What would you wear with this?

I have this completely OTT skirt that I really love but always wear with a plain black t-shirt. It is really worthy of more than that. Any pattern and colour suggestions? Don't ask me to wear bright blue though.

Finished at last!

After lots of mini stints at the sewing machine my BWOF 11/08 jacket is now completed. I'm still waiting for the my covered buttons from Tessutis. They will be ready to collect on Monday 1 June. They are two-tone in the tweed with black silk on the outer edge. Overall I'm really happy with it except for a slight problem with the hang of one pleat at the hem line. I'll probably unpick and try to rectify this. Will post another photo when the buttons are on.

In the meanwhile I whipped up this great jacket blouse in about an hour using fabric bought from Fabric Fair in Armidale. Rita the shop owner is very knowledgable and trades in the good quality wools, linens, silks, cotton and knits. She is starting up a website if Armidale NSW is a little off your beat. I also bought a gorgeous silver cotton with with an embroidered border to make up for a cocktail function later in June. The sleeves and trim are from a great black knit from my other spiritual home Tessutis and the buttons are self covered from the grey frill. I didn't use a pattern for this, just a t-shirt block and shirred the waistline underneath the frilled layer.

Both jackets look great with the black pencil skirt I made in March, so I guess I have a bit of a SWAP happening.

My young sewer has abandoned machine for the pencil. This picture is of her latest self-portrait hanging at a local youth art award. She didn't win a prize but was hung on the same wall as the winners in this category. She is a very creative child. So far I'm resisting the urge to finish the dress that she cut during the holidays. What to do?

Still travelling - this week to Brisbane (my old home town) and Australia's capital Canberra.

How would you do this?

Yes yes I know I have a jacket to finish, but I can't do much sewing at the airport can I? Meanwhile I've fallen in love with this cardigan by Jill Sanders. Great disguise for back fat...I've seen sitting here trying to work out how to achieve that drape. I'm stumped. Any suggestions?

My one armed lady

This jacket is a labour of love. Not only because am I working very hard learning new construction techniques but also because I have so little time to sew at the moment. It feels like every stitch is precious. It took such a long time to prepare the sleeve pleats and set in the sleeve and cuff that my jacket has only one arm. Still haven't sewn in those false flaps yet! Should I risk attempting a hidden pocket underneath? I'm having two-tone buttons made with tweed centres and black on the outside.

What has distracted me from sewing?

1) the travelling roadshow continues - I've been to Armidale, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Kempsey and tommorrow I'm going to Lismore all the in space of one week.

2) I went to the theatre - The Wonderful World of Dissocia - a play that challenges the notion of theatre as entertainment. Rather the audience was taken on a journey into manic depression - the high was amazing and the low very low. We had to pay with low for the magic of the Alice in wonderland type experience of the first act.

3) I went to the new Star Trek film - didn't expect to enjoy it but loved it. The special effects are very special indeed and Zachary Quinto is mesmerising as Spock.

4) I did the 4km Mother's Day classic raising funds for Breast Cancer.

Much as I'd love to finish my jacket I think I've had an interesting week. What have you been doing?

Ideas for making toys

Maya is making toys as part of her school technology course focusing on industrial design. She has asked me to ask the sisterhood if there are any sites that offer good ideas for designing toys from fabric and other materials.

No sewing until the weekend - I come home from the airport each night too spent to sew.

Burda jacket progress and more journeys

I haven't been idle. My sewing plan seems to focus on which piece of fabric I have a definite idea for. So rather than blouses undecided, I'm working on my BWOF 11/08 102 jacket in a beautiful wool silk blend that is a joy to work with. I bought it off the remnant table at Tessutis for just $30. Burda's patterns are very precise but their construction details are not great. I need to pay homage to the Tany's wonderful instructions for this jacket. The pattern is designed as an unlined jacket, but this doesn't seem right for tweed so I'm adding a black viscose lining. The false pocket flaps are still pinned on. I'd love to try inserting a pocket underneath but don't wont to tempt fate. Thanks to my new library and Tany's instructions, I've also discovered what a difference the right interfacing can make.

I'm not sure how much more I can do before the weekend because tomorrow I'm off to Wagga Wagga and to Armidale on Friday. These trips are strictly business, but I'll show you pictures for those who don't know Australia.

This is Wagga Wagga from the air. The town is located in the southern part of New South Wales near the Murray River.

Armidale is a University town in the New England district at the other end of the state. Its is charming but cold.

I'm on the road again

Just think Willie Nelson and hum I'm on the road again.

I've been to Coffs Harbour, home of the big banana,

Ballina, home of the big prawn. both embarrassing Aussie tourist icons.

This week were taking the show to Dubbo home of the Western Plains Zoo were you can see African animals "in the wild" (a bit of a contradiction here?) and Bateman's Bay, just a nice a sleepy fishing village.

Sewing? Maya traced her first Burda pattern but a burgeoning social life has prevented the sewing of one sitch. I'm cut a muslin for my first BWOF jacket which I hope to run up tonight. If not no sewing until Sunday because I'm on the road again...yeeha!