In which I attend a most fabulous vintage tea and crafting event...

Had a completely lovely time yesterday, at https://www.facebook.com/PolkaDotRockEvents vintage tea and craft party.

    We had our hair done - this is Nic getting a hairover. What a doll!

We were treated to lashing of ginger beer, lemonade, tea and coffee in cute little jars, cakes galore, dainty little ham, cucumber, egg and cheese&tomato sandwiches, scones with jam and cream...

This is Anna, fresh from a fun run (who went straight from pompom wielding jogging cheerleader to vintage vixen!)

 More tea darling?

 Posing at the 'booth'

 Desperately trying to finish my brooch before the event ended:

 Completed Brooch on my puppytooth handbag:

In which I buy an old frock, a new frock, and abandon a project (and whinge about how fat I am!)

My first bargain of the week is this little top/dress which I got for £1.99 at Barnardos (currently the only charity shop which doesn't have ridiculously priced stock) I loved the shape of it - its like a shirt dress but with a frill at the bottom. I'm thinking I may remove the frill, add some black fabric as a flared skirt, then pop the frill back on. I dunno. Maybe I'll just remove the frill full stop. Or maybe the frill will look fine if I lose some weight! It is just getting added to my stash at the mo for later attention.

 Heres the top details. Nice gathered yolk and sleeves.

My second 'bargain' isn't really a bargain. I went a bit mad buying clothes online at Izabel the other day, knowing full well I couldn't afford it. I saw a fifties style dress in Dotty P's the other day but they had none in my size. Well they did online! Apologies for the flash short and bad photo, but this is the one I'm keeping (it was full price sadly, but my first order did have 20% off and also got10% quidco cashback - so £24.50 is not bad is it?!)
I love the shape and thought it was really flattering on my, lets face it, size 20 figure (the dress is a 16 - snug but wearable - I'm back on the diet again) Its a lovely 50's shape - very modest but very bright. I think the brights suit my colouring best, so this is the one I have kept. I'm actually astonished that something with a low waistband (I'm not sure its meant to be but I'm short-waisted so it sits below my natural 'in' bit) is flattering. I favour empire styles on a day-to-day basis.

 This adorable little number is quite 50's too - and disappointingly looked cr*p on me. The hemline was also wonky - I'm not sure if this is a feature but due to it being uneven I don't think so. I suspect if I'd been 2 stone lighter I'd have wanted to keep it, but I'm not, so I ain't.

This shirt dress looked cute, but I couldnt even get it on - or rather I could get the dress on, but not the sleeves - bane of my life. Sleeves too tight when everything else is OK. Fat arms begone!!

This dress looked cute on - but is bizarrley made of this nasty thick jersey style fabric which is really hot and scratchy. So it looks like a summer dress, but feels like a winter dress. Returned!

Another pic of the dress I have kept. I bought three of these - a purply one, a pinky gerbera one, and this one. 

The purply one I immediately discounted - pretty but not my colours. I rather liked this pinky gerbera one - and its more subtle - (plus it was only £24 in the sale so would have been  £16.80) but it couldn't win over the bright one. I couldn't justify keeping both either.

The dresses below I'm just showing off as I seem to be on that subject so may as well stick to it for today. Both are new with tags on :)

This is one I bought in a closing down sale in Sydney in 2006. I never wore it and I can't remember why. Its so pretty. Crossover front, big sash that wraps from the back to around the front and back again. Full swingy skirt. Very 50's. I can't even get it zipped up now, so I'm lending it to the lovely Anna to wear to the vintage tea-party on Sunday. She should look a treat!

Thjis is a rockabilly style dress in a 14  I got on ebay for a tenner about a stone and a half ago. Even then it was too tight on the backside. One day it will fit... I do have a similar one with white piping in the 16 but the arse is still too tight, even though the bodice is fine <sigh>

The dress I have abandoned is the blue star swing dress #2. It just hasnt worked. The shape is wrong and the piping is wrong. I'm going to have to unpick the entire thing and start from scratch sans piping. It was a nice idea that failed. I'll be wearing swing dress #1 to the tea party as originally intended!

1940's Dance Tickets Give Away!

From Forties Knitter:

http://fortiesknitter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/1940s-dance-tickets-give-away.html

This looks like so much fun. I may book a couple of tickets anyway, although the hubby would rather boil his head in oil - I have a few friends who would really enjoy it!

Whilst I'm on the subject of the forties - I'm getting there with swing dress #2. Its doing my head in a bit. I probably should have stayed away from the piping - I've already sew it - dismantled it - sew in - added extra bits - and I'm still not happy. This is what its looking like as of this morning. Sans sleeves and not sewn up at the sides yet. I also think I may pinch the neckline to make it sweetheart. I think the piping makes it look more 50's though - and I don't really like it on the yolk bit - I think it looks a bit cowgirl...

I was hoping to wear it to the Vintage tea party on Sunday, but I'm not sure thats going to happen and I may revert to #1!

I have so many projects and so little time. My list is currently:

• Swing Dress #2
• Finish puppytooth handbag brooch as its currently not fixed to the bag I made.
• Billowing 70's dress reconstruction
• More comfy trousers for Noah + some shorts
• Baby Shoes for Joeys teacher
• Pouch for my nexus in the Cath Kidston oilcloth - possibly or just using some cotton and the PUL I have somewhere.
• Shirtdress
• 50's dress
• Graceful Kelly Bag

Oh - can I also just add a want - Lola by Miss L Fire....

Back in the Saddle

Well, its been a little while since I blogged. This is mostly due to my impatiently awaiting the arrival of my dressmakers form, which took an irritatingly long time to turn up (and was late).

However, she is here now.
Her name is Kirsty (I don't know why. It just popped into my head when I was adjusting her to 'me' size and I am unable to rename her to something more 'cool' because in my head she is Kirsty) and she is assisting me in selling some clothes on ebay, and also currently doing the swing dress #2 and the peony transformation.

Kirsty will be wearing a black t-shirt in most pics to cover up the padded bra and towel 'tummy' I gave her to make her shape a bit more realistic. AKA plump like moi.

Why is she green though? Why don't they do them in shades of person? I have nothing against green - in fact it is my favourite colour - but it doesn't really set off what you're dressing her in so very well.

Here she is in the peony dress. I am currently disassembling it. The sleeves are off. The frill is next. And then I'm cutting off the skirt and putting on a waistband. That is the plan, anyhows.

Can you see the lindy bop dress hanging on the right there? I could squeeze into that a few months back. Now I haven't got a hope in hell. I do love it though.

The swing dress #2 is in the exact same fabric as #1, albeit blue  and not green. I have re-drafted the pattern and I'm hoping to attempt some piping this time.

We had a bank holiday last week which was gorgeous weather, and also had some this weekend. Activites have included visiting Island Hall, making fruit kebabs (in Noahs case, wearing only a pinny for modesty), visiting the Cambridgeshire Garden Show and failing to make it to Twin Lakes after Noah projectile vomited in the car even before we left Huntingdon. I'm hoping to manage it next Saturday instead. I'm also hoping to also make the Wicksteed at War event on the Sunday, as we went last year entirely by accident, and it was a lovely day. Unfortunately this means we'll miss the nursery open day (thats plant nursery) with the bee display on the Saturday, and the Huntingdon Riverside Gala on the Sunday. So many events - so little time!!

 

 

Kicking myself for not waiting for the sale

because of course everything at Kaleidoscope is now 20% of instead of just 10%. Never mind. I'm just kicking my heels waiting for the dress form. I'm not used to waiting for ages for a delivery dammit!

Plus, got the wrong delivery of fabric - I got blue stars instead of dots. I did tell the bloke and he was lovely and sent the right order immeidately with an envelope to return the stars.I have since realised however, that I cannot part with either (and the polka doesn't match my shoes, because its white based not cream based) so I'm going to have to email him back and tell him he just made an extra sale...

Onto other matters - Noah has shown some artistic flair this week. This is a drawing of me and him. And some rocks, apparently.

 

Also, I got me a lovely Next dress from ebay. £3.40. Its kind of a little girls style summer dress, but it makes my knockers look bigger than they are. Always a bonus!

 

So, in summary, I have been not doing much sewing of late, unless you count patching up school trousers. I really really want that dress form before I start again because I want to make up the swing dress in blue stars but with more modifications. C'mon already and arrive!

Swing Dress Finished! Puppytooth framed handbag finished!! Vintagebrooch in use!!!

All at the expense of a poorly sick child, which meant I could not attend my place of work today, instead having to fill in the time between being at his beck and call, by having my foot firmly on speed-sew...

So firstly. I finished the swing dress. I will post more photos on a page soon, but for now we'll have a few of me posing in some dreadful shots that I must apologise for but its the best I can do on my camera-phone with a dusty mirror. I'm pretty pleased. I think it looks the part and I'd be happy to wear this to work on a summers day, not just to the vintage tea party I made it for.  

   

Check out my brooch. This belonged to nanny (my dads mum - who was born in 1910) and is a vintage paste brooch/dress clips.Its been sitting in my jewellery box since she died in 1984.

I only just found out what dress clips are. Its been bothering me for years. Basically the brooch comes apart and the two sides become separate clips - for many years I thought they must be earrings - but that would be too painful due to the metal 'grip' at the back. More recently I thought perhaps shoe clips. Then I read about dress clips - eureka - so that's what it is! I have chosen to leave it in its brooch form here, but they were commonly worn either side of the neckline to jazz up dresses and coats.

  (I have ironed this believe it or not!)

I made quite a few adjustments along the way. I sewed up the bodice front as I can't be doing with gaping wrap style necklines. I shortened the sleeves and added faux cuffs. I shortened the waist-piece. I had to add side panels cos I'm such a porker. And the sleeves for the same reason. I added a few gathers to the sleeves at the shoulder. I had to modify the neckline at the yolk because the patterns off (OK, it is probably my lack of cutting skills)

New skills learned:

gathering using machine stitching (have always done by hand)

Invisible zip insertion. You can't see a zip can you? No? exactly.

Modyfying a pattern to fit (without the use of a muslin or a dressmakers dummy)

Also - I made a bag. A bag with a frame. I used the puppytooth fabric as it matches my shoes (sort of - its not entirely correct as its white/black not cream/black but near as dammit) For a first time/practice run I'm extremely pleased. I decided to leave the bag plain and have a nice polka lining. The strap is detachable. The brooch I made - well I'm a bit so-so about it - I think the ribbon makes it look a bit like a horse show rosette - but the beauty of course is that I don't have to use it. I may have another attempt at a different type of embellishment.

I would probably prefer the polka on the outside for more frequent use, but as I said, first go and all. The inner pocket is also too far down. Never mind. Its still a pocket.  It wasn't as hard or messy as I anticipated. The sewing bit was easy. The glue/fabric/frame bit was fine. I did spend half an hour picking glue off, but it looks OK now.

I am now really really wanting to start on my graceful kelly bag. But I need to make Noah his fox trousers first.

Finally started work on the swing dress!

I've been itching to start it, and as you can see the bodice is starting to look something like a bodice. I did find the instructions incredibly confusing though, and nothing seems to fit quite right. I checked and double checked my pattern, but I've cut it all out as instructed (apart from shortening the bodice, but I did that both front and back in the place they marked to do so)For instance, the back shoulder section, where the bodice back meets the (gathered) bodice front, is not long enough.

As a result I had to sew it at a bit of an angle and use the tiniest seam possible (About 1/8 inch). The result of this is that the yolk (which is topstiched down) is not in line with the inner edge of the front bodice.

The gathering (which I did between notches as instructed) seems way too far towards the armholes, with not much near the inner bodice (towards the neck) You can see that in the photo below (actually, my point is, you can't see the gathers at all in the photo below, which concerns me - but you can see them in the photo above) I'm hoping it will look fine once the dress starts to come together. I'm also hoping it fits. Its seems a bit small.

However, I'm not cutting out a new back bodice. I am going to soldier on regardless and see what happens. If I like the dress, then at least I know next time how to modify. I love sewing with this cotton though, and so does my machine. Don't seem to have any of the issues I get with other fabrics. (Probably shouldn't have said that so early on!)



I would sooo love to have a dressmakers form, but maybe that's what I can ask for in August (birthday) Not sure where I'd put it though.

I also subscribed to Cloth Magazine. Its £5 for three issues to see what I think, and I feel like I'm allowed a subscription as JP gets Viz. Admittedly I read that in the bath (I like readers letters and tips!) so its kind of for both of us. I don't think he'll be reading my sewing mags!

Oh yes, my order from U-Handbag arrived. Uber-quick. I'm v. happy. Will post pic once I recieve the fabric and other gubbins to make my handbags with!