Wow

Thank you for your messages of support and encouragement all. I do truly appreciate it.

Life has given me a couple of slaps upside the head in the last day or so with a couple of dear friends going through some really bad personal experiences. This is how it goes. I am so down and so low then life reminds me I need to pick myself up and help other people. That's my job. It's what I do. I love doing it.

So onwards and upwards. Yesterday, having a quiet day at home with my daughter after a couple of full on days with friends, my daughter lauded the 'I hate you Mummy' phrase three times. First time, I let it slide right off. Second time, I gave her the 'Don't talk to your Mother like that' line. Third time, I weilded the full extent of the law and banned TV all day today.

It's going to be a long day. I think I'll hide in my studio and sew.

Aiming to finish off this little number today.

It's Giveaway Time!!

I've well and truly sailed past 200 posts now, this being my 223rd post. So how about a giveaway!? It's been a long time since my last. The last few weeks has found me up to my ears in vintage patterns, sorting my collection out. I have found one that might be of use to those of you out there that like to sew for your daughters.

The pattern is Style 1638 Girls' Dress or Top and Trousers - Size 7.

Printed in 1976, this pattern is a very groovy one. I particularly like the red floral dress on the left!

If you would like this pattern, then all you need to do is mention the giveaway and provide a link back to here on your blog and let me know you've done so in the comments below. That simple! I'm happy to post anywhere!! I will draw the winner 8pm Adelaide time next Monday night.

Drowning in Vintage Patterns!

Hello stranger! I'm the stranger, that is... I've been busy in the Silly Gilly household and it hasn't been sewing Silly Gilly wares. I've been busy photographing, sorting and uploading my quite hefty collection of vintage sewing patterns to a new Ebay Store, Silly Gilly's Vintage Wares. I have only just scratched the surface of my collection and I've already listed over 50 patterns!! And these are the ones that I don't want to keep. I still have my collection of patterns that I have intentions of using!

I have listed children's patterns, women's patterns, vintage craft books, vintage cook books, vintage sewing supplies... the list keeps getting longer. Suffice to say, it's a massive job and I'm working hard to get all the items listed before the end of next week. It's poppet's 4th birthday party next weekend and I've turned into quite the Alpha-Mummy organising the party. Methinks I may have gone a little overboard... but hey, we only have one child and she's only 4 once!! We have a fairy theme planned and I'm torn between two styles of cakes. Oh, the dilemmas!! Here's a little pic of the flowers I've been making as decorations.

All this clearing out is the beginning of my 'Amp Up Silly Gilly' year. Poppet is off to kindy this year so I aim to use my free time building up Silly Gilly to a bigger thing than it is now. I've been a little absent from this blog in the last couple of weeks as I'm spending a lot of time thinking and planning and sorting out my creative space both here in the Studio and in my head.

I also have some more pattern ideas brewing around in up in the cranial creative space. A couple of smashing ideas came to me at 4.30 am this morning! So up I jumped and scribbled them all down. Strike whilst the iron is hot I say!

So you will be hearing more from the Silly Gilly camp now that I'm into the swing of clearing the space here. Drop by the Silly Gilly Vintage Wares store.. you never know what you'll find!

Do you have this pattern? Butterick 4875 Vintage

I'm crazily thinking I can fit in making a new dress for New Years Eve this year. Yep. Four days away. So I get practical and decide to use a pattern I already have. Found a lovely vintage one in the stash. Um and ah about it but be practical. Use something you already have. Butterick 4875.

Open the packet up and DANG! Only the second sheet of instructions are there and of course I'm making the first view, View A!! All the instructions I have instruct you to refer to the instructions for View A. Which I don't have. Dang.

If you have this pattern, regardless of the size, would you be so kind as to contact me? In the next day or so? I would be more than happy to pay you handsomely or send you something handmade for a scanned copy of page 1 and 2 of the instructions!!

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?

Vintage craft books & patterns for sale!

I mentioned in my last post that I would be clearing out some goodies from the studio. Well today was the day I finally collated them all together and took some happy snaps.

Here are the vintage crafty books on offer:

Children's Wardrobe - $8 - circa 1978. Patterns included. Lots of sewing hints and casual clothing for kids. Soft cover, 144 pages. SOLD

101 Things To Make - $3 - circa 1960's. Gifts, Home, Accessories and Toys. Knitting, sewing, crochet, general craft. Soft cover, 46 pages.

Simplicity Sewing Book - $10 - circa 1962. Fantastic book full of detailed, easy to understand sewing information. How to use a pattern, 7 garments explained, fabrics, darts & seams and more... Small tear to cover on front and back but otherwise excellent condition. Soft cover, 160 pages.

Hey! Let's Make A Busy Book (Shirley Shackleton) - $6 - circa 1987. Wonderful book of patterns to make a simple rag book full of things with which children can learn to tie laces, do up buttons, set the table, grow a garden and more. Name on inside cover but otherwise in excellent condition. Soft cover, 47 pages.

Sew For Toddlers (Kerstin Martensson) - $10 - circa 1979. Wonderfully simple book full of practical, easy to understand patterns for young children such as t-shirts, shorts, dresses, pj's and overalls. Includes full set of uncut patterns. Corners of cover slightly worn, otherwise excellent condition. Soft cover, 134 pages. SOLD

Home Handicrafts - $6 - circa 1975. Book full of all the crafty things that are now popular again! Lots of projects to decorate your home and projects to make for children. Hardcover, 252 pages.

McCall's Sewing In Colour - $15 - circa 1963. Excellent reference guide to all facets of sewing for home dressmaking, tailoring, mending and soft furnishings. Great colour plates as well as lots of illustrations. Highly detailed and covers everything you need to have a professional finish on your work. Hardcover, 308 pages.

Little Clothes For Little People (Lia van Steenderen) - $14 - circa 1987. Very useful book on making clothes for children aged birth - 7. Lots of casual and practical clothing such as dresses, pinafores, coats, bibs, stretch baby suits, bathrobes and more. If you can get past the interestingly illustrated children's faces, this book is for you! Patterns included in book for all clothing items. Hard cover, 207 pages. In excellent as new condition. SOLD

Biscuit Tin with red rose design - $5. Very clean inside. Sides undented and unscratched. Three small dents on lid. This tin is in great condition for it's age. Measures 23cm in diameter and 8cm high.

I think rather than have a million photos on this blog that takes an age to download, I will post links to each group of sewing patterns on offer. So you can click away to your delight on links and see what you might find!

Newborn - 18mths vintage sewing patterns - whole lot for $8
Size 1 Girl's vintage sewing patterns - whole lot for $8 SOLD
Size 2 Girl's & Boy's vintage sewing patterns - whole lot for $15 SOLD

If you would like to buy any of these items either here on the blog or in my Flicker set, either comment, email me or leave a comment on Flickr. First come, first served ala garage sale style.

Payment for any of these items is by bank deposit. Your purchases will be posted via the cheapest method possible and I will contact you with the item price + postage when you contact me saying you'd like to buy it!

More to come tomorrow!! I'll add them to this post so that all items are together.
Edited to add: More patterns and books have now been added today/Monday.

Good evening Husband, can I fix you a drink?

I've been working on finishing my new apron. I found the vintage pattern for it at a garage sale and had had the fabric in the stash for quite a few months. The fabric was perfect for the pattern and I have now finished the bottom half of the apron.

It's a very full apron and I've used good ol' yellow gingham, which I feel balances the grey quite nicely. Next to add is the almost completed bib which is detachable and buttons on. Pics to come soon.

Garage Sales and Apron Sneak Peek

I'm trying out some new layout styles with my blog, courtesy of a fantastic tutorial by Megan at My Everyday Chaos. She has a tutorial on how to change the size of your photos in blogger. It's such an easy to follow tute, and I'm enjoying the playing around.



Above is a photo of some delicious fabrics I found at a garage sale this weekend. Left to right, some lovely heavy weight gingham, fantastically bright red floral which I think I'll use for a girls summer hat for the store, a light weight, slightly open weave fabric with a 40's style print of children playing and lastly, another fabulous 40's style print. Both the last two seem destined for skirts or summer tops.

And I was hideously decadent Friday night and kept working on my new apron.
Yes it is All. For. Me. Call me indulgent, selfish, plain outright crazy, but it's nice once in a while, when you sew for your business, to go silly and sew something that you will wear yourself. Have a sneaky look at how it's coming along...



The fabric I have used is by Anna Griffin and is called Elsie's Kitchen Pattern #24570. I loved the 50's look fabric as soon as I laid eyes on it. It definitely came under the category of impulse buy but I'm still smitten so I think that's ok! Paired with some nice cheap, reliable gingham from Spotlight and some vintage bias binding, it's coming together nicely. More photos soon!

The correct attire...

Apparently there is a certain outfit that you need to wear when you are doing the dishes... "in case the water wants to jump" according to my 2.5yr old. Sorry for the photo but I couldn't help but giggle when I saw this...


And of course this morning I consulted the oh-so-mysterious random number generator and.....



Drum Roll.......

Oh the suspense!!!........................ (can't you tell I lurve a bit of drama)





Congratulations must go to Ravenhill!! Come on down!! (aussie in-joke there relating to a tv game show). Please email me your postal address and the four vintage sewing patterns will be winging their way as soon as they can.

Ravenhill lives all the way over in Norway and has a wonderful blog which showcases her fabulous stitching, her current interest in babushkas and a stupendously cute little gal named Lily. Ravenhill (sorry, can't find your 'real' name anywhere!) left a great comment after my request for apron display techniques... lol... and if the weather goes to plan, you'll see some new ideas and photos soon.

Thankyou all for your wonderful and creative ideas. I plan to put them to crafty use in the next week. I'll keep you updated.

Don't forget, vintage pattern giveaway ends tonight!

Yes, you have until 9pm Adelaide time tonight to get your reply in here to be in the running for four vintage children's sewing patterns.

And here is a sneak peek at the late 50's pattern I am using to (shock horror) make something for myself!

Busy bee getting ready for the Hunt!!

I've been busy this week getting organised for the upcoming Great Down Under Nappy Hunt, which starts tomorrow, 1st September. I'm one of the sponsors of the hunt and have provided the library bag shown below as a prize which is in the Grand Prize #1 draw.

The hunt is a great opportunity to win some fabulous prizes, not only cloth nappies but other things like bags ala Silly Gilly, shoes, toys, children's clothing, all delicious!! Click on the button below and you'll be able to find out all about registering for the hunt. The general gist is that you hunt through a list of online stores looking for a particular icon at each store. As you wind your way through the list, you also get to see some amazing stores and products along the way.

I've also been sewing up a storm to get my Silly Gilly store full of lurvely things for the hunters to see. Have a look at these two new smocks I've popped on today. Rain Dance, a gorgeous print with little kids in kimonos. Also, Paper Doll Princess, a retro inspired print featuring paper dolls clothes that you might remember playing with.

A wonderful parcel arrived this week too, but I'm yet to take a photo, so that shall be tomorrows post. And my other goal for tomorrow is to show you a sneak peek of my completed Doll Quilt Swap that will be wending its way to a suburb near you (well actually only to someone who hasn't received one yet.... ). Love this secret squirrel business!

And if you've read this far, a little reward.... I've been sorting my vintage childrens sewing patterns and am getting ready for a giveaway next week!! Stay tuned!!

The handing down of the patterns

Garage sales rock. They are a lovely new family tradition. Here's a great garage sale story from this weekend.

Find garage sale in progress in empty office building. Bit suspicious but venture inside. Find in back room a three box bonanza of vintage sewing patterns. Feel like I've just passed out and I'm hallucinating...

Bark quick instruction to husband to ask woman how much patterns are each. "50 cents each" is the report. Frenziedly make a 'must have' pile, a 'how cute' pile and a 'what were they thinking but quirkily cute' pile (I've gotten terribly efficient in weeding out the bad patterns).

Woman comes down, sees the slightly manic but ecstatic glint in my eye and we banter excitedly when she finds out I sew with vintage patterns for my daughter and she offers the lot to me for $2. Two Dollars!!!!!!!!! I feel quite light headed and thank her effusively. Leave with 30 vintage patterns dating from the 50's and 60's, mostly children and some ladies. Here's some of my favourites:


I have also started the hair cap for another Steiner doll. This one just a little influenced by a good friend of mine, the elusive Miss C. Don't you love the colour?? Seeing my knitting makes me giggle. I'm a very new knitter.


And if you are twoing and froing about whether to see The Dark Knight, just do it. It is AMAZING.

Happy crafting everyone and have a great week!!

A Vintage Sewing Giveaway!!

Well, dear readers, it's been a while since I gave something away. One of the best things I've discovered in creating this blog is that I now have an easy way to share my love of vintage-y sewing with others who love it just as much!

Today I have another couple of little treasures to give away to one lucky reader. First of all we have a rather well loved copy of Enid Gilchrist's Six To Nine Years - Boy and Girl Clothes. Enid is a well loved Australian author who created many titles of books where mother's could make their children economical and stylish clothes at home. This issue covers items such as Swim Shorts, Princess Dress, One-Piece Peasant Blouse, and Raglan Style Pajamas. All pages intact, except for a corner of the front cover and the back cover is missing.

Also included in this giveaway is a crazily sweet Vogue Pattern #2821 One Piece Dress for size 6 months. Made in 1958, this pattern is divine and even the cover illustration is gorgeous.

If you would like to own these two vintage sewing exquisites, then tell me your favourite 'vintage' sewing moment. It might be when you found your most favourite dress pattern at the op shop. It might be when your grandma taught you how to cross stitch. You get the idea... go for it! Please leave your comment before Sunday 13th August, 9pm AEST.

Bell Bottom Beauty

We visited the Botanic Gardens yesterday and whilst waiting for a friend, we frolicked in the fallen leaves. I'm enjoying the really simple things lately, like giggling like a gerty with my daughter whilst we kick leaves around. Doesn't take much to make us happy. :D
I made my daughter's swing top and bell bottom pants that she is wearing in the photos above. The pants were super easy to make and the top took only a little longer. Now that we have a cute outfit for her to wear, I would love to pass on the vintage sewing lurv and give away the pattern that I used, featured below...

It's a size 2, and is officially called Toddlers' Jumper and Bell-Bottomed Pants. It's vintage 1974 and has all patterns pieces and instructions included. If you would like to be the next owner of this pattern, simply leave a comment and I will announce the lucky person next Tuesday evening.

Blatant 'Read My Blog' First Giveaway!!

Ok folks, so how am I going to get you kids to read my blog and come back for more vintagey, op shoppy, Silly Gilly goodness? Give you some free stuff of course!

In my latest rampaging op shop expedition, I came across some scrumptious boys vintage sewing patterns. In my travels, when I find vintage patterns, they are most always girls patterns. Well, lucky readers, I found three great boys outfits that I have no use for myself, but would love another vintage pattern lover to enjoy.

First up we have Style pattern for three boys jackets, size 4, dated 1969.

Second, we have McCalls pattern for Boys' Proportioned Pants, size 6, dated 1962. (This is a cracker as the three proportions include 'Husky' LOL. 'Why yes sir my son is husky'... LOL

Thirdly, we have Simplicity pattern for Boys' Shirt & Pants in two lengths, size 4, date unsure possibly pre 1965?

All patterns have their instructions and a little wear and tear to the packaging given their ages. Make the little man in your life look squeaky clean in retro fashion!!

If you would like to be the grand winner for this pack, please leave a comment below. Tell your friends too! The winner will be drawn by random name selector, aka my kidlet, on the eve of Tuesday 10th June. Good luck and happy sewing!!