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!!

CAL Block #88

Merry Xmas to all! The Silly Gilly family spent a very leisurely day in the park having lunch with the close relatives, eating too much food and drinking nice champagne. Noice. I sincerely hope you spent xmas day the way you would have liked to and were with family or friends.

I've been a busy little beaver on the Crochet Along project. Here's my next finished block - Number 88, Edwardian Fancy. Not my usual colours - I was trying out a new colour scheme that I felt at the time would look nice together. I'm happy with it but not over the moon. I've been using my stash of lovely cotton/acrylic yarn that I'm in love with!! Who would have thought acrylic would win me over?? Or crochet for that matter??! The next few blocks I've made are more my style. Off now to block them and make them nice and square!

Where did the week go?

I've been busy immersed in life and loss and love this last week. Managed to fit craft in amongst the lot too.

Skirt made with Bali fabric finished, albeit not ironed, but loved completely by the poppet.

Dress made for poppet's baby, who is enjoying a renewed sense of life this week as poppet has reached the age of playing mummy with her baby. Until now baby has been an on again, off again toy but now she is a permanent fixture by poppet's side. I used a pattern from a book titled Dolls Clothes and was able to finish it in an hour. The fabric is a lovely 40's repro from Spotlight teamed with thrifted ric-rac and bias trim. There are now requests for nappies, nighties, handbags.... baby is going to be better dressed than me!

Spritz biscuits made for spur of the moment Sunday afternoon nibbling. I loved just a few too many.... I made them using my vintage Sawa 2000 cookie press and it's amazing how quickly you can press out a tray full of festive fancies!

In love with my first ever finished crochet project. I started on this project whilst over in Sydney recuperating from my first egg pick up as part of my egg donor process. I'm really super happy with the result and would highly recommend the pattern as an achievable pattern for a beginner crocheter. Although next time I'll match the thread used for stitching the frame to the lining fabric!

Loss of a one in four chance this week as my egg recipient discovered this month is not their month. Dang. My question this week, at a time when the focus is on giving, receiving and consumerism.... is why couldn't one opportunity for a gal like me who wanted to give a gift to a lovely couple like them work? I just wanted to give a gift and have it be successful. Hopefully I have given them a gift of hope. Hope that there is a backup plan, called Gillian, and that if they want to go again, I'm their gal. Hope that there are people out there who are willing to do something completely for the only reason that it would change another person's world. Maybe next time....

What's new at Silly Gilly?

New flower hair clips and bow hair clips now in store!! Great last minute xmas present! Great stocking fillers! Great things to keep those locks out of the way of gorgeous smiles!!

Xmas silliness moment #1

Vintage Polaroid of myself on Xmas morning circa approx 1979.

Looking suspiciously like my daughter!! BTW it's a nurses costume I've got on... And check out those brown legs!!

Late night Etsy buying....

I found a couple of vintage picture frames at a garage sale months ago. They have been lying around the house, waiting for the right picture to display. Yet nothing has seemed right for them and the frames are now starting to be more clutter than useful items!

So off to Etsy I went this evening and found this print.... I can't wait for it to arrive... all the way from Istanbul! So exotic!! This print will look gorgeous in one of the cream vintage crackled picture frames. Just perfect for my little poppet's room.

A little bunny rabbit snuggles up with mama
- artwork by Verity Heysen-Kizek