Parking problems

Hello, I'd like to report a parking problem.
Yes, the vehicle is right outside our house. Been here since last Friday.
Someone has just left it here.
I think it might be an abandoned vehicle.
A description, you say?
Um, well I'm not very good at these things.
Its kind of unusual: yellow; a two-door; and sort of flashy.
A coupe? Er, more a scoops clay, I think.

Improbable

Please choose the correct response.

An hour after taking these photos at the Royal Melbourne Show, Liesl ...

1. competed in the Woodchop finals
2. rode out of the showgrounds on a prize winning Huacaya Alpaca
3. vomited on spectators standing 30 feet below a ride called The Hangover
4. realised that she should have packed raincoats and an umbrella

Yep, never saw it coming either.

Phrases for spouses/partners of home sewers

Correct
√ No, no ... you could never have too much fabric
√ Of course you need a coverstitch machine
√ I would be proud to wear something you sewed me

Incorrect
X Can you make me car seat covers?
X Changing this button fly front on my jeans to a zipper
     would be pretty easy, yes?
X Can I see that Jedi robe you're sewing for Argy? I need to
     make sure you got the design right.

Flying the flag

The following is going to dent my pride. (But as they say: there is no such thing as bad publicity ... or bad blog material. Its all good.).

If you have followed recent entries here, you might know that I entered a couple of sewing categories in the Arts and Competition at the Royal Melbourne Show. You see last year, the garment categories were remarkably quiet - and some were empty. I thought it a bit sad that dressmaking languished in the shadows cast by other burgeoning crafts such as quilting.

Next year, I said to Mr HB, I will fly the flag. I'll enter something.

It would be worth noting that at the time he asked (some would say unkindly) as to how I might feel if I was the only entrant and didn't get a prize?

Hmmmph!

But, as it turns out he was on to something. There were three entrants to Class 79 Childrenswear. One received a prize. Third prize. Needless to say it wasn't me.

I know judging would have been to very high and exacting standards. I wonder if I was disqualified? Was it the press studs on my little girl's blouse (pictured above)? Or the machine (not hand) sewn continuous binding on the plackets? Did I break the rules ... or was I way out of my league (read: frankly rubbish)? I guess I will never know.

At least I can say I gave it a go. I flew the flag ... even if was a little bit tattered and at half mast.

Looks like neither Sheeps Clothing nor I got a brass razoo in the scone category either. Rats.

The circus is in town

Last week Argy, Bargy and I visited the circus. It was a lovely evening - if a little ambitious as a pre-schooler outing. Still the free tickets we'd been given seemed to outweigh the 9:30pm finish.

It was the boys' first visit to a circus and they were transfixed by the music and lights. They ooohed and aaahhed and applauded wildly as we watched clowns, dancers, acrobat and magicians.

Not surprisingly the illusions were a particular hit. There were gasps of awe as things appeared and disappeared. (Though I am a little concerned: do the boys now suppose that if they set fire to a box and throw a cloth over it, that 30 seconds later two attractive ladies in sparkly swimsuits will jump out?)

My favourite part, on the other hand, was the acrobatics.

Chiefly for the fact that Bargy kept turning to me and whispering Mum, can you do that too? I loved his unswerving - yet misplaced - confidence in my physical ability. Of course if you know me in person, you will vouch for the fact that I am far more Rubber Lady than Circus Acrobat.

Melbournian ... or Goth?

This week I decided to have a little try at creating my own skirt pattern.

For some while now I'd been thinking it would be nice to make a yoked skirt in a nice drapey stretch fabric. I figured that with my sway-back and mahoosive bottom, that a yoke line might look quite flattering. Never underestimate the powerful trick of chopping one's derriere in half (er, horizontally as opposed to the natural vertical division).

Anyway I digress.

After sketching the pattern onto paper (using several existing garments for inspiration), I checked the stash for suitable fabric. I rummaged through the stretchies. There was black jersey. Black bengaline. Black ponti di roma. Black interlock. Not to mention several lengths of black jersey.

Um, should I choose the black ... or the black?

Suddenly it occurred to me. Despite being the most unfashionable person I know, maybe I really am a slave to Melbourne fashion: head-to-toe black. Either that ... or I am a latent Goth.

Perhaps I will stick with Goth. Yes. Forget the yoke: the next skirt can have a jolly big Victorian bustle. No-one will know whether I have a mahoosive bottom or not.

Would you like that on white, rye, multigrain or ...

... rainbow?

Today's sandwich bread, from our local bakery.
A little bit wrong.
But strangely irresistible.

The cover-up

Cover-up: (n) concealment of evidence of wrong-doing, error or other embarrassing information

I love a good cover-up - especially if its in the creative domain. So when I saw a craft idol discussing the judicious placement of a faux cabbage rose or spray of feathers to disguise a millinery mistake, I was full of admiration.

In my mind it completely legitimises the use of the cover-up.

For most, "quick, hide the evidence" is a last resort. For me: a personal mantra. If I had a dollar for every sunken cake back-filled with icing, or decorative applique sewn over a scorch mark, I'd be a wealthy woman indeed.

Of course, not every cover-up is a success and there are many traps for the young player.

Take this early sketch, for example. Following a number of failed nose renderings, the furry marsupial got a ... leaf.

Its all about the context, people. Hat with cabbage rose: good. Possum with naso-mandibular-foliage-substitution ... well I'll leave you to decide.


How about you? Do you engage in the creative cover-up? Do tell - it will just be our little secret. I promise.

She scone crazy

After rising early and baking frenetically, I have just ferried my last Arts & Crafts Competition entry to the Royal Melbourne Show.

I baked scones. Lots of scones. More scones than any home-cook should ever reasonably make before 8 in the morning.

To be honest, those that made the final selection looked a little lacklustre. There were no standout prize-winning attributes. Not bad; just not great. A bit meh I think. But if nothing else, at least I can say I gave it a go.

And I can confidently say ... following the Great Transposition Fiasco of 2009 ... that they have been entered into the correct category.



This year I have selected Class 204 - novice, plain (4).

Pausing to reflect, I do hope this means 4 plain scones baked by a novice. Fortunately should it transpire that its really 4 scones baked by a novice who is plain, my entry will still meet the criteria.

Blouse

This is my second entry in the competitions at the upcoming Royal Melbourne Show. Its been submitted to Class 79 which is for "children's wear".

I used two beautiful Liberty prints in the construction. The main one was found at Hazel Green and the contrast (and lovely green trim) was purchased at Tessutti.

The main print was bought well in advance of deciding what to make. My only forethought: I don't have much time, I'd better make this as easy as possible. Making something pretty for a girl will be much quicker than working out something super-duper for a boy.



So I decided on a girls' blouse.

Then looked for a pattern.



And you know what? I couldn't find the right one. Anywhere.

All I could find was a lovely little pattern for a boy's shirt. Thwarted. So I redrafted the front placket and the collar. Mmmm, yes .... that was quick. Hmmph.



This is the first shirt I have made finished, so it was a great experience learning how to sew plackets, a collar and cuffs. Given judging will focus on technique, my dressmaking teacher suggested I learn a new seam finish: the insides of the blouse are finished with little enclosed hairline seams.

Just quietly the judging criteria also decrees that "all decorations, hems, bindings, facings and button-holes are to be sewn by hand". Now while I am not adverse to the odd bit of hand-sewn binding or a hem, hand-worked buttonholes sounded like all kinds of torture.

Needless to say two hours before entries closed, press-studs looked enticing. In my defence they were ... ahem ... sewn by hand.

Stay tuned for news of a disqualification.

Recycled

Recycling: the act of processing waste to create a new product.



For example, this abandoned material ...



... has been salvaged and converted ...



... into a completely new product called "Class 152. Applique hand or machine pieced".



Say it with me: reduce, reuse, recycle.

(Have I diverted everyone's attention from the fact I was too lazy to make something from scratch?)


One of three entries I am putting into the Arts, Craft and Cookery Competition at the 2010 Royal Melbourne Show (18 - 28 September 2010).