Purchases from the road trip and projects in progress.

Actually, these fabrics above are from The Fabric Store a couple of days ago. The coloured on is a lovely lightweight silk that will make a perfect summer top ($18 1.6m remnant), and the other is the merino backed (the lighter colour that is terry like texture) and nylon stretch stuff that was $8 per metre and what I made the warm tights out of, so as there was more there I bought some more. It's very useful, easy care, great colour and won't go to waste.

This lovely turquoise and dark gold embroidered border eyelet I got at Metro Textiles (or fabrics or something) in Sydney. I dragged my son there for a morning (under promise he would get some swapping cards he is currently interested in), with high hopes of getting some bra making notions and lots of fabric (that I don't need). This is a polyester that feels very silk like, is lightweight and really gorgeous. I got 2 metres @ $8 per metre.

My experience here was less that enjoyable. The man 'serving' wasn't anywhere to be seen for a good 10 minutes, he was completely disinterested and less than helpful. If I asked a question he did answer but with the most perfunctory manner. I bought this fabric, some underwear elastic, some offcuts of power net to practice with and a really bad taste in my mouth. Add to this, when I got home and went to wash my fabric, it was cut on quite a severe angle with me loosing a good 30 cm on the border edge. It's not a big deal, and can happen but you are more likely to be forgiving when you have interacted well with the seller. I'm afraid I would not go back. There was a lot of fabric there - at times overwhelming and the prices were pretty good. Seeing as I had to go from the city and it was 35 minutes by bus each way, a lot of time was invested for a not unpleasant, but definitely unsatisfactory engagement. If you need fabric and are in the area, by all means go, but don't expect happy service. I hope I was there on an off day.

So travelling through country towns presented the opportunity to shop in the op shops. I got a great number of patterns and some books. I guess all up the above cost me $15 at the most. Most of the patterns were .20cents, the books were $2 ea and the Enid Gilchrist book (very poor condition) was only $1.50. The Knit Wit books I have, so I will sell these but hard to resist at only $2 and they are still sought after.

These are my Simplicity 1918 Amazing Fit pants. They look green here but they are a deep aqua and white tiny houndstooth pattern. I'm a bit perplexed about these. I have the trial pair I made a while ago. They fit really well in a straight 14 (maybe a touch big). They did have a bit of stretch and this fabric does not but they are not even close to fitting and yet if I put them against each other they are pretty close to the same. I did cut the lower leg narrower by putting the Vogue jeans leg pattern on and cutting that shape. I like this narrower leg better than the original which I found a bit wide.

I'm really disappointed as I was planning an outfit that was inspired by a Burda magazine image of a bias A-line skirt in the same aqua houndstooth looking fabric (this one is from an op shop and is old, old, old) and a lime green top. I have some yellow/lime green cotton lace that I want to make a top for this outfit but I'm a bit deflated by the pants not fitting.

Close up of the houndstooth and fly zip.

These are the swimming togs I'm making for Alex. The white strip is a ~~mistake~~ design feature. It is only on one side because I cut the one piece of one side short - how, I don't know, but just put a strip of white there and the white waistband. The fabric in the corner is what I am making the Burda dress out of. I had a photo but can't find it now.

Paris, river cruise 2022 - photo bomb!

(this post has been in my drafts since July 2022 due to life circumstances. I'm just going to write just a little and then just show some photos) My friend worked on a Superyacht for many years and through this connection was offered a friends and family deal on a river cruise in Europe. It was a deal too good to miss even though it wouldn't have been a first choice for me for a holiday. She had done this trip before but during the winter taking in the Christmas markets. We were going in June 2022. We decided to have 5 nights in Paris (where I'd been 5 times before) and 2 nights in Amsterdam where my friend lived for 2 years in her youth. We flew into Frankfurt... not because we wanted to but because these were the only flights we could get but we worked with it. Remember great deal! So ok, a short (5hr), fast ride on the ICE/TGV trains got us to Paris eventually (one was late which missed the connection to the earlier TGV but there was one a bit after). We...

YFASMA - Fabric shopping in Athens

I promised this post in March! Fabrics from Euro1 per metre! I didn't buy anything in this shop but there was some lovely fabrics. I did buy the green and pink one above on the right. A satin finish rayon. It is lovely. There was a lot of lovely fabrics in this shop. It wasn't cheap Euro 8 p.m. but I didn't have a lot of room in my bag and I wanted something I would really love. I also didn't buy anything in Paris this time. I did buy the fabric for a table cloth just across the way from this shop. I also bought some orange/white weave linen fabric for Euro 4 p.m. at another shop, which I think I'll make some summer trousers with. As I was going to the airport, I saw this dress on the platform and I really liked it. Very easy to do too, I went to the Benaki Museum while in Athens. There is actually 2 locations. In this one I saw lots of Greek and Cypriot cultural crafts. This was a bridal bed in Crete. There was lots of clothing, embroidery and gold jewelle...

More things I've made - part 2

Hello... welcome to part two of things I've made. I now realise there will be a part 3 as there's more I can't post tonight. These things I made last year before I went to South Korea for a holiday. The photos of the top that I made with the Vogue pattern above are down below. Don't know why Blogger won't let me move them, but I don't have time to argue with it! Anyway, I made it with some merino French Terry I bought years ago. It is merino loops, but the outer facing part of the fabric is nylon. It's very lightweight, warm and comfortable but not the best for this pattern as the nice high neck doesn't stay up high, but it's still really nice and useful in my warmish winter. I made it as the vest top and hemmed it and bound the armholes with some fold over elastic I bought at some markets in Lisbon in my trip last year. I put a chunky metal pink zip as the closure. I will make this again as I really like that it's not a boring old pullover. I...

Sew Darn Tired

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