the other day and found some very light white cotton for the underlining of a very special project (hints are on Facebook). Savers was picked clean of anything good – Just got some dark green cotton drill which would be good for a pencil skirt, and buttons to match. Coincidentally I found some Jeffrey Campbell shoes today in the SAME SHADE for $65. Bought. Yep. No more spending til next pay-day so dont let me! Hah.
I’m not usually that keen on the crazy Jeffrey Campbells I see around the parts…I like crazy shoes, but not ones that make your feet look like giant hooves. Errgh. Anyways, you’ll probably see them eventually.

I’m continuing on with hair experiments. This one is a bit blah but the roll is cool. I don’t think my face shape is suited to have two rolls on the top of my head so one will do for now. I’ve purchased some setting lotion and lots of pin-curl clips and currently have my hair setting. Fingers crossed for a nice result tomorrow!

Enough rambling – time to go!

Ciao!

Hi Everyone!
Been a bit long since I last posted huh?
The parents were up last weekend so I was running around too much to take photos. Though you might have seen some on Instagram. I have no idea how to link my profile tho. Usually I’m good with techy things too. If you go to my FB page there’s a few Instagram pics there and I guess you can follow from those.

Sooo – this dress. I’ll do a nice list of details kinda like the Sew Weekly posts because they are easier to read aren’t they?

Pattern: Simplicity 3835 from the 40′s – early in the decade I think, but can’t be sure.
Fabric: Pastel green sheer with white floral flocking – possibly nylon? New Japanese made fabric bought from one of the little shops on Sydney Rd Brunswick.
Notions: A heap of snaps and 3 tiny hook & eyes.
Cost: About $13 – $5 p/m for the fabric – I used just about 2m. Snaps were probably about $3 – they’re so expensive here and I use heaps of them. Need to buy them in bulk from somewhere!

Changes Made: Lowered the neckline a smidgen (just by hacking at the front piece where the bow sits) since it was super high. That’s all! The pattern pieces are for the long skirt so I wouldn’t count shortening them as an alteration.
Finishing: Snaps and hook & eyes at waist with an opening on both sides. One side is lapped and the other with just the seam folded over and stitched twice. Narrow hem on skirt and belt ties. Seams finished using a double stitch, about 1mm apart and then trimmed. I couldn’t be bothered with French seams for this. Lazy!

Verdict: Love it!! I’ve wanted to make something with this fabric for a while – and it’s been planned for many things but I settled on this pattern in the end. I love sheer dresses and want to make more! I’m only wearing a nude coloured slip under this but wearing a bright layer would be so cool – the possibilities are endless. It’s not really winter clothing but who cares? It’s not really colder than wearing any other dress in winter. Plus it WILL be awesome when the hot weather rolls around. It was really easy to make but there is quite a lot of hand finishing – I guess these earlier patterns don’t come with all the facings either. I was instructed to cut my own bias strip to finish the neck edges and to cut a piece for the bow.
The double side openings are interesting too, because it only says to lap one side. If I made this again, I’d do a lapped opening on both sides because it’s tidier. Even if it takes more work.

(look – seams! Hehe. And my hair is freshly ‘redded’ – yay!)

My makeup – since I thought I’d show you….The lipstick was a gift from the always fabulous Super Kawaii Mama for when I helped her out with the vintage bridal talk she had at the Love Vintage fair. The colour is so rich and the actual lipstick smells like cinnamon – nice!

I don’t always wear the Laura Mercier powder – sometimes opting for Revlon Colorstay, but this one is really good. It has great coverage. I bought it off StrawberryNET so the colour is a shade too dark – will go lighter next time! Not that you can tell in the photos.
The concealer I always rave about to everyone who will listen – I’ve had it for ages and it’s the best concealer in the world – covers EVERYTHING. And you only need the tiniest smidgen.
I could rabbit on about the other things but I wont. Heh. If you have any questions, do ask!

Now onto other news: I’m making another dress – haha! Surprised? I went a bit mental this month and bought a shitload of different rayons. Some from Denver Fabrics and the rest from eBay. Dad also bought me some really amazing black and purple pure wool plaid from the Vic Markets. It will become a wiggle dress with an empire waist and black bow at the back. I’ve never matched plaids so wish me luck with that one!
The coat is still going nowhere – waiting for payday so I can get some lining for it. I’ve not found anything good online so I’m going to try my luck out at Brunswick or maybe hit up Tessuti.

Umm…what else – Work has been crazy-busy lately – 12 hour shifts in front of the computer are intense. It’s not going to let up for a while either. There will definitely be less time to sew next week. But I should finish my current project.

Bla blah – okay I think I’m done! This post has taken me ages….Time to go relax and watch a movie. I haven’t even done any sewing today – might leave that for Sunday.

Oh and thanks for all the comments on my shirt post I’m really behind on replying but I will get to it eventually!

Ciao for now!

Hi All
Ack! Mega late posting! To think I wanted to get this up on Saturday! Bah!
What did I DO with my weekend???
Well it was pretty busy in fact – if you count going out and drinking quite a bit on Friday, recovering Saturday, talking bridesmaid duties Saturday evening and theeeennnn….What DID I do Sunday? Oh that’s right – I made another version of last weeks Butterick top for a friend!
Isn’t it crazy how the days can get away from you?

So…To drawing…These were the last two weeks of The Drawing Salon. In week 7 we covered stripes and wool texture. As well as being taught how to draw your own croquis template. This was a really neat technique which I’ve actually done a tutorial for. If you want to see it let me know – and I’ll have to ask Angie if I’m allowed to divulge some secrets!

I’m not sure I’m too happy with this one …. Surprised? Haha. It’s a bit too – overworked. Meh. These watercolours will take a while to get used to.

Week 8 was lots of fun too. The topic was collage and we used fabric and paper to make our images. The 3D aspect was neat – My gown was much puffier but then I carried it home jammed into my sketchbook and proceeded to flatten it further with the scanner *cough*.

The flowers on her head are cut outs from some fabric.

Annnnnd that’s about all for now. Got a few things coming up next week so I’m hoping I’ll find time to take pics of more sewing stuff amongst it all.
My folks are coming to visit next weekend which will be ace! I haven’t seen them in a year almost (I think!).
Also, heading to Sydney for the day on Saturday, with a nice roadtrip back.
Busy busy.
Well, must run!
Till soon…

Hullo Everyone!
Why look, I have a sewing post – at last! It’s not the one I intended to write about today…that didn’t happen because yesterday the batteries for the camera went flat as I was about to take pics. And then I found a lipstick stain on my dress. Bummer! So now it’s in the wash and I’m showing you Butterick 6740 (view A) instead.

This pattern isn’t mine – I borrowed it off my epically stylish best friend > Brand New Armour so I could make it for her. And then I made myself one. And then I will make her another – cos it’s such a neat pattern.

It’s SO easy to make – even though it came with no instructions, you don’t really need them. The envelope tells you enough – the neckline gathers into a band which ties to make a bow. The sleeves I faced with bias tape (blue satin in this instance) and they are all cut in one with the bodice.

My fabric is a poly cotton blend found at Savers. It’s nice and lightweight and has just the right amount of body. That said, you could make this shirt in a lot of different weights. The one I made for my friend is much lighter and slightly sheer.

I made a few teeny changes….brought the bust in a bit because this one is big for me and even then it has TONS of ease. The neck band needs to be twice as long!! YES. I don’t know what kind of skinny necks chicks in the 5o’s had but if you followed the pattern, you’d be strangling yourself and not even have enough to make a nice looking bow.

The buttons are amazing blue cut glass – possibly from the 30′s. These came from Etsy and I just love them. The colour is such a vivid and deep blue.

Comes together in a couple of hours…And so flattering. I do need to make more for others – share the love….The variations are endless for this. You could even do a contrast neck band. Or make it out of something quite slinky.

Yays!

Check out my shoes too. I am so in love with these. They are Miss L Fire (of course), with little raffia flowers on them and a carved wooden heel. I also tried to do something with my hair – only just passed as a moderate success….maybe. I suck at hair! Must keep practising. I saw a girl at a cafe yesterday with an amazing green coat and a fluffy grey fox around her neck – she had long black hair and bangs….I think I want a fringe…Maybe. But it’s one of those things that if it doesn’t work out, you have to live with the blah for months til it grows out. Anyways – the length is getting better….It needs a trim but I will wait a bit longer.

Other news: I have a drawing to post but I’m a bit blah about that too. Might put it up during the week with the final Drawing Salon class results.
The green coat is coming along nicely (check Facebook for a preview). I’m at a standstill now…next week is payday so I will buy some more green wool for the facings and sleeve (I am thinking of re-cutting so they aren’t tapered like in the pattern)…shame about all the wastage of the amazing fabric *sad face*. I’ve put all the seams together apart from the side ones. Which is a good thing because I’ve decided it definitely needs pockets – what kind of coat doesn’t have pockets? – so I will use Tasia’s Cambie Dress pockets and insert them in my side seams. This should be pretty easy. Except I need to make them out of the lining fabric. Which I don’t have yet. I’ve been looking for an interesting rayon stripe but not had much luck. I might just go with a solid colour.
Do you think a rayon lining is a good idea or should I go with silk?
I don’t want anything too thin – my current winter jacket (RTW) has got the crappiest lining that is literally falling apart and it’s only in it’s second season. I know a lot of clothes are ‘throw-away’ these days but is it too much to expect all the components of one garment to at least have the same life span? The outside is fine and holding up beautifully, but each mend I make on the lining, the next day there is another tear. GRR!
So yeh, I want something that’s going to last as long as my coat will. Ideas?

Erm – I probably have more to ramble about but it’s time to hit the sewing machine…

Ciao!