Sew Darn Tired

Happy 2019... I hope it has started well for all of you. I had a great start with a get together  bringing the new year in at my friend's apartment right on the beach at Broadbeach where there was fireworks all along the beach. Such a fun evening even if I had to drive down to the coast after work.  The morning before I started, I made a sparkly skirt and wanted to make a top the day before but didn't gt time so I wore my black top I made for my Dad's funeral. Unfortunately the only photo I have my skirt doesn't feature but we got a nice photo together!
A better photo is from our recent (got back yesterday) holiday to New Zealand. We went to the south island to Christchurch, then to Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers, the Marlborough Sound and Wellington. Sounds like it was short, but it was 10 days with lots of driving on some amazing roads. I've been a fan of Nick Cave since the early 80's and my first time was when he was part of The Birthday Party at The Roundh…

Merry Christmas all! Hope you all had a great festive season and are enjoying holidays still. I'm back at work tomorrow for a bit but we also have some holidays coming up soon too. I'm going to run through the last few things I've made. Some for gifts and some for me. Some were made a couple of months ago and some just yesterday, but in the interests of documenting what I've made and getting it done, this is a bit of a dump. I know there is one dress I haven't finished yet and also a skirt I don't think I have a photo of. The skirt is just a purple ponte knit skirt in an a line shape. Quite useful and when I do get photos I'll show how I've put the waistband on. Better way than the stitch and flip on the grey skirt below.


I finished up the last two purse from the lambskin leather I bought last year. I do have a clutch purse I've prepped and couldn't find, but my treat to myself was to tidy (and find the floor) of my super small sewing room on C…

I've made a new rashie set again from McCall's 7417. Usually I've made the shorter rashie twice before and I add a band (I'm short waisted so it fits to my waist like this). I wasn't paying any notice and realised I cut the long one and then only had enough fabric for the shorter pants. I have just scraps left now... maybe enough for a kiddy bikini triangle top but not pants. I bought a metre of this fabric from East Coast Fabrics for $15. It's  a lovely lycra and one of the heavier ones. I bought two more at the same time (July school holidays) but they are a thinner lycra so I'll see how that sews up soon enough.


 You can just see the seam lines above. I have some mint coloured lycra and thought I'd make some 'piping' but in the end I didn't have enough time. My last spotty rashie (did I even show that one? or take a photo of it even? Now it's faded and nearly dead). I always put bands on the sleeves and on the waist of the shorter on…

I was coveting this pattern for a while and waited for the pattern sales...once, twice ... it was never available but on the third sale, I got it. Amy very kindly and generously (she's like that) did offer her copy should I never get one.  Love my Spoolette sewing sisters!


My (blood, non sewing) sister does lots of great op shopping and bought this dress ... adult version of the pillowcase dress. It was huge and very long for me so I picked it apart one tv night and it was enough fabric to make this dress if I slimmed down the skirt and make shorter sleeves. Both modifications were fine with me because a) too hot to have the long sleeves now, b) not sure the full skirt wouldn't make me look huge and c) I was testing this pattern out for a beautiful silk my friend brought back from Vietnam for me a few years ago (and keeps asking if I've made anything yet). It is white with flowers and very beautiful but only 2 metres from memory and I wanted to see if it would fit. I imme…

So another UFO finished. I made the cardigan. At first look, it's very similar to most waterfall cardigans (I've made 2 different Kwik Sew ones) but this one differs because it has a band  around the waterfall and hem. I cut this out 18 months ago and even though I really wanted to make it, it frightened me for some reason. It was that band and I'd read a review on Pattern Review and the person said it wasn't a good pattern and she wouldn't recommend it. Anyway, I loved the colour and fabric and thought get it done and donate it.


Plus I made a mistake cutting it out... at the collar part I cut into a smaller size, realised and stopped but then I had this slash. So I zig zagged a little  grosgrain ribbon on it and put a little fray check and the result is not invisible but I don't notice it at all. In fact I had forgotten all about it until I saw the photos again.


The fabric is some linen knit I bought at Darn Cheap Fabric $2 per metre table. Such a bargain and…