I've just discoved that in moving the big oak wardrobe, I have lost my place to photograph garments. I shall have to give this matter some though. Anyway, here is a pic, such as it is of my new Liberty lawn summer robe. I like, though I haven't worn it yet. Means I have something new for Christmas even if it isn't quite a dress.

Why did I feel I had to make one? Things this robe is that I couldn't buy
-lightweight and cotton but not transparent
-long to mid calf
-slightly swing cut.

I did not want a short robe, don't like them at any time. I don't want a see-through robe, I'm visiting my parents for goodness sake. Or a polyester satin one, ick. Or a heavy towelling one. The closest I found was a couple of waffle weave gowns but they would still take up more than their fair share of luggage space.

I'm feeling a bit more positive this morning. I have sorted the kitchen disaster, done the rough clothes assembly for packing and polished the shoes I mean to take. So now I shall make coffee and have a breather, then back to the packing and sorting. I think some of my grump last night was that on finishing work,  instead of my usual "oh goody I get to be at home" I felt more like "what, you mean I have to be at home again?" So perhaps it's just as well that I have places I need to go.

right. I'm feeling sad to not see people today but I did get a !#(*#(   load done

-rest of brick pile shifted away from fence wot is to be replaced
-repotted favourite dancer fuschia which had secured itself to the sleeper it was resting on by growing it's roots though it. I figured it that was a clear announcement that it needed a bigger pot.
-potted up the free (stolen) fuschia cutting which now has plenty of roots.
-pulled up chard that had gone to seed, gleaned leaves which I now have to find energy to cook for dinner.
-pulled up parsley (also gone to seed), this will give more light to my climbing beans which have all sprouted (thank you very much)
-put compost on exposed bits of garden + several pots including the lemon and lime which I am allowing to fruit this year. Probably a bit premature for the lime but this is year 4 for the lemon
-planted french radish and basil seeds- bought last summer, oops. If I'm lucky, they won't mind the wait.
-pruned the passionfruit vine front and back. I read that one is supposed to prune away a third each spring. I have, really. Wonder how much has escaped to the neighbour's yard? perhaps I should volunteer to prune that bit too?
-collected a bowl of partially ripe fruit, wonder if I will do anything with this? Any fruit left on the vine has chance to ripen further.
( passionfruit pics )
I have also
-finished the quilting on queen of hearts blankie
-cut and pressed the binding
-prepped a patch to fix my old charcoal work pants. Too precious to throw out if I can rescue them
-done yet more laundry, including my new gelati striped, pure cotton percale sheets!-bought yesterday for very little money. You'd never guess I was killing time in factory outlets?

Must go make dinner before I get to the immovable stage of Sunday evening.

What a mixed week! There has been bad news but also good. I am very sad for those who have lost loved ones. Yet I am delighted for those with new lives to cherish, or at least anticipate.  On top of the news that many of you will have read on LJ, my colleague has finally felt able to announce the name of his new son to us- said son was born with complications and is still in the ICU but there now seems to be confidence he will pull through with no lasting effects. Phew.

So have a nice hopeful picture of one of my little armeria plants having a jolly good go at spring. I love these chaps, pom poms growing out of pom poms.


On less momentous subjects:

I have just managed to assemble my new chemise ready for lots of handsewing during LoR-fest tomorrow. Flemish outfit, garment the first! Oh I like good linen! Yes I am making yet more working clothes, sigh. I like practical, well made clothes. Even if they do make me feel a bit of a sparrow at times. One day I might make more court garb but don't hold your breath.... The new sewing possie is mostly good. I hadn't thought about it but it means I can watch tellie while sewing, that's a strange thing. What I am missing is a table to my right, hmm

Is it sad that I am still having fun using my new washing machine? I obviously don't get out enough. But really, it's a lovely creature and it makes things clean! On that subject, I shall go organise that load for overnight. I have discovered the time delay function, 'tis a wonderous invention.

( looky here for piccies )

Spending large amounts of time in the lounge over the last week or so has had one benefit. I got inspired to switch the position of my two sewing tables. I just carried out this plan.  This has two benefits:
-the visual impact of the one stuck out into the room is MUCH less.  So the room feels less crowded. Spindly legged dark wood takes up much less visual space than blocky white paint. Though the heights and table top size are pretty much identical. 
-Also then the main machine has light and air around it rather than working facing the wall. I rather felt like I had been sent to the corner to work there.

Tomorrow I'll have a bit of a sew to see how it feels. It sure LOOKS better.

what a relief. The heart quilt/blankie is finally pieced.

Designs crowd my head and clamour to be let out. This one surfaced maybe 4yrs ago as an idea. About 2 years ago I started work on it. A couple months later all the cutting and embroidery were done. Then it languished for 22 mths in the cupboard. I still need to back and bind it, and clip threads etc but the design part is done. I'm right pleased with it and all. 
( looky see )

couple of hours in the garden and there is now
- a new rose! Martinne Guillot- palest pink french rose, bred for fragrance.
- a winter flowering native shrub-looks like a cross between diosma and Geraldton wax, pink flowers
- poppy seedlings
- one less old pink rose bush-and then there were 2.
- dirt enriched and ready for the other new rose to be planted next weekend
- sorrel and perpetual spinach in the herb garden
- several plants in different places- a yellow daisy, two hyacinth bulbs, a tuft of pink armeria.

Next weekend I shall plant the other new rose- "Tea Clipper"- orange/apricot David Austen. The strongest looking David Austen on offer that wasn't pink. Also the two tuberose bulbs that I forgot this morning.

Oh I so have my fingers crossed for the new things, especially the roses. I don't have a good record with new roses yet. I have tried harder this time with the dirt prep. Must keep food and water up to them. Here are the labels for what they should look like eventually! hope, hope.



Also I have
- turned the heel of stripey sock #2
- made my part of the blah blah seekrit plan!- i so want to post a picture but not yet, not yet.
- Walked to lunch and ate way too much Yum Cha.We must have finished around 3hrs ago and I'm still full.

Now I am allowed a beer while I sort my plant labels into those that are alive and those that didn't make it.

I just had some interesting thoughts. I realised a few weeks ago that one of the reasons I am not dressmaking so much these days is that sitting for long periods outside of work is less attractive. I have a greater desire to be up and doing. I think I have figured why this is...when I was in my most productive sewing period, I worked 8+ hrs a day on my feet, with some heavy lifting in a laboratory. Then, sitting for much of the weekend or evening sewing was much more appealing. That though was 10 yrs ago. Since then my work has been office based. So sewing is MORE sitting. Gardening (grin) is not.

Another related reason. The lab work was mostly doing with not so much thinking. Sewing, especially dressmaking and costuming requires thinking, figuring and decision making. My work in the last ten years has been.... thinking, figuring and decision making. So some mental down time is needed outside of work. Dressmaking is NOT mental down time. Quilting comes closer, except the design part. And suprise, quilting has been a strong feature of my more recent creative output. I have been finding with the black coat that I am shying away from the figuring needed. My brain is worn out after the week, a case of "not MORE thinking, please!"

Hmm. wonder what I will do with this apparent clarity?

I just tried my newly collared, as yet armless coat on. It promises nice things for eventually, but, bother! the baggy back shoulder that I thought might need fixing...does. I saw this in the toile but wondered if I was imagining things. NO. The thing is, I need a bigger size due to bust and bum, not because of overall fat/breadth. So I need to reduce the bulk factor. Ah, here comes unpicking. At least I had not put the sleeves in yet.

See- this is one of the reasons I have been resisting commercial patterns- they just don't fit! I went with this one because I wasn't sure I could make the collar work by myself.

So, next to unpick and another round of fit adjustment before any more construction. This is taking longer than I though.

LATER:
I have been into town (to look at 'Austen' frocks with doushkasmum), a pleasant time was had.

I think I have found solutions to the horrid back fit. However, I will rest the garment now in case I have more ideas later, also because I can't SEE it. I don't have full length mirror with bright enough light to see how a matt black coat is sitting without good daylight. It's just about dark outside now . Sadly I won't have good light again while I am home until next Sat :-(

I shall have to fiddle with the armhole again too as a result of these changes, ah well. No point in putting this much effort in unless I end up with a garment that fits.

whew. I have just finished making 3 pockets in the black coat. It is a long time since I had done a welt pocket and I got scared of them. Actually, they weren't that hard. They are not perfect but you can hide a lot in black fuzzy fabric! Now I can proceed to worry about seaming the velvet to shiny things- eek. I shall resort to handsewing if necessary. Actually, my main problem with this whole coat process is the commercial pattern I think. I haven't worked with one for so long. I am used to having made all my own cut and construction decisions. Effectively, I have usually 'made' the garment in my head before I start. With a commercial pattern one has to take more on trust,  I feel sort of like I'm running blind.

I didn't make bash- obviously if you were there. I was pocket focussed and feeling insular.  Bonus for staying home was a fun visit from feralcheryl  and family including walk to park, swings, cafe coffee and cake and small mr taking great delight in gratuitous doorbell ringing. Oh, and I was gifted some homebrew by G, lovely.... which I am now drinking some of as a reward for pocketting. It's a brown ale and has to be drunk soon, what a shame.

tonight I shall feed erudito after failing to attract his attention to help eat the pork casserole last night. Something different tonight- a form of puttanesca I think. I do love a weekend with two 'Saturday' nights!

well. I have managed to make myself start this coat.

-lining body is assembled, still to do sleeves
-wool back is assembled.
-Good wool coating is a joy to work with I must say. Soft to handle, sews, eases easily and presses like a dream.
-Silk satin in the overlocker? not so much. There was thread pulling and uncontrolled lack of ease, followed by unpicking, changing of needles and re-seaming on the regular machine. Whew.

Tomorrow I shall perhaps attempt more complex items like... pocketses!

Note to self- adding cream to pork casserole was overkill.
The casserole was otherwise great- for future reference =
two enormous pork chops, like slices of pork leg roast. some ham, white beans, potato, celery, zucchini, sage, thyme, parsley, vermouth, lemon juice, water, seasoning. 3hrs in slowish oven.

P+P is still good. First half down. Likely to go visit the Austen fashion exhibition on Monday.

Well romance is absent so to cheer myself up I have been working on another sort of bed.



I have been thinking about this for weeks/months. So in the last couple of hours I pulled out the french lavender that refused to flower, the yellow daisy that also didn't flower enough for my liking and was occupying the place that I mean to plant a morello cherry. Also gone is the pink flowered south african thing that had gone a bit manky and the old english lavender that was slowly rotting away.

What is left? the french lavender that DOES flower and is happily on the end next to the path, the ornamental flowering plum that is settling in, this is it's 3rd winter. Also the massive old rosemary bush and an italian lavender peeking out from behind the rosemary.

I walked down the street and brought back a bag of cow manure on my trolley. Now the exposed earth has most of a bag of manure and a bag of cheap potting mix dug through it. If we are fortunate, the sky will water it all in for me.  I'll let that settle, then go buy a few plants in a week or so, yippee. If even more fortune (or possibly sun) shines on the right bit of garden bed- some queen fabiola bulbs might come up next summer.

Gardening seems to be my most reliable antidepressant these days. Besides, now I am Warm! The two side beds are languishing unworked. I STILL haven't called up fencing people. I so must.  Though it is not such a bad idea to do this in stages. I have done enough digging for one day.

Now to decide what I will put in the oven for dinner. Maybe slow bake lamb thing?  I must do groceries. I am sitting here drinking black coffee 'cause I am completely out of milk. Hopefully I will find some enthusiasm to work on my coat. I'd much rather lay out and piece the heart quilt that is waiting in the cupboard. Fickle enthusiasms? The black coat was always more of wanting the garment than wanting to make it though.

-Orange Durer is now recombobulated! Thank in part to doushkasmum  and sacred_chao  for feeding me dinner and keeping company through all that handsewing. For those that have seen it, this is the portrait frock.

-Black coat is cut out! except the pockets which I am making up.

-clothes from yesterday's laundry stupidity have been re-washed

-I have started learning the new piece of music for Coronation. Hmm, I should have started this before this morning hey? It's not that hard but I need more time- am still working at slow speed. I have to get it roughly in my head and up to speed before this afternoon, eek.

There is a month until coronation. Do I...
- make up a pink Cranach gown to reuse the pearled gold silk stomacher from my purple gown (from first coronation)?
- make my black coat?
- make erudito 's coat?

#3 won't take a month but I don't have the fabric yet
#2 is ready to go but I can't do that and a gown in time
#1 I am keen on but do I really have time to get it done?

I have been refashioning again.
( turning this into this )

it's after midday and I am only just having morning tea. I have managed to copy and add seams to the coat pattern. Now I could sleep. I wish there was a party to go to tonight- I want to go to one- except I would be too tired so it's just as well there isn't a party I have to miss I suppose.

Thanks mrsbrown , Anne's delivered. Good black wool/cashmere for $25/m. Brunswick fabrics has lots of coating but lesser quality, some interesting colours and cheaper. There was a fabulous bright, large check which I thought about but resisted. Sadly no emerald green for erudito . Anne's had really heavy dense green wool but I think it is meant for billiard tables. You could make hats out of it but not garments I think. She had a green of a nice colour but very poor quality- it's a bad sign when it is pilled already on the roll. For those interested- she had nice mid weight white linen for $15/m. Good stuff but not cheap,cheap.

Now I need to either buy a coat pattern, take one off my brown coat with alterations, or draft from scratch. Probably the second option. That requires my morning brain, so not now. Need to make style decisions, trim, buttons, lining etc. I have lots of lining fabric but no pieces big enough to line a long coat. Would have been good to have patterned before buying fabric but these places are not open Sundays and I don't mind having a bit extra black wool cashmere in the house.

I'm having an upside down day. Dressed up for fancy birthday breakfast for giddyaunt  this morning. Lovely fun. Then at noon I had my 6mthly haircut. I was distressed that my hairdresser near work seemed to have closed. Turns out they are refurbishing and will reopen, whew. I tracked my man down at their city store and went there after our (looong) breakfast. Hair man was most cute as usual and seemed pleased I had followed him. He even got a second chap to work on my hair with him for a bit. "Goodness, two of you at once!" I said. The retort was "Yes" (pause) "you'll have to go to church after". Much fun and I even got a nice haircut.

So very social start but quiet finish. I'm vaguely annoyed I didn't manage to set anything up for tonight. Generally I only have the emotional energy to ask twice. If I get turned down by two lots of people, I end up spending the evening alone. Never mind. I shall experiment with stuffing some home grown capsicums for dinner.

Well, survived another week and a cold one. Suddenly my need for a black winter coat has become urgent. Who has seen good black wool coating recently for a reasonable price? mrsbrown - where did you see that wool cashmere you showed us before festi? I know Clegs has it (or did a couple of weeks ago) for around $50/m. I want a long coat so I will need several metres. I suppose I'll get the Clegs stuff if I don't find anything else.

Oh, and thank the upstairs one for another weekend, whew.

I have had a lovely weekend. Am now trying to persuade myself not to be out of sorts 'cause it is nearly done. Next week will be busy at work and every night is committed too with Port Fairy at the end. All good but I am in a mood to not be pressured. Just got to deal.

I had a lovely time at Circa last night. Good company and most inspiring. I want to make and make and make, oh and wear.  I was sadly really too tired to enjoy it to the full. My own silly fault for working so hard during the day.

I am often amused by the collection of often unrelated things that one sees fit to purchase on a shopping trip. Today's haul:
- a pair of swimming trunks- black boy-leg bather bottoms -courtesy of a gift voucher from work
-a reel of thread (oh- L-craft really has gone down hill. My list was longer than this but they didn't stock any of it)
-a dozen grape hyacinth bulbs bought on a whim
-a seagrass laundry hamper.

I pruned a bunch of things in the front garden this morning, including cutting the burnt bits off the magnolia. Hope the heat on Tues doesn't fry them.

The black Durer is refitted, cut and I have begun assembly. I am a bit concerned about how the front closure will sit. I wanted more bust coverage but that has ended up with a sharp 135deg angle on the front edges. Odd. Still it's either give that a go, risk bust spillage or have unsupported bosums with nasty tension lines.  The upper sleeve slashings are ready to go to Port Fairy for hand work anyway.

I have pulled large amounts of gold lurex out of my old orange underskirt. This has resulted in a much more tasteful garment. Pink/yellow shot (looks orange) with yellow striped bands. I might need to rework the waistband to take away some bulk. However I end up with the warm toned underskirt that I wanted without having to spend time fabric shopping.

I spent a pleasant few hours today with a bunch of people I barely know or had just met, consuming tea and scones and chatting. Nice. Still feel a bit guilty that I didn't go to bash but I wasn't in the zone.

In looking for my old unfinished underskirt, I found two old skirts I had forgotten about. Both fine wool blends and fully lined. They are rather tight in places but with a small amount of work they could be put back into my work wardrobe. So now they are washed at least. The alterations will have to wait until after festi. The black one should be most useful. I had wondered what had happened to it. I made it once apon a time for a conference when I worked in a processing plant and was not allowed to wear skirts to work. It was such a treat back then to be able to wear a skirt for a work event.

TGIF. No really, TGIF

-I just walked for as far as ~7000 steps takes one, while dragging a trolley. Yes, after years of owning this thing I finally took it for a walk to buy groceries. I rather enjoyed it but my arm is a bit sore. We have a pedometer challenge on at work. One is supposed to make 10,000 steps a day. This brings today's tally to 12,700. Somewhat makes up for some slack days earlier in the week.

-My screen doors are now not to be installed tomorrow as planned :-(  This is because the installer has been caught up in bushfire consequence. He is ok but was at the funeral of a close friend today, his children's teachers also died, another friend is staying with him after losing his house to the fires. So... he wants to come install my doors on Sunday. I offered later times but he says he wants to get back to the normality of work and besides, he will be at another funeral next Saturday. Sob. Seems there is a reason I did not organised anything for my otherwise totally free Sunday.

I have a long list of things I want to do this weekend. Usual state of affairs. Mostly chores, some cooking- counts as a chore I suppose, couple of big pots of dinner. Hopefully I will also cut some stuff out - a chemise, maybe the black Durer if I have enough brain. At least re-pattern the sleeves and decide which shape the bodice is to be.  Maybe that is not social enough? I do have Spooky men to look forward to Sat night! hope to work some other socialising in somewhere.

I'm awake, I've had my first cup of coffee, I'm at home and I'm not going out. At least not for hours. I have pretty much only been here to sleep this week. All good stuff but it is so nice to be home. Oh I was home Monday night- villana  kindly came over and pinned the hem on the Durer frock before the heat hit on Tues.

I have vast amounts of stuff to potentially do this weekend. Mostly some form of chore. Some are fun chores though. Including turning many kilos of apricots into forms that will last longer. Some will get turned into me I suspect. Even the less fun chores I am looking at fairly kindly today 'cause they mean I can do them AT HOME!

I shan't write a list now, I don't want to give brain space to  what I don't get around to doing. I might tell you later what I have done though.

So the gold Durer frock is assembled, back view above. The only bit of fabric not attached is the trip for the neckline.  I may also need to piece fill the hem- see the short bit? I tried it on last night when it got to the point of basically being a dress*. Eek, feels a bit small in bodice circumference now? I am so hoping that it will a) work better with fastenings applied. b) relax/ease a bit with wear.

So what still needs doing?
-ditch stitch bodice lining down.
-sew on the lacing rings and buttons
-apply the neck trim
-make cords for lacing and horizontal closure.
-mark and sew hem

I so want to do this now. What I need to do though is clear a space in the back yard for bricks and then put bricks there. Grumph, want to sew.

*thanks to splodgenoodles  and tenbears  for keeping me company through lots of seam grading and clippage, some handsewing.

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I made another thing- only this was months ago. Connected with this is a story (that locals already know, so tune out if you don't like repetition). Finally posting to distract myself from whinging about having to work this week.

Also feeds in to Montjoye's sewing tip # oh 8 or so.... Don't cut anything out while sick!
While lurgy-ridden, I somehow convinced myself that 1.2 metres of burgundy wool was enough to make an elegant sideless gown. You may not be astonished to find I was wrong. I did cut it while lurgified and even sewed most of the neck and side facings but suprise, suprise, it was not nearly full enough to fall properly.

So I threw it in the corner and prepared to steel myself to sacrifice the fabric- a very nice wool gaberdine- to some smaller purpose, trim, hood or so.

Then dear Mama called and was proudly telling me of the new burgundy wool trousers that she had just made. Hope! This inspired me to remember that we both bought a length of burgundy wool- off the same bolt!! Hoorah! and she agreed to give me her offcuts! Thus I was able to cut just enough gores to give me the drape I needed. Hoorah.

Then ensued much soul searching about seam treatment. The hem was pinned and cut before the Scotland trip. Eventually sewn after my return and then worn only once so far to Stormhold Bash, Aug?