2015 fashion show fun!

It's 2015. And already I have managed to enter 2 fashion shows. The inagural Timaru Sewing Centre Fashion Show is on the 25th of March, and i have entered the eveningwear section, with a race day type outfit. This is actually a dress i adapted from the craftsy couture dressmaking tutorial i did last year. Only have the hem and exposed zip to go then finished the dress. (Sorry about the lack of photo progress for this project). I am thinking of making a fascinator to match. Next comes the Oversew Fashion Awards, in May 2015, in Carterton. I think this is their third or fourth show, and i am entering the Luxurious Leather and Lace section. Following are some of my original garments i will be upcycling for this challenge. Loving the hideous padded shouldered leather jacket - $3 at the opshop. (Actually i worked out the shoulder pads are brilliant to pad out my mannequin, so susie has gone up a few cup sizes and become more hourglass at the hips!) Thetartan skirt is one i made with my mum when i was about 15. The theme is old to new so i am looking at current trends, and have gone with the gothic/punk trend emerging. Perfect for tartan and leather. At the moment i am working on a vest with an asymmetrical zip with the leather jacket, and some fitted tartan trousers with the tartan skirt...Here is my rather bizzare looking toile (sample) as i was finding it really hard to pin the leather to fit it properly The armhole is proving to be tricky, as it is so big! Maybe inserts will be needed. Incorporating the lace is challenging me too. I have found my old button cross i made for a jacket when i was at Fashion School, and decided to trim that with lace and add it to the back of the vest. Looks pretty good. How to attach it will be the next challenge, as it is quite heavy! I am looking at making short petal style sleeves for the vest out of lace too. So thats the progress so far - will have a pic of the race day dress in my next ramble...

Hazed Magazine

have you checked out the treasure hunt that has just started over at Hazel loves design? Its pretty awesome - up to $1500 worth of handmade loveliness, including one of my custom designed ring bearer cushions, for your big day (or someone you know who is getting married)

My up cycled ring bearers cushion featuring beautiful rings
by Julia @ Relique

a photoshoot at my mum's gorgeous villa

So, if you want to take part, follow this link to Hazel Loves Design, and get hunting!

http://www.hazellovesdesign.com/2014/05/were-going-on-treasure-hunt.html

:) J

ps - my tutorial will be featured on the blog too, if you are interested in making one of these lovely cushions!

thinking outside the wardrobe door

Renovating is underway alongside our earthquake repairs, and finally after 10 yrs our bedroom is being redecorated.  My ugly old wardrobe is now lying on our back lawn.  Hubby asked about a headboard, which got me thinking along the upcycling lines.  And that's where the wardrobe doors came into it.  Perfect size for a headboard - old rimu with lots of character.  Now to find some fabric - not just ordinary fabric - it had to deal with oily hubby hair and be washable.  Which led to oil cloth, and Femme de Broncante - OH what a LOVELY place.  Full of french provincial mixed with splashs of shabby chic...so inspiring!!!!
So i ended up with the seafoam polkadot oilcloth, and a pot of Annie Sloan old white chalk paint. ( which i will use to paint the dressers i got from trademe too)

The ugly old headboard lying next to my rimu wardrobe door

Firstly to sand down the wardrobe door, pull the nails out and take the backing off. Next I cut up an old foam bed topper to fit in the frame so the oilcloth is nicely padded. This gets glued to the backing board.While that is drying, time to paint the frame.  I started with Dulux D'Urville Island (my fav aqua paint) as the base, then applied old white chalk paint over the top and rubbed it back slightly for effect.  I then applied the Annie Sloan clear wax over the top to finish.
Now for the tricky bit - attaching the oil cloth to the frame with enough give in it to sit nicely over the padding, between the frame and the backing board.  I used a staple gun for this step.
Now to put it all together - I popped the painted 'frame' over the covered foam and squashed it down onto the backing board.  I used small nails and hammered them through from the back to secure the backing board to the frame.  All done!

My upcycled wardrobe door headboard.  Walls are in Resene Moonbeam

All that is left is to find some other bit of wardrobe framing to make legs to attach the headboard to the bed. (I also made some yummy linen curtains with fabric from Femme De Brocante - you can find their delicious shop here: http://www.fdb.co.nz/)  Will post a pic once the room is all finished...EXCITING!!!!

a treasure trove

I found one today - the city mission op shop (or thrift shop/charity shop) in town, has a room to the side - and in that room is a little shelf.  On the little shelf, I found  sewing treasures.  See:

I was soooooo excited - but slightly nervous about how much i had racked up.  So I tentively popped everything on the counter, and to my utter surprise was charged $5 for all of it.  The gorgeous vintage patterns, zips, bias binding, metro threads, snap domes, bobbin case, embroidered linens, buttons, and my favourite find - the bias binding maker.  That is the metal thing in the foreground of the photo, lying on a hand written note.  Some lovely old dear has written instructions for DIY bias binding.  SOOOO excited - now i can easily make my own - handy for buntings, and edging bibs for baby gifts....

The patterns will join the 300+ i have stashed in my cupboard - (thats one of my slightly addictive habits!)

Thats my excitment for the day - in fact it will keep me excited for at least the next week! :)

Domestic Goddess on a Budget: How to Save Money and Time and Still be Gorgeous

50's inspired Apron

The lovely lady that i made this for is a bit longer in the torso, so i made it a bit longer in the bib.  It was a kitchen shower gift - so i included the book Domestic Goddess on a Budget, by Wendyl Nissen.  Amazing book! Highly recommend it - great for natural remedies, and cleaning products etc...The link is below:

Domestic Goddess on a Budget: How to Save Money and Time and Still be Gorgeous: This is a lively, user-friendly guide on how to get by on less without losing your sense of humour, your sense of style or your commitment to helping save the planet. Wendyl Nissen, New Zealand's very own budget-conscious domestic goddess, brings an entertaining and informative approach to everyday household activities, from cleaning your home with natural cleaning products - that you can make at a fraction of the cost of commercial cleaners - to turning your tiny plot of earth into a garden and furnishing your rooms with vintage furniture. Wendyl also provides lots of hints on how to reduce your grocery and power bills by adopting some of the habits and routines our grandparents grew up with.

PS - here is an apron i upcycled for gracie - the frill is from a pillow case, and the fabric is vintage - it is backed with ripstop nylon for messiness factors - which my daughter has a large dose of!