This morning I watched the Bill from Saturday night, and have sewn a zipper and the crotch seam of some pants.

Friday June 27, 2003
11:53am
I covered one box with cardboard yesterday and it looks okay. No way is it as neat as the three that Mum did for me last year. The boxes are those ones that come with 5 reams of paper, and I used a opaque black contact. I use the boxes to store some of my sewing supplies (notions, interfacing, fabric scraps and fabric)...the boxes are a good size and very cheap (I pick the boxes up from uni for free).

I went to a whole list of Australian online fabric stores and was disappointed. The best was Pitt-trading, but they only had a few fabrics. Not that I was going to buy anything today but I like to have a browse and look for good deals.

Some interesting fabric/sewing related links that I visited today:

Thursday June 26, 2003
8:55am
My friend Cindy is "back home" from Wagga Wagga for a week and she came over yesterday to catch up. she was featured in our old school's newspaper, but the journalist (one of our 'notorious' teachers) made much use of creative liscence and the article was not entirely based on what Cindy said at all.

As usual for my holidays, I rang up work to state that I was avaliable. As I have not heard a peep all week, I thought I would ask if they had actually re-registed me. They hadn't, but would today. Great. I really need the money for next semester. Only one more semester to go, and I will be qualified to be a teacher (I hope).

Today if I don't hear from work before 10am, I will be driving over to Stafford and then Kedron (about 45-50 minutes away from my house) to check out some discount fabric stores. It is basically a fact finding mission, but if I spy any bargain, I will be buying. I only really need zips and clear elastic though.

I am wearing these black cotton lycra yoga pants that I bought at Kmart on Sunday. They are so comfortable...I might have to but another pair. Better than tracky daks any day. They were under $20 due to their sale, and they come in navy and brown also.

1:32pm
I just returned from yet another fabric shopping trip. What started off as a fact finding mission turned into a game and seek game. Again I have made a special trip to find that the store no longer exists...good thing I found two other stores (eventually). Man I hate Brisbane! Driving around is shocking, and I will say no more. I have reviewed the stores in my fabric store review page.

This "mannekin" is so fun to use.

Wednesday June 25, 2003
9:45am
Yesterday arvo I cut out some bootleg pants and a 4 gore bias cut skirt from some poly/rayon black pinstripe fabric. After dinner, I started sewing the skirt. I am using KS3003 view B again. This is such a great pattern. I sewed and finished all the seams on the skirt...you know, I only just discovered that by changing my foot to my overedge foot, I can get a really neat looking zigzag finish. I have had this machine since Feb 00, so duh on me. I also sewed the darts on the pants and the inner seams. I actually sewed the wrong pieces together and finished it. I probably sew best when I am on the ball.

This morning I have been altering the neckline and sleeves of my KS3003 top...the views include a Vee neck and turtleneck with ¾ or half sleeves with cuffs. I have looked out for the perfect basic tee (jewel neck with long or short sleeves). I have been using Burda 2564, but this is way too boxy and the neckline is too deep. As KS3003 fits great, I thought that I would alter the neckline and the sleeves to create my perfect pattern.

I did this by tracing the side seams, armhole and hem of Ks3003 onto tracing paper, then put it over view B in KS2900 ( a basic tee pattern that is loose fitting) to get the crew neck only. I also traced the neckband from 2900. To get the sleeves, I overlay KS3003 on the KS2900 sleeve and measured the difference. I then traced and extended the sleeve at the bottom. Reverse for the short sleeve.

Tuesday June 24, 2003
The first entry of my weblog. I have been searching for some sewing weblogs but there a few and far, or maybe I need to learn a different way of searching. I have been using Google to do this. I already read Sew Wrong, as well as Sew Geeky and I have seen others, which I will have to find again!

I also keep tabs of Gigi (keep tabs, it sounds so sinister but I mean that I continually look for updates) as well as Linda and Barbara. I am a daily reader of Sewing World and Pattern Review, occasionally posting or writing a review of a pattern. I review my own patterns here.

For some bizarre reason, there is something wrong with my sewing room page. This is the link to all my other sewing stuff...I have tried to fix it but apparently there are "errors." As you can tell, I am not very good with HTML, I actually use Frontpage Express which came with my Internet startup CD Rom.

Today is the second day in the second week of study week. I have finished so I am on holidays. I have rang work (Forstaff, a temp agency) but no one is ringing me. In a way I am glad because I really feel like a break, but I need to work and earn some money so I don't have to work during semester. Yesterday I finished making the three tops that I started cutting out on Sunday. I love how I can squeeze out three knit tops from just over two meters of fabric. This fabric is a lovely pale pink rayon blend knit, and I found it in a remnant bin outside my current favourite fabric store (fabrics galore, see here and scroll down for my review).

I have holidays for 5 weeks and have some projects lined up. Firstly, lots of sewing. I have the patterns and fabric, I just have to cut and sew. I also want to take a Kwik Sew tee pattern and draft different sleeves and necklines for it (KS 3003 view A has a vee neck and 3/4 sleeves, so I want to make a jewel neck and long and short sleeves). I love Kwik Sew, their tops fit fabulously.

I have cleaned out my sewing patterns and photographed (the camera doesn't take the best photos, but it works!) so I might make an ebay listing shortly. first though, I should go to the post office to find out the price for sending a pattern. I will not be selling them for much, just a couple of dollars, but that is better than having them sit around. I usually would donate them to Lifeline or something, but I thought since I have the camera, I would try selling them first.