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Also, just a public service announcement -  Procatinator is addictive. 

A new crafty meetup-Make It Collective

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If you're in Sydney this coming Wednesday night, come along to the inaugural Make It Collective meetup!

A new craft group for anyone who loves to craft, wants to learn or just wants to sit around and meet some new people.

Pear it up - the Washi Dress

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To be sung to the tune of Stir it up. Or alternatively 'Hold me closer tiny pears' *. Either way, here 'tis - the pear dress! 

This dress came together so easily, I was actually surprised. I've had a few dress fails (or stumbles at least) lately so it was nice and refreshing to be able to whip this little number up. The pattern is the Made by Rae Washi dress and the fabric is actually from Spotlight, purchased with a Christmas gift voucher.

If you look closely you can see the fabric is actually made up of tiny tiny pears.

 

I had to do almost zero alternations. I made a quick muslin of the top section just to check the bust wouldn't massively gape. The ruched back works wonders in creating something that's incredibly comfortable yet fitted. I brought the waist in by about 1/2 inch and the hips by about an inch as the fabric kind of kicked outwards. Oh and took up the length by about 3 inches as with the sleeves I looked a bit like a giant blob of blueness!

I plan to make many more of this dress, definitely a brilliant wardrobe staple. 


* I'm not the only one who takes words and merges them into songs in her head and then walks around all say singing said songs with new lyrics? Or am I....

A running start

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Happy new year!

I know, I know, we're almost halfway through it! Sorry I may have a been a bit distracted melting, watching new/old tv shows, and thanks to this creature:

May I introduce you to Neika. Neika, my blog readers. Neika is Ben's dog that he bought as a puppy and has been living out his folks, next door to a dairy farm where she would sneak off to and drink/eat the cream, hence the slight chubbiness.

She LOVES pats and will roll over onto her back anytime anyone comes near with a look in her eyes 'pat me pat me pat me pat me'.

I'm not one for new year resolutions but reflecting on my sewing from last year, some of my most worn pieces were the least expected. I discovered a real love of all things stretch and knit my first jumper (and discovered just how warm real wool is!). For 2013, I'd like to sew a few more plain colour pieces that I can mix and match. Perhaps some knit tops and some skirts.

On another note a small confession - I may or may not have gone on a small online shopping spree. It was 2nd Jan, I was back at work, life was tough, y'know?

So many delightful goodies. I'm currently working on 3 (!) dresses, so eventually I'll get one finished to share. I also have Lonsdale dress pics which are in Canberra and I'll try to get and post soon. Picture a tropical fruit lady.

In other quick photo updates, we had a crafternoon with a bunch of friends. Look bunting!

We also grew a bunchload a basil, made jars and jars of pesto. I fit in a quick sewing project makin a Colette Meringue out of fabric my ma got me a while back. Hope you all had a swinging start to 2013!

Button-up in blue

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Here's a dress I finished up actually while we were at the old house but hadn't had a chance to grab pics of until now.

The pattern is Simplicity 6294 and the fabric is some kind of polyester slippery fabric from the Fabric Cave. I've had it sitting in my stash for a while but was never quite sure what to make with it. In fact, I think this is my first dress made from a plain coloured piece of fabric!

The pattern was for a 36 inch bust so I spent some time learning how to grade the pattern down using this handy tutorial from A Fashionable Stitch. I didn't both with the skirt pieces though, I was more worried about the top fitting. After finishing the pattern grading a made a quick muslin and ended up having to adjust the armholes (as always!). You may also notice the darts are slightly misaligned. whoops!

The buttons are just come left over ones I think I got from Reverse Garbage for 50cents a few months back.
I actually really like this dress and it's ended up on high rotation in my wardrobe. Only downside is it definitely needs a belt with it because the waist seam is a tiny bit wonky. The black belt (of the dress kind not the hiiiii-ya karate chop kind)  is the only one I own, but I think it would work quite well with brown, what do you think?

A few weeks back I also had a bunch of friends up from Canberra for the weekend and we had a bit of fun taking jumping photos off the back step. Isn't it funny how differently everyone jumps?!

Moving and an update

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As a kid we only ever moved house once, from a house in the city centre to a block of land about 30 minutes away. It seems to be as I've gotten older and moved from sharehouse to unit to house, I've become better at adapting to change and trying to go with the flow. So when our little unit was put up for sale a few months ago, Benj and I thought it might be time to start looking for somewhere a tiny bit bigger to rent - with a backyard was Benj's criteria. 

After a bit of searching and a few inspections we found a lovely little run-down cottage house just a few blocks away from where we currently live, with a giant backyard and in our price range. Hooray! 

Saturday we  hired a truck and with the help of my bro and our two lovely friends Megan and Ben, loaded all our crap in the back and drove it to the new place. 

It's amazing the little differences you appreciate. Bathtub! Full phone reception! Television reception without rabbit ears! A big room just for sewing! A backyard with lots of veggie space! 

The only downside is now I never want to leave for work! 

Ben, Megan and I out the backyard. 

The panoramic backyard view

In other exciting news, a new sewing/craft place has opened up near Broadway in Sydney. They were looking for people to get involved and I'll be holding a sewing stretch leggings workshop in a few weeks time! Eek! If you know anyone looking to learn to make their own clothes, let them know!

Muslin: Lonsdale Dress

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Sewaholic's Lonsdale dress has been on my 'to do' list for a while and when I discovered A Fashionable Stitch was having a big sale, it seemed like no better time than to buy the pattern (and a few many other bits and pieces).

I started with a muslin just to check sizing round the chest region. Lucky, because there are a few bits and pieces I need to change. First up, I used this wonderful fitting post to help me, and had to make almost the same changes.

The front.

First the tiny bit of bust gaping around the top. I think this is the same adjustment I would have needed to make with the Tiki dress, if only I'd recognised it at the time. I also appear to have an incredibly short waist because I'm seriously removing like an inch from the front and back waist - is that normal?

From previous dresses, I've noticed my upper body seems to be quite short and my legs long.

I also had to remove a chuck from the centre front - I'm not really sure if this is right though?

The back. Yeah, I kinda take short cuts sometimes on muslins.

What do you think? Do you always have to take the waist up? Am I making the right adjustments?