Great Giveaways Happening Everywhere...

Hey sewing enthusiasts...

You should all check out the lovely fabric from Little Things over at Sarah's blog The Last Piece.

There is a great fat quarter bundle giveaway and its so bright and cheerful.

Get your skates on and go enter now!

Stayin' Alive on Days 24 & 25

Just a quick SSS update

Day 24:

On this very SQUINTY day I wore a self made black silky blouse (Boring) to work 

and also wore a hand dyed scarf, a gift from a friend... is that cheating....?

mmmm squinty squinty

Day 25:

(looking very happy about finishing work....)

and almost cheating again.... The only self stitched thing is the pink feather & fan scarf..... just finished the night before, not a moment too soon!

Although, I did wear my self stitched tartan coat to work, so that counts :-)

So thats that

Thanks for looking and don't forget to enter the giveaway posted yesterday

You have until Saturday night so get cracking :-)

Happy Sewing

GiveawayPalooza!

Okay so maybe the title needs work. But who cares because it's GIVEAWAY time!!! Yippeee...

I promised a giveaway at 80 followers so without any further suspense....

Here is whats up for grabs!

Prize #1

2 Vintage Simplicity Patterns, Both size 14 (34" Bust)

The one on the left is a cute nightgown pattern with three styles, or you could use it for a dress. either or.

The other, is a dress or two piece with big patch pockets and a collar. I never got around to using it but I would love to see it made up!

Prize #2

2 Pieces of vintage fabric

A white and light blue baby houndstooth:

Measuring: Approx. 91cm (35") Selvedge to Selvedge

144cm (56.5") in Length

This was listed as wool when i purchased it, it is lightweight and woven, But I havn't come up with anything to make with it, I would love to see what somebody could do with it!

The other piece of fabric:

Measuring: Approx. 156cm (60") Selvedge to Selvedge

172cm (68") in Length

I have no idea what this is, It was given to me with a lot of other fabrics still sitting in my stash.

There have been two squares cut out of this piece on a single layer... not too much a loss.

It feels like a woven cottony lineny (Technical terms) type thing. But I am no fabric expert...

There may just be enough to squeeze a dress out of.... I think it would make a great Beignet.... tee hee

It even has the tag still on... Made in Italy!

Can you make out what it says???

And Prize #3

A pretty antique-gold "Olga Berg" Clutch/Purse

Brand new Olga berg purse, made from a sparkly gold rayon. Kiss lock closure and gold chain (You can also remove the chain to make it a clutch)

Lovely gold lining with a little pocket for your lipstick/phone/etc.

Its small, but big enough to fit everything you need to take for a night out!

Its not vintage but has the right kind of look.

So that's the goodies my friends.

Now for the RULES!

1. You must be a follower to enter... that's an easy one for one entry...

2. For a second entry, Mention the giveaway and link to it from your own blog.

3. For a third entry, I want you to post/link to a picture of what your working on at the moment, this can be sewing or knitting or anything else that's crafty!

Competition is open to everyone, all countries
& Closes on Saturday at Midnight (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry, So I can properly pick the lucky winners & do specify which prize/s you would like to win :-)

So that's all folks, Any questions or queries can be eeeeeemailed to me! renay.w@hotmail.com

 Best of luck and happy entering!!!

Busy Bee on Day 23

Today I needed something loose and easy to wear because I was working at the sewing machine all day.

Jeans and cardi it is!

And the self stitched silky top. 

The dress (well half of a dress) on my mannequin is for a friend. I am finally making some progress, YAY

The pattern is self drafted and the fabric was chosen by my friend,

It is a stretch cotton sateen with paint splodges all over it. Its nice and shiny.

Its a little long at the moment, waiting to be hemmed.

It was so nice and warm today, spring is finally here, the sun is coming back!

There is not long left for self stitched september, phew...

I've enjoyed it, but it has been way harder than I thought... Next time I will be more prepared...

But thats all for today folks. Check back in tomorrow, the Giveaway will be announced! woo hoo

Take care :-)

Day 22, Comfy Cardi & Exciting News

On day 22 the Comfy Cardi came in handy, it was cold and windy outside and I needed something that was warm and friendly!

Looking nice and crumpled!

SSS is going so quickly, theres only 11 Days left, eep...

But the exciting news?

This little blog has been going since June and I have finally hit 80 Followers!

So I'd like to say a big thank you! to all of you who come by and have a read or leave a nice comment.

Its so nice to get feedback and meet you all :-)

And now I'm wasting more time on the internet than ever, haha

I never expected to get 10 followers, let alone 80! 

As promised, there will be a GIVEAWAY announced in the next few days.

There will be some little bits and pieces up for grabs so make sure your reading!

Also, I met a lovely man at the sewing centre today, He made my day!

It was my first time at this particular place (they just moved there) and this man and his wife run the place and couldn't stop talking about how great Pfaff's are. 

They were great! I've never met a man so in love with sewing machines...

Well maybe Peter!

He was so helpful and I ended up buying a new foot for my machine. 

$42 !!!!! for one foot!!!

anywho, they had lots of great stuff there and they are only 3 minutes from my house (tee hee)

I can't wait to go back there and ogle all of their machines and bits and bobs!

Thats all folks 

Hope your all happy and sewing

:-)

Day 21 + Giveaway!

Worst paparazzi shot ever!

I was fumbling around and being annoying whilst Mr.Lovely tinkered with his car.

I wore the Lady Grey again.... two days in a row!

On a funner note.

There will be a giveaway at 80 Followers! Yippeee

There will be some patterns, fabric and other bits and pieces up for grabs so tell your pals.

Have a great Friday everybody, almost the weekend! Woo hooo

:-)

Day 20....

Nothing new here, Lazy post today because its getting late! 

On Day 20 I wore the Lady Grey jacket all day and it was so comfy and warm!

We went for a drive to Belgrave and Mr.Lovely purchased a 1986 Saab 900i. 

There is serious Saab fever happening around here, there are 3 in the driveway at the moment!

After car shopping we went to Ikea and got some lamps and other bits and pieces, I LOVE Ikea... 

who doesn't?

Days 16, 17, 18 & 19

Ohh somebody has been a bad documenter... 

BAD BAD BAD

Days 16, 17 & 18 of SSS have no paparazzi shots. But trust me when I say I wore:

My self stitched cardi on Day 16 to work and the supermarket

My self stitched sencha blouse on Day 17 to work

& My refashioned vintage Sailor skirt on Day 18...

I promise... 

Today I wore a black blouse made from this vintage Simplicity pattern:

It is not my greatest work but hey, its black and perfect for work attire.

The yoke was quite tricky to sew, I think I used a trillion pins!

I want to make it up in a red gingham too like on the envelope!

So here is the hard evidence, This is me with NO make up besides red lip gloss. 

I don't feel like myself without mascara and concealer. Thankfully the flash is quite forgiving.

Thanks to Mr. Lovely again for the photos, you are so handy!

Thats all folks :-)

Have a Lovely week!

Ahoy there Beignet!

 Another abandoned project, finished on this lazy weekend

The Beignet Skirt by... you guessed it... Colette Patterns.

It was all going great....

That is until it came time for the buttonholes... ALL 12 OF THEM!!!

So I got lazy and left it in the corner, until today.

All 12 Buttons were sewed on and all 12 Buttonholes were... buttonholed?

I scored this red and white candy stripe seersucker from ebay for around $7 (approx. 3 mtrs)

& still have another metre and a half, another dirndle perhaps???

I really love sewing with seersucker! I want need more!

I made a plain red belt for this Beignet also, just in case I want a change.

The buttons are just plain red two holed numbers. 

It was fun to sew and I wantto make another one... in purple... and spots... and...

Sometimes I get addicted to patterns and want to sew it in a rainbow of colours! bad.

I love the way the lining is sewn into this skirt. Its such a good pattern!

I used pink faille for the lining so its warm enough for the cooler spring days.

So, another one bites the dust. The unfinished pile is getting smaller! finally...

Update on Self Stitched September tomorrow :-)

Hope your weekends are going swimmingly!

Easy Gathered Skirt on Day 15

This is what I whipped up last night in some sort of sewing frenzy.

A simple Gathered skirt made from a pretty patterned fabric that I picked up in Darwin

So ladylike and easy, but most important of all comfortable!

I finished this up in less than 2 hours. There is a 5 inch hem so it hangs quite nicely.

It looks much nicer in person & with my self made petticoat that I forgot to put on for these shots

oh well... next time...

I'm going to make up another one tomorrow in a lovely teal taffeta with a few more gathers, Yay

This could be the beginning of another skirt addiction! Look out!

Thanks to Mr. Lovely again for playing photographer  ox

Have a good weekend ladies and gents

What are you all sewing???

Day 14... Almost half way there!

Day 14... Nothing too thrilling...

It was a work day so I pulled out the black Sencha Blouse by Colette Patterns 

(I know I know, Like a Broken record right?)

Lower that eyebrow! And the other one

oh work skirt... why do you mock me with your ugliness...?

Days 11, 12 & 13 Yippeee

Oh boy have I been lazy the last Couple of days...

I can sum up the Self Stitched September activities with one picture...

Item 1: Self Stitched Stripey Top worn on day 11

Item 2: Hand Knitted slippers (From a friend) Worn day 12

Item 3: Self Stitching in Progress, Second Half of the 50's Orange Cardi

On day 14 I took the New Lady Grey out for a spin. Got lots of nice comments!

Have a nice day everyone :-)

Finito

Finally Finished! More on this Lady Grey tomorrow...

Such a Perfect Day, Drink Sangria in the Park...on Day 10!

Day 10 has come and gone already! And I'm definately running out of clothes to wear... must get stitching!

On day 10, Mr. Lovely took me shopping to Chapel Street to find a mannequin that he spotted a few days earlier. And it was still there! Woo, Its a solid wood 60's dress form and I got it for a steal at $190 !!!

Now I need a Name for her... Ideas Please!!??

Then we had some Japanese for lunch and headed to the city.

We trotted around the city stopping at Lush and a few other places & had a fancy beer at Beer Deluxe

... But the main attraction was yet to come...

 Tessuti Fabrics, I have never been there before.... and it was amazing, I'm hooked.

Bolts of beautiful fabric everywhere. Designer silks, Japanese cottons, and gorgeous prints.

I could have taken it all home, But I couldn't fit it in my shopping bag.... 

Oh and I'm not as rich as Donald Trump, Thats always a downer.

So I just picked up Some silk (?) that was on sale for $10 a metre.

beautiful green, cream & orange

And I also picked up a stretch cotton for an upcoming project for a day of horse racing...

It looks like it has been painted, black brush strokes & light pink and grey tones on some of the flowers.

After drooling and spending way too much time dragging Mr. Lovely around Tessuti Fabrics ("Look at this one", "oooh Look at this one") It was time to leave, Sad face. 

We took some photos in the graffiti Lane, as everybody does,  these are my paparazzi shots for Day 10:

Me made 'Jenny Skirt' from Vintage Houndstooth, never mind the wrinkles.... 

We wandered around the city trying on perfume, looking at jewellry and scouring the vintage stores.

We found a new one (6 Days old) that had a select range of ladies vintage, They find it, fix any imperfections such as zippers and buttons and resell.

If you are in the city go to Harry Wragg. And if you go upstairs... You will find a button store!!!

I couldnt resist this nautical mini skirt, It was a perfect fit and the colours are so bright :-)

By this time we were tired. We went and had dinner at the Pancake Parlour 

& then drove home for tea and dessert.... Such a perfect Day.

Groping a cartoon.... real mature

Wow this turned out to be a long post...

What did everybody else get up to on the weekend?

take care chickens :-)

ta ta

Dig Lazarus Dig!.... Days 8 & 9

So its finally the end of the week! Woo hoo

In exciting sewing news...

Mr. Lovely is taking me shopping for a new dress form tomorrow. Gosh, could he get any better!

He spotted a 60's model made entirely of wood and in good nick, we shall go hunt it down tomorrow... 

Days 8 & 9 are a little more exciting than the past few days because we had dinner dates both nights.

On day 8 we went out with our fellow classmates for a spot of thai and some vino.

The curry and conversation were good, but the walk home in the rain... not so good...

Mr. Lovely took a snap after the downpour

Day 8:

I wore my red Macaron dress, so comfy...

 This is me hugging my current project, another version of the Lady Grey Coat by Colette Patterns .

I have made this before but the colour was too..... eh...something. Not quite right.

This version is in purple and grey tartan & is coming together nicely.

In this photo you can also spot:

a) a bike

b) a rack piled full of finished and unfinished sewing pieces

c) my poor used and abused dress form

d) a myriad of other mess...

Anywho

On day 9 we planned to go out for dinner but plans fell through and we ended up relaxing with some friends, ordering pizza & pasta and watching 'Dumb & Dumber' (Yes it's still funny).

So I opted for comfort.

Day 9:

This is just how I hang out on the doorstep....

This is a Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity pattern, and is good if you are feasting, Lots of room haha

And a flattering waistline.

So thats all in sewing news.... for now....

Thanks for all the lovely comments and encouragement,

Self Stitched September has been tougher than first thought, I'm just not organised enough!

But it is fun all the same.

How are the other SSS participants keeping up?

Good luck & See you in the soup...

Crikey! Day 7

So I was running very late yesterday and got NO paparazzi shot...  No good. 

I was only wearing the navy cardi again, So you didn't miss out...

Today I wore a blouse using this pattern:

Mine isn't as pretty as the pattern picture, It was an early project but was so quick and easy, made up in a silver and gold lurex for some extra sparkle! I have made the scalloped version also, I'm a sucker for scallops!

Exhibit A:

ohh serious face

Thats all for taday chaps, its bed time...., zzzzzzzzz

Days 3, 4 & 5

Phew! Its already day six!

Here are the outfits from days 3, 4 & 5, Don't get excited, I have been quite uncreative so far with SSS but have a couple of fun tops on the go to make things a bit prettier around her. But damn this work skirt is messing things up! And so is the cold weather.... I need too many layers

So on to Day 3:

And what a terrible bunchy, wrinkly photo it is...

And yes, this top IS as ill fitting in real life. This was one of my first projects ever, using Simplicity 1127

 (I have made 2 more since in the sleeveless version with bows... They fit though! Such an easy pattern)

But here you have it. Again after work, in new shoes!

Day 4:

Weekend!!! Wooo. What to wear Saab shopping?

A pretty sleeveless blouse, using Simplicity 2593.

This is made from a grey, pink & creamy/mushroomy (mushroomy?) coloured Silk.

I made it for the trip to Darwin and it worked a treat...

Ohhh what a dark and mysterious photo.... or was that just the flash not going off???

This top is comfy and will be handy in Summer :-)

 

And finally >>>

Day 5:

Same pattern again.... But in black Faille. This top goes with everything. And I mean everything!

Especially high waisted skirts and pants....

Check out the dodgy charming slouch happening in this shot haha

Posture Renay! Posture!!! 

Oh oh and The cushions.... Ten points if you can guess who made those...

And closer, so you can see the gathers and self made bias binding...

Thanks for listening peoples. And tomorrow..... I have the day off! to sew!

How is everybody going with Self Stitched September???

The Flickr Group is going off!

Have a good evening everyone, ciao now