So Tread Softly...

wearables

Back in February I joined a dress making evening class at our local college. It's just for two hours a week and even though I haven't been able to attend each session due to regular work commitments, I've managed to produce two garments. If it wasn't for those precious two hours where I allow myself to indulge, they simply wouldn't exist.

I have a dark chocolate and teal thing going on right now as you will see. This is a kimono top with ruched gathers at the waist.

It took a while to come together and consequently, I've gone right off it and haven't worn it yet!

Hoping that it will grow on me as it took soooo long to make!

My second garment I really do like.

I have a Carly Harris dress (NZ designer) and decided to take a pattern from it. I chose a beautiful fluid silk which was really tricky to use as it's so slippery.

The dress has a definite 1920's feel to it and looks great over jeans or trousers. I'm desperate to make more. Just need to lay my hands on some more silk.

Next week I'll be starting something new. Not sure what it's going to be yet but I'll keep you posted.

Do you mind if I end with a photo of Trumpet? Indulge me? This was taken last night. He'd just woken up for a long sleep.

Until next time...

indulgent sewing

I'm lucky enough to have two and a half days a week in my sewing studio. The thing is, those days right now are pretty much taken up with making things for the website, up and coming fairs and shop orders, that there's rarely time for me to make things for myself. I've come to the conclusion of late that now that I've hit 41(did I really say that out loud?!) I can no longer wear cheap clothes! They just look...well...cheap on me! Expensive, well cut, expertly sewn clothes however, suit me just fine. I've never been able to justify spending $150 on a skirt and so I decided to enroll on a dress making course at our local college. The first session was yesterday.

I dragged a couple of girlfriends along with me so it's an evening I think I'll always look forward to. Pure indulgence. Making stuff just for me. Expensive well cut looking stuff - I hope!

Lunch on the porch today in the sunshine with this book that Janelle kindly lent me. It's filled with some nice little projects, especially if  you're a beginner when it comes to sewing. A wonderfully friendly book that I might just invest in. It has some ideas that my niece might like to try out when she next comes to stay.

Until next time...

shared moments 06/02

images: linen tape from Linnet beautifully presented

full circle

We're almost through Winter. Another 4 weeks and we'd have gone full circle and will be celebrating living a whole year in New Zealand. It's been a real journey and I mean a REAL journey both emotionally and physically. Dealing with being so far away from people I love dearly has been a huge trial - HUGE! But I think that I'm going to leave those thoughts exactly where they are until my post on 12th September (that's when the year's up) which, I imagine, will have something to do with reflection.

Anyway, where was I...ah yes, Winter. This weekend has been so gorgeous that My Tread Softly and I decided to ditch our plans and spend most of it outdoors. Yesterday we drove up to Carter Reserve for a saunter through the swamp land. We were the only ones there apart from the fantails flitting about.

I always have my camera on me and loved this shot of a wooden stump...

...which led me to start this...

...which I turned into this...

  ...and this...

I have a little production line going on right now as I'm wanting to include a selection of the above on my stall at the Daffodil Fair on 9th September.

Hey, thanks for all your comments regarding the last post. Each and every one of them brightened my day.

Until next time...

zipper challenge and other makes

I have an hour and a half before meeting for lunch with the Girl Friday's so thought that I'd squeeze in a blog post and tackle the art of zipper insertion! That's what it's been like this week, trying to squeeze sewing and craft into a tight schedule. If I don't make something I get grouchy! Next week looks a little more relaxed (opening diary)...actually, there's quite a lot on I see but hey, I like to keep busy!

Would you believe that I've never put in a zipper? In the UK my Mum lived in the next village to us so if I needed a zipper putting in I'd pop over and see her. Now that we're 12 thousand miles away, it's not quite as easy as all that. All I wanted to make was a little change purse, straight forward you might think, but I've been putting it off until now because of the dreaded zipper!

But today I felt brave and the results weren't too bad. There's something odd happening at each end but at least it zips back and forth quite easily.

I'll take it to lunch and get the girl's tell me how it can be improved. They're good like that.

This week I also managed to squeeze in sewing a linen border to the blue vintage wool blanket that hangs over the back of the sofa. I like to curl up in at with a good book in the evenings and Trumpet likes to sit on top of it.

I made two pin boards, one was a commission piece - you can see it in the shop with a big RESERVED sign on it, and the other for my Mother-in-Law who's birthday it is this weekend. It's OK, I'm not spoiling the surprise because she requested one.

I also managed to make a pair of full length curtains for the lounge.

They still need hemming and pressing but at least we have some privacy again. I'll squeeze that into next weeks schedule!

Until next time...

WIP Friday

Today I'm busy working on a shop order ready for delivery on Monday. My draught excluder's seem to be selling quickly right now but seeing that it's the middle of winter and many people here live in beautiful turn of the century draughty wooden cottages, I can't say that I'm surprised!

I've been playing a round with a new design and not a piece of beige linen in sight! Unheard of! I decided to use denim seeing that it's so hard wearing and I'm pleased with the results mainly because it involved hand sewing - something that I adore doing as I can keep one eye on my work and one on Oprah!

This weekend will be spent with our good friends who also happen to be the parents of our beautiful god daughter, Anoushka. A while back I made her a button bracelet but it's now too small so I promised to take it away and make it into something else. This little heart brooch with mother of pearl antique buttons will be passed onto her tomorrow.

Have you noticed the cute little Lovely NZ button to the left of the blog? It's a fabulous new idea by Charlotte and she asked me to interview for the Lovely Blog section. And my response? It would be an absolute pleasure!

Have a great weekend whatever you may be doing.

crossing items off the list

It's been a great week for getting things crossed off the To Do list. Remember the fabric I found a couple of posts ago? Every since then I've been washing and pressing it. The last of it was laundered yesterday. Really pleased that that's crossed off! Washing.

The Girl Friday's were talking yesterday about how driven I can be. Now I take that as a compliment but I was thinking about where it comes from ( apart from the values taught to me by my folks) and it really stems back to when I was in the theatre. I used to have a recurring dream about being on stage and not having taken the time to learn my lines properly. It would be my turn to deliver a line and of course, because I hadn't done the preparation, I didn't have the faintest idea what I was supposed to say. I never want to be in that position for real so I always take time to prepare.

The Winter Solstice fair is drawing closer and that's what I'm working towards and focusing on right now. Sewing is never a chore and I'm loving every minute of getting my handmades together. This week I've focused on pin-boards for the stall.

I can now cross those off the list. Pin-boards

I'm half way through making coaster pairs. They'll be complete by the end of this evening. Half way stage!

 

The Girl Friday's were treated to cake yesterday (thanks Victoria).

Mr Tread Softly and I gave up smoking 18 months ago and since then we've both gained a bit of weight. The diet starts on Tuesday so then cake will definitely be crossed off the list. Cake!

I've also got to get through these by then which really won't be a chore! A parcel arrived by courier out of the blue from Myra (father in law's partner). This is what she sent:

They're all my favourites. I posted about them here a while back. There was a little note attached that read:

"Can't do much to help with your 'making bee' leading up to the Winter Solstice Fair but hope this will keep the energy levels up to support your creativity."

How thoughtful is that?! THANK YOU Myra! You comment on every post and know how to treat a crafting girl. I'm so grateful for that.

I've been talking to Melissa about wanting one of her gorgeous scarfs in an adult size. We were also discussing the possibility of adding a little opening so that one end could be threaded through the other. We were having real trouble working out how it could be done. She's snowed under at the moment so gave me the go ahead to have a play. Not yet perfect but I know exactly what I have to do next time to rectify the little niggles. She just has one toddler sized scarf in her shop right now so I'd grab it if I were you! Fathom out how to include an opening.

Trumpet (King of his Castle) is worn out with all the activity going on in a little wooden cottage in small town New Zealand! Photograph Trumpet for the 100th time today.

My sewing machine is calling so I'd better get back to it. In the meantime, keep warm if you're on this side of the world and enjoy the sunshine if you're on the other!

Update blog.

making me smile

Making me smile today is the stack of freshly laundered wool fabric sitting patiently waiting for me to crank up the sewing machine.

Mmmm, mustard and grey making me beam.

The new Lotta book arrived at our local bookshop. Now that's REALLY making me smile today as is the sun pouring in through my workroom window.

A couple of gorgeous designs caught my eye immediately.

And always making me smile, little Trumpet man asleep on vintage fabric French covered boxes. Now there's a kitten with taste!

And now, I have a date with my sewing machine so until next time...

flower power

My Sunday was perfect! I spent the entire day stitching and listening to the radio. I moved out of the studio so that I could sit in front of the log burner to keep toasty. I almost finished the five flower pins I set out to complete. I was up bright and early this morning to add the finishing touches. A friend once described my flower pins as Fisher Price meets Prada! I quite like that!

The light is poor this morning so excuse the shadows.

The flower brooches measure about 6 inches so that they make a real impact. I almost never leave the house without a flower pinned to me!

Until next time...

sewing studio sunday

Today will be spent in the sewing studio finishing off samples ready for a shop meeting in the morning. It's raining outside so I'm not complaining. I've saved up the omnibus edition of The Archers, there's a big pot of tea on the desk and I'm raring to go!