Sewlutions update and other news.

I have been so busy lately that I haven't been able to get any sewing done. Sob sob. I have so many students who are either part time or doing a diploma so therefore have to finish their qualification before the end of June or THE GOVERNMENT won't fund their training (a decision the big bad Gov made after signing contracts with these students that tells them they have 2 - 3 years to finish in a lot of cases). Any way - enough of a gripe from an overworked trainer.

The lack of opportunity to sew has depressed me a bit (along with having to work on weekends) - so I thought that this hiatus would give me a chance to look at the months that have passed and as it is half way through the year - check in on my SEWLUTIONS.

The lovely Karen at Did You Make That decided to put our new years sewing resolutions to the test and have us put our "sewlutions" in the Jar to be held accountable.

I have put this as a separate page so that I can add to it to keep track. It will also help me to keep track of the stash busting contest I have entered with the Australian Sewing Guild. Check out the sewlutions page by clicking on the tab at the top of the page.

Other news:

The lovely Michelle over at Every stitch I make nominated me for a "Sweet Blog" Award. How nice is that. Thanks Michelle! Having just received an award last month (and due to the fact that I am flat chat with work) I am going to hold on to the award till I have the time to go through and look at who to pass it on to. I also like to make it something special with a contest too so I will have to give it time to marinate.......

Coming soon - in no particular order..... 

1. Pictures of items 8 and 9
2. Style Arc Marni to match item 9 (half completed)
3. Muslin of Busting Butterick Jacket (half completed)
4. Another 2 x Abby cardis - already cut
5. I am eager to try the below pattern. I am not going to put in the pockets though. Don't think it would suit me with pockets.  I have some lovely fabric from KnitWit that is begging to be made into this:

6. Busting Buttericks Pants 

7. StyleArc Prini Jacket - a little longer than shown and left open

8. StyleArc Slip on Suzi

9. Really really really want to try a skirt like the one L has made. I love the look. Just need to find an appropriate pattern. I am sure I have one in my stash.

There are so many patterns I want to sew and so little time..

BTW - was any other Aussie impressed by the suit The Governor-General, Her Excellency, Quentin Bryce was wearing today when she swore KRudd in (again)??? I thought it unusual and pays a slight homage to a "sash" as befitting her role as the highest representative of the Queen in Australia. And Therese Rein's (Mrs KRudd) coat reminds me of a Sandra Betzina pattern.

Plus Sized Pattern Pyramid

If you are stalking the Plus sized pattern pyramid, it is now with:

Megan of The Green Violet 

Go ahead and check it out

Oh what a beautiful weekend - and time to fess up - winner of contest announced

The very talented Sharon from Petite and Sewing organised a sewing weekend at the Mecure Hotel in Parramatta. 15 sewistas took over a room to converse and create to our hearts content.

What a great weekend.

We each had our own table which was a real treat. No worrying about encroaching on other people's room. There were 2 ironing boards and irons set up at the front although a lot of the sewists had their own iron and board set up - and thanks heaps to Sharon for letting me use hers.

There were capachinos on tap - not the cheap stuff - but the Geoge Clooney type in a machine that did it all at a touch of a button. There was yummy morning and afternoon tea and delicious warm lunches (steaks, fish. veal, chicken) to feed the hordes.

I arrived about 9:00 ish on the Saturday with my Janome and Elna both accompanying me to our great getaway, along with pre-cut fabric for a few items ready to sew.

My goals were easy ones. I wanted to walk away with some work clothing which I am still desperately in need of.

1. StyleArc Abby Cardigan in a teal slinky from EOS to match my teal StyleArc Linda pants (alreay worn TWICE since the weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
2. McCalls 2401 TNT dress in a wonderful double sided knit from the Remnants Warehouse.
3. StyleArc Marni Ponte jacket in a matching double sided knit
4. Busting Butterick Jacket in a rust hemp / cotton (finishing)

You will notice that I left the jacket I was working on for my Busting Butterick challenge to last. This is because I really wanted some "quick wins" for my weekend - things to walk away with that I can wear immediately and my jacket is still very much a muslin.

Finished garments will be shown when I can take pics.

It was a fantastic weekend and I feel lucky to have participated. Not only to concentrate on getting some clothes sew with no interruptions, but to meet some great ladies who share the sewing love. I wish we had one every weekend!

Now onto other news...

My facts and lie contest.

Here is the wash of the responses:

1	I have para-glided off the beach in Corfu Greece	4
2	I have written 2 crime novels	4
3	I used to lie in confession	3
4	I hung out with Biker gangs when I was younger	0
5	I have a small tattoo of a Rose on my shoulder in honour of my Grandmother Rose Evelyn Scifleet	1
6	I have been attacked by a Serval and have a scar on my hand from the attack	1
7	I have shot guns and rifles	4

So what is true and what is a lie???

First a confession of another type.

Due to a technicality there are 2 falsehoods. One an error of language and one a deliberate lie. Due to fairness I have decided to put respondents for both into the pot for the surprise package.

Now - I saw in the comments that I must have led an interesting life..... well as we will see in a moment - anything can look interesting - given the right spin.

1. I have para-glided off a beach in Corfu Greece

Now here is my problem. I have para-sailed off a beach in Corfu.. I got the language wrong. It was, after all, in 1987 and my memory is not exactly perfect. Due to the different levels of complexity and risk involved in para-gliding as apposed to para-sailing - I will put people who voted for this into the pot. 

2. I have written 2 crime novels

Clever Ista sussed out that I didn't say published! See - not as interesting a life as it could have been. Unfortunately it was back in the days of DOS operating systems (thanks God for creating Bill Gates who created MS Windows!!!) and actual "floppy" discs - so whilst I have them printed out (on a dot matrix printer) I don't have them on a computer anymore. I wrote them in response to a couple of competitions - many decades ago now. Needless to say - I didn't win - and whilst I used to sit there imagining myself the next "Earle Stanley Gardner" (Thanks Anne) nothing ever came of it. But it was fun at the time.

3. I used to lie in confession

*Sigh* I must confess (ha ha) that this is true. I mean - I was a GOOD girl. I was the one who used to make tea and sandwiches for the little old ladies in our neighbourhood. And in the lead up to first holy communion I had to do confession on a weekly basis. What 7 year old child sins ON A WEEKLY BASIS??? Well not this GOOD girl. I mean I was naughty at times - but jeez - not on a weekly basis.. And when you kneel in those scary dark boxes (yes I hear you Mrs Mole) and say "Bless me father for I have sinned. It has been - jeez a whole - 7 days since my last confession and these are my sins..... It kind of sets you up to have to confess to something.... I mean - I was right for the first confession - reeled them off like a pro.. but then I was done. The next week - in that short period of time - at the age of 7 - I HAD NOT SINNED. So being a good catholic girl I couldn't say I hadn't sinned - that would have been the sin of arrogance. So being a people pleaser as I was then, I used to make up my sins - I guess another sin in itself. So the priest was happy - got to absolve me of my sins. I was happy - another person pleased. The nuns were happy as I knelt and did my penance - the things a kid has to do...

4. I hung out with Bikers when I was young.

Hmm - no one picked this. I must look like a biker chick. It is alas true - but again - not as "glamorous" as it seems. I was very young. Between about 10 and 12 and I was really hanging out with my sister and older friend (who actually ended up marrying one of the bikers). They were very kind and protective of me. By the time I grew old enough to know what was happening around me - I wasn't hanging out there anymore. But still - some fun memories.

5. I have a small tattoo of a Rose on my shoulder in honour of my Grandmother Rose Evelyn Scifleet

LIE - Loved my grandmother Rose. Have nothing against tattoos. DON'T like needles. It's funny - Leigh Ann - the one person who picked this - did so for a funny reason.

"At first, I was going to choose #6, because it seems unlikely (I didn't even know what a serval was--I had to look it up), but then I decided that anything that sounds so unlikely is probably true! So I am going to go with #5, the rose tattoo on the shoulder, because by an odd twist of logic in my brain, that seems like it could easily be true, so probably isn't!"

6. I have been attacked by a Serval and have a scar on my hand from the attack

Again - not as glamorous as it seems. No I wasn't on safari in the wilds of Africa but in an Australian Zoo in the 70's. This was before the time of the great enclosures they have now. Back then they just had bars. I swear I didn't put my hand through the bars... I was simply pointing to the cat too close to the bars and as swift as could be - both paws came out and grabbed my hand. Luckily I didn't panic and just peeled it's claws out of me. It was obviously looking for a snack - some finger food perhaps!

7. I have shot guns and rifles. 

Yep I have. When we were kids my grandparents had some hunting rifles - which my brothers used to shoot fruit off the neighbours trees (in suburban Sydney too). Anyway - I had a turn - couldn't hit anything. It was not long after that, my mother got rid of the rifles. Just recently (a year or so ago) my sister was saying how she would love to shoot a gun.. just to try it. I did too. So I booked us a session at the Sydney Olympic Shooting Range. It was great. We both got 50 rounds of ammunition and under the watchful eye and tutelage of a worker there - we shot targets. Fun but I am glad that Australia has strict gun laws and have no wish to pack metal on a regular basis.

Well - now you know way too much about me. 

And now to draw out the winner...

Drum roll please.

The lovely L from You Sew, Girl 

L - please email me with your address so that I can send a "surprise package" your way.

Also, I would like to give another prize to Leigh Ann who was not drawn out of the pot but did get the "original lie" right. Leigh Ann, please also email me your address.

Email is bevinvest (AT) bigpond (DOT) com