Friday, September 13, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Liberty's day out
Where should a five-year-old wear his brand new Liberty shirt?
And of course, to roll about inside a large inflatable ball on water.
We all spent a great family day at the Royal Adelaide Show, and a certain someone had a pretty fabulous time until of course there were tears and a fair old meltdown and we made our way homeward.
The shirt, which I finished the night before at Clem's insistence, is from the Oliver + S Sketchbook Shirt & Shorts pattern. I made the size 6 which fits this 5 & 3/4 boy well, except I would add a bit of length to the body next time. Instead of doing a full button front I cut the front piece on the fold and added a small placket up the top so the shirt just pulls on over his head. The placket was actually cut from the sleeve placket pattern piece of my Hawthorn dress! I made it a bit longer so the opening was a bit bigger.
The outfit Clem put together for our day out also included his 'animal and fruit shorts'. "You see, things from up in the air on top, and on the ground down the bottom!" was his logic. Couldn't really object to that.
The shirt fabric is a Liberty Tana Lawn from the shop, and it goes by the curious name of 'Ranga'. It's from their seasonal range. I was cutting a dress for myself from the fabric (you know, shop sample of course) and Clem begged and begged me to make him a shirt out of it too. Eek. He'd better not develop too much of a taste for Liberty! But he loves it, and I love him in it.
- Jane x
To see prize-winning alpacas.
To exchange gazes with poultry.
To eat his first-ever, much-anticipated bag of fairy floss (in the cow stalls).
To milk a cow.
And see cream churned into butter.
To watch the wood chopping from the safety of his Dadda's lap.
And of course, to roll about inside a large inflatable ball on water.
We all spent a great family day at the Royal Adelaide Show, and a certain someone had a pretty fabulous time until of course there were tears and a fair old meltdown and we made our way homeward.
The shirt, which I finished the night before at Clem's insistence, is from the Oliver + S Sketchbook Shirt & Shorts pattern. I made the size 6 which fits this 5 & 3/4 boy well, except I would add a bit of length to the body next time. Instead of doing a full button front I cut the front piece on the fold and added a small placket up the top so the shirt just pulls on over his head. The placket was actually cut from the sleeve placket pattern piece of my Hawthorn dress! I made it a bit longer so the opening was a bit bigger.
The outfit Clem put together for our day out also included his 'animal and fruit shorts'. "You see, things from up in the air on top, and on the ground down the bottom!" was his logic. Couldn't really object to that.
The shirt fabric is a Liberty Tana Lawn from the shop, and it goes by the curious name of 'Ranga'. It's from their seasonal range. I was cutting a dress for myself from the fabric (you know, shop sample of course) and Clem begged and begged me to make him a shirt out of it too. Eek. He'd better not develop too much of a taste for Liberty! But he loves it, and I love him in it.
- Jane x
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Me in the Colette Hawthorn
Spring has come on crazy sudden here. It's been 30 degrees the last two days. Cool change blowing through right now. But today was perfect, simply perfect, for wearing my Colette Hawthorn in Liberty Tana Lawn to the shop. I asked Fiona to take a few photos of me betwixt the linens and the hemp & organic cottons.
The hills are alive....
It's so twirly!
My version is a fair bit less fitted than many versions I've seen online, but the Liberty has zero give in it and ... I have probably a little too much give these days, ha. Anyway I think it has shape and comfort in really good balance for my liking.
I made a muslin in size 10 and made a few adjustments to fit: raised the waist, let out the side seams and front bodice darts to widen the waist (tapering up to nothing under the arms) and took a wedge out of the bodice centre back where it meets the skirt to fix where it was scooping down a bit (I guess a kind of sway-back adjustment). If you look at the first photo in particular, I think I should have shortened the sleeves by the same amount as I shortened the bodice (I didn't adjust them at all). They're more almost-full-length than 3/4.
I cut the skirt back on the fold, since my print was directional and there were no fabric savings to be made by cutting it in two halves running opposite ways. I also sewed the collar with a 1/4 inch seam allowance as per comments I'd read from other Hawthorn sewists. It seems the pattern was accidentally made with only this narrow allowance on the collar rather than the 5/8 inch allowance elsewhere. Anyway with the 1/4" s/a it worked just right.
I added a waist-stay of cotton twill ribbon, sewing it to the seam allowance and finishing with a snap closure behind the button placket at the front. This may have been a bit of overkill given the lightness of my fabric, but on my bedsheet muslin, the weight of the full skirt pulled oddly at the waist.
I also added a little hook and thread loop helping stop any gaping at the waist. Buttons, not that you can see with the busy print going on, are assorted vintage clear glass.
I did a little bit of swearing when I cut the front bodice pieces upside-down on the print and there was not enough fabric left to re-do. But, it's such a busy print that you'd barely ever notice. I think it's a William Morris.
I felt great wearing this dress today. It made me feel a bit 'dressed up' but not inappropriate for just an ordinary day. I can definitely imagine another Hawthorn or two in my future... maybe in a plain fabric that would show off the cut a bit more.
I was thinking of making a very plain self-fabric tie belt to go with this one. What do you think?
- Jane x
The hills are alive....
My version is a fair bit less fitted than many versions I've seen online, but the Liberty has zero give in it and ... I have probably a little too much give these days, ha. Anyway I think it has shape and comfort in really good balance for my liking.
I made a muslin in size 10 and made a few adjustments to fit: raised the waist, let out the side seams and front bodice darts to widen the waist (tapering up to nothing under the arms) and took a wedge out of the bodice centre back where it meets the skirt to fix where it was scooping down a bit (I guess a kind of sway-back adjustment). If you look at the first photo in particular, I think I should have shortened the sleeves by the same amount as I shortened the bodice (I didn't adjust them at all). They're more almost-full-length than 3/4.
I cut the skirt back on the fold, since my print was directional and there were no fabric savings to be made by cutting it in two halves running opposite ways. I also sewed the collar with a 1/4 inch seam allowance as per comments I'd read from other Hawthorn sewists. It seems the pattern was accidentally made with only this narrow allowance on the collar rather than the 5/8 inch allowance elsewhere. Anyway with the 1/4" s/a it worked just right.
I added a waist-stay of cotton twill ribbon, sewing it to the seam allowance and finishing with a snap closure behind the button placket at the front. This may have been a bit of overkill given the lightness of my fabric, but on my bedsheet muslin, the weight of the full skirt pulled oddly at the waist.
I also added a little hook and thread loop helping stop any gaping at the waist. Buttons, not that you can see with the busy print going on, are assorted vintage clear glass.
I did a little bit of swearing when I cut the front bodice pieces upside-down on the print and there was not enough fabric left to re-do. But, it's such a busy print that you'd barely ever notice. I think it's a William Morris.
I felt great wearing this dress today. It made me feel a bit 'dressed up' but not inappropriate for just an ordinary day. I can definitely imagine another Hawthorn or two in my future... maybe in a plain fabric that would show off the cut a bit more.
I was thinking of making a very plain self-fabric tie belt to go with this one. What do you think?
- Jane x
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
A Nani Iro top for spring
There's a warmth just beginning in the air and I believe we are emerging from what seemed to me like the dreariest, rainiest winter since eleven years ago when I was stuck at home with two little boys ages zero and 14 months in a dark unrenovated cramped house but-let's-not-dwell-on-that!
I've just emailed off the first full draft of the last major piece of work I have to complete for my 'regular job' before I finish up. Yay!
Last Saturday there was a marked turn in business at the shop, with people buying summery fabrics. Yay!
The daylight is lasting longer. Yay!
I know that soon enough I will be moaning about the heat and having to water the garden and all that but for now... yay! I'm feeling all springy! And not in the least because I made myself a new top from some Nani Iro double gauze I've been eyeing off for a while.
It's such a statement fabric, I wanted to make something simple. So after lots of consideration, I settled on a pattern I'd made before, from a Japanese sewing magazine, Pochee Spring 2010. It's basically a wide raglan sleeve top with the neckline gathered up and the gathers sewn down with a long strip that also becomes the front tie. I love my first version of this shirt and still wear it often. The double gauze has held up very well to wash'n'wear.
The pattern calls for the neckline strip to be cut on the bias, and the layout shows an outrageous amount of fabric allowed simply for cutting this. There's really no need for it to be on the bias and I pieced it together from a couple of pieces cut on the grain.
Thank you Jasper for the kooky-angle photos!
- Jane x
I've just emailed off the first full draft of the last major piece of work I have to complete for my 'regular job' before I finish up. Yay!
Last Saturday there was a marked turn in business at the shop, with people buying summery fabrics. Yay!
The daylight is lasting longer. Yay!
I know that soon enough I will be moaning about the heat and having to water the garden and all that but for now... yay! I'm feeling all springy! And not in the least because I made myself a new top from some Nani Iro double gauze I've been eyeing off for a while.
It's such a statement fabric, I wanted to make something simple. So after lots of consideration, I settled on a pattern I'd made before, from a Japanese sewing magazine, Pochee Spring 2010. It's basically a wide raglan sleeve top with the neckline gathered up and the gathers sewn down with a long strip that also becomes the front tie. I love my first version of this shirt and still wear it often. The double gauze has held up very well to wash'n'wear.
However my fabric-miser tendencies bit back at me when I didn't have enough room to add seam allowances at the bottom hem. The top turned out a bit short so I headed back to my pile of scraps and eked out a little addition to the bottom, which was kind of on the bias so it kicks out a bit. Actually I quite like the effect! One of those 'happy accidents'. I would allow a bit more fabric next time though. Er, if I could remember how much I cut for this one, ha.
I also shortened the neck slit/placket thingy considerably because it was waaay too low last time - maybe a little too short now but no matter.
Thank you Jasper for the kooky-angle photos!
- Jane x
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Mornings, and a look at my Hawthorn although not on me, yet
We've been doing this three-kids-at-school thing for almost a year now but is it getting any easier to get us all ready in the mornings? Uh, nope. Maybe this summer when the sun's up earlier?
This morning:
Charlie, his face still three-quarters asleep, moving with glacial speed through the motions of morning preparations.
Clem, five minutes to go, sliding about with a tissue box on one foot and nothing on the other, admonishing Andy for "always speaking to (him) in a cross voice". Cos yeah, we should happily and sweetly repeat instructions for the seventh or eighth time.
Jasper, completely ready since about 7.30am, and showing us all the totem pole he'd just whipped up with corks, a slice of tree branch and a hot glue gun.
We all have our strengths and weaknesses, don't we. But in the mornings I'd take three of Jasper, thank you!
Now again, here I am apologising for not having photos of a garment being worn. There will, really, be a catchup post of me wearing a bunch of stuff soon. But I want to show off my Colette Hawthorn nevertheless, because I'm rather thrilled with it, and I really went slow-and-steady through this, the most detailed thing I've sewn in ages. So here it is on a hanger.
It was love-at-first-sight for me and the Hawthorn pattern. We had just received our first ever bolts of Liberty Tana Lawn at The Drapery and I was all inspired to pull out this Liberty from my stash. It was originally slated for a shirt for Andy, but... let's just say it may just as well have kept sitting in my stash for all the light of day it would have seen. So. Hello, Hawthorn!
I will post later about my fitting alterations and such, and with photos of me wearing it. But for now, here it is, and I can't wait for warmer weather here so I can actually enjoy it!
- Jane xx
This morning:
Charlie, his face still three-quarters asleep, moving with glacial speed through the motions of morning preparations.
Clem, five minutes to go, sliding about with a tissue box on one foot and nothing on the other, admonishing Andy for "always speaking to (him) in a cross voice". Cos yeah, we should happily and sweetly repeat instructions for the seventh or eighth time.
Jasper, completely ready since about 7.30am, and showing us all the totem pole he'd just whipped up with corks, a slice of tree branch and a hot glue gun.
We all have our strengths and weaknesses, don't we. But in the mornings I'd take three of Jasper, thank you!
Now again, here I am apologising for not having photos of a garment being worn. There will, really, be a catchup post of me wearing a bunch of stuff soon. But I want to show off my Colette Hawthorn nevertheless, because I'm rather thrilled with it, and I really went slow-and-steady through this, the most detailed thing I've sewn in ages. So here it is on a hanger.
It was love-at-first-sight for me and the Hawthorn pattern. We had just received our first ever bolts of Liberty Tana Lawn at The Drapery and I was all inspired to pull out this Liberty from my stash. It was originally slated for a shirt for Andy, but... let's just say it may just as well have kept sitting in my stash for all the light of day it would have seen. So. Hello, Hawthorn!
I will post later about my fitting alterations and such, and with photos of me wearing it. But for now, here it is, and I can't wait for warmer weather here so I can actually enjoy it!
- Jane xx
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Bimini Ring
Thank you so much for all the lovely, supportive comments on my last post. I have given work my notice and am counting down the last few weeks. I can't wait to be able to focus better on the shop and family and home. It seems a bit financially foolhardy but I've done stupider things on my life and got away with it. Things have a way of working out.
Friday was a 'student free day' at the boys' school (teacher training), and thankfully Andy was able to take on parenting duties. He set about installing a new backyard game. It's incredibly simple and rather addictive.
Andy discovered the game at a pub in Texas on a work trip. It's just a hook on a wall, and a ring on a string attached to a swivelly clip thing overhead. Swing the ring and try to get it on the hook. It's pretty much impossible to watch someone doing it without coming over all childish: 'I wanna go! My turn next!'.
In other weekend-ish happenings, Clem had been saving his pocket money for some weeks to buy a 'magic garden' and has been delightedly showing us the progress.
I love these things - really, quite magical. There's quite a bit more 'snow' on the mountain now.
There has been sewing, just no pictures I'm afraid. I made my Dad a Your Sew Girl Flat Cap, on his request (how nice to have my Dad ask me to sew him something!). Jasper has a new velour hoodie and I have been slowly, slowly making my way through a Colette Hawthorn dress for myself. It's rather unseasonal so no rush. Might have to have a photo sesh and do a quick roundup blog post about all the sewings.
How's your weekend? Magic gardens? Pub games for the whole family?
- Jane xx
Friday was a 'student free day' at the boys' school (teacher training), and thankfully Andy was able to take on parenting duties. He set about installing a new backyard game. It's incredibly simple and rather addictive.
Andy discovered the game at a pub in Texas on a work trip. It's just a hook on a wall, and a ring on a string attached to a swivelly clip thing overhead. Swing the ring and try to get it on the hook. It's pretty much impossible to watch someone doing it without coming over all childish: 'I wanna go! My turn next!'.
In other weekend-ish happenings, Clem had been saving his pocket money for some weeks to buy a 'magic garden' and has been delightedly showing us the progress.
I love these things - really, quite magical. There's quite a bit more 'snow' on the mountain now.
There has been sewing, just no pictures I'm afraid. I made my Dad a Your Sew Girl Flat Cap, on his request (how nice to have my Dad ask me to sew him something!). Jasper has a new velour hoodie and I have been slowly, slowly making my way through a Colette Hawthorn dress for myself. It's rather unseasonal so no rush. Might have to have a photo sesh and do a quick roundup blog post about all the sewings.
How's your weekend? Magic gardens? Pub games for the whole family?
- Jane xx
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Sunday night pizza and other odds and ends
- We love Dr Brian Cox and his Wonders Of... series. Dare I say he's the David Attenborough of physics?
- Jasper made a Tardis and Sonic Screwdriver.
- He celebrated turning 11 on the last day of school term by having two friends for a sleepover. They were all so exhausted they actually slept. Parental win!
- The winter grass and weeds are out of control so we're letting the tractors a.k.a. chooks have a bit of fun. Can't make the backyard much messier than it already is.
- Clem wanted to dress up as an artist.
* * *
Life has been madly exhausting. But Andy has recently finished up a few major projects and in the last two weeks (school holidays) I've taken leave from my 'corporate' job to focus on The Drapery and family. At the end of it all I've begun to feel more energised and focused. Today I actually got to the bottom of the washing and sorting pile and decluttered and cleaned an entire room of the house. (Plenty more to go.)
My mind had become a blur, unable to focus on anything except the here and now. The idea of planning anything a week away, let alone a holiday for next year, was causing me intense stress. I've been trying difficult dietary measures to try to help with back pain, eczema and puffy skin when maybe it's just stress-induced.
I've decided something has to give and I am about to resign from that corporate job. It will be some weeks with jobs I have to follow through before I can actually leave. And I will miss the very lovely people there. But now the decision is made, I can feel a weight lifting. Financially it will be tough but I have two tax returns in and we hope to be able to start paying ourselves a small amount from The Drapery fairly soon. I feel my sanity is at stake (not to mention the steadily deteriorating state of our house). It would be nice to spend Sundays doing fun things with my family rather than fighting a losing battle with household mess.
Life, hey? I do feel incredibly lucky though. I'm loving The Drapery and Fiona is the most awesome business partner and we could hardly have asked for a better and more encouraging start. We both just want to pour all our available time and energy into it. Our customers are so darn lovely. Sew-ish, art-ish, craft-ish people are just... the best!
It would be nice to have a bit more time to take photos, reflect on life and blog, too! I'm missing this.
- Jane xx
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