August: 1930s blouse

I have twelve days to complete a project for August, so I've chosen a realistic item for that time - a 1930s blouse with bow-tied neckline a-la Upstairs Downstairs:

Ivy 

Agnes

Persephone

It's going to be made from a chiffon-type maroon fabric, so working with something that flimsy is going to be interesting...

July: Regency-ish, not-quite Victorian

Yes, it's two weeks late, but better late then never, right? Here is my late-Regency/early-Victorian mish-mosh of a dress. As mentioned previously, it's from Butterick 5832, although I took some liberties with it. Love how the match of the contrast fabric worked, and I also refined my piping-construction skills. I have enough of this material to make another dress too. Love when that happens, means you're not putting all your creative eggs in one basket.

Will have to pick a less complicated era for August...I've only got two weeks left...

Getting there...

So I haven't delivered a finished project by the end of July but to be fair this is a very fiddly dress and I have got this far:

In contrast to the piped, pleated, gathered, and bias-bound bodice, the skirt will be relatively easy, so the early-Victorian-ish creation should be finished shortly. August's era may have to be an easy one. 1950s I'm thinking. 

6 eras in 6 months

Yes, yes, I know, my efforts have been pretty rubbish lately. However, to try and spark things up a bit, I've decided to set myself a challenge - 6 eras in 6 months. Each month I will make an outfit from a different era, and that will take me to the end of the year. That's doable, isn't it? And I'll start with a project I didn't quite get round to last year - a not-quite late Regency/early Victorian pattern that I fell in love with. With 9 days into July already I better get a move-on.

Maybe by the end of the 6 months I'll do a more authentic Victorian get-up. One sort of like this: 

We'll see. Have to deliver the first month first! In the meantime, here's my cat in a hoodie: 

1930sness

I'm not a HUGE fan of these photos. We went all round the house looking for somewhere suitable to take them that had enough light suitable for portraits and didn't really find one. Nevertheless, I promised them, so here they are.

1935 day dress

1938 suit

1934 blouse

The conclusion I came to while making these was that women in the 1930s had ridiculously skinny arms. Or maybe I just need to go on a depression-era diet. 

A little morsel to tide you over

Right, so, okay, it's somehow May already and I promised that it wouldn't be three months before my next post but it's closer to four. What the Jesus, Mary and Joseph?? Man the transition into a new career is a bitch, isn't it? Some major hiccups in my course, plus a weekend job in the industry that turned out to be more stress and ridiculousness than it was worth, plus feeling guilty whenever I did any sewing has resulted in bugger all to show you.

However, I'm still in semi-1930s mode thanks to Upstairs Downstairs, and have finished a dress from a 1935 pattern, and have almost-finished a 1934 blouse. Pictures to come. In the meantime though, you'll have to manage with a small tidbit from my exploration into Cat Couture. It's something Better Half and I always thought would be hilarious to try, and since mentioning it to friends they've all agreed it's a great idea. The other day everything was all getting a bit too much, so Better Half suggested I sew to relax, as it's the best way I get my flow on. So I thought "Fuck it! Let's do this!" and I spent a solid three hours making this little gem for our five-month-old:

We could NOT stop laughing

Doesn't he look smart?! As usual, camera's rubbish, but you get the idea. It's made from a heavily altered version of Simplicity 2695. We got two other patterns as well to cover all sizes of cat and dog to cater for friend's needs. This is just the beginning, folks. Just wait and see what costume I've got in mind for our prim three-year-old feline. She's going to love hate it. 

The sewing black hole is over

Nearly three months?? THREE MONTHS?! Three months since my last post?? WTF! Granted, I moved house, went back to work for the summer (ew), and got a new kitten (I know, right?!) so between all that and the obligatory social engagements of the christmas/new year period, I had bugger all time for creativity.

However, since I was recently given a shout-out on Stuff.co.nz for their wedding of the week (thanks Becs xx) I thought I should brush off the cobwebs of this ol' thang.

First, ANOTHER non-white wedding dress, for two friends of mine who got married in November. We used Butterick 5419 in a red delustred satin and the brides have kindly provided some photos for me to show off.

Thanks Marika and Kelly!

And just for good measure, here is me with them. Man it was windy that evening. 

I'm wearing the maroon cocktail dress I made out of the rest of the embroidered fabric from Samoa. It was bloody uncomfortable and it didn't fit my shape well so I'm selling it. That will teach me to alter a neckline without checking it first, I made it way too deep. The straps kept falling down 'cause I 'ain't got much going on in the chestal area to push out the front of the bodice and hold them in place. So to Trademe it goes, if anybody wants it. 

In other news, I've been volunteering at the SPCA a lot in preparation for the second half of my course, and it transpired that they needed a whole bunch of new surgical drapes to take out with their desexing caravan. Naturally, I put up my hand. I only had time to make 8 plain drapes and 5 cat spey drapes (the ones with holes in them) before the deadline - they take a lot longer to make than you might think! I'll keep making more with the extra fabric I have and hand them in as and when they're done. Here's the pile I made: 

And here's one in use. (Puppies obviously require the smaller cat spey drapes). 

Penultimately for this post, I have yet another wedding to attend next month, for which I will be wearing the following almost-finished dress: 

And last but not least, here's the beer I've been drinking while working on it today. It does indeed taste like christmas, and reminds me of Monteith's Summer Ale and fruit mince tarts. 

I sincerely promise it won't be another three months before I post again.