1930s pattern -plus fours and shirt:

My most recent pattern from eBay. A French pattern from the 1930's, they are a pair of boys plus fours, or golfing knickers. I'm not sure whether I bought the pattern because it was cheap, 80 years old, or because I like the design.

My very own tags.

Aha, now this was enormously fun.
I've made my very own tags to stitch onto everything I make.
The tags were incredibly simple to make, just mirror printed on transfer paper and ironed onto some calico cloth. I cut them all out with pinking shears.

I could not resist a picture of one with my clown.

1917

Have suddenly found myself interested in the early 1900s.
I can easily place this as a result from watching early Charlie Chaplin films, I've watched 12 from his short film collection and throughly enjoyed them all.
There is something to be said for silent film, it's refreshing.
There is a strange mixture of sadness and humour in each story which is somehow appealing.
My favourite of the collection is Easy Street.

A newly made costume for my new favourite clown.

So happy together.

I like having something to do while watching TV, or a movie or sitting having tea. For that reason I hand sewed the costume on this new little clown. He had been naked for several weeks while i took my time thinking up his costume. The clothes I bought him in were ugly plastic frilly things, and both he and I hated them. Now I've just got to make myself a matching costume.

First attempt at crocheting a hat. Also a knitted military cap.

Not really a hat, just something to sit on the head with no real purpose at all. If I didn't add that gold button it would look mighty like a pot holder.
That shiny thing in the right corner is a half sewn pillbox hat, I think.
Right now I'm trying to knit some kind of military cap, you'll soon see how that goes.

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What a funny face.
Heres another hat, knitted this time. It's meant to be some sort of military cap, it would be better made out of stiff fabric.
I didn't like it so I gave it to Dad, he wore it nonstop for 2 days, but I think it's given him hay fever, right now it is laying discarded on his desk.

Third blouse from my 1940s pattern.

I used the same 1940s pattern for this blouse as for two others; the checkered and the diamond print ones.
Of course, I changed the pattern slightly for each one. With this blouse I shortened and gathered the sleeves, made my own pointed cuffs, and finally did the collar properly.
There is a little zipper and two sets of darts at the back. I'm happy to know that zippers are easy and not as frightening as they look.

Slew of magnificant trousers: part 2

Two times lucky, I found a second dog blanket.

My most recent sewing project.
This blanket had more holes in it but it was the exact same blanket as the one i used to make My Ideal Coat.
I wish I could find copies of this blanket all the time. It's rough fabric and is my favourite kind. It's also fun to use the stripes in interesting ways.

Another blanket coat.

Most of my ideas for stuff to make I get from looking at old pictures and photographs. This coat has very long sleeves, and was made out of a second hand blanket.

Black and white stripes.

Five odd things. All made quite some time ago.

This fabric is really coarse and sratchy, which i really like. I like clothes to look old and worn and used. This is why I get old blankets and curtains to slice up and use for costume.

A top pulled from the 1940s.

I used the same pattern for this blouse as for the diamond print blouse. Both have 18 darts in all.

The diamond print, the clown's frill and the untied bow tie.

This diamond blouse is made from a 1940s pattern, besides being very fitted because of it's 18 darts -it does not look very 1940s because I made it with a different collar.
There is a brown checkered top with a white collar which I made from the same pattern, it looks a lot more authentic.


This frill was as easy as it looks and goes pretty with the diamonds, though it isn't attached to the blouse which means I can wear it with anything.


This is an untied bow tie, I like it better untied mostly because I don't know how to tie an un-tied bow-tie.

My new blue friend.

For once I've bought something for over ten dollars.
I finally got myself a dressmakers mannequin, it was quite cheap from a second hand store.
I didn't know having one could be so useful. Before when making stuff I'd have to try half finished monstrosities on myself, pins sticking out (and in) and all.
It has other uses besides saving me from looking like a sieve. I got round to photographing just about all the clothes I've ever made, besides the ones I've given away, thrown away, burnt or ones just too ugly.
As my new blue plastic friend has no legs I was not able photograph the several pairs of trousers I've sewn. It is also a great shame a dressmakers mannequin has no arms, which means all my fantastic billowing sleeves can only hang limp.

I've gone through and added new photos to all my posts. Have a look.

Wonky Circus

I like ink the best.

My ideal coat:

I made this coat out of an old blanket which cost me $1.00, and a pattern which cost 50 cents.