Some outfits I have made recently

 Hi all!

Welcome to my fashion parade.

Recently as I was working up to starting my blog again, I thought it might be easier to show my outfits.

So I set up a tripod near the front door and used it with a phone mount to quickly take a photo as I walked in from my morning outing.

Every morning Cris and I go out to a cafe with our dog Winter to exercise her (as we live in an apartment) and to spend time together. Cris says he is retired in the mornings. On the way home we walk near the lake and admire the nature. It’s a lovely habit. And I tend to dress up a bit for the fun of it. When we return home our apartment is so warm I usually get around in Summer gear.

So here are some examples of my recent Winter outfits (we live in Australia).

I’ve started out with a few things I’ve made. This first one is an old thrifted blanket that I made into a Japanese style apron. It is sooo warm. It was a mockup, but it’s turned out so well I have it in my normal wardrobe. I may dye it one day when it gets too filthy. I hand stitched it and used some old ecodyed silk to highlight the pockets.

The next item is a granny square vest I’ve been enjoying. Giving my outfits some colour during Winter.

I made the squares for a blanket for our bed, but ran out of patience, so put them together this way instead!

Oh yes, I also knitted the gloves I’m wearing.

This is actually a failed renovation. I bought this lovely woolen Men’s dressing gown for $5. I coloured in the piping with its distinctive white and navy. But every time I wore it it still felt too much like a dressing gown. Even though when I look at this photo it looks fine! So I was going to play with it a bit more but realised it isn’t on the straight grain and that threw me so much I chucked it in the fabric pile to be used another day. Maybe I’ll make it into a skirt.

I love this item which I knitted, I call the strangled octopus. It is able to be worn many ways, and just gives boring jackets a bit of personality.

I have a hat I knitted with a brim and I find it is super useful on windy sunny Winter days. So I thought I would crochet another one out of my head. Well, it was nearly a disaster! But we persevered, and although it is a massive hat, it did come in very handy when I went to the seaside.

And we finish with a few “normal” ones!

I hope you enjoyed that fashion show? Can you hear the cool music in your head and all the applause?!

A phrase I call my theme music is “Shine on you crazy diamond”. Maybe that is playing in your head right now?

Have a wonderful week my friends.

Til next time,

Keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

Creative Catchup

Greetings everyone!

I thought I'd catch you up on a few creative projects I've been working on lately.

Here is a youtube video I made with my new microphone.  Prior to now I've not had a microphone that will record my singing without blowing out.

Finally I treated myself, and I'm very happy with it.

So I attempted to do a youtube video, but my miming skills leave a lot to be desired.

Instead of scrapping it I thought it would be funny to share it with some weird trying-to-be-cool graphics to suit!

This illustrates something I feel is important in creating, remember to play and give yourself the freedom to make mistakes. When you do, just laugh and move on. Creating should be fun, not a serious chore! After all, you are creating something new. Who says it's wrong? It's never been made before!

Another venture I've been involved in over the last couple of years is a photo shoot which turned into a book. Talk about embracing imperfections!

I was asked to pose for a exhibition of queer people in Canberra. They asked us to suggest a location where we felt at home. I chose the arboretum, because for some reason that is where I feel most Canberran, which is big for this nomad. I didn't like the photo that emerged due to my scowly expression. They had me staring into the setting sun...squint, squint!

However they said it looked "strong" and "elegant", so I stifled my objections and perfectionist tendencies and ran with it. What do you think?

A couple of years later they have come out with a book called "Queerberra" and recently had the book launch.

During that month the photos from the book were randomly projected on a wall high in the foyer of one of our hotels. It is a surreal experience seeing yourself this way.

Here is a photo Cris took at the book launch after waiting phone poised until my photo flashed up. Such dedication and arm pain!

Finally, here are a few photos of some other creations.
This outfit started life as a wrap around dress which was too small. I picked it up secondhand of course, because I loved the quality of the fabrics. The top is a strong jersey and the bottom a thick linen. I removed the ties, added a button, enlarged the armholes (by cutting and leaving them raw!) and stitched down the front. I wear it with a singlet underneath to preserve my modesty and it all works really well!

Here is the detail of the scarf I knitted. It showcases the beautiful yarn so well and I feel very elegant in it. Do you see leaves or feathers?

The next outfit is a dress I made from a tablecloth and overdyed with eucalyptus and iron. It developed some holes due to the age of the tablecloth, and so I boro stitched some dyed silk on top. How to make something rubbish into something useful.  Just have a go!

Close up of the patching.

Here is the scarf I am wearing in the above picture. It was a lovely pale pink silk which I couldn't resist at the op shop. But it really did nothing for me, so I dyed it with the above dyes and careful folding with bulldog clips. Didn't it come out well? And a much better colour for me!

Cris snapped this shot of me with the photographer of "Queerberra" getting her signature.

See my scarf?

Breaking news

Australia just voted for marriage equality and it passed into law a couple of days ago. We have joined the rest of the enlightened world. Go Australia!

So mainly I want to encourage you to 'av a go' as we say over here, and try something creative.

You never know, it might be great!

Do you have anything you would love to create but are hesitant about? Have you had a go and found it worked out?

Or not, and laughed about it? I'd love to hear about it.

Til next time,

keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

Leaving social media

Subtitled: Stop reading about others' lives and start living your own!

Recently I left Facebook and Instagram...again.
This is probably not news to most of you.
However I thought I'd share what it has felt like on the other side.

The main reason I did the big leap is because I found myself very close to depression, if not in it.
I constantly had unexplained feelings of sadness which wouldn't go away.
Being the creative person I am, I wondered if my lack of creating could have some part in this.
But I found my headspace empty of ideas and motivation.

When I really sat down to examine it, I realised my mind and time were taken up with following others' lives and commenting on their problems and triumphs. Even the groups that I love and were the reason for returning to Facebook this time, were taking up more of my headspace than I wanted, and weren't delivering enough in return. I was looking madly for inspiration in the online world when I realised I should be looking within myself.

Me on my seat at Dolphin Beach

But to pull the plug was a very drastic step, and I procrastinated thinking with a little more will power and organisation I could manage it. I tried rearranging my apps to folders and different screens to remove the temptation to just check in one more time. I tried unfollowing so I didn't receive things in my feed that made me feel depressed. I tried restricting my online time to certain hours of the day.
But still the feelings of sadness persisted, and my kids started noticing.

Alarm bells ringing!!

So the only other thing I could think of to do was to pull the plug. I did worry that my work online would go unnoticed again. Who would read my blog posts and see my YouTube videos? But I decided too much was at stake, and I'd just have to trust that the people that needed to would find their way here. 

My first step was to remove the FB and IG apps to see how that felt. When I took this step I felt such a rush of relief I knew I was on the right track. Of course I then had to take the time to politely say goodbye, so I had to reinstall them, and wait around for a few days until the replies rolled back in! Because I am a polite person like that.

The upshot of this rather confusing account is that my feelings of sadness have gone! YAY!

One of the creative pursuits I have embarked on has been to make a dress out of an old tablecloth and t-shirt offcut(see above) This tablecloth was one used at our wedding that had developed a huge stain and hole in the middle. So I trimmed the hole to make shoulder straps and stepped into it to make a handkerchief hem skirt. The base of a t-shirt I turned upsidedown to make the bodice. I had previously dyed them in some natural dyes, so that is why they suggested themselves to me as partners. I love wearing it, and it will be very cool in summer. Here I am wearing it.

Other creative projects have been to:
Make a pair of shorts out of an old sheet (in process)
Mend a dress with holes with boro mending (in process)
Mend various other boring projects on the pile. (By the way, boro mending is surprisingly strong. I mended the crotch in a pair of jeans with it and it withstood a trip camping. I suppose it was used by  Japanese workers so it would have been strength tested!)
Join another choir. This time I am returning to my roots rejoining a singing group run by my former singing teacher.
Start gardening for the season, putting out a few new plants to fill the huuuuge gaps in our massive garden.
Convert the old spa sitting dead in the corner of our backyard into a fishpond. (in process) This one is a huge boon to my soul.



Note wooden floating sculpture (offcut from Miles' gun making project). The fish love to hide under it until we get some water lilies.

My soul has become more soothed and my mind feels emptied and stiller since I removed all the other (wonderful) voices.
I am able to take time to assess my surroundings, spend time in nature, and be inspired by nature's social media.

Tuross Heads

I do think this is a particular problem for my personality type. I am a sensitive old thing, and take on all the wonderful and not so wonderful feelings around me. Although I work hard at different techniques to stay grounded and present, and try to shield myself from others' angst by putting up boundaries, I must admit I'm not very good at it.

Miles at Dolphin Beach (don't jump in!) Isn't that the most gorgeous wave?!

When I received an email from IG about comments that had been left on my wall I realised I had left things incomplete so I went to look. While I was there I started reading posts and could feel the stress rising in my body again so I quickly backed away and hopefully closed down my site and email subscription properly this time. But it was an interesting exercise to confirm my decision.

I must admit to missing the lovely groups I joined, which is why I went back to FB this time. And I miss the little day to day connections with my friends. But I don't miss the pull on my time and my mind, and the sadness that accompanied it for whatever reason.

So the social media world will have to get along without me. I am still active on Pinterest and YouTube.

Speaking of YouTube, here is a creation I made recently. It is a compilation of fun moments on the beach I haven't used yet, set to some pretty music. I hope you enjoy it.

 

til next time,

keep on creating!

 

Love,

Jazzy Jack

Tablecloth Coat Tutorial and some other clothes

Greetings lovely people!

A little while ago I posted this photo and asked if people would like to know how I made the coat.

A few people said yes, so here it is!

My beautifully professional drawings describe the process.

Firstly, take one linen tablecloth from the thrift store. Find some napkins that have lovely embroidered hemming. Dye them to match with this and that.

Then fold the tablecloth with two sides to the centre, and cut some armholes, like so.

Sew two napkins into sleeve shapes, making sure to highlight the beautiful hemming.

Then stitch the top of the tablecloth partway along the shoulders. Attach the sleeves at the previously cut holes.

Fold over the collar and voila, a coat!

Most of the hemming has been done for you. Very quick and easy.

I hope you like it!

I've been into my stash of linen tablecloths lately, and came up with this one yesterday.

Based on a pattern by Tina Givens called "Drennon" which is a free pattern on her website.

http://www.sewtinagivens.com/free-bee-patterns-c20vk 

I adjusted the pattern by sewing up the sides so it becomes a dress instead of a tunic.

In the heat it is the coolest thing I own...it barely touches me! It has a waist panel and crossover side pieces. It showcases the beautiful fabric so well.

I wore it today with this silk wrap I picked up secondhand the other day for $8!

I can't decide which side is best...this, or this!

I have a feeling the dark side suits me best, which is the underside.

I have another orange outfit to show you from my rather large orange stash, that just keeps growing!

 This dress is lovely and cool, and really suits me I think, but it is polyester, and will cling to my legs. Grrr!

Another orange lover in the family! All the best people.

I happened to have this lovely silk jacket in the cupboard which works well with this.

The necklace is a carving from PNG along with a chain of coconut shell beads. Bought separately but made for each other. I can't believe it's taken me this long to put them together!

My earrings were bought in Arizona. Handmade of semiprecious stones (although precious to me...what sort of word is semiprecious - damned with faint praise!)

Anyway! There is a fine black line carefully inserted between the two colours. Beautiful handwork.

Please forgive me, I am having difficulty blogging at the moment for whatever reason. This will have to be a place holder until I get my act together.

I am busy sewing and knitting and researching my interests, including unschooling and giftedness.

Just busy living at the moment.

Much love to you all.

Til next time,

keep on creating!

Jazzy Jack

 Bye!

Linking with Modish Matrons - although I am not Modish I am a Matron
(going as is despite the Folk Theme)

DIY jacket from pashmina (Tutorial)

Gasp! It's an outfit post!

I said I would show you my latest creation.

An old warm but not used pashmina which I wanted to make more useful. I struggle to wear wraps sometimes as they fall off my shoulders when doing housework. So decided to make it into a jacket.

Here are some very crude drawings to illustrate the process.

Fold the pashmina in half widthways. Cut off the amount you would like for sleeves (measure around your upper arm)

Of the remaining fabric, fold the sides to the middle and cut the folded sides.

Cut a shallow curve for the neck (measure off an old tshirt)

Stitch fronts to back at shoulders

Stitch sleeves on at shoulders seams. Fold sleeves in half to mark centre.

Stitch underarm and side seam in one. Don't forget to clip curve so seam will lie flat.

Zig zag the edge or do a fancy buttonhole stitch or a narrow hem or bias binding etc. I was lazy!

A closeup of my result.

In case you're wondering, I got bored with the black one day and needle felted a design.

I love how the fringing looks.

A closeup of the brooch for Kezzie. Go and see her brooch collection. Amazing!

Hood from the underneath top.

Wet look black leggings and black shirt from Black Milk.

Secondhand black wool tunic.

Old brooch bought for University Graduation.

(Unseen) Black cashmere jumper secondhand and felted black vest recycled from husband's moth eaten jumper.

(Don't laugh...I feel the cold!)

Hope you enjoyed this little walk through.

It is certainly a pleasure to wear now.

Do you think you will have a go?

Until next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack