Monthly Archives: October 2009

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No homemade today

12/10/2009 2:36 am \ Leave a Comment \ Carolyn

Monday, 12th October 2009

I’m not sporting any homemade garments today, but still took a photo for consistency. Bit chilly today, hopefully the last cold day this spring as I’m ready for summer! Had to scrounge through my winter stash that I’d put away last week for my boots.

To bring a bit of cheer into my chilly overcast day I cracked out some brights. I’m wearing some of my Metalicus tops; the red V-neck long sleeve T (worn backwards as I always do as I prefer the high neck at the front) and my new cardi that was a birthday gift from my Monday morning gals. Love that sharp pink! It goes beautifully with the scarf my parents gave me from their trip to Italy. Thanks, Mum and Dad!

Have finished my new dress yesterday and very pleased with it, will feature it in a future post on a warmer day! Will spend the rest of the morning on errands and chores, hopefully go out for a drink with hubby when he gets home.

Oh, and finally mastered the timer switch on our camera! Yay!

Other details:

Top & cardigan; Metalicus

Jeans; Soon, from Aura woman

Scarf; gift from my parents, from Italy

Ankle boots; Mina Martini, from Marie Claire

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: no homemade

Day 2 of new blog

11/10/2009 5:30 am \ Leave a Comment \ Carolyn

Sunday 11th October 2009

I know, I’ll get more creative with titles as time goes on, I’m sure.

Today will be a quiet Sunday, what with hubby working, oldest at Uni, middle studying for exams and youngest on camp. So I just took Sienna for a long walk and will be spending the rest of the day sewing, houseworking and trying to understand more about this blog thing.

My picture today is of my typical dogwalking gear, my blouse and cardi were made about a year ago. The blouse is Butterick 4985, view A sleeves and view B collar. Its been a favourite pattern, but even though I’m a size 10 by the envelope it swims on me, so I always take it in by about two inches each side tapering to normal measurements by the hip (I’m pear-shaped). I made it out of cream broderie anglaise cheesecloth, and randomly sewed on leftover bits of cotton lace from another project around the bodice for interest. I also added cotton crochet border lace around the front openings, and sewed on a waist tie of the same stuff to pull it in at the waist at front. The buttons were a rather lovely find; brassy type with like a blue jewel inset, rather like grandmother’s engagement ring. I didn’t hem at all, just topstitched the raw edges with pale blue stitching about 1cm in. I like this look more with each wash as it has frayed and rolled gently, sort of shabby bohemian.

The cardi was originally going to be something else clever out of crinkled polyester net. Ahem, unless you buy the stuff already crinkled no amount of boiling, scrunching or generally attacking is going to crinkle polyester net! There must be some special chemical process by which they achieve this! I eventually had to settle for an uncrinkled look, and finally traced out the pattern from a favourite Marilyn Seyb cardi I had bought in New Zealand and wore to DEATH (but can’t bring myself to ever part with). My version is two layered, the inner layer white net and the outer coffee, sewn together on the serger. The front opening is stabilised with white grosgrain ribbon, simply zigzagged stitched around up one front, around the back neck and down the other front. A single brass rimmed small white button forms closure. This cardi pattern I have used elsewhere and I love the simple open shape of it.

Other details:

Cargo pants: Ezibuy

Camisole: Country Road

Thongs(flipflops): Mountain Designs

Thanks to Tim for taking photo; note to self, must find out how to use camera auto timer…

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Butterick 4985, cardigan, own design, Sienna, top

First post ever!

10/10/2009 3:30 pm \ 4 Comments \ Carolyn

Saturday, 10th October 2009

Hey, this is my first post ever. Scary! I’m new at this whole blogger thing, so we’ll just see how it all goes. My motive in producing this blog is to keep a record of all my sewing and knitting efforts. I’ve made myself so many garments over the years, most of which have gone the way of the “hamper in the sky” (ie. Good Sammys bin) and I have no record of those hours and hours of planning, pinning, cutting, basting sewing… Ok, Ok, unpicking too. I’m not young or trendy, well a little trendy I hope, but I’m still working on my own personal style. Speaking of Good Sammys, I also love to shop there too!

My first picture I’m posting is of a cocktail dress I made about two years ago, using New Look pattern 6699. The only adjustments I made were to reshape the back bodice to be a “proper” one piece bodice as opposed to the rather sundressy two piece back bodice in the pattern with adjustable straps. The dress is made of coffee/black lace over cream silk, from Fabulous fabrics. I’ve loved it and worn it quite a lot. The necklace is my own design and also selfmade, from a beading fad I went through.

Thanks to my son Sam for taking the photo, next on my list is to work out how to use the timer on our camera, big challenge for a technophobe like me.

Other details:

Shoes, Micam by Joanne Mercer, bought at Hobbs