Winter Holiday planning

Once again we are departing Melbourne for 10 days warmth and relaxation in July. This year we are going to Timore Leste, where Hubby will have just finished a work project.
Hubby tells me that, in Timor Leste, women swim (or bathe perhaps) in t-shirts and shorts or similarly modest apparel over their swimsuits. To do otherwise will most likely attract unwanted attention.  Now, I don't have any shorts that are suitable for swimming. In fact, I own very few pairs of shorts indeed.
I was just checking out the restylista's blog and saw this post
Perhaps the answer is a play suit in seersucker or similar light-weight but opaque fabric. Sewing out of season will be a challenge, but I have been tempted by the idea of a playsuit for some months now, although I could not imagine myself wearing one.
Now to see if I have/can find a suitable pattern.

Vintage Pattern Sale

Out of the Ashes is having a 15% off sale. You can't have this pattern , though, it's mine :D

today I sewed!

http://thegreatvintagesewalong.blogspot.com/2011/03/progress-at-last.html

A little bit of Shopping

Today my lovely friend montjoye took me with her on a recce of this shop, which happened to be having a 50% off sale: The Fabric Store

A little like Tessuti, The Fabric Store stocks high quality, designer fabrics. I went in with a bit of a mission - fabrics for work clothes, and I am very pleased with what I bought. I have: purple cotton knit for a wrap jacket; teal merino knit for stretchy tops;  sage linen and brown with orange floral print silk for blouses; a french navy and white striped cotton jersey with a faint grey/sage floral print background for a 'Friday' top; and I had to have a black and white printed linen that looks remarkably like this fabric about which Gertie has recently blogged: Vintage Roses

Oh and a little black and white spotty remnant for refashioning the bottom of that Beechworth skirt.

During the week I collected the shelves to go in my new sewing room storage units (I had ordered frames and tub/drawers, but forgot the shelves). Now, after a busy day's shopping I am trying to get up the motivation to go and re-arrange the sewing room.

I think I'll go and do 30 - 45 mins, then rest with an ep. of What Not To Wear that I have recorded.

Summer time Swap

Next weekend I am going to the  Rose St Market Swap.
During the Xmas/New Year break I had another sort and cull of my clothes and identified more garments that I have shrunk out of and/or don't wear. I think I have more than the 6 items permitted, so I will either store some for the next swap, donate them or perhaps sell them on eBay.
Last swap I came home with some very nice garments, which makes me optimistic about this one, and even if I only come away with one or two new garments, it will be well worth it, as all the left over garments go to charity.

Pic Spam - vintage dress muslin

Muslin front

Muslin back

Black and White Beechworth skirt

 My family often holiday in Beechworth, a smallish town in North East Victoria. One of our traditions is to visit the local op-shops and spend a few dollars. I have recently found lots of great, vintage patterns in those shops, som eof whihc may feature here over the course of the year.

Over the New Year's weekend I picked up this skirt. I fell in love wiht the fabric, but the length was all wrong for me. I think this skirt was made by or for its former owner. It has no labels whatsover, and the navy blue zip has been shortened to size. 






A quick and easy re-fashion, I shortened it to just above the knee and hemmed it. I have plans to use the bottom section, which has only one side seam (note the side split to teh knee of the original) as part of a wrap skirt.

As fir my hair, it is pulled up in a clip at the back, I haven't had a significant haircut. I did call my usual place, a hairdressing school in the CBD, for an appointment this week, but they are not longer open on weekends, and I can't take 2 hrs during a weekday for a cut, so I will have to find a new service provider.

Stay thrifty!