Major Storms and Tornado's in Australia!!! WHAT!!!

One minute I am whining about the heat here in Queensland, melting away in my own pool of sweat. Well now for the latest update... the weather since then has been rainy, clouds, storms, rain and ...wait for it...TORNADO'S!!!

A Tornado in Queensland, is so unheard of! Cyclones - yes, but Tornado's - no way! Just a few years back we had unmentionable floods that took the lives of people so unexpectedly just an hour or so from where I live. 

And again today, the TV and Radio stations have been broadcasting alerts up and down the coastline ensuring everyone is ready to evacuate on time.

I am just minutes from the bay and the winds and rain have been extremely strong all day. 

Just as well I am holed up in my little sewing cave, oblivious to all the winds and rain outside...that is until the electricity went out...

What I really like about this pattern...

... is the sleek shaping. And thanks to Kristy from HandmadeRetro for her quick proof-reading (see first comment below) I will also add in that this pattern is Vogue 8759 ...

Son J has a athletic figure, with broad shoulders and a smaller waist, so the typical menswear shirt with a back pleat just billows out around his waist. This shirt has princess-style seaming in the back to allow for a closer fit at the waist.

Don't giggle at the 'man-boobs!'

Apparently one of the current season trends for young guys shirts is having them move away from the typical plains, stripes or plaids that have been around prior to Summer. Floral is the new Plain! Floral shirts (shorts and tees) have been seen everywhere for young guys, and actually look quite good. 

Front yoke and inside-out collar

This shirt is made from a piece of Japanese cotton, currently on sale at Spotlight. It is light and breathable, and fits the bill of being 'on-trend!' The shirt is quite a slim fit compared to a traditional shirt. 

Back collar and undercollar both inside-out 

I have noticed that another trend for men is to have the print on the inside of shirts, I think in an attempt to diffuse the intensity of the bolder colours, so I did this with the collar, turned the placket to the outside, as well as the sleeve hem. 

Not overly noticeable with this print, but fun for me to do (and the sewer has that privilege!!!)

If it is good enough for the lovely George to have a patterned short sleeved shirt ...

... it is good enough for me Son J ...

 ... and he has put in an order for 2 more in this style - so I must have sewn something right!!!
   

If only ...

... it was this easy!!! We all know that parenting requires a great sense of humour. Luckily, this couple have it in abundance!  Enjoy!!!

Canadian photographer Patrice Laroche surely will have no trouble explaining to his kids about the birds and the bees. During his wife Sandra Denis’ pregnancy, the artist created hilarious explanatory photo series titled “How to Make a Baby”. 

The creative couple planned and carried out their project throughout the whole period of 9 months, taking pictures in the exact same settings as Sandra’s belly expanded.

The pregnancy saga of Sandra and Patrice basically denounces the traditional under-the-cabbage and delivered-by-stork stories.

I know this isn't sewing related in the slightest - but how much fun this would have been to do ...

My piece of fabric ...

... that I will never, ever cut into! This piece of fabric is destined to remain at the back of my stash, rarely seeing the light of day. 

Do I like it ... NO! 

If it wasn't so special, would I make something from it ... NO! 

But untouched it will remain for my entire life. One of my lucky kids (sorry!!!) will inherit this piece of fabric with strict instructions to "Never-ever-cut-it-or-else!" And they both know when I am serious!

So, what is this piece of fabric ...

... 1 yard of tweed! Enough for a skirt! 

And it's specialness lies in the fact that my Grandmother purchased this little fabric package in 1961, when visiting Scotland, and returned with it to Australia. She never sewed with it, so passed it onto my Mum, who also never felt inclined to make it up. On Mum's passing I inherited it, and there is no way I am going to be the first in three generations to cut into this fabric.

This piece of tweed comes complete with a label, zipper, lining and instructions to make up a skirt. I am sure my UK followers will know a lot more than I on this area of Scotland, and the history behind Handloom Weaving. 

Also in the same box, all wrapped up in blue tissue paper came these 3 pieces of tartan ...

... but they didn't come with accessories. But each is enough for a skirt length. Not touching these either!

I really should make an effort and investigate the origins of these fabrics, Moffat Weavers, and the correct way to store this fabric for the next 50 years ... until then, no kilt making for this little Aussie!

So tell me, if you owned the Moffat tweed would you keep it under wraps at the back of your stash, or actually cut into it? The ever-clever Andrea form Satin Bird Designs suggested I 'consider framing the lovely piece of fabric, or wrapping a canvas for wall art!' - told you she was a clever-one. 

Apparently, managing your stash...

... is a part of successful sewing! Should we be looking to quantify how much fabric is in the good old stash in measurement terms (that's metric for me), as well as the dollar value of the fabric? I think we would all be amazed at the investment we have made - who needs real-estate in retirement!

There is a bit of a start-of-the-year trend happening, to find the best use of the hoarded fabric stash, and the best management of that ever growing stockpile of luxurious fabric. We have all spent so much time, and money on our stashes, whether it is one piece of must-have fabric, or shelf loads. We build the fabric stash, just like we build our homes - with love, care and thought!

From the blogs popping up at the moment, it seems that many (many, many, many) of us just simply collect fabric. We see a bolt of fabric that just 'grabs us' and we simply just have to have it. Beautiful fabric that we simply must own, we buy a length and take home with us. There is no garment in mind, no plan for its use, the fabric on its own is gorgeous and we can't go home without it.  And then later, we will take these gorgeous pieces from their new home, unfold them, touch and stroke them, label and iron them. We might leave them out in the sewing area, or hang them up, admire them, but in the end we carefully fold them back up and place them back in the stash. 

This part of our stash, the gorgeous fabric part, we really have no intention of cutting up and using on an everyday pattern. We will always save these fabrics for 'a rainy day' - its innate to our female psychic. We can't fight it. Our shelves, tubs and boxes will never be totally empty! 

But if you have an inkling of reducing your stash, head over to 

Cation Designs. 

Cation Designs are sending out a life line to those bloggers who made the New Year's Resolution of cutting into their stash and reducing that pile of treasured fabric in 2013!  Whether your plan is reducing your stash  by one piece of fabric, or just plain LOTS of fabric, Cation Designs has a plan to help us all 'systematically purge our stashes by sewing items to fit a series of themes.' So head on over and sign up. Pledge to join the STASHBUSTING SEWALONG. Places are filling up quicker than the stash on your shelves.

But I do wonder ... is there any fabric in your stash that you just can't take the scissors to! That special piece of fabric that you can never bear to cut. Someday, maybe you'll come up with a worthy garment for it, but until then it must just stay as one pristine condition piece of fabric. Or have your taste changed so much that the fabric is just so 'out-of-date' and no longer has any appeal. I have fabric in each of these categories - can't cut, and just plain hate. 

Cutting into the stash is just so plain hard. 

Do we just pick a few and go for it ... 

And here she finally is...

... my latest (and last for now) McCall's 5523. A little Summer Stunner in beautiful strong pastel colours ...

... and the back ...

Again, a fun little skirt that I will get a lot of wear out of. And these colours really fit into my summer wardrobe well. Here are just a few of the ways I 'could' accessorize with this lovely new skirt ...

I 'could' team this skirt up with my lacy sleeveless white frilly shirt, and a short aqua tonal necklace. A little on the elegant side...

I 'could' pull the aqua blue out of the skirt, and accentuate the colour with a pearly apricot long necklace ...

Or I 'could' pull the apricot colours out of the skirt, highlighting them with a deeper shirt, and bring it altogether with a aqua/tan/off-white shorter necklace.

Many, many possibilities to draw this skirt into my wardrobe, utilising current wearable tops. I 'could' wear each and any of the above on any given day.   But, I have actually forgotten to mention the one perfect, perfect top that I 'will' be wearing with my new Summer Stunner today ...

It is just so stinking hot here that there is no other available option other than a bikini!!!!

For those interested, the technical details of this skirt include - it is View C (gathered lower back with ruffle detail), fabric is a cotton seersucker, it is lined with white cotton, and for the gathered section I used View A's lower flounced piece, invisible zipper, no fancy pops of colour this time, all seams French Seamed. 

Moving the sewing into another direction now this skirt is finished, and I am going to try my hand at sewing men's shirts ... should be interesting ...

It's difficult being tall...

 ... according to my 16 year old son! At 6'5" even finding basic summer pyjama shorts (or boxers as they are often called) that are long enough is a challenge. Whilst short (short, short) shorts where very 'in' in the 80's...

... for which Warwick Capper worked with all his might! And Paul Hogan made famous...

... the once considered 'uniform' of the Aussie bloke, thankfully the 'look' has been put to bed. 

But my stretch-of-a-son still needs some longer length PJ shorts, used both for the obvious, but also to bum lounge around in during the holidays. He has nearly worn out the ones I whipped up when I joined in with Peter and his MPG Men's Boxer short sewalong.

So a trip to the shops, unaccompanied by Stretch himself, and with my half-hearted promise of a new pair a week (did I really promise that???), has the first pair ready to wear.

Fabric is a quilting cotton in what the sales girl and I decided was fairly male appropriate. Mind you, she was a little bemused that I was making clothing for my son - guess she just slipped off the possible girlfriend list!

Interestingly, the pattern was inspired by a quilt from the International Quilt Study Centre and Museum at the University of Nebraska! 

Anyway, first pair made up, extra long, ready to go.

Now, back to finishing off my skirt...

Now not being a quilter myself, I must ask, 'Is there always such interesting information on the selvedge of quilting fabric???'

There is no hiding ...

... from the massive heatwave that is turning parts of Australia into an urban heat island! It is being referred to as the 'Dome of Heat!' Our poor little Down Under island (the worlds driest inhabited continent) is being hit with dreadful temperatures and fires.

Perth has been under this onslaught since just before Christmas, and now Adelaide, Melbourne, Tassie, Canberra and Sydney are feeling the full force as well.  Temps around 43°C (or 110°F) are predicted and expected. Unless our fellow Aussie blogging friends are in air-conditioned comfort there will be no sewing happening today!

And give a little thought to my daughter, down in Melbourne for the week at Beach Volleyball Nationals ... 

Thinking of all my fellow Aussie bloggers - keep cool!!!

Why, oh why, oh why...

... can't I get my head around my thumb??? No, not in a kinky way, but in a knitting way. 

The heat has affected my thinking of late, and has turned me towards a quick knit-up project. Susie's Fingerless Reading Mitts to be exact, a popular pattern online, free, and should be quick and easy. So why am I sitting here undoing rows of knitting - it's all in the thumb! Talk about a mental blank (or a Senior's moment) happening.

Now it's not that I can't knit. Over the past years I have made some beautiful knitted jumpers and cardigans for both myself, and Mr made by J...

So why, oh why, oh why is this little thumb (in 'fingerless' gloves no less) giving me such a hard time???

Maybe it's where I am knitting that is distracting me, after all, it is the middle of summer Down Under and the pool looks sooooo inviting...

Fingers(less) crossed I figure out this little mind-bending problem soon, or else its back to skirt sewing for me...

And it is time to welcome...

...a new skirt to our group! Let me introduce to you "Miss Vine Leaf". 

Now why will she make such a good friend, I hear you ask ... well ... whilst she may not share every detail of her style in exactly the same way as the first 2, she does present an accurate picture of who she is. She is, I am proud to say, another offspring of McCall's 5523!

Miss Vine Leaf is fun, unique and interesting. OK, this is a given in any new friendship, but there is a lot to be said about shared interests...does the fabric look familiar???

Yes, I said that there was way too much fabric for the dress, so a new friend was born into a skirt. And this new friend is on the same page as me, she didn't try to change me or drag me into an unknown sewing territory ...

... beautifully behaved pleats! I do soooo love the crispness of pleats.

Now while the dress didn't warrant lining, this lovely little skirt did deserve a little help in holding herself together. So a simple light bit of support lining was in order - nothing fancy for this girl, just some cool breathable black cotton will do the job. 

And every girl loves a little splash of surprise, so this skirt was the lucky receiver of deep red bias tape to just finish her off nicely. We all need a little finishing off before heading out, right???

So welcome to the group, little Miss Vine Leaf, hope you enjoy hanging out with us...

And what is this ... a blank space in the group!!! Don't tell me there is another ready to jump on a coathanger in the near (yes, very near) future! Someone needs to lock this pattern away!

Is there anyone out there who also has loved a pattern to near-death (anyone, please)???

I'm excited to say...

...that my first garment for 2013 was an AMAZING dress!!! I have just sewn  Simplicity 2217 and it was unusual to make. Assuming that the instructions would be similar to most patterns for dresses I have sewn, I barged on into it...lesson learnt the hard way. 

 It seems that the idea behind the AmazingFit part of the pattern is all in the machine-basting that constantly needs to be done. You extensively machine-bast the pieces together, make any adjustments that are needed, then rip that basting out, only to restitch it back together again.  I am definitely not use to this style of sewing. It was like making a faux-muslin without even knowing it - I am getting good!

But the instructions were very detailed and easy to follow.They really help you get that perfect fit.

Here you can see, "how the midriff seams shape my body above waistline and below bust!" Who would have thought...

On the inside I followed the instructions and used the facings, but since the linen was already of a weight I was happy with, I just used some light weight cotton lining in black. 

The back has an invisible zipper down the centre seam - nothing exciting to see here.

Fabric is a printed linen just picked up on Monday at the Spotlight 30% off sales. The envelope back recommended 1.9 m for View C (sleeveless) but this was way too much - when placing the pattern pieces on the fabric I could easily see there was a skirt hiding away in those scraps! 

I did find that the pattern erred on the side of largeness, I did have to take in some cm's on the bust section. And I didn't make the little belt, as I am hoping on picking up (or whipping up) a thin belt in either the lilac or burnt red colour to match. 

Overall, I loved the pattern, particularly the pleats above the waistband - very nice flattering feature. After using this AmazingFit pattern I will probs pick up a few more! These patterns allow you to 'design' your own body pattern for A, B, C or D cups sizes, and then Slim, Average, or Curvy hips without having to do your own FBA or other fitting adjustments - I must be getting lazy as the year wears on.

Has anyone else tried any of Simplicity's AmazingFit patterns? Any recommendations for future pattern buying???