Not Going to Plan

Sometimes things don't work out how you plan. I have been crazy busy finishing up last assignments and doing some self-litigation stuff (not my strong point), general life and having to balance a new (smaller) small budget. I'm pretty exhausted actually but the beautiful light at the end of the tunnel was a wedding last Saturday. I thought I would finish my economics assignment and hand it in and then start a dress to wear for Saturday.  I didn't think it was hard to do as I had all Friday night and Saturday till about 2pm and it was a simple cowl dress I was going to make.


Yes, I was going to but it didn't get done. I was so busy that I did not even have time to place the pattern pieces on the fabric and when I did on Friday night, I didn't have enough.  I think if I am creative with placement (as it's all cut on the bias it's a fabric hog) I could get the dress out of it, but I didn't have time to do that so I went to the shops and bought a dress!


I don't like buying dresses that I could make but it was a special occasion and I was signing the register as a witness so I wanted to look nice - ended up buying nice dressy black wedges - not the sort of shoe you find often so I don't mind buying those.

This is the pattern I was going to use and the fabric. It is pretty true to the colours. I bought this in Singapore in one of the fabric shops in Little India. It's a washable silk and to tell you the truth I wouldn't have believed it except that it is printed along the selvage.  (I don't know why we don't wash silk because in the process of making silk don't they soak the cocoons to unravel the silk?) It has burn out (is that what it is called?) parts so I need to get lining for this also.It has a beautiful hand and I will definitely make this for next summer and hope I have somewhere to wear it! Oh just to indicate how good prices are in Singapore; this was S$8 per metre! I was at the stopover end of a 7 week European trip so there was only room for about 2 pieces of fabric but I love it!


I also found a Vogue Basics pattern from the '70's ('80's??) that is for a cape and I have some backed wool/synthetic mix my Mum bought in the '70's in a lime green that I thought would go perfectly with this dress.  I didn't make that either but I will try to make that for winter. Do I really need a cape in Brisbane? No and I don't think it'll get much wear because so far it's been about 14 degrees celsius at night and 24 in the day. I have about 4 weeks to go before this semester finishes and so I have some sewing plans I can't wait to get to and maybe (hopefully) painting the kitchen!

Singer 66

Singer 66 - Mine!

Accessories kit with 201K Manual too!

This is my "new" sewing machine! Isn't she beautiful. I'm so excited! This is the same model machine that I learned to sew on and I think I made my first shirred dress when I was 10 in Grade 7! I have a photo somewhere.


I haven't had time to blog about it, but I went (November last year) to an Australian Sewing Guild meeting in my area. Now where have they been hiding as I have lived in this area since I was 8 so that is 42 years and sewn for 27 of those (well more if you count sewing on the Singer 66) but I had never heard of their meetings.


Anyway I went expecting about half a dozen people but there was about 35 women there, mostly older, but all doing some sewing or sewing crafty stuff and it was great. They have shared afternoon tea and also do a swap. People bring in fabric, books, magazines, patterns etc they aren't going to use and you take what you want.


I got a lovely piece of fabric that I am pretty sure is silk, a cowl neck top pattern and some magazines. I have been too busy to get back to the meetings but they are having their yearly conference in Adelaide in September and I hope I can get to it as there are some fantastic courses on offer (e.g. bra making). Anyone else heard of it or going? It has to fit with uni holidays and son going to his Dad's but I'm going to do my best. 


Anyway I digress, I met a lovely lady there who, on me telling her I was looking for a Singer 66, told me she had just given one away (argh!) but she looked out for me and I got this one for $120 including some token payment for her friend delivering it. Her friend also cleaned it up a little and rubbed it over with linseed oil. I love it.I was worried as many months had passed since she got this for me that I wasn't even sure it was this model - just a treadle - but in the end I didn't care as I wanted a treadle, but I was pleasantly surprised.


The accessories have a ruffler (I didn't know that invention was so old - and looks similar to my modern one) and some other things I can't remember now. I'm trying not to touch or play with it as I have so much uni stuff that I cannot distract myself (like I am with this post!)or I won't get everything done, but who could resist bragging telling about this new purchase.

Eight Years.

Thanks for the best 8 years! Love you my little boy.

One day old

Add caption

Cyprus with Papou (grandfather)

Too cool for school!

It isn't really 2252....

Vive le Alexander!

My baby is here!

Just a teaser... my baby is here but I haven't got any photos yet! I'm SO excited. I'll post photos in the next few days. This is my son making chocolate crackles for a friend's birthday party. I don't have any sewing photos you haven't seen!

I've finished that assignment for Monday last and had two exams yesterday.. phew but what a morning... I haven't had that much stress for ages. 


9am start, my son wasn't keen for another early morning and he was going to my Mum's. When he was having breakfast he swung his arm down quickly and bumped (smashed) his elbow on the table. He was a bit shocked and going "ouch" and then he suddenly got up and walked a few steps and then fell to the floor, then suddenly burst into tears and said "how did I get on the floor, Mum?". He had passed out and bumped his head on the stove. So then had to comfort him and then rush out. I didn't even have time to get out and tell my Mum what happened. I raced to catch the bus, but had no time so thought I'd drive near by. Finally got a park and then had about 20 minutes to do a 35 minute (fast) walk over the river by bridge. I was walking so fast my muscles in the front of my legs were cramping and all I wanted to do was stop and cry, but I didn't have time for that. So I just went as fast as I could and when I had about 10 metres to go before a walk up 3 flights of stairs to the lecture hall, my shoe caught on a cobble stone on the road way and I face planted it (fell). More wanting to cry but just got up, went up the stairs and walked into the hall with about 2 minutes to spare. All the seats at the front were taken and there were a few up the back so walked all the way up, sat down to put my name and student number on my exam paper and realised my glasses were in my bag at the bottom. For about 5 seconds I contemplated not getting them.. but realised that was dumb, so walked down and got them and did economics. I think that one went well, actually! Accounting? Well that's another story!

Avoidance.

That of course means something to anyone who has studied. I have a paper due tomorrow so of course I must clean the kitchen window sill, mop that floor, take apart a sewing machine that isn't working well (full of ants ... does that matter?), tidy my sewing/computer room, rearrange my son's room and a gazillion other things to avoid doing what I have to do anyway.


So in the interest of one last avoidance at 9.30pm (really?!), before I sit for hours here I thought I should post about some recent patterns I have picked up (weeks ago really). I've gotten heaps of Kwik Sew and some vintage ones but I haven't got time to photograph them but I will soon. 


I also found some pattern books like the Topkids Carolyn likes to use and some Knitwit books that have great knit sewing tips.

The Kwik Sew one is just good basic tops, the Butterick is from the '70s from memory and the Givenchy, well is Givenchy! Does anyone know if the Knitwit books came with patterns. They sort of make reference to patters and I'm not sure if they came with patterns or they make assumptions about patters and you!


See you at the light end of the tunnel!