I'm in love with Ottobre

I've recently discovered the joys of sewing with Ottobre patterns, thanks to a Brown Owl crafty pal who brought along her copies for us to enjoy. I was swayed by the pretty pictures and groovy patterns for children's clothing... so I bought my first copy - Autumn 2009.

As my little poppet is rapidly becoming one very fast growing bean pole, I chose to make these pants a little larger so they might fit her for longer than a month. They are the Tulip Corduroy Pants - quite quick to sew but with such lovely little details. The pin tucks on the back pockets, the adjustable waistband inside, the slightly gathered faced front pockets. I've used vintage floral pillowcase material for the inside pocket flaps and inside waistband... but alas the kidlet got too wriggly for photos of that. To just get these photos I had to bribe with a choc chip cookie!

Not the easiest of patterns as the instructions are a little on the brief side. I wouldn't recommend these patterns for beginner sewers but if you know your way around a sewing machine and have made other dressmaking patterns before, you'll be right.

Fabulous Fifties

This last weekend found our family garage sale hunting on Sunday. I came upon my most favourite type of garage sale. Garage sale of a lady in her eighties who was crafty. Bingo. Fabulous.

This is a sample of what I brought home with me. My poor husband just stood there as I went along, selecting things and passing them to him, loading him up. We had to create a pile on the lawn after a while!

Handwoven cane baskets, skirt hem measure, anodized coffee pot, Adelaide-made handbag, the softest of soft leather gloves, pudding steamer, leather hole punch, knitting patterns, gorgeous dish with handle and some Ornamin Ware by Melmac - fantastic melamine plates and bowls for the kidlet. Vintage kiddie bowls! Oh... and all for $8.

And the item that really rang my bell was the hard cover copy of Australian Womens Complete Household Guide. This is one of a series that Colorgravure Publications released during the 1950's. I have a small number of volumes from the series including The Australian Home Decorator and Painter, Complete Australian Gardener Illustrated, New Australian Home Carpentry, Australian Picture Handyman, and Practical Australian Motorist Illustrated.

These do it yourself books are wonderful snapshots of Australian life in the fifties. I've included the index from the new Australian Womens Complete Household Guide so that you might know what a Housewife would need to know in the fifties. And below that a sample of decorating ideas for your fifties home.

I have a spare copy of The Australian Home Decorator and Painter if anyone has a title that I don't have from this series that they would like to swap. Just flick me an email and we'll compare books!

Treading lightly

I have this idea in my head and I have some deliciously soft leather scraps.

Baby shoes. Buttery soft, easy to slip on and off baby shoes.

I am trying to make them myself without referring to a pattern. Good one Gillian!! Lots of trials in the works in both cotton and leather. I've not sewn with leather before and it's an interesting material with which to work. It stretches, it's not forgiving in the unpicking department and you can even iron it!!

Back to the sketch pad with this one as I just can't ease in the fullness around the front. And I think I will cover that elastic with a casing... perhaps bias binding?? But golly it's fun working with something so tiny!

Anyone got some spare flippers?

Our front yard this morning..... waiting for the paving to be started when it dries out a smidge.....

Tieing up loose ends

Continuing the major clean out, destash and finishing WIP binge of late. I attend a felting and knitting class during the week which has the divine option of a free creche for my little poppet to attend whilst I get my dose of craftiness and adult company during the week.

This class has prompted me to start knitting a hat for my daughter whichI will felt in the washing machine or full it if I want to be completely technical. Here it is two thirds of the way through. I found the yarn at the op shop for 50 cents which makes the project even more delicious! And here's a tip for beginner knitters who haven't used double pointed needles before.... I put little rubber bands on the ends of my needles so that the stitches won't slip off. It stops me worrying about dropping all those stitches!

The test sewers Gingerbread House kits got off in the post yesterday express mail. That is a relief as now I can sit back with that project on the back burner for a little while. That is until I hear how tricky or not my instructions are!!

Don't forget I have lots of vintage sewing patterns and some modern ones finishing their auctions on Ebay tonight, including the one below for a very vintage bathing suit. Click here if you would like to have a gander. More to be listed soon over the next week or so. Just have to be a good seller and check all the pieces are in the pattern envelopes.

Happy mail

A lurvely parcel arrived in my letterbox this week, from the creative Amy of Badskirt. I had won a giveaway over on her blog and Amy was wonderfully kind to bring me back some fabrics and other goodies on her recent trip to Japan. How gorgeous is the fabric and the tape!! Definitely some personal sewing stash goodies there.

I am also clearing out some vintage 1950's sewing patterns and modern craft patterns via ebay at the moment. If you want to have a looksie, have a look here. A couple of those I have for sale I've pictured below.

I have found 3 pattern test sewers so thank you to those of you who offered your services. Much appreciated! I'll be sending out emails in the next couple of days requesting snail mail addresses so that I can post the kits out.

Off to Brown Owls tonight! My first one!!! Just a tad excited. I will be taking along a hat which I am halfway through but struggling with knitting rib. My knits and purls aren't lining up between rows!!!!

Calling for 3 test sewers....

I am in the final throes of writing the pattern up for The Gingerbread House. I understand my written instructions but will other crafty peeps???

So if you are able to sew one of these little houses up and give me feedback on how well you understood my instructions by Wednesday 29th July, then let me know in the comments below. I will be sending out kits to three sewers.

Honey Joys and Johnny Depp

How do these two things coexist in my world? If you bake a delicious lamb roast with honey joys for dessert, then apparently Johnny Depp arrives on your doorstep to partake of a few sweet delights! And yes I was sloppy enough to put the sauce bottle on the table... only because I was gobsmacked that one of my guests wanted tomato sauce with lamb roast!!!!

And yes, I got the camera out to record the lovely honey joys in the gorgeous sunny yellow vintage tupperware, but things only get silly when you're not drinking and everyone else is.

One giant step for man.....

When it's raining and there's a big whopping box in your kitchen, what better thing to do than to create a rocket ship??!

Here's our latest creation featuring fold out window, telescope, sun roof and letterbox. Every rocket ship needs a letter box. Inside there is a keyboard and controls. And of course the obligatory foil-covered icecream container space helmet.

I've been slogging away getting the last of the wetbags finished for my lovely wholesale customer. Once that is done this evening, I'll be back into making more stock for the Silly Gilly store. In the meanwhile, I've been scouring the garage sales for more goodies and last weekend came up with some crackers! Absolutely divine late fifties/early sixties cotton atomic fabric which is has a slight rib to it. Really bright vibrant colours to it still too. Am thinking a bag from this find. Also another biscuit tin to add to my collection. A Huntley & Palmers Biscuit tin featuring scenes from My Fair Lady.

Hope you are all finding a nice warm spot inside away from the wind and torrential rain. As I've been typing this post, it has sounded like a gale force wind has been rattling round my backyard!