Hi! I’m still here!

Yikes, it’s been a while since I posted! Most unlike me. So I thought I’d drop on by, give a little update about what’s been going on.

No finished projects to show in this post I’m afraid. Although I have been sewing and making like crazy! I’m hoping to have a finished garment to post about very soon though….

So, here’s a bit about what’s been happening around these parts. (Photos also seen on Instagram, in case you’ve spotted them before!)

Here’s my current sewing project – the Clover dress from Papercut, which I’m making in this gorgeous rayon with feathers on it from Minerva Crafts. It’s slowly taking shape – currently hanging up letting the hem settle (and waiting for me to find where on earth I put my stay tape, whoops!)

Exciting thing about that rayon fabric – it’s my first make as part of the Minerva Crafts Blogging Network! So exciting!! 😀 I’ve been watching the Minerva Crafts and Mood networks with interest, and wondering if anything like that would start up down in this part of the world. Turns out Minerva are happy to work with a New Zealand based blogger, and I’m now a part of their blogging network! So you can expect to see a creation a month for the next three months (at least) on here as part of that. They’ll be my usual mix of vintage and indie patterns, and typical colourful prints, coz that’s how I roll. (Bonus: I can now get my hands on things that are hard to get here in NZ. Like this feathers print rayon. Yippie!) ‘Twas an exciting day when my first Minerva network package arrived….

You may remember in my round-up post for 2014 I mentioned that I’m really looking forward to working with vintage patterns more this year. I have general plans to more-or-less alternate sewing vintage with sewing indie. Until that gorgeous rayon landed on my doorstep and jumped the queue (what can I say? It was so pretty it demanded I make it immediately!) I was planning to make this combo. The fabric is from the Michael Miller Wee Wanderer line, pattern is 1950’s. Then I decided I didn’t like the pairing due to the large-scale print and the pintucks, so I’m currently hunting for another vintage shirt dress pattern I want to pair with it. Need to find it soon, as it’s next on my list to make!

Speaking of vintage, I may have acquired this machine yesterday…. Whoops! It’s a Brother, model 411. No idea how old it is – heavy metal body, motor is attached with a fan belt, very basic stitches. I put the question out to the sewing world on Instagram and guesses so far seem to be around the 1960’s-70’s. (Anyone got any ideas? Google is not being very useful with this, sadly.)

I has plans to use all my vintage machines this year, sewing a dress on each machine from a sewing pattern that’s roughly from the same year as the machine. Really looking forward to that!

Been doing a bit of knitting as well, usually while juggling a baby and a cat. Unsurprisingly, progress is slow. But this will be the Agatha cardigan by Andi Satterlund.

Also making slow progress (and the reason why, although I’ve been sewing up a storm, I have nothing I can show you yet!) is the next Muse pattern. Babies who do not sleep much during the day (he’s a cat-napper, our littliest one. 5 minute nap, then up for another 2-3 hours. Seriously.) are not overly conducive to fast progress. Evidence:

But also evidence that progress is being made! Taping up of PDF to test the printing….

… and stitching up of sample garments. I’m hoping to have this one released in the next couple of weeks. Eek!

So yes, that’s what I’ve been up to! Oh, and starting back at work part-time. Easing back into it, and I’ll be back full time at the end of April. It’s going by crazy fast, eek!

What have you all been up to? Are you having a good 2015 so far?