Finishing off a UFO

My Marfy skirt (see previous post) was made from the left overs from a UFO. This UFO dates back quite a few years and I couldn't remember why I had left it. Anyway today I dug it out and just about completed it. It is a simple bias skirt. Two side seams, facings at the waist and a side zipper. Ok, now I see what is wrong....the invisible zip is broken! Well that would make you throw it into the corner and leave it to ferment for years, wouldn't it?



So today - I took out the broken zip, put in a new zip, sewed two side seams, found the already interfaced facings, sewed them onto the waist and ..............viola!

This took me all of one and a half hours! I still need to do the hem, but I will let the bias drop a little. Actually I will let it drop for a few days as I need to go up to Shepparton to attend to family stuff. Happy sewing :)

My first Marfy

I thought I would try a Marfy. I made the miniskirt included free in the autumn winter 2007 catalogue - number 093. I chose it because it was easy and I just wanted to check the fit and to see if I could do it. I used some left over fabric from a UFO that I partly made years ago. It is a poly. Pretty horrible stuff. I thought it would look good with my new shoes........but maybe not......

I opened the door so the flash would not "flash" onto the glass. So what does it do? Flash the bra..lol.

The feedback from the daughters was not good! Sofie says it looks like a kilt and Ellen thinks it needs a different top. I'm not real happy either. Not sure if it is the colours (not really me) or the length (or lack of length) or the checks or the shoes......or......

DH just came in and said that he liked it and "..he would wear it" - what the?

It is a shame because I made it pretty on the inside as well. I found an 80cm remnant I bought years ago. Again it is poly, but quite pretty and the colours match really well in real life.

Here is a close up of the buttons I used. There are 2 more on the back.

Well, maybe I will finish off the UFO while I have the red and black thread out.

Update

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes!

I haven't done any sewing (apart from taking up Sofie's new jeans), but boy have I been following everyone Else's progress! Some amazing work/ art is being undertaken from all over the world.....and I can sit at home and be part of the fun! So thank you to all you bloggers and posters on boards for inspiration.

In fact I am a bit overwhelmed! So much inspiration - shirt dresses, Chanel jackets, working wardrobes, summer frocks. I want to do it all. Well, I can cross off the summer frocks!

In my last post I talked about setting some goals. I optimistically thought I should be able to do one garment a week, so over the next 3 months I could make 5 jackets (I just love these and I need more practice), 5 skirts/dresses (no pants as I haven't quite mastered these) and 3 tops.

Now, this might sound like too big an ask, but I only work 3 days a week (so 4 days free a week) and my only other hobby is body building (oh dear I have goals for that too!). Oh and watching TV..lol.

I think I need to sit down and work out a plan. One that will increase my working wardrobe options (as per Carolyn ) and matches my new red shoes (see back a couple of posts). And tomorrow I will finish my Marfy miniskirt that has been sitting half done for too long.......ps, it matches the red shoes!

Happy birthday to us!

Today is Ellen and my 65th birthday! We don't look too bad for 65 (especially Ellen!). My baby Ellen was my 33rd birthday present and now she is sweet 16.

So what have I got for my birthday? Well it is still early here and I am having a coffee and checking out the blogs of some of the SWAP contestants - that is birthday viewing pleasure enough. I have only been following a few via their blogs - Marji, Summerset, Shannon, Carolyn. I will catch up with the rest over at Timmels site later as the week progresses. And how can I vote? - to vote for one would be to not vote for another!

Another birthday thought - I am not getting enough sewing done! Last night I was reading a book about bodybuilding - in particular a chapter about goal setting. And that I think is the key - set some goals. Otherwise you put things off - you need a deadline. Just like SWAP! So today I will set some goals of what I want to achieve over the next 12 months, 3 months, each week and daily.

Now I must be off - birthday things to attend to and photos of the SWAPees to check out!

Warning...not sewing related....

This is what teenage girls do on school holidays. Sofie, Ellen & Grace (the tall one who is Sofie's friend) filmed this on Tuesday. Sofie edited and posted. Only watch if you are completely bored or curious! HAPPY EASTER everyone!

Out with my babies...

.

Today we went shopping along Brunswick Street. This is a very bohemian shopping strip in Fitzroy (Melbourne). Sofie bought a pair of white ankle boots and I managed to find a bargain or two at Clear It - the Alannah Hill clearance shop. I found a tweed at $2.50 a metre and a satin at $6.00 a metre. I thought the tweed was silk, but on testing back at home (burn and smell testing) I think it is cotton acrylic.

It burnt readily and was not self extinguishing and some fibres could be crushed and some not. Anyway, at $2.50 it is still a bargain - I bought 5 metres. The other one is silk. The burn test confirmed this. I bought 3 metres. It would make a great top, skirt, dress or lining. Very, very soft and silky.

After Brunswick St, we went to Bridge Road, Richmond. Another strip shopping road that has a lot of outlet stores. Sofie bought a tunic top/dress and I managed to buy some gorgeous shoes.........

Poor Ellen did not score in the purchases department but had a good time anyway!

I think I may have been wrong....

Remember when I did my burn test for some of my Hong Kong "Armani" fabrics? Well I may have jumped to a wrong conclusion. I was reading Claire Shaeffer's book on fabrics last night and she had this table on testing contents of fabric by burning - lists smell, flame reaction, ash etc. So I decided to test again. This time I took some hair from DD's hairbrush and burnt that first - had a good sniff. Ok burnt hair. Next tried the check "Armani" - mmmmm....sniff...burnt hair! Tried another one - the same burnt hair smell - SILK - yippee. I then tried the third and it burnt quite fast and had a yellow flame, smelt like paper - so maybe cotton, or rayon or linen...linen smells like rope - but what does burnt rope smell like?

I jumped to the conclusion that the "Armani's" were poly previously, as the ash formed a lump and looked shiny. But testing again, this time just a few threads at a time, there was no poly smell and the ash crushed. I tested some known poly and the ash does not crush - it is like plastic - and it has that smell, like when you have the iron on too hot on a poly outfit.

Anyway, I am enjoying this.....I think I will test more over the next few days. Well this is one way to reduce the stash?

I am afraid not much sewing as my machine is in for service and it is school holidays. My girls love to shop, so my non work days will be spent on girly adventures! Also for Easter I will be visiting my parents upstate.

Weather in Melbourne Australia

I have just been reading Summerset's blog on her beautiful daughter's beautiful dress. And beautiful they are. But then I thought..."Won't she be cold?". So my post today is about the weather here (in Melbourne) and how we live in it.

The weather at this time of year (early autumn) is beautiful. Today it will be 21 (70f). But I would be cold if I wore a summer frock. We don't have central heating as we don't get extremely cold weather - even in winter. Some mornings get a bit frosty, but never any snow or subzero temperatures. So heating is good but not something that is kept on all the time. Turned off at night and then turned on when home from work. If I am at home during the day, I may put on the heating or just put my polar fleece dressing gown over what I have on.

So even though the weather is mild, some people from colder climes would find it very cold as there is not that central heating that they may be used to. The air around them is not heated and they need to dress appropriately.

So back to the dress - lucky Summerset's daughter is not here, because she would have to cover up her pretty dress with a cardigan, jacket or heaven forbid - polar fleece dressing gown (lol) - even while inside....and what a shame that would be!

So to summarise my weather lesson.....here in Melbourne you never know what you will get. At this time of year you need to be prepared for 30 (86f) and for 15 (60f) - yes even on the one day. So you need always to consider the layers. Preparing for Easter means - layers, just in case. So maybe that is why we don't make a new dress for Easter? It is not a custom here. And besides even though Easter is about rebirth, here we are heading towards winter......sigh!

So what can I make that looks good in polar fleece................