Brisbane meetup report and what I did on the way home

 I can't believe how much fun it was! The official report is here with links to the blogs of the attendees.

 

I am so glad I went. I might have to join Facebook so that I can look at the photographs ;(. 

Everyone else wore gorgeous dresses.Mine was a rather mature Simplicity 3447, selected by the teenage fashion panel as the best candidate for a lunch time meeting of strangers and previously virtual acquaintances, because I was too lazy to make myself a new frock last week. As due punishment for this lack of application it did not strike me until entering the hotel that I had failed to consider that a room full of sewing experts can spot a not-very-good invisible zip insertion from half a block away. Fortunately they are also too polite to mention this.

 I talked so much I could only fit in a couple of treats and had absolutely no time to eat any sandwiches (at least that is my excuse for going straight to dessert).  I have not been able to talk about sewing for 3+ hours very often before without causing severe boredom in the victim. It was a very stimulating conversation.

Thank you to Busy Lizzie In Brizzy  and the other ladies who organized the delicious and extra long high tea followed by a pattern and fabric swap.

I felt so stashbusting on my way there - I took a mere 10 metres of fabric and about a dozen patterns, thinking I didn't want to look as if I have excessive sewing supplies at home , but some people had suitcases full to put on the table, so clearly acquiring sufficient goods, not all of which make the cut, is a crucial part of this hobby . My lips are sealed about how much was in the same suitcases after the acquisition phase.

I had intended to come home without any treasures, but guess what?

Just under 4 metres, so not too bad for the fabric and pattern diet. I have been wanting that Jasmine pattern for such a long time......I could only resist it when it wasn't in front of me.
I promise to make them up straight away (fingers crossed).

Having taken a day off work so that I didn't have to drive home after lolling about on a Sunday afternoon in Brisbane drinking champagne.(I have such a hard life), naturally I had to visit Packer tannery at Narangba on the way home on Monday, as it is not open on the weekends.

 Leather definitely does not count as fabric for fabric dieting purposes.

Honestly, that will be a HotPatterns Nomad Hobo bag by the weekend. I am not delusional at all.

Brisbane retrospective

I am not in chronological order with my posts here, but work is so busy, I have time to sew a little (naturally) but not to take photographs, so I am back to talking about visiting Brisbane.
As I have undoubtedly posted too frequently, I went to a conference there in the middle of the month. Unfortunately, I did not do any fabric shopping. Ewan Gardams in the city has closed (a sharp pang hit me every time I walked down Adelaide St), I did not have time to travel out to Indooropilly, and I was in complete ignorance about a fabulous sounding shop in the Brisbane Arcade that Sue posted about mere days after my visit to the metropolis. Next time....
I did visit Lindcraft in the Queen St Mall Myer Centre, but spent less than ten minutes there. I was in search of printed swimwear lycra, which I had found there in January 2009, but this time there were no lycra prints at all, and the stock generally looked even more tawdry than during my visit earlier in the year. I felt sad about the demise of this shop. It was a mere 10 years ago that I could buy Liberty Tana Lawn there, in fact I still have some from their getting-rid-of-all-the-Liberty-sale (note to self, must sew this up)
However, there was a very interesting exhibit at the Museum of Brisbane. Touted as "For anyone who has ever dressed up for a special occasion"

I enjoyed this exhibition. I especially liked the thoughtful inclusion of a history of Brisbane transport exhibition in the other wing with which to distract my husband. There were some 19th century dresses behind glass - I was surprised by how clumsy and ugly the lace and trim on these dresses appeared. I had always thought lace from this period was very fine and beautifully made.
The most interesting part of this exhibition to me were the formal, fancy dresses worn by noteable women with a real job, such as Quentin Bryce the Governer General and Julia Bligh the QLD Premier. A dress worn by someone who has a serious position to uphold must require considerable designing skill. Juli Gbrac, the winner of Australian Project Runway had designed Mrs Bryce's dress - it looked terrific, with perfectly radiating pintucks as a detail at the hip. Lucky Mrs Bryce is such a slim and elegant lady! This dress was a complete contrast to a frock made for the Brisbane Mayor for a New Year Ball a few years ago - incredibly unflattering, I think the designer must have been a political opponent!

Another vaguely sewing related part of my sojourn in Brisbane was finding this book.

Purely a coffee table book, but such lovely photographs.

Last of all was a little snoop shopping. Unfortunately I was not able to actually enter the shop, but I walked past this dress twice a day in the window of Max Mara. I think one of my summer dresses will be inspired by this one.