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!

Hi All!

As you can probably tell by the title of this post, it’s likely going to be about Halloween or dressing up Last week I was at a party, to celebrate Halloween – or more just to dress up, since the holiday isn’t a big deal in Australia really. I’ve only been to a couple of dress up parties and this one I think I put the most effort into, since I made my dress and bought special shoes for the occasion.

So let me tell you about the most awesome skirt in the world.

This is Advance 8064 from a few posts back. I thought it would be perfect for the party and all I had to do was track down some blue gingham. I got lucky at Spotlight in Brunswick and bought the last 2.8m of this. It’s seersucker too! It was only $13 or so. The buttons were $6 for about 8 from the antiques shop up the road.

On making this I realised my pattern was missing the piece for the back facing, and I had to draft it. It wasn’t too tricky to do – I used the back pieces as a guide.

Aren’t princess cuts so awesome? I just love how the way it’s cut gives control to the fall of the skirt. Super flattering.

There’s pockets too!

I didn’t wear this shirt to the party – I had a white vintage one on instead. This one however, is one I made myself. Two sewing projects shown in one hit!! Its Hollywood 1164. It came together quite easily. The hardest thing maybe setting the sleeves. I used a trick from one of my sewing books on how to reduce the ease in the sleeve, as patterns often come with too much and then you’ve got to stuff all this fabric into a small space.
The super easy trick is just this – fold the end of the sleeve cap down as if you were shortening any other part of the sleeve…but only take a little out. Mine was about 1cm total. Then smooth the edges when you’re cutting so you skip the jagged edge thats created from the folding. Hard to explain sorry! If anyone wants to SEE it, I can do a diagram. Just let me know!

Since I have no Toto, I decided to con Puss into being Toto. Here is me stuffing her in my bag
At first she didn’t like it, but then she was okay with it. Then she had enough. Teehee.

My only problem now with this skirt is that it’s SO Dorothy. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could wear this or alter it so I don’t look like Dorothy all the time? I was thinking of swapping out the buttons for some white ones. And not wearing the glitter shoes of course hehe. And maybe even dyeing it – either red to make purple….or maybe even yellow to make green. Ideas???

Now my next post will be ART related. Howzat!? I’m working on a freelance job for someone which has to be finished tonight so I better get back to it!

Ciao!

Hi everyone

Quickie post today to show you two patterns that arrived in the mail today.

The first – Advance 8064 from the 50′s. I was browsing Ebay a little while ago (as you do) and noticed a really cute skirt for sale by popular seller Violetville Vintage . She has an awesome range of really cute vintage clothes but I’d seen this one somewhere before…It was then I remembered a pattern I had put in my Etsy favourites only the week before. I quickly searched and there it was – the identical pattern. No doubt, the skirt was made from the very same pieces. It was exciting to see it made up and how awesome it looked so it didn’t take me long to put it in my shopping cart Just my size too!

And since I have a bad habit of trying to “save on shipping” by buying more than one thing from a seller, I had a look at what else SelvedgeShop had for sale This next skirt was a no-brainer….check out the quirky details: petal shaped waistline curving down to asymmetrical button closure…and a neatly pleated bustle type gathering on the back. How elegant! The blouse pattern comes with it too (like the one above too). I think this one must be from the very late 40′s or early 50′s. Totally amazing – one of the most unique skirts I’ve ever seen.

Now which one do I make first??

My sewing and drawing time has been cut down significantly with the new job. I’m getting home quite late in the evening and rather exhausted. I hope the tiredness is only a settling in phase and it will pass soon. With summer coming, I’m looking forward to more daylight hours too.

Is everyone else looking forward to the change of season?
Melbourne keeps playing games with us all – beautiful and sunny one week and the next its all horrible and cold again. Though I shouldn’t say horrible – because I truly love the cold better….but I’m in that in-between phase where I want warm days. It won’t last though – come mid December I’ll be moaning about the heat already. I predict a particularly long and hot summer too this year. Maybe not as crazy as the year we had the big fires but still hot.

Anyways, it’s late. I better get to bed.

Will post on the weekend if I get the time ))

Hiiii!

Soooo I have a drawing for you. A very old drawing. One I started at the end of January to be exact. It’s been hanging around that long and I’m finally sick of it enough to call it done. But – its DONE. It could be a lot better yes…I could have added a whole bunch more pixels in there and got fiddly with the details…..

I’m still kinda hung up on the piece I’m working on now though – and this being unfinished was bothering me. So here it is.

Inadvertently you ask? Well I’d found the reference on Tumblr somewhere which had no text to explain who it was. I thought “It kinda looks like Cate Blanchett”. I wouldn’t make a good paparazzo would I? Haha Derp!

I do like these colours though. And I don’t know how I have my colour settings set up – but when I work in Corel Painter, the image is a lot lighter, so when it gets to Photoshop for my final touches (signature, that’s about all really), the colours become super saturated. Painter, I think is the odd one out in this chain but I like it this way.

(detail)

I’m still stressing about my creative “skillz” – too scared to set my own projects where I can really explore different methods of drawing and I dunno – just letting go. Maybe I should jump back into the ConceptArt.org challenges. They’ve set up a new section called Illustration of the Week (IOW) which looks promising.

(WIPs)

Anyways…I best be off.

Ciao!

Hiiii!
So this is the outfit that I envisioned to go with my Miss L Fire shoes….and luck was on my side when I found the exact top I wanted in Savers some time ago. All I had to do then was make a black skirt.

I scored some heavy black cotton from one of those little fabric stores on Sydney Rd and set to work. These kinds of skirts don’t really need a pattern – just cut a rectangle and gather it into a waistband. I got a bit overzealous with the size of my rectangle and ended up with way too much fabric in there. It turned out rather puffy and I had to pleat it to fit it all in. Now it’s an absolute nightmare to iron and I also made the mistake of sitting on the couch to do my hand-sewing so it got covered in cat fur. Oh Boofy! It doesn’t wash out that well either – maybe a few more rounds in the machine and some vigorous application of the sticky paper fur remover thingy and it should be right. Haha.

Well the outfit turned out rather – crazy – don’t you think? Not sure if I’m quite game enough to wear the stripy top out and the skirt makes me feel all frivolous and cutesy.

I may have just enough fabric left to make a pencil skirt, albeit a shorter one than usual.

Now I really must get back to drawing – The portrait I’m doing needs to be finished TODAY. So glad it’s a long weekend so I have the time to finish it. Even though it means chaining myself to the computer. Saturday though was spent shopping for the required things for Fiji. The BF was surprised that I actually invested in practical shoes…..I can be practical when I need to be ;-P I just don’t want to look fugly at the same time. Is that too much to ask? ;-P

Must run then!

Hiiii!

I’ve  been busy. As per usual.

These are the things I’ve been talking about in my last posts. I made a simple tank top and a gathered skirt.

(Boof is smiling too!)

The top I used a vintage pattern for. It’s made of very thin purple slub cotton. Not the best quality but this was my “test” go. The size was pretty small – so I ended up removing the darts from the front. It still only just fits in the front. The next time I make this I will give myself a bit more room around the bust and it doesn’t really need to be so fitted as I like my tops a bit looser.
The back of it is nice and I like how low it goes (you can’t see sorry – pics were taken in a hurry today!). I’m thinking I might want to add some kind of embellishments to not make it so boring. Maybe some embroidered daisies around the neckline.
Next time – I will also be lining it. Facings are annoying! I followed the instructions on attaching them which left some hand sewing a the shoulders which was kind of shitty. I’ll do it the other way I know how to line sleeveless garments when I make this next.

The skirt didn’t need a pattern. I just cut a long rectangle of fabric and gathered it into a waistband. Since this was a sheet it didn’t even need hemming. Yay! I only sort of like this – lesson learnt: gathers look better with more at the back then at the front.

So this is one outfit down for Fiji! And I even found a belt and shoes to match.

Also – Check out my new shoes! SO AWESOME! And mega comfy. I don’t have much to wear with them though (shhhh) – But I couldn’t resist the bargain – $50 from Asos for Miss L Fire – that’s pretty cheap!

I can make things to match though can’t I? I do need your help though – I’m not sure if I should make another skirt like this one but in white….or a pencil skirt in white? I have some white cotton drill similar to the khaki skirt fabric. I also have enough of the purple cotton from the top to make a skirt – then I could put the two together and it would be like a dress. All I’d need is some green accessories. Does anyone have any other ideas? I’m a bit thrown off by the white. Help!

Anyways – that’s all for now! Til later…

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!