I may Sew for Victory

I know I need to get something sewn, and I might go with this idea, seeing as I've been buying vintage (original & repro) patterns in the past 6 weeks. I've got patterns to choose from & fabric that may or may not be suitable for a retro dress.


It's being hosted by luckylucille and runs from Feb 4-Mar31, though she's hoping people will finish by the 28th March to do a photo parade.

Sydney sewing blogger's social

Saturday!  just for some sibilance of ssssss's.

I popped into the first one, back when my gallbladder first arced up, and the next one is this Saturday.  Details on little betty designs blog.  Again I may fade before the afternoon is over, but I'm giving it a red hot go to stick the afternoon out.

To add to my woes, last Wednesday I thought a mosquito had munched on me during the night, but it turns out that no it's spider bites. Eleven on my left arm on Wednesday night, and about 6 on the right arm & 6 on the left leg on Thursday night.  None since, thank goodness.  I'm off to see the Dr later today as the ones on my left leg are starting to look even worse, not better.

not much to see before May

saw the surgeon today and I'm straight onto the waitlist for surgery. Though the sad-face making news is the waitlist is approx 3 months.  So I'll be stuck eating poached fish & fruit until mid-late May.  (Including for my big round number birthday).

My gallbladder's behaviour is considered too risky for travel so I shalln't see the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition in Canberra as it closes early in May April, nor get to Ironfest in Lithgow ... it's not in Sydney so I won't be there. I shall sook that weekend as it's the Jane Austen Festival weekend in Canberra as well as Ironfest so all my costume friends will be out of town having fun without me. (and that's my big number natal anniversary)

booo, hisss.  I shall sulk a bit longer before poaching tonight's dinner of, yes yet again, fish. 

more 1930s vintage patterns

My 2 patterns from Woodland Farms arrived today, and I'm definitely happy with them. The Anne Adams is a good size for me, and I'm looking forward to trying it once I can get back to sewing. The good news is I meet the surgeon on Tuesday, and he'll be able to say where I'll get placed on the waiting list. I hope my living alone is a factor for speedy surgery, ie if anything went wrong at night getting help might be a problem.


The NY wasn't in a great match size wise, bit I'm sure that I can grade it without losing my mind.  The skirt section will be good on it's own too, as would the top.

remember to enjoy sewing

Meandering through my reading list, I came across a 2013 resolution to "focus on enjoyment" on So I sewed this blog.  It's a reminder I need seeing as I've done so little sewing and been a bit down on myself for not getting much done in the past year.  Hopefully once my dang gallbladder is sorted out (ie removed) then I should get back to my old self.

a giant extra extra long photocopy pattern

Or so it seems.

The copy vintage pattern from the UK arrived today, and it's on a long continuous piece of paper - something like 2 metres or more. It looks like a photocopy, although not like office copies, if that makes sense. The instructions are copied in full & it comes with a notebook with pattern sizes, vintage fit alterations, a page to list your own measurements, a garment history page (ie for what you've made, a notes page and something else my brain can't recall.

I'm happy to buy from this seller again, although once I'd unpacked the pattern copy & realised how long it was, it was a chore to cut it up into manageable pieces. Cos it's just so big, impossible in my small place to work out how to refold it as it was,  and it started to tear at one point.

It's on my wish list for summer, maybe I'll even get it done before the end of this one.

not sewing, shopping

I'm not feeling very adult about not being able to sew for so long. Though I'm starting to have energy now I'm on holiday, and have slept all the regular and irregular sleeping times. So I need to get some small amounts of sewing done *before* I go back to work next Thursday. I'm hoping to get the skirts done for my hobbit, and maybe the chemise blouse cut out.

Anyways, it's true that as a consolation for not sewing I've trawled museum galleries for eyecandy to pinterest - so much so that I've used 80% of my interwebs data allowance in 66% of the month, so I'm not going to be doing that for the next 10 days.

I also bought fabric, which isn't supposed to be happening, but I did get this linsey-woolsey which is supposed to be a dark navy but looks more charcoal to me - which is just as useful to me thankfully.  I got 5 yards, which I'm hoping is enough  for something regency or georgian.

The sample wool challis arrived and I don't know if it's the comparison or the purple in it but it looks more navy/purple to me. It's very lightweight & floaty, so I'm seriously considering this for the seabathing dress - even though it's not purple/pink & green. Though I should order a sample of the cotton that I like - even lightweight wool can be overheating in Sydney.

The sample stripe is a 70:30 wool/cotton. I could justify a skirt length for work, the stripe is about a 5/8th inch repeat but I'll not order it now.

Yesterday I also bought a vintage pattern copy from the UK, a 1930s Marion Martin:

a bit twitchy & sort of sulking

everytime I see another blogger post they've joined the Dreamstress' HSF, I sook a little as I'm not in a position to join in.  Dang gallbladder  is really impacting my life.  Even carrying my groceries in my right hand is a problem due to the extra pressure it puts on said gb.

Oh well, at least it's now only 26 days until I meet the surgeon & find out how long it is before I go under the knife.