{I won the lotto}

Well, the pattern lottery that is...

A couple of weeks ago Sherry posted about how she had recently acquired a few vintage patterns, in amongst which was an Academy pattern, a New Zealand pattern company which she had not previously being aware were manufactured in Auckland.

This rang a distant bell from a post which Jo wrote  back in 2010 on Academy patterns and her quest to also find out more information; sadly no follow up post was ever done by Jo on her findings (or perhaps lack thereof) and since Jo is no longer blogging to ask...

So, much like Sherry and Jo, my curiosity was peaked, I too went on a bit of a hunt around the interwebs to see what I could find on the Academy brand. There really isn't information available online about them, the majority of search results that came up were for patterns listed on Trade Me.

Of course in my quest for information I clicked on a couple of the aforementioned Trade Me links, hoping that maybe one dedicated seller had imparted some knowledge of the brand. Sadly not, but in my search I did come across three bulk vintage pattern lots including some Academy patterns, all by the same seller.

This, my dear readers is how the interwebs works: one click leads to another, which leads to another, which somehow, without you even realising it, leads to the acquisition of 32 new vintage patterns of which I apparently thought my life would not be complete without.

I had tried asking the seller a few questions prior to purchase (aka exercising common sense), but when they had not responded to the questions after a day, and I saw that interest from other buyers was on the rise, I decided to just bite the bullet and take the buy now price offered (the price was too good to pass up really), hoping for the best with sizes and patterns being complete.

I lay the blame squarely at the feet of Sherry, it's not my fault I have no self control, but hers for tempting me to the dark side...obviously!

So this is the loot from my lottery: (NB I have added a jump into this post because with 32 pictures, it really is quite a long and if pretty frocks aren't your thing, then you probably wont appreciate having to scroll past them all... see, always thinking of you!)

I do like wrap dresses, and the detail at the waist is quite good at disguising the little pot belly I seem to have acquired over the last few months, commonly know in these parts as "quake weight".

I love the illustrations on this pattern, and how cute is that bow! The bateau neckline and neck 'v' detail are winning this pattern points in my book, but, I really do not like kimono sleeves. I have not made a pattern with kimono sleeves at least 10 years, the 'bagging' that occurs under the arm just bothers me; part of me is tempted to give it a second chance, and part of me is hesitant to waste my time. Oh life's great dilemmas!

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The dress on the left is near perfection. And with a separate sleeve drafted for the pencil version I think I could quite in love, quite in love indeed.

I don't really 'do' sleeveless, but if I did I think I could make this dress in about 50 different colour ways. I think I am going to draft some sleeves for it, and see if it is as 'rinse and repeat' in real life as I imagine it to be in my head...

Version B for summer, in a cute cotton floral perhaps?

I die.I want that black and white stripe so badly, that I am trying to figure out how to justify considering printing my own fabric via Spoonflower just so I can make this dress up exactly as per (unless anyone knows where I can buy it online?). Is that not ridiculous? It was love at first sight, and still makes my heart flutter each time I see it!

This one sadly does not really float my boat, in all likelyhood you will see it up here in the next few days as part of my pattern destash.

This too, cute, but not rocking my world, possibly another candidate for re homing...

Shirt waist? Yes please! Redraft those sleeves? I think I might!

Is this supposed to be a shirt dress or dressing gown I can't quite decide? I little mix and match (collar from A, sleeve from B, sleeve head from A) add on a cuff and lop off 20 inches and I proclaim it to: A DRESS!

The cropped jacket is cute, simple but cute, and probably a piece that would be seen in frequent rotation in my wardrobe if made.

So this is a complete random in the bunch, and whilst I will likely never make it up, it reminds me of my maternal grandfather (now passed) because he always used to wear pajamas like this. He would tuck the top into the pants, and have the waistband high above his belly button. Nana and Granddad served us porridge for breakfast, with brown sugar, and silver top milk from glass bottles, we ate it from Crown Lynn bowls, not cos Crown Lynn was retro and hip, but because that was what middle class New Zealander's like my Nana and Granddad owned.Based on the memory it evokes of him alone, suspect this pattern ain't going far.

So cute to see a women of age on a pattern. Whilst I like this dress, I am not convinced that adding more fuss to my bust is necessarily going to be too flattering. I have a few ideas on how to work around this, but more thought is needed.

This reminds me a lot of the coat Gertie has just completed, and whilst I love it, I am not so sure I will ever make it. But then, its summer, and its kind of too hot to be thinking about sewing heavy winter coats; it is 10.30 at night, and I am typing this post in my underwear and a singlet that's how warm it is (sorry was too much information?)

Meet possible destash candidate number three...

number four...

number five...

and number six....

I cannot decide on this one, I might do a quick mock up of the pleat size and decide from there. It does sort of look like the Burdastyle mag one they did in October I think it was? In the black leather...

I was really excited by this ones, its just so pretty, plus it looks familiar. For some reason I think of both  Camellias and Crinolines and also Debi when I see it;  perhaps because they have both made one similar before?I could head over and check, but this heat is making me laaazzyyy.

Another shirt dress, I think this could look better made up than it does on the illustration.

These Paulette patterns are another New Zealand pattern which again has little to know information on them available online...another quest perhaps?

I don't think the double breasted front will suit me, to much expanse across the bust, but I do like the skirt option, and am tempted to make it up as a separate.

Another confusing 'is this a dress or dressing gown?' pattern. View one looks like a dressing gown, view two a day dress and view three an apron for around the house on cleaning day. Regardless, I do have a dressing gown I was going to restyle into a dress, this could be the pattern for it! Then we can ponder if the dress made from a dressing gown using the pattern that we couldn't decide if it was a dress or a dressing gown, is in fact a dress or a dressing gown? Confused? Me too! Regardless, given that in some sectors of society in New Zealand they consider it okay to go to the supermarket in their PJ's, I am sure I will get away with it.

Meet destash candidate seven, she likes long walks on the beach and hopes to one day save the world from famine, or something.

Lucky last is this dress which to me just screams 'mourning dress'. Perhaps I can make it in black as they have shown and wear it to the funerals we have regularly round here for the bumble bees Cohen insists on killing. Poor bumbles, they are my favourite insect, and deserve a pretty dress to be worn at their funerals.

So that's the line up, what do you think? Do we forgive Sherry for leading me astray, or sulk a little longer?