Some selfish Vintage sewing for me.

After what seems an eternity of shows, jobs & sewing for everyone else, I decided it was time to have a day to sew for me.

Not for Beauty & the Beast: my latest show. Not for Alex Perry; dress design legend. Not for the kids ballet & band uniforms. Not for any styling jobs. It was time to use some stash fabric & break out some vintage patterns, just for me.

So yesterday, after an early trip to get fabric for Bride & Prejudice, my August production, I came home & made a blouse & pair of high waisted jeans.

I had already trialled the jeans pattern with some linen some time ago & found I needed to lower the waist about 4cm, lose the cuff & make the darts a bit bigger, as I am quite petite.

I used denim with a slight stretch that I was given about 10 years ago by the Tsubi guys(now Ksubi).
I also moved the zip opening from the front to the side seam. I didn't feel like fussing with a fly front in stretch fabric & I much prefer a side zip in high waist pants.

They are so comfortable. 

The blouse was made with some beautiful self printed voile I picked up in Paris last year. 

3m for 10euro. Bargain! 

So soft & sheer, an appropriate undergarment is a must.

I made View 1, but again, due to my petite size the 3/4 sleeve is neither wrist or 3/4 length so I rolled them for the picture. I might add a cuff to make them long or just tack in the roll, as I think it looks quite neat. Very Lauren Bacall.
I'm also thinking of extending the darts up to the bust point for a more fitted look.

I think the blouse will work better with a skirt, but they look ok together for this picture.

Fashiony Goodness Served Cold.

I've been getting lots of work as a mobile seamstress lately. 

And what, you might ask, does a mobile seamstress do? I'm afraid it has less to do with sewing natty little covers for mobile phones & more to do with packing up your work room & hauling it all over town to do alterations.

At trusty Bernina sewing … something

I used to work as a head dresser on fashion parades & then after suggesting I could make a petticoat rather than sourcing another seamstress to do it for the stylist, my job description changed forever.

I went from drafting running orders, setting up backstage areas & cajoling dressers into getting their models on the catwalk in the correct outfit to slaving away with my trusty Bernina to make those size 10 samples fit on bustless size 6 models.

Backstage fittings. That's me on the floor. ^SS2009

View from my sewing machine AW2008

Waiting for it all to start 2007

'Backstage' for the Myer windows parade 

Walk & smile & don't fall over. SS2009

Headpieces I made for Jayson Brunsden dresses

Magadalene bodysuit sized down to a  size 6 AW 2011

Swimsuit by Cozi, skirt by me Myer SS2011

Backstage Autumn Winter 2012
- My workspace is by the yellow box.

Really, it's fun, crazy busy & I get to work with some amazing stylists. And BTW I'm a miracle worker, or so I keep being told. That just makes me laugh. All I do is temporarily alter clothes… but if you insist, ok!

Celebrity dressing room

Recently it's evolved again. 

As I work with all these fabulous stylists, they ask for my business card & they call me and say stuff like "Megan Gale is flying in tomorrow (Friday) & we need a dress altered on Saturday for her to shoot Project Runway on Sunday. Can we courier the dress to you Saturday at 1pm & pick it up at 10am Sunday?"

Which my answer is invariably "Yes, but it will be double time for a rushed job."

Mt Franklin Lightly Swarovski covered swimsuit

There have been Melbourne Cup outfits, Logie outfits, Mt Franklin ad campaigns, catalogues & the like over the passed few months. There's usually only a few days notice & a 24 hour time frame to complete these jobs. 

Except with the Swarovski swimsuit. I had four evenings to do that because I was working on the Myer Autum Winter 2012 launch parade 10 hours each day.

And sometimes I just wonder whether it's all worth it & then I walk down Lygon Street & see a floor to ceiling image of a dress I made for a Sportsgirl campaign & the crazy schedule melts away.

On Thursday it was a Portmans shoot with Abbey Lee Kershaw, an Aussie model who has made it big, no huge, on the international scene & Trevor Stones, stylist. 

At 7am start on the coldest autumn day in a photographic studio that had inadequate heating, I worked my magic yet again on a suit, 3 dresses, 2 coats, a cute pink jacket.

 I get to work with a fabulous team, meet some very cool people & bask in private joy when I see 'that' person looking fabulous because I made their outfit fit like it was made for them. 

Next stop a new season of Project Runway & the production of Beauty & the Beast, I'm designing.