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Here is a very orange photo of a bag I made out of remnants for the friend who hosted us in Sydney (there is another photo on flickr there if you're interested). Note the little button thingy there - it works as a fastener for the drawstring (which was also recycled - the ribbon from a box of chocolates). The floraly fabric was made into a skirt for a good friend in Canberra, and the lining is from... um... oh, it was supposed to line some wool trousers which turned out to be a big mistake - say no to check trousers.
April 4, 2007
telly update
I've been watching a fair bit of House lately, and while I've decided Hugh Laurie is about as hawt as hawt gets, it's getting a bit wearing. Lots of dramatic blood and far, far too much miserable middle aged man for me.
So I've replaced it with some of this action:
The video shop has about six seasons all on DVD so I'm set for a while. The Squeeze is disgusted, but I'm enjoying it. I like it that no one dies. I also like that it's really all about the ladies. The few male characters in the program are really just props for the female characters - Rory has an attractive young thing who's flitting in and out of the narrative, and whose only purpose seems to be admiring Rory's choice in reading matter. Laurelai has a couple of blokes who drop into the story now and then, but they really don't seem to do much except ask her on dates and be knocked back (especially if they're only interested in her for her body), be grilled and then perhaps taken on a date (if they're interested in her brain). Or they make her cups of coffee.
I like it. Nobody dies. I know it's trash, but it's better than Smallville, and there's lots of it.
We are still mowing our way through West Wing - just started season 4. I have to say, I was really disappointed that the CSI secret agen guy was killed off at the end of season 3. He satisfied my inner chick-flick fan.
I care about telly at the moment because I'm on an ob-con fuelled craft kick. I've been quilting like a demon (I do have some lovely photos to put up - I'll get on it STAT), I've been doing some crocheting (I like the complicated patterns, and really get more pleasure out of figuring out how it works than in creating a final product - there's been lots of undoing and redoing), and I've just finished a queen sized quilt thing. The Squeeze hasn't decided whether he wants it to be a quilt cover or a light weight quilt for summer. So I'm waiting on that. That one's lovely - all shades of blue, and lots and lots of different types of Hawaiin print fabric. The patchwork design isn't one of my best, but it was satisfying to put together and actually looks pretty ok.
I've also moved on from the recent rash of thriller/murder mystery books to some restorative Dianne Wynne Jones:
The Pinhoe Egg is lovely children's fantasy, and I'm enjoying it very much.
"telly update" was posted by dogpossum on April 4, 2007 12:44 PM in the category old sew & sew and television | Comments (1)
February 21, 2007
she who dies with the most fabric wins
Bravery report
Ok, so I survived the dentist yesterday. The appointment took about 10 minutes, was absolutely painless and very effective. The dentist was all "Why didn't you come in? There was no reason to suffer that pain for so long for such a little thing?" and I was all "I was scared," and then he was "but I'm not scary, am I? You can talk to me" and then I went "it wasn't rational. If it was rational I would have come in."
But it didn't hurt, he didn't charge me and it doesn't hurt any more. It was just a bit of sticky-out filling that was bumping out into my bite and needed filing down so it didn't echo impact up into my jaw. So now it's all nice and I am much braver about the dentist. He had to remind me: "But that last time was a root canal. That's the most painful thing you can have done. Nothing else will hurt like that." I can't help these things.
I was pretty brave all up. I only teared up a bit when I told him I was scared. I don't know what my problem is - I can get up in front of a few hundred people and do a bit of strutting and telling of shit. I can get up in front of zillions of people and dance like a fool (with authentic chicken steps and all*), do the worm and so on. I can deal with aggressive bullying blokes. I can teach groups of surly teenagers about the internet. I can run massive week-long dance events. I can play music to ensure a room full of picky dancers have a good time. But I can't handle a bit of pain.
Sigh. Something to work on, I guess.
So I go back in a year for a regular check up. I'm sure I'll be back to my pre-surprise-root-canal bravery by then.
Yoga update
On other fronts, I went to yoga again today. That's two weeks since last time. I suck, because I love yoga, it makes me feel so good (though it's hurting at the moment), it helps me avoid injuries and muscle strain in dance and it's fun and social with lots of nice nannas. But I went, and that's what counts.
Then I went to Sugardough and had a nice salad roll and a cup of tea followed by a nice brownie. Then I bought an olive bread thing (like a skinny french loaf, but not as skinny as those Italian bread stick things - help me out here, Galaxy, will you?) which I love eating toasted with fetta cheese on top.
Sewing news
Then I went to the-fabric-store-whose-name-we-cannot-speak and bought too much fabric. I will blog images if I can ever get them off The Squeeze's camera (I have a backlog on there). I bought:
- some black stuff to make a dress for The Squeeze's sister's wedding (two weeks away or something). It will have straps, a high waist (sort of empire-lined, but A-line skirt), a bodice that's in three bits (I've forgotten the proper name, but it gives a more fitted look) and I'm going to make some little flower petals or some sort of shaped pieces to sew onto the front to add detail. I have a nice purple version I should also blog - I'm too fat for it these days, but it's still one of my favourites. The shaped bits will be like petals (two pieces sewn together to give a bit of a 3D look) and are a black-on-purple paisley-esque print. Very tasteful.
- some cream background craft fabric with nice green crocodiles printed. This will be a bodice for a dress with a high waist (again - it makes my body look longer), with the sirt made out of an interesting greeny patterned craft fabric. All crocodiles would have been fun, but perhaps a bit too unflattering. I like interesting prints, so I wouldn't have minded the crocodiles all over. Just not the cream background. It will have the green as bias binding around the top of the bodice, and maybe the straps will be the green as well. I'm thinking a crocodile pocket as well. But I haven't decided on the pattern yet. If I love this dress, it may be the wedding outfit. But it's my first green dress ever and I usually don't like any colour that's not black, purple, pink, red, maroon or some other warm colour. I look shit in blues and greens and whites and yellows and oranges (because I am 'olive' coloured. Which means I look yellow when I don't have a tan, which means I look a little jaundiced. I also have dark eyes and eyebrows)
- two big pieces of white voile with black prints. One is a nice rose sort of pattern (like a line drawing - I know it has a real name but I've forgotten it). The other has a stronger black print and is William Morris-ish. I doubt I'll ever make anything from them but I like looking them. And as we all know, she who dies with the most fabric wins.
Quilting news
Come on, summer, get over yourself. I have a new project to finish and it sucks to have to put the fan on so I can bear to work on it.
Remind me to post some pics of my latest (divine) job, will you? I am all about quilting using found or remnant fabrics, so most of my quilts are quite small, but also quite beautiful**. It's nice to see vintage fabrics from which I made favourite dresses (which died ages ago) all matched up in one quilt.
Cinema review
Yesterday I saw Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man and really enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of Cohen's music and I really liked all the music in the film. It's a doco, but a pretty arty farty one (not much useful knowledge in there), and it's mostly footage of other people at a concert singing Cohen's songs. Rufus Wainwright does a freaking amazing version of Everybody Knows which blew my brain and made the whole film worth the entry cost.
It does, however have fucking Bono and The Edge talking about Cohen and performing with him. I wanted to scream profanities at them. I fucking hate U2. I fucking hate Bono. He sucks arse. And can't sing half as well as he thinks he can. And the Edge? Shit, I could play guitar better than him. It was so pathetic to see them playing with Cohen after people like the Wainwrights, the Handsome Family, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker doing these wonderful, interesting versions of Cohen's music. And Bono is suck a wanker. I mean, Hallelujah is a wonderful song, but so freaking obvious.
But aside from thaose nasty little Irish moments, the film was neat. Go if you love Cohen, but don't go if you don't like him. It'd suck if you didn't like him.
*the peck is a very Frankie Manning move. These days I am saying "what would Frankie do?" whenever I want to spice up a basic step. So I imagine I have a giant, 90-year-old-man arse, an interest in boobs and a really low centre of gravity. It really helps me get down off my toes and work it. Just like a dirty old man.
** not in a 'man, you're so talented! what a fabulous bit of patchwork/quilting!' way, but in a 'aren't they nice fabrics?' way.
"she who dies with the most fabric wins" was posted by dogpossum on February 21, 2007 3:12 PM in the category domesticity and fillums and old sew & sew | Comments (3)
October 6, 2006
Katherine's bag detail
The whole thing is actually far less orange in real life, but The Squeeze took the photo and he has colour issues, and I couldn't be arsed fiddling with it in photoshop. But the bag turned out well, pleased the recipient, and took only a minute to make. Yay.
(It is of course, non-dancers, a shoe bag. Which I did fill with nice Tasmanian soapy things for presentation)
"Katherine's bag detail" was posted by dogpossum on October 6, 2006 7:54 PM in the category old sew & sew
October 18, 2004
meanwhile
i've perfected my pattern for 30s berets. the perfect accessory for a neat 30s women's outfit. very chic, especially with a pair of long, wide legged trousers. this is a very nice look.
i've been making lots of clothes for lotte, which require a beret. this is the sort of look i've got going for her:
she's actually proportioned like the women in these pictures, so these outfits look awesome on her. the early 30s are her era.
i also like this look:
similar sort of style. lotte isn't as androgenous, but the style is nice. lots of excellent trouser. and a lot more interesting than the mainstream, late 30s american fashion. this french stuff rawks.
though we're also planning some overalls like the orange ones in this photo:
i've bought some turquoise fabric, rather than orange, will be just as good. they didn't have any of the fabric in the orange. it's a very lotte colour.
this is the other idea for overalls:
this is actually a 40s pattern. that orange one is a later 30s (post 1935) pattern.
40s stuff is very chic with swingers, very swing, but i tend to associate it with the west coast in the 40s, the movement of lindy hop into the mainstream and the whole white appropriation of the dance. i'm really digging the 30s era on the east coast a whole lot more. i prefer the dance itself (a la whitey's lindy hoppers etc), i prefer the fashion of the 30s, and i know lotte does as well.
so it's all cool.
"meanwhile" was posted by dogpossum on October 18, 2004 7:12 PM in the category old sew & sew
finally
a decent pattern for men's 30s trousers. this one is from 1934.
i did have this one:
which is a picture of 1933 oxford bags, but it's a bit much for your average swinger. The Squeeze adores his, though. of course. aren't they huge? like giant 70s flares. and doods were wearing these in the 30s. originally over plus 4s, which were a little riske at the time. especially on oxford university's campus, where they were banned. blokes wore oxford bags over their plus 4s to hide the illicit shorter trousers.
while plus 4s were far more radical than the large trouser, they've not had a big revival in melbourne swing. i can think of only one guy who's ever worn his out in public.
i've been looking for a decent pattern or picture to inspire a pattern so i can finally make a pair of trousers for a friend who requested them aaages ago.
i'm still scared of making men's trousers. goddamn The Squeeze. he's ruined my confidence in my sewing for men...
"finally" was posted by dogpossum on October 18, 2004 6:56 PM in the category old sew & sew | Comments (2)
October 10, 2004
sewing update
now i'm making trousers for dachelle (with plans for a pair of very short sailor pants style shorts), spent some time altering some old trousers of mine for corinne (with plans to help her figure out how to make them for herself), have done a bit of alteration for doris and still have multiple projects on the go for lotte.
i have pair of denim pants on the go for me, but i hate altering my own pants. and it's denim: too much work. i think i have an idea for a dress for me, but i'm still ruminating.
dachelle will colour my hair for me, corinne has been very good about lifts places, and doris provided an excellent afternoon tea. dachelle's past life as a cook has been a bit of a score as well.
this seamstress gig ain't so bad.
lotte's projects have changed. i've had a shitty time with the sleeves on the jacket of the suit, so i'm ditching it. or else making it sleeveless.
she has a pair of maroon trousers, a blue gingham tie-waiste, buttonup, sleeveless shirt, a blue collared, sleeved blouse done, and i've got a black and white striped shirt in progress, with plans for a pair of black sailor pants style trousers. those i'll make a bit quirky. lotte's not really into full on vintage, so i'll make them sailor suit themed, but actually kind of quirky. make the buttons out of alignment and different sizes (rather than a row down from each hip). i'll use a lighter, softer fabric so they're comfy. high waisted of course. though actually all these 'high waisted' trousers are actually normal waiste height. just feel high with today's fashions...
we also have plans for a pair of late 30s/40s overalls, high waisted, in a bright colour. orange or blue or turquoise, or red. in that order of preference. with a little contrasting colour blouse underneath. this is a very lotte outfit, which i know she'll adore. i'll match it with a bright headscarf.
for the black and white ball outfit i need to make a red beret to bring colour up around her face as she doesn't look so good in black and white. i'm also planning a red necklace of some sort. savers here i come.
there's also a blue blouse to buy to go with the blue plaid skirt i found in tasmania. i might also make up some white frilly knickers for that outfit (tres swinger).
and sorted!
what will i wear at mlx? oh, i don't know. clothes i hope. who cares.
"sewing update" was posted by dogpossum on October 10, 2004 10:34 PM in the category old sew & sew
October 6, 2004
30s fashion
we're having technical difficulties over at free swing press.
uh-oh. problems with images...
"30s fashion" was posted by dogpossum on October 6, 2004 10:36 PM in the category old sew & sew
September 27, 2004
sewing
i've been working on some outfits for lotte to wear during mlx this year. i'm going for a vintage 30s theme. some of it is historically accurate, some is sort of 30s themed, but more loosely interpreted.
lotte has the perfect figure for early 30s stuff, pre 1935. long legs, slim build, tall. but that earlier stuff isn't too practical for dancing. she also prefers trousers, and while women were wearing trouser then, it really wasn't until later (with the beginning of the war and women's mobilisation in the conflict in various capacities) that trousers became common-place.
so i've had to compromise and go for later 30s stuff, for the most part.
i am keen to do some nice earlier 30s stuff, though. i'm also very interested in some deco-styled garments, late 20s stuff. but that's not really the clothing of swingers...
hm. we'll see.
meanwhile, that picture up there is of my prelim plans for lotte's outfit for the ball.
my movable type is totally rooted at the moment.i cannot upload images at all. not even on fsp, i don't think. if anyone can help me out with that, i'll love them forever...
, which is black and white themed. and difficult to work with. bit naff and over-done if you ask me. i reckon black and white cinema would be way excellenter, and give people something to really work with, as they did in 2002.
"sewing" was posted by dogpossum on September 27, 2004 9:48 PM in the category old sew & sew