New address

Hi there, if you’re interested I’ve moved over here

Keeping it simple, this is just sewing project show and tell.

Naomi x

Julia Bobbin fabric giveaway and Vogue 1267

Last year when we were still living in Holland I won my first ever blog giveaway from the AH.MA.ZING Julia Bobbin. It traveled all the way from Australia to Holland and then back to New Zealand. This fabric has a seriously big carbon footprint. It needed to be made into something special. Which resulted in special-induced-inertia. (We all get that with certain fabric right?!)

After a lot of thought I made a gut decision when I saw Vogue 1267. I wanted a ‘sexy’ cocktail dress for a concert I was singing at and I thought this would fit the bill: covered up and comfortable, yet quite racy in its own way.

My thoughts on the pattern: relatively easy to sew although asymmetrical hems are just trying. (Thankfully I had the family on board to help – I’m sure they were all sick of it by the end!)

I made no adjustments apart from changing the fitting of the side seams. I went up two sizes (Vogue patterns are notoriously small) and needed to take it in all the way except to my ‘seat’ which happens to hit at the exact same place every pattern I ever make is tapering back in from the hips (of which I have none). I then let out the side seam from this point to the hem as I knew for stage I would appreciate the extra ‘wiggle’ room!

My only fail with this pattern was making the lining up as a toile and not taking into consideration the asymmetrical hem – oops, wrong way around! I chopped it off, turned it around and reattached it. (Don’t look on the inside!)

My only other comment was that probably the pattern and the fabric weren’t the best of friends. Probably something much more fitted and structured would have suited the satin as it really catches the light at every seam, crease, dart, fold… However that’s also what makes it a great choice for stage as it lit so well. (One of my friends in the audience remarked “It was like the lighting guy designed all the lighting just for your dress!”)

Every wondered how people get such great photos on their blogs – I’ve used a professional!!

It’s been a while

There’s a blog I follow that hasn’t been updated since last year, and I started to think “What’s happening” which led me to think, I hope none of you are thinking that way about me.

You may have noticed I haven’t been around for a while, everything is OK with me, but I’ve just been questioning where blogging fits into my life. Primarily it was an outlet and connection method for me when I was overseas and not working and wanting to have a virtual show and tell every couple of days with someone, anyone, you guys. Now, we’re back in NZ, I’m working and there’s show and tell a plenty in real life.

I also found myself thinking “I could do that and it would give me something to blog about” and “I should take a photo of A B or C so I can post it”… Not a great reason to be here. I’ve decided my motto for the year is Just Say No. It’s really hard for a self described over achiever like me, but it’s a good challenge. So far so good, but I do feel a real sense of OUGHT and SHOULD sometimes. Trying to let go of that.

To that end, I won’t be here much, but I will still post occasionally and I still enjoy seeing other people’s blogs and stories.

Thanks to all of you that have supported and encouraged me – I appreciate it!

New Look Workroom 6070

It’s great to spend New Year’s Day finishing sewing a dress. It feels like I’ve already accomplished something!

This pattern, New Look Workroom 6070 is a wee doddle to sew. I checked out some reviews online first which led to me shortening the split (SOOO high – seriously!) but not much other information. Then I measured the pattern peices and cut out a size bigger than I usually do as the pattern fits tightest through the waist where I am a full size bigger than anywhere else on my body. I’m glad I did this as I found the pattern to be uncharacteristically small for New Look. I also added a bit of length through the bodice by using 1 cm seams. I’m very happy with my new LBD and will definitely be making this pattern up again in a nice bright print.

Recently I was approached by Firmoo to review some of their glasses frames – um very exciting!! I wear glasses for reading and have some nice plain frames, so it seemed the perfect opportunity to push the boat out a little and try something fun – red. I will be taking them in to my optometrist to get lenses put in as I think it’s time for new prescription. However you can upload a prescription on the Firmoo site too as well as shop for sunglasses or fashion frames. As an offer to my readers they are offering frames for the cost of shipping only so you can check it out here if you’re keen. I’m very happy with my new frames and look, they match my shoes!

Joining in with my lovely and stylish sister here.

And over here for the first time:

And so this is Christmas (5/5)

So here we are at the last of the advent swap posts.

Day 21 – the world didn’t end and Zara gave me a lovely notebook from Typo; day 22 – a very sweet little piece of wall art/craft; day 23 – a gorgeous purse (you can never have too many of these I believe and love this fabric); Christmas Eve – cupcake shaped biscuit cutters and some very cute cupcake liners; and lucky last on Christmas Day – a very cool cushion cover made from a up-cycled tea-towel and a bag of Starburst lollies.

What I gave: a copy of my EP The Rest is Elsewhere; an awesome vintage copy of Little Women (a favourite); a handmade Christmas decoration; a Christmas themed Little Golden Book and lastly for Christmas day a handmade necklace and a scrabble fridge magnet of the letter Z of course.

The Advent Swap has been a lot of fun, both in the giving and receiving and I feel very spoiled to have had someone as creative as Zara to swap with. I’ve genuinely enjoyed the homemade gifts the most, the thought and the creativity that has gone into them have been much admired and appreciated.

And now that Christmas is here I am looking forward to relaxing in the company of my loved ones and this lovely little lady who insisted on snuggling into me while I was trying to take my photos!

May your Christmas be merry and bright. See you in the New Year.

Every day is Christmas – 4/5

Another five days of treats. It’s good to have these little beauties to blog about, otherwise I’m pretty sure the silly season would have got to me and I would have totally abandoned my blog!

Day 16 – gorgeous handmade gift tags (they will be saved for VERY special gifts!); day 17 – assorted vintage scarves (I especially love the red and blue one which has subsequently been added to an opshop straw hat); day 18 – Lindt chocolate – not pictured for obvious reasons; day 19 – very cute Typo pencil sharpener ; day 20 – mini bunting made with washi tape – what a great idea.

What I gave: some more vintage linen – a sheet and a tea towel, an old-fashioned cookbook, some more vintage cutlery and a little handmade embroidery. I got the idea from some of the images on Zara’s pinterest page so I really hope she likes it!

I left it in a ‘raw’ state so Zara could use it how she saw fit. It will be interesting to see what she does with it as she’s so clever!

It’s been nice this week to start feeling a bit Christmassy, getting dressed up and spending time colouring and reading with sick kids at the hospital.

And getting dressed up and having fun with my girlfriends.

Every day is Christmas – 3/5

Getting bored yet? I’m not 😉

Day 11 – a vintage plastic sewing box full of vintage buttons – score!; day 12 – some very cute earrings (I’m going to say they’re snowflakes); day 13 – a lovely peace dove Christmas decoration made from recycled fabric; day 14 – Moroccan inspired post-its in a variety of sizes; day 15 – goats milk soap.

I didn’t give Zara as much useful info about what I like, but I actually have quite an obsession with soap. For instance when we went to Holland last year, I took all the lovely soaps I’d been saving (mostly gifts) and put them in my suitcase to scent it on it’s travels and then used them all while we were there.

What I gave: another vintage tea towel, some more golden books (can a girl have too many? I hope not), some vintage forks and a little handmade purse.

And I’ve also whipped up anther purse for my Secret Santa Christmas party with my friends. I hope other people love homemade as much as I do – it’s always a risk!

Every day is Christmas 2/5

The fun continues with the Advent Swap. The lovely Zara gave me on Day 6 – Fun with Food Vintage cookbook, and vintage teaspoons; day 7 – handmade hairclips from covered buttons and vintage fabric; day 8 – chocolate honeycomb bites (not pictured, eaten); day 9 – a beautiful Italian angel ceramic tile; day 10 – gorgeous handmade vintage linen coasters. Oh I can’t wait to have a house, with a table, and tea-cups to rest them on!

Day 6 was the present that featured the awesome black felt unicorn on the wrapping – and super bonus, it’s magnetic and is now proudly at home galloping across the fridge front! Love, love, love.

What I gave: Worry dolls from my favourite shop Trade Aid (everyone should have some of these), another two Little Golden Books, some covered buttons I made (Zara and I must have been on the same wavelength here!) and a vintage style shopping list pad.

Feeling very spoiled having a present to open every day!

Every day is Christmas – Part 1/5

I am being thoroughly spoiled by my lovely Advent swap partner Zara.

Day 1 – a cute little notepad; day 2 – red and blue washi tape; day 3 – handmade bunting (so cute!); day 4 – vintage threads and domes; day 5 – some lovely merino socks.

And from me she received: Day 1 -a Little Golden Book: Aren’t You Glad?; day 2 – Christmas Cards made by a woman from my church featuring a detail from one of the lovely stained glass windows rescued from the church before it was demolished post-quake; day 3 – Jasmine Soap; day 4 – a vintage handkerchief and doily; day 5 -a vintage tea towel.

Zara collects lots of fabulous things, for instance Little Golden Books and vintage linen, so it made it quite easy to get her the little everyday gifts for the period of advent.

I only took photos of the gifts I made sorry but Zara is doing a bit of documenting at her end if you want to see more.

Oh, and don’t forget to enter my giveaway here.

Shopping mishaps

Pop does the shopping online. Consequently there are sometimes mishaps. Like last week when he accidentally ordered 1kg of root ginger! Not to worry. It was a great excuse to make crystallised/candied ginger. Which is delish and will be coated in chocolate at some point too.

I also made a batch of my own biscuit/cookie recipe – Wholemeal chocolate chip and pumpkin seed. It’s been ages since I made them, and boy are they good. Sometimes I use sunflower seeds too, but unfortunately when these were ordered from the supermarket 500g of VitaPet Sunflower Seeds in Husks turned up! Oops! It will keep the birds in the back garden happy though.

As we’re getting near to Advent, I thought I’d have a little giveaway. I was given this pattern by a friend as she accidentally got two. It’s just not me. I know it won’t suit my shape so I thought I would have a little giveaway. I’m happy to post internationally so if you want to win this pattern, leave your email address and a comment below with a story of one of your own shopping mishaps. I’ll draw the winner next week so the pattern can arrive before Christmas.

Linking in here.