~a game of tag~

You might have noticed a game of tag going around sewing blogland lately, and I’ve been tagged by the lovely Tasia from Sewaholic!  This means I have to answer eight questions and tag eight other bloggers in return – so check if you are listed at the bottom of this post 😉 

1. Which pattern/vintage style have you been thinking about lately?

I love the 1960’s!  There is something about the Mod graphic styles of Mary Quant and her era that has always appealed to me, I have purchased a few vintage commercial patterns from this period recently – the latest being Vogue Couturier Design #1670 by Galitzine of Italy:

I would love to make this at some stage but I don’t have any suitable fabric yet.  The recommended fabric is wool or brocade, and the complete dress and coat is cut on the bias so it sounds like fun – look!:

Irene Galitzine’s claim to fame was the palazzo pant, and that was all I really knew about her, but a quick google reveals she was also a glamorous Russian princess!  Born in Tblisi, Georgia in 1916, to Prince Boris Galitzine, and her Georgina mother Nina Kovaldji, the family fled Russia during the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution to exile in Rome.

Irene assisted at the prominent Roman couture house Fontana.  More influenced by the French designers Dior, Balenciaga and Schiaperelli, she opened her own atelier in 1946.  In 1959 her collection incorporated evening trousers in both intricately embroidered tapered styles, and soft full flowing styles.  Supported by her prominent friends – Jacqueline Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn – her couture shows were a highlight of the social season.  The location of the shows – Palazzo Palli – inspired the moniker “palazzo pyjamas” by Vogue’s Diana Vreeland, to which the soft full flowing pant style is still named today.

In 1962 Galitzine was declared Designer of the Year by the Italian press.  But the company was declared bankrupt in 1968, and her designs became manufactured under licence throughout Europe at a more economical level.  In her later years, she revisited Russia, and opened a store in Moscow in 1996, the same year she published her biography “From Russia To Russia”.  Irene Galitzine died peacefully in her sleep, aged 90, at her home in Rome in Ocober 2006.

Anyway I digress!  Next question:

2. What is one place that you really want to visit that you haven’t been to before?

I don’t intend to climb Everest itself (lol!), but I do want to trek to Everest Base Camp, catch a glimpse of it’s peak and inhale the surrounding majesty.  I love being in the mountains – it is so exhilarating.  This is Namche Bazaar, the first stop on the trek – check out that steep trail!

3. How do you relax?
I think I only relax when I am going to sleep! 
I like to be doing something at all times, and this usually involves making something, or making something better.  I am not one to relax by lying on a beach or watching TV – I suppose you could call me a constant fidget!

4. What is your favourite holiday?

I can’t decide between:

• Five months backpacking around India and Nepal when I was 21:  




• Two weeks exploring beautiful Bali:


• Or driving around the Great Plains of the USA chasing storms with my crazy husband:

I learnt to knit and crochet when I was a child, and I love embroidery, but sewing suits me better because the results are more immediate! 

It is currently for sale on Ravelry, but I will make it free here for my lovely readers soon!

7. What garment/accessory do you wear the most?

I have been wearing my house dress a lot lately!  It is winter here and a bit cold for it now, but I wore it so much I am thinking of making some more in other better colours.

8.  How much time do you spend reading blogs (per day or per week)?

This is highly confidential.  If my husband found out he would realise why the paint removal and sanding on the west wall of our house is proceeding at such a slow pace!

I couldn’t resist another question!:

8b. Your motto/mantra?

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
 If everyone did this, wouldn’t the world be a better place?

So who are the lucky eight bloggers that I am going to tag?

• Karin from The Mrs
• Eugenia from Eugenia’s (fabulous) world of fashion
• Mary Nanna from Make it Smirk
• Judy from Everything just sew
• Elizabeth from Sew a beginner
• Lauriana from petit main sauvage
• Elaine from The Selfish Seamstress
• Yoshimi from Yoshimi The Flying Squirrel

Your homework is to answer 8 of these 9 questions – on your blog by Monday!
Look forward to learning more about all of you!