Tardis Dress

I used to make A LOT of dress ups when my kids were little. When they were really little I made them dinosaur costumes (hoodies with tails and spikes) they were the envy of all other children in the Kalgoorlie supermarket back in 1994!  Bantam Boy rarely wore ordinary clothing. His wardrobe consisted of a superman suit, a Hercules outfit, a pirate coat of red velvet and a magician's cape. Then both he and Chicky Babe joined a drama group and I made many costumes for their productions. Also school dress up days were a highlight and I was directed to make more and more challenging costumes, the kids never once believed I would be unable to create what they wanted. To tell the truth I think I actually thrived on the challenge and enjoyed perpetuating their belief that I could do anything. Ahhhh... the delight of being 'super mum' in the eyes of your little ones.

I actually thought I wouldn't be called upon so much now that they are all but grown up. But recently I have been required to make a Darlek dress and now I have to make a TARDIS dress for Chicky Babe's upcoming birthday party. I'm having a little break while I prepare dinner and create a quick blog post.

I started by tracing off a pattern and adjusting the neckline- a TARDIS needs a square neckline not a round one. I also drew off a pattern for a facing for the new neckline as a facing will be easier for a square neckline than the bias binding edge suggested in the pattern itself.

I've used felt to create the windows and hand stitched some ribbon around the edges, the door panels are suggested using the same hand stitched ribbon. I used a felt template to figure out the placement of the ribbon for the door panels on the front of the dress.

 I'm stitching these down before sewing the dress together as it is easier to do this flat without having to worry about the back of the dress.

Fortunately the dress is a "homage" to the TARDIS rather than a replica of one. I'm still trying to figure out what I might do to create the 'light' on the top as a little pillbox hat. 

I was supposed to have finished the dress this weekend as the party is next weekend, but I had a slow day yesterday and took a while to get started today so I'd best get back to it!

Picasso and Potter

 

This is a post about more travel plans, and as I don't have photos that relate directly to it I've posted some of my favourite ones that I took while I was in Venice...any excuse to look at them again!

When I was planning my recent trip to Europe visiting the Picasso Museum in Paris was high on my list but unfortunately it was closed for renovation. Then I learned that an exhibition of his works would be coming to Australia- Sydney though not Perth. I hummed and haaed wondering if I should or not and finally last night- after checking with my boss if it was OK to take some of the remainder of my long service leave- I booked tickets for me and my Chicky babe to have a long weekend in Sydney in a couple of weeks.
 I've booked to stay in a hotel in the Rocks- Chicky Babe's choice of a few hotels we'd shortlisted. We arrive very late on a Wednesday night and I've booked tickets to see the Harry Potter exhibition on Thursday and the Picasso exhibition on Friday then as an extra special treat for her birthday I booked tickets for "Love Never Dies" Chicky Babe loves musicals and Phantom of the Opera is one of her favourites. Then we flay back on Sunday ready for Uni on Monday. Short, sweet and lots of fun.
Apparently there is a market on saturday and sunday just near our hotel...Fantastic! And a rooftop pool with a lovely view ready for some relaxing and reading and floating! I fancy a visit to the Botanical Gardens and this time Chicky Babe has said she'd be happy to have a bit of a wander about there herself (Reminding me that last time we went she was 10- last time we didn't get to do some of the things on my list as the zoo and the aquarium won out!)

I'm looking forward to sharing this time traveling with my girl.

And my littlest chick is working her way further out on the nest branch and testing her wings...

Chicky Babe doesn't have her licence yet but she has recently got a proof of age card (almost 12 months since she turned 18) and she's off with some girlfriends to a fancy club. She has just left in a little black dress and a face full of makeup ( it wasn't a lot of make up but as she never wears it, it looks like a lot.) She is a beautiful young woman but she's still my baby girl.