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Monday 23 April 2012

The Dress

Sunday was a lovely day in Prince Rupert.  In a place where it rains A LOT you learn to take advantage of the sun.

After talking to my best friend about my unfortunate UFO problem, I felt inspired to try and start finishing things.

One of the garments I have had in waiting was a lovely jumper which I made out of a soft light burgundy corduroy which I purchased on a shopping spree when I went home for Christmas.

Jumpers are something I have begun to love in Prince Rupert.  Being damp, layering is essential here and being able to pull a jumper over my shirts and blouses gives me an extra layer of warmth at the office.  They are also darn cute!

This burgundy jumper was also my first foray in quite a while into vintage sewing.  I last sewed a vintage blouse from an old 1970's pattern of my mum's back in the mid 90's.  It was really cute  and I loved having something that no one else in my school had.

Next came my search for a cute jumper pattern.  I was in a dream world full of old patterns.  I finally settled on this 1968 pattern for a jumper.

So I came home, bought my pattern and set off on the wonderful road of the vintage jumper.  The road was smooth at first and I was feeling pretty confident about my jumper.  The fabric was pretty.  I worked out which way I wanted the nap to lie.  Everything was going smoothly until I finished basting the dress together.
Wha?  I asked myself, what is this reddish-brown bag I have created.  I don't think my jumper is supposed to look like this... Oh wait, it does.

Much to my surprise I had missed one very important item when it comes to this 1960's dress style.  A-Line with no shaping is the name of the game.  So with only two darts at the side of the bust, I essentially had created a bag dress.  Not flattering.  I am a girl who needs a little shaping.

So I decided to add some vertical darts down the front.  How hard can it be?  It is harder than it looks.  After much sewing, unpicking and swearing I finally got the dress to look okay in the bust area while giving me a little shape.  I am still not completely happy with how the darts look but if I mess around with it much more I will ruin the corduroy.  Did I mention that corduroy is not forgiving to mistakes?

So after a week of sewing, 7 weeks of annoyance and procrastination...here is the jumper.

The front
The back
Did I mention the boats?


Finally here is the Random Rupert for this week

Hugh and I went for a walk to get the pictures of the jumper and we came accross the most amazing thing.  Eagles!  There were 14 total all sitting together on the old dock.  2/3 were Bald Eagles and the other 1/3 looked to be Golden Eagles (although I am not expert by any means.  Makes me want to go buy a book!)
Look at all those eagles!
Pretty birds

Hugh caught this one.

Sunday was a good day.

Friday 20 April 2012

The Doctor

I have wanted a doctor's bag for quite a while now.  I like the superior functionality of it.

Doctor's bags remind me of watching TV shows like Road to Avonlea as a child where doctor's actually went to your house when you were sick instead of having to sit miserable in waiting rooms.  I would have also loved having a horse to take me to school.  I think I was born in the wrong century.  Really.  Although I will not give up running water and indoor plumbing.

After much searching on Etsy and Ebay I realized that finding a real doctor's bag used by a real doctor was way out of my price range. Argh.  So I looked farther afield for doctor's bag inspired bags.  Got many more options, still pricy.  "When will I find the bag I can afford?" I cried.

Then in the amazingness that is our tiny thrift store appeared this:



It came home with me that moment.  It has an issue with the buckle.  I think with a bit of coaxing on the part of the rise in the opening of the bag, I will be able to fix that but other wise it is clean and practically perfect.



I just need to e-mail a friend regarding cleaning the leather and it is a go!

He has a friend who is languishing away still at the Salvation Army.  Poor homeless bag.  It has been calling to me all week.  It is more of a camera bag type shape though and I am not as likely to use such a bag.  But it is so lonely.

And here is a random shot of Rupert for the day.




Sunday 15 April 2012

Boot Odyssey

So I have been on the holy quest for boots since the fall.  It started with wanting some good quality rain boots as i live in the rainiest part of Canada. Our town slogan is "100 days of sun"  That leaves lots of room for 265 days of rain.  And rain it does.

After much angsting over hunter boots which are ever so pretty but since production moving to China, have become ever so not worth the money, I settled on a pair of comfortable Baffins which the second pair has been holding up quite well.

Okay these are not the ones I bought, but i though they were super funny.  They will also keep your feet warm and dry in the arctic or something.  I am holding the pamphlet which described all the things these boots would survive.

My Baffins are small and black.

My issues are a large calf size.  I have a 15" calf and apparently the majority of boots are made for people with a 13-14". The next step up is wide calf boots which aside form being very expensive also start at a 17" calf.  Now that is much too big.  I don't want them flopping around either.  So as always I am in this weird grey area where no one makes boots that fit me. Cue Violins.

My husband is getting rather sick of hearing about boots.

Next obsession.  Did I mention i am a little obsessive?  I came upon the wonder of the Frye boot.  They are also freakishly expensive despite moving most of their production to China and using poor quality leather.  (Can you see a trend here?) So I decided that i would buy a vintage pair of Frye boots from ebay or etsy which were from the 70's when they are made in the US and super good quality.

My quest begins.

Yet again my calf size stumps me.  WTF world?  Did people on the seventies only have skinny calves.  No fair!  After much searching and sniffling I finally came upon a pair of Fryes that are from the early eighties.  That will do, Fryes were still made int he US and it has a (dum dum dum......15.5" calf!!!! Wooo.

Want to see my babies? Pricy i know but they should last forever!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/97129892/reserved-for-kastra70s-frye-campus-boots

So I bought them.  Now I must wait.  They are coming from the states so I am guessing they will arrive just before the end of April.  I sure hope they fit. I did negotiate a return policy though just in case they don't work out.  I really want to wear them to our office party for the end of Tax season.  I have the cutest yellow 1950's dress I also bought from etsy which I am hoping to pair it with.

Hazaah!
Crafting in Progress!
Gray Cardigan
20% done!
Bubblegum Blouse
100% done!
Cranberry Skirt
70% done!