Weather forecast today (Melbourne CBD, 3000): min - 14°C, max - 31°C. 100% chance of no rain
Time to start closing the windows, freezing the ice blocks, and preparing the fans (or wallet if you’ve got proper air conditioning)!
Weather forecast today (Melbourne CBD, 3000): min - 14°C, max - 31°C. 100% chance of no rain
Time to start closing the windows, freezing the ice blocks, and preparing the fans (or wallet if you’ve got proper air conditioning)!
Just getting through the necessary chores myself - including cooking up another big batch of hoppin’ John to use up sad fridge veg and pantry items. About to take laundry to the laundromat to dry.
May we see snippets of your gorgeous dresses when you’re done? I have so much respect and awe for people who can make their own clothes (once a common thing in my mum’s and your generation…)
I’m so grateful for those quick cool changes. Having lived through a couple of relentless Perth heatwaves, it’s so much easier here (that said, both cities are experiencing a bit more humidity over summer which is making things worse - especially for the poor Perth sods with evaporative AC).
The stuff I make is mostly comfort clothing to very basic patterns (mostly drafted by me as I’m not a standard size) and not very fitted. I’m not yet willing to wear homemade out to work. I did get some gorgeous cotton print a few weeks ago for this summer’s tees and shorts - if they come out alright I’ll post pix. I do like having clothes that sit well and wash well. Oddly, the price differential is not great. Fabric in this country is expensive, even if you go to the discount outlets, and the labour cost - well that has to come under the ‘cost of fun’ heading.
Oh yes please it’d be lovely to see how the tees come out. I have a cousin who is the only one of our generation who’s chosen to keep up sewing but she never made tees due to the stretchy fabric being difficult to work with.
Nobody I know who still makes their own clothes does it to save any $ - it’s for fun and comfort. I do wish I had the skill/gumption to learn as I have a bit of an odd body shape that makes it hard to buy pants and skirts, specifically. If it goes over the bum it’s too large for my waist and vice-versa. At least I ought to learn how to replace the elastic waistband on one of my beloved op shop finds (that I’m sure was homemade too, judging by the rickrack).
Re: bum/waist differential - you are singing my song! I am a classic hourglass, and NOTHING in the shops fits without some adjustment which is a total pain, cos re-working a purchased garment is sheer hell. I wish I was back in 1890 when my figure was the ideal. But the sixties happened and Twiggy & Kate Moss (later) just ruined the fit of any purchasable garments. And my top half is 2 sizes smaller than my bottom half, and I have plump arms to boot, so even shirts etc. IN MY SIZE don’t fit either, especially around the armholes and upper arm. Waaaaaahh! Learning to sew started as sheer self-defence.
Maybe next year when you’re a bit more settled, you can bring over the elastic waistband (op.cit.) and I can put a new one in for you if you like. Good garments need to be preserved and used.
Ahhhh! Someone who understands the pain of an hourglass shape - might look sexy but no benefits whatsoever with buying clothes (especially if you don’t want to look sexy, just normal and comfortable). I’m lucky my arms are normal sized (though my wrists are tiny so I often look out of proportion).
Australia is still a heck of a lot easier to buy clothes in than Singapore, where everything is designed for sticks; I wore t shirts and jeans my entire teenage years and only developed a bit of a fashion sense after coming here. It was a revelation finding a dress that actually fit, and pants that covered my bum without leaving a gaping hole behind my back. As a result if anything fits I keep it for ages, even when I haven’t worn it in years.
Thank you so, so much for the offer re: waistband btw, that is incredibly kind. I’m planning to take it to my aunty’s in January and get it fixed there (she did the last replacement) but I’ll let you know if that fails.
Deal.