Getting Back On The Horse

Well I completely missed the deadline for the Sew For Victory 2014 challenge, and I have missed several Historical Sew Fortnightly 2014 challenges. I am a little annoyed with myself about this but to be fair I was unwell. Now I am well and truly on the mend it is time to get back into it.

I will be joining the HSF 2014 challenges #11 - The Politics of Fashion (due 15th June) and #13- Under $10 (due 14th July). I have both challenges planned and have already started to write a blog post on The Politics of Fashion.

I also think this will be fun:

It's a 1920s sewalong, which will start on 3rd June (the day I get back from my next Sydney trip) and will include underwear, dresses, wraps, hats and belts. I can't wait!

Till next time,

Robyn x

My Current DVD/TV Crushes

My three great DVD/TV crushes at the moment are Tony Hill, Sherlock Holmes and Phryne Fisher.

My Phryne Fisher crush is easy to explain - I want to BE her:

Found on Google Images. Isn't she lovely?! Phryne Fisher (played by Essie Davis)

She's intelligent, thinks on her feet, is a little eccentric, has the BEST wardrobe and a knack for getting involved in dangerous situations which she relishes. She is street savvy and can definitely look after herself. She is a true lady who counts among her good friends a couple of wharvies turned cabbies. For Phryne there are no class or cultural distinctions, Oh, and did I mention her wardrobe? ;) And to cap it all off she is also a bit naughty. Who wouldn't fall head over heels in love with Phryne?!

Regarding the two gents though, (Tony and Sherlock) I'm not quite sure what my crushes say about me psychologially :/ They are both heroes/antiheroes, and they are both highly intelligent, very eccentric, rather dysfunctional and socially inept, and I find them both utterly adorable and completely irresistable!!!

Tony Hill (played by Robson Green) - from Google Images

Sherlock Holmes (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) - found on Google Images)

See? And even these actors' real names are awesome.

If you haven't yet seen the series' that these characters inhabit , they are all available on DVD:

• Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries - (Phryne Fisher - 2 series so far)
• Wire In The Blood - (Tony Hill - 6 series - I haven't seen the 6th one yet)
• Sherlock - (Sherlock Holmes - 3 series so far) 

If you watch them I'll bet you'll fall in love with these characters too!

Robyn x

Hello!

Hi!
Just thought I'd say hello...nothing really exciting to post. Well I did have an MUA Haul to post about but I'm afraid I'm not feeling particularly creative or energetic right now.
It's getting colder here. I really shouldn't complain, Australia doesn't really get that cold, but I love being warm and tend to get very lazy and slug-like the cooler it gets here.
I may've posted about this but when it's cold, comfort and warmth are really my only two considerations when it comes to clothing so most Winters I blob around in whatever I lay my hands on that is warm and  comfy. This year I'm making sure I get my Winter clothes organised before it gets too cold for me to care. I'm aiming for comfort, warmth AND a decent aesthetic.
I've been reading Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. It's a great story, set in the US during the Great Depression and Prohibition at a time when Circuses travelled by rail. It is fictional, but some inspiration has been taken from actual events and characters in circus history and there is an archival photograph at the beginning of each chapter. "Running away to join the circus" sounds very romantic and exciting, and in some ways it really is, but overriding this is the fact that circus life was harsh and very brutal then. I wonder how that compares with modern circuses like Cirque du Soleil? I'd love to know. I think some research is in order.
Well, that's it from me for now. Here is a cheery photo for you. It's the photo of the day from Wikimedia Commons:

Till next time,
Robyn x

Weighed, Measured...You Know The Rest

Yes, it's get out the violins time... Well really it's total makeover time. When I say total makeover I mean ALL of me, not just the physical - although that's as good a place as any to start. I have officially hit "the BIG time" weight wise. I weighed in this morning at 80.2 kgs. I'm not even going to tell you what I discovered when I checked my measurements (blush with shame). Considering my cholesterol is crazy high and I'm still having testing to see why I keep getting chest pains, my weight needs to come down. Not to mention the fact that if I expand much more I will once again have to fork out for new clothes.
Here is a selfie I took this morning to remind myself of my starting point, not weight-wise, just physically in general:

Looking a bit ragged wouldn't you say?

As a way to track my progress (or lack of), I'm going to take a Saturday Selfie for the next little while.

I've also been having a bit of trouble creatively. I'm just not feeling it regarding singing and haven't really been practicing which is very unusual for me. I usually spend a few hours a day on practice. From tomorrow I'm going to set a timeframe and just practice for that time, even if it's only half an hour, and even if I'm "not feeling it".

Making things has become a problem too. Nothing is working out. I've been starting things, then having to unpick and unpull because I'm making the most ridiculous mistakes. So, to make sure I keep creating without too much stress on whether things will turn out, I'm starting a really basic crochet blanket. I'm just going to do squares in double crochet, and the end result will be something useful. Surely I can't go too wrong there?

Another thing is reading. I always have some book or another on the go, but right now I can't settle. I keep starting and stopping, try another, same thing again. Well today I have chosen a book "Water For Elephants". I'm going to read at least 1 Chapter per day and finish it.

I'm a little behind on my makeup course assignments. This week I'm going to submit the "Night Glamour" Q&A and practical. And get a start on the next module. AND I'm going to get my notes organised. This morning I ordered a "practice head" for makeup. It will be great for when I don't have any real, live models around and also when developing new products for Sukielektro.

Well, I guess that's it for now. 

Take care.

Till next time,

Robyn x

Shiver Me Timbers!

Hi!
Well I've had quite an odd couple of weeks, culminating in an appointment with a cardiologist this coming Tuesday :/ (more about that later).
Firstly about my trip to Sydney - I flew down (and back) in a turboprop!

The Rock 'n' Roll Markets didn't quite go according to plan. Rhiannon came down with a migraine on Saturday night. A full on, knock em down one. She vomited so much she ended up vomiting blood (sorry, perhaps a bit too much info!). I briefly thought about doing the markets on my own but she was so ill I didn't want to leave her. Thank goodness that by late Sunday she was feeling more human again.

I spent the week mostly relaxing, doing a bit of sewing and reading. Eddie, Rhiannon's gallant guard cat was there to keep me company through the days while Rhiannon was at work:

You can see by his expression he takes his job very seriously. And while on the subject of animals, this is Jersey, Erin's new lady's chihuahua (did I spell that right?)

Very cute and very tiny!

I'm not sure whether I mentioned or not, but I've started doing an on line makeup artist course with Erin Shaw Academy. With most modules, as well as answering a questionnaire you have to submit before and after photos of actual makeups. The module I've just completed is Day Look. Rhiannon was my model and here's the before and after pix:

During the week in Sydney I started getting pains in my chest and feeling very tired. I've had these pains occasionally before but they've never been quite as bad or stayed for so long. I kept it quiet while I was in Sydney and tried to keep it quiet once I got back home, but apparently I'm looking quite pale plus having to "have a little lie down" gave it away. I saw my doctor who did an ECG and got me in for an urgent appointment with a cardiologist (next Tuesday) as well as putting me on a few medications. I must admit I am pretty nervous about it, plus $250.00 payable on the day doesn't exactly thrill me. Hopefully though it will all prove to have been a bit of a storm in a teacup (fingers crossed)

Till next time,
Robyn x

All Packed And Ready To Go

I'm going to Sydney on Friday for a week. This time I'm flying down. I usually get the train which takes about 6 hours. The flight is only one hour and ten minutes. I couldn't afford to do this everytime I go down, since I do this every two months, to coincide with the Rock 'n' Roll Markets and I usually stay down for a week to catch up with my girls, but this time I'm treating myself!

My Fluff Mermaid Luggage Tag. Fluff have the cutest stuff!

I'm getting packing down to a fine art. I'm getting to know what I'm likely to use and what I'm not. I used to bring extra stuff "just in case", but these days I'm quite ruthless. I'm even able to keep my makeup bag to a reasonable size by deciding on a colour scheme for the week (this time it's smoky but subtle grey eyeshadow, with liner, mascara and lashes of course, and two shades of red lipstick). 

Something I always need, wherever I go is 1. Something to read. and 2. Something to make. This is one area that used to get out of hand. I used to take a choice of books, and whatever projects I was currently working on. This time I've got that under control too. My something to read arrived in the mail today:

Wartime Housewife by Biff Raven-Hill.

I've had a little peak and can't wait to get into it!

With my something to make I decided on something that was small in size that I could easily pick up and put down. When I make something, as pattern weights I usually use anything I can find (such as the Sally Hansen Hard As Nails bottle you'll see in the photos). I decided to make myself some pattern weights. I'm not sure what I will fill them with yet, probably lentils? But I'll do that after I get back. I had a fat quarter roll of fabric I bought ages ago because I liked the design. I decided to use that. I cut out 3"x3" squares. I'm not sure how many I have, but I used up the whole thing. I've packed it with a small pair of scissors, some thread and a little container with some pins and needles and I'm ready to go.

Note the Hard As Nails pattern weight.

My fat quarter's worth of squares.

Just a bit of trivia... before she was married my Mum was a milliner(ess?). She worked for a family business in Sydney. The company was Leutenegger. It looks like they are still in business after all these years!

When I come back I have quite a bit of sewing to do. My Sew For Victory blouse, my new Cruisin' Down The River blouse and matching hat for a start. I'll be able to use my new pattern weights. Yay!

Till next time,

Robyn x

HSF Challenge #7: Tops & Toes

I have to admit I haven't been able to keep up with these challenges. I'm gonna do my best to keep up and "get back into it".
This challenge for me is a fascinator I made earlier this year. It is "inspired by" rather than completely accurate, but here goes:
In Edwardian times fascinators were very decorative. Fashionable ladies sometimes had stuffed birds - male hummingbirds for those who could afford it, mounted on their hats. They used feathers, artificial flowers, waxed satin ribbons and tulle as embellishments.
My fascinator doesn't have a real stuffed hummingbird of course, but it is a hummingbird figurine. It is also decorated with feathers and tulle so it does tick a few boxes. I made the base from black felt and millinery wire sewn between the two layers to keep the round shape and I have sewn a comb onto the bottom. I had to glue the "hummingbird" on there was nothing to anchor on to sew it, but I did sew the feathers on.
This was another handmade project:

So, onto the nuts and bolts:

The Challenge: #7 Tops & Toes

Fabric: Felt and Tulle

Pattern: My own

Year: Edwardian Era

Notions: Thread, millinery wire, feathers, hummingbird figurine, comb, glue

Historical Accuracy: Hummingbird, tulle and feathers were all used on hats and fascinators during this period. My design is a lot more understated than many Edwardian designs, but I've tried to create an Edwardian feel

Hours to complete: Once again, not sure. I do much of my hand sewing in front of the telly and forget to take note of how long I spend

First worn: This was originally made for Etsy but I decided to keep it. I haven't worn it in public yet but I have a feeling that it will end up as part of a dance costume before too long!

Total cost: The little hummingbird cost around $5.00, but everything else I already had.

That's all for now, 

Till next time

Robyn x