A Mini Spring Clean of Sorts

I have just a few sewing patterns. Okay, so they are stored in multiple large tubs in my house and they are beginning to take over the storage area!

So what's a girl to do when she has too many vintage and modern sewing patterns? Sell them of course! The dilemma I have had though is which avenue do I choose through which to sell these patterns... Etsy? Ebay? This blog?

So I don't keep all my eggs in one basket I have spread them throughout the crafty internet land, some on Etsy, some on Ebay, and will be mentioning them here at the Silly Gilly blog.

I am a fastidious pattern owner and check all of my paper patterns to ensure that all the instructions are present and all the required pattern pieces are there too. Nothing worse than cutting half a dress and finding the lurvely 1968 wide lapel collar pattern piece is missing!!

Have a certain pattern or style you're looking for? Contact me via Etsy, Ebay or this blog and I'll be more than happy to see if I can help you.

You'll find my Etsy vintage and modern patterns here, and my Ebay vintage and modern patterns here. I sell other sewing items, both vintage and modern too. Perhaps a noice vintage dusky pink Chenille Dressing Gown might take your fancy?

Thursday is the day before Friday

Just mooching around cyberspace this evening, looking forward to going out with some crafty gals Kate and Gillian tomorrow night.

Thought I would share some bright sparks that are tickling my creative fancy this week.

Wall decoration ideas for my daughter's room.... I have had lofty visions of hand-painting a mural but if my daughter wants something done before she's 16, a sticker version might be called for...

Being inspired by the skirt Lara has sewn for her daughter... so inspired I just might have bought the same fabric she made hers in to make one for my poppet....

Thinking this fabric (below left) would make a beautiful 50's style spring full skirt for me...

Wishing the bag fairy would make a delivery of a Little Red Riding Hood bag (below right) to me from here so I could look uber-fairy tale-cute...

(image from sewmamasew.com) (image from made590.com)

Does this take you back?

Retro Seventies love. Sesame Street rocked when I was a kid.

I loved this then and I love it even more now.

What's black and white and 'bed' all over?

Hopefully my bedroom soon!

I have been toying with the idea of a black and white scheme for my bedroom for some time now. Only problem is, I can't get the above Michael Miller print Dandy Damask out of my head. It's the print I want. Only problem is that the print is only manufactured in quilting weight cotton, not upholstery, decorator weight fabric. Dang.

I can just see my chaise lounge and bed head both covered in this print. All the damasks I can find are too white in the balance of the shades. Ah well, onward with the search. And wouldn't it be nice to find a fabric under $100 a metre!!???

Here's Where I'm Up To...

What happens when you leave a 3.5yr old alone in the room
with a cake straight out the oven.....

Caught this one from Jhoanna... who caught it from Pip...

Making ... it slowly but surely to my goal of being eighty something
Cooking ... multiple-tiered birthday cakes for my h'bands work colleagues
Drinking ... 3 litres of water every day
Reading ... Escape by Carolyn Jessop
Wanting ... the house to be magically tidy when I wake in the morning
Looking ... through craft market stall ideas on flickr
Playing ... Donuts on facebook (warning... it's quite addictive!)
Wasting ... time playing above game
Sewing ... lots of new sunhats for the Silly Gilly store
Wishing ... that my daughter would never grow up past the magical age of 3.5
Enjoying ... the anticipation before a family holiday
Waiting ... for that neat and tidy housewife gene to kick in...
Liking ... being a stay at home mum
Wondering ... how many sewing machines is too many
Hoping ... Jodie had a blast today at Stitches and Craft
Marvelling ... at how quickly my studio collects clutter
Needing ... a marvelously quick antidote to that very clutter
Smelling ... the freesias which are popping up randomly in the front weed yard
Wearing ... some very comfy hand-me-down Colarado jeans - thanks Carly!
Following ... the summer adventures of My Milk Toof
Noticing ... the new green leaf buds on the street trees
Knowing ... that we will have a ball when Kellie comes to visit and teach
Thinking ... about the divine food we will be enjoying on our family holiday
Feeling ... excited about my next market in November
Bookmarking ... gazillions of wonderful crafty blogs
Opening ... my eyes to what is really happening
Giggling ... when my daughter and I play 'Wrestlemania'
Feeling ... completely happy to be me

Seventies Sheets Sale!

I've been putting a few vintage/retro things up for sale on Ebay lately and thought I might share them here so that my loyal readers might get the heads up on some bargains!

Firstly a gorgeous Holly Hobbie authentic single sheet from the 1970's. In fantastic condition too! I loved this version of Holly Hobbie, with the blue hat. I had a dressing table set with her on it when I was little. Want to have a look? Click here.

And secondly a groovy Smurf sheet. I can't date this sheet but I'm thinking seventies or eighties. Considering the Smurfs were created in the 1950's it's hard to tell. But this sheet is also in outstanding condition and up for sale. Want to see this one? Click here.

Both of these sheets are perfectly suited to use for a myriad of crafty purposes or even, shock, horror, use them as bed sheets!!!

Can I keep her mum?? Pleeeease?

Another vintage sewing machine followed me home this week. I think this is starting to get out of hand...

I give them loving homes. I care for them, I dust and protect them, I use them so they feel they have a purpose in life. What else could one do for a lonely, neglected vintage sewing machine??

Here is the new addition to the vintage sewing machine family. A Singer model 190. But the bizarre thing is that I can't find any reference to that model Singer anywhere on the net! Can anyone help me out here? Do you own a Singer 190 or know someone who does? She didn't come with any instruction manuals or attachments, what you see is what you get. She is a zig zag machine. That's all I know. She works and looks pretty. Bonus.

I have also finished a lap top cover for a good friend who has waited very patiently for her order to be filled. Customer choice of fabrics and I must say I love the combo of fabrics. The colours go so well together! This bag is much like my library bags but with a zipper. I sourced this gorgeous fabric from the ever gorgeous and helpful Sarah at Quilt Fabric Delights. Outer fabric is Garden Party by Free Spirit and the lining is Kokka Animal Faces Pink Red Blue on Cream.

Vintage Curtains to Cushions

I've brought new life to the vintage 1960's curtains that I found one weekend whilst garage saleing.

Here's a pic of the first version of the cushion. What do you think?
Just ignore the fact that it's upside down!!! I just realised!!!

New Kid's Aprons in Store

Ready for all those junior Master Chefs out there!! All Silly Gilly aprons feature adjustable neck straps so that the apron grows with the kiddies. These aprons fit children aged 18mths to 4 years. And even better, buy any apron and receive free postage to anywhere in Australia or New Zealand!!

I don't understand???

Can someone please explain why????

Ah, the serenity...

I have packaged up and posted my Gingerbread House off to it's next destination, to be seen early next year in another life form. The relief of meeting that deadline and sending it on it's way is fantastic. More time now to whip up some Silly Gilly stock for the shop.

Aprons cut, ready to sew.

Bakelite buttons found.... destined to be sold.

Lots of kicking back and admiring the view.

How many is enough?

I know it is only physically possible to use one sewing machine at any one time, but a girl should have a good few sewing machines in her collection shouldn't she? I already own three....

Yesterday morning's garage sale jaunt turned up a sewing machine of a make I had not heard of before. Necchi. Italian made, this beauty just begged me to bring her home. How could I say no? Made in the fifties, this Necchi Automatic Supernova (what a name!) is one very heavy machine and is in pristine condition. She comes with an amazing accessory box with many feet and attachments and a set of cams to enable you to stitch 270 different decorative stitches.

The amazing lid on the accessory box has a selector dial incorporated into the lid, and shows you which cams to select and the different settings to choose on the machine, just with a quick turn of the dial. I've never seen anything like it.

At the bargain basement price of $20 I feel that this is a machine that will live in the studio for some time. Below are some snaps from the three handbooks that come with this gem. Gorgeous fifties illustrations. Just my thang!