Oversew Fashion Awards entry - progress

I have come to a halt with the leather vest, as i am waiting for some black venise lace to arrive from ebay. This is what it looks like at present: I have placed darts in the bust area to get rid of the gape, and resewn the front to get rid of the stud closures. I am playing around with the old collar, and still trying to work out how to incorporate lace into the design, other than as the sleeves. It looks a bit baggy as i can't pin it properly being leather! So anyway today i tackled the spats - or gators or whatever they are called. After going over my pinterest boards, i finally came up with a method - very simply - wrap fabric around my leg and draw a line down the centre back and centre front, then cut and sew and adjust until a nice shape eventually appears. It seems to be working so far. So tonight i cut out the sample spats pattern in some tartan i have had forever. I am sewing a centre front leg seam and they will lace up with eyelets along the centre back leg seam. I am thinking i will make them from the leather jacket sleeves, and add lace here and there to go with the theme for the show. So here are some pictures of the pattern i came up with, and the cut pieces ready to stitch. And here is one sample spat all done with a touch of lace. Fits quite well, Yay! Oh, and i have finished the celtic cross patch for the back of the vest. My next big challenge will be to come up with a pants design which works for the tartan fabric from the skirt...So thats all for now - and with 11 weeks to finish it i think i am on target!

from pillowslip to frock

I made a rash decision recently and put my name forward to contribute to a very funky craft magazine - Hazed - created by the wonderful Hazel...After some past knock backs, i have to say i was a bit nervous about it all.  However there was no need......(Hazel is so lovely, and really encouraging!)

So ensued lots of fun finding a cute retro pillowslip from the local purple door opshop...and then a photoshoot - for one of my favourite redflax creations - my fern frocks...Basically a pillowslip dress for little girls.  I have had so much fun creating lots of these - op-shopping for retro and vintage pillowslips matching up buttons from my eclectic and now rather vast button collection, experimenting with dyeing embriodered pillowslips, adding frills on the hem from frilled pillowslips.....you get the idea...Now feels like a great time to share my frock fun with everyone!
Here are some sneak peaks from my photoshoot (coz i can't show all of it just yet!), with my gorgeous friend Dawn.  She has a fabulous eye for design, and happens to have a beautiful restored villa just up the road (which is great, as my little beachy batch is being earthquake repaired, and in rather a state at present!).

sharing a funny moment with my photographer!

Don't you just LOVE the retro iron!
Went perfectly with my retro pillowslip..

 So that is just a wee look at what I got up to - for the full tutorial, keep a look out for the Spring Edition of Hazed e-zine - EXCITING...
And here are some past redflax fern frocks I have had lots of fun creating:

My little G is in this collage - she was only 3 back then!

Loved the colours in this - and the covered buttons

this was the first one I sold - on felt.co.nz

 my cousins girl got this - she still wears  it 4 yrs later!

the orange fabric was an op
shopped waffle weave dressing gown 

recreative workshops

They've been buzzing around in my mind for the past 4 or so months, so i feel its time to set them down to paper, and clear some room in my thinking spaces....

Running workshops has always been a bit of fun for me - i LOVE to wander along with people on a learning journey - I started with workshops in South Auckland when i was a trainee Social Worker at a youth centre - and just to make sure i got in at the deep end i started with sexual health workshops.  It was interesting to say the least! Moving onto christchurch I moved into youth mental health and wellbeing workshops for students and youth workers..

After a few workshops at Hands Craft store in Christchurch, I got really inspired to run remade/upcycled/refashioned workshops.  4 yrs later, i now have a tiny bit of space to do that.  Now comes the how what where who and when bit.

WHAT:  For this bit i went through my past creations, and came up with some that could transfer into workshops:

meet molly the morepork...

upcycled pipi apron from men's shirt

upcycled bibs from tablecloths 

upcycled bunting from linens

girls ucpcycled 10 cent mixture dress from women's skirt

upcycled fabric hair ties

upcycled reversable headbands

upcycled boys pants from mens shirt

upcycled down under christmas stocking

vintage inspired apron

upcycled/new material frilly pipi apron

So that is the what....The WHEN will be dependant on finding a venue, but hopefully a mix of daytime ones for mummies, and evening classes...which is also the answer to the WHERE???

The HOW will be about going through and making up instructions for each workshop, with a list of materials, and the WHO will be finding an audience who are interested in handmade, eco friendly, DIY funkiness...

WOW! its nice to get that out of my head... :) Justine

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! :)