A Bevy of Boxers

Boxers in a minute ....
But now, it's been a busy time with birthdays lately .... here is a great big 28 inch square cushion I made for my nephew ....
I've been using BIGHUGELABS to do tricky things with photos before transferring them onto fabric .... it's just the best.... and free!

And now another big huge cushion featuring big huge labs .. this one for my baby who turned 15 today!....... some of the images were printed straight onto treated inkjet fabric, and some I used Transfer Artist's Paper - an iron on product .... it gives you the freedom to transfer your designs onto lots of different materials - even glass apparently! As always, I use Goldies Cushion inserts ..... bound to be b b b bouncier!
Can you spot Mr Hugh Jackman? .... he was shooting a film at our beach and was happy to have his photo taken ....
I used bleached denim on the back .....
I think my baby likes it! The one glove is another present - a golf glove!
And now for the boxers .... what else can a sewist make for a 15 year old boy ... that is, something that he may actually wear ???

Love the fabric on the right - Alexander Henry Regent Skulls - I didn't quite have enough for 2 legs - so I cut and pasted (appliqued) some bits onto a piece of homespun .... did the trick!


That should get him through the year ....

Jacket New Look 6799

A boxy little jacket .... now my figure type might normally preclude me from a jacket of this design, but, as we do, I fell in love with the picture on the envelope ....And in my imagination I will look exactly like this lovely lady when I make the brown dress to match .......
Tweed fabric from The Fabric Store in Surry Hills, Sydney ..... I matched all checks as best I could ....

I used plastic press studs to fasten the jacket - so the front buttons are purely decorative - rather than have big ugly buttonholes through the thick fabric....
After I washed the fabric I decided to not line the jacket - it wasn't stiff or scratchy and since it was designed to be worn over a summer dress - I didn't want another layer of fabric on the jacket. All raw edges were bound with Satin Bias Trim - Hong Kong Style - no less!
A little time consuming - but otherwise good - it fits me nicely as well - I cut a 12, the dress will be 14 ..... don't hold your breath waiting for a post about it ..... it won't happen over night, but it WILL happen!

A Trio of Teardrops

Here are three Teardrop Purses ....

This is the fabric for the first one I made ...

Please excuse my lack of words throughout this post ..... blogger has changed the way of inserting images ... and I don't like it .... anyone else having the same problems? Anyway, this a lovely cute purse. The beads were rather time consuming ... for the next two purses I made I used invisible thread as I didn't like the way you could see the coloured thread on the inside of the frame. Beading needles weren't successful either - hard to thread and not very strong - I resorted to a normal needle which accommodated every 6th bead! Not your average handmade bag - go on .... give it a go ...... while I try to figure out blogger .......

Lighting Giveaway - head to Perth ....

Head on over to A Spoonful of Sugar Girls to be in the running to win a light for all that late night sewing - Australians only - sorry!

Photo from here

Pep, Personality and Vitality

If you can get to Sydney - go and see the EXPOSED exhibition - the Story of Swimwear at the National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour. Actually, it's a travelling exhibition - coming to a town near you!  It closes 23rd October, 2009. Here are some photos.... it's a brilliant exhibition ....... I'm not going to blah on about each photo ... except for a couple .....

Here is Annette Kellerman's Book - it's just too good!

She writes that her perfect figure is due to her PEP, PERSONALITY AND VITALITY ..... Love it!

Here are a couple of ladies being arrested in the 1920s for wearing their swimsuits in public ....risque!

The exhibition is a Textiles Teacher's dream - great info on design, fibres, fabrics and society.......

Did your mum wear these????

It was also great to come across and artist working with the exhibition ..... Jennie Pry ..... she was sketching swimsuits .... her work is fabulous ...... what a treat!

And finally, I'd like to finish with this suit - it's my favourite - from Jet Swimwear .....Cool lines, a denim look with a detailed print - love it!

Bush Fire Season

Apologies - this is not a sewing post, but I have some photos of the bushfire at my doorstep last Thursday. Not sure if it was back burning, deliberately lit or ..?  but it was big and scary. All is good - no homes damaged, no loss of human life - the wildlife however is another story ...... we had a power outage and the Pacific Hwy was blocked for quite some time. The clothesline in the photos is my backyard - the rest were taken from our verandah. The salt bush along the beach road is mostly blackened, and the bush along the highway from the golf course to Awabakal Ave, Blacksmiths is charcoal .... we were indeed fortunate!

In The Press

The Melbourne Age it ain't .... but here is an article on my little 'ole sewing school .... of course I don't just teach retirees .... come one come all I say! Thanks Sheryl for being my pinup girl!

Thanks Kylie at The Star Newcastle and Lake MacQuarie

More Cleverness

Here are some more creations from my students ..... Anissa finished her formal dress - this dress will be traveling back to Belgium for a wedding .... it's a gorgeous blue / green / purple silk taffeta ...
It was a challenging project for a relatively new sewist, but Anissa endured to the very end ...

The pattern is McCalls 5382. Great work Anissa!

Next we have Jo and her completed Swing Bag from the Sewing Basics 2 class ....

Embellished with delightful butterflies ...

Lined in hot pink with a pretty pocket

Fabulous work Jo!