Monthly Archives: March 2010

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“Moody Milkmaid” … refashioned

31/03/2010 9:30 am \ 10 Comments \

Call me crazy.  I am crazy.  I’m insane.  Sometimes I swear I am a complete and utter lunatic.  I took my photos this morning and posted about my skirt (see below).  I even posted on Wardrobe Refashion.  I kept looking at the photos.  I wasn’t happy.  My skirt looked somehow unsatisfactory.  The original Celine skirt has a waistband.  I knew this.  I made a conscious decision when I made my skirt that I wouldn’t have a waistband.  I didn’t want to do a complete knock-off, for heaven’s sake.  But my skirt looked … wrong.
So I attacked it.  I know!  Crazy!  After finishing up in the office, I took up the unpicker and removed the facings from the skirt.  By some miracle there was just enough of the port wine linen left to make a waistband.  Ironed on the interfacing.  Took in the waist darts front and back to bring the top up to waist level.  Attached the waistband, sewed a buttonhole, and added an old button.  You know what?  It looks so much better now.  Celine’s Phoebe Philo was right.  The waistband was necessary.
(This photo was taken about seven hours after this morning’s photo.  Crazy woman!)

Details: same as this morning!!!

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“Moody Milkmaid” skirt

31/03/2010 4:44 am \ 2 Comments \

I know I’m not the only one to be completely inspired by the Celine spring/summer 2010 collection.  A deceptively bare collection, almost monastic in its simplicity but oh-so stylish and oh-so now.  Minus the fussy design details and opulent prints that have marked recent collections of other designers, marking defiance in the face of economic crisis; what Celine has realised, in a perceptive streak of genius, is that women do not want to look “fancy” in times of financial hardship, but casually glamourous in well constructed and quietly tasteful apparel.
This skirt first caught my eye when I saw it in Vogue, and I instantly wanted something sort of like it.  Not wishing to buy new fabric I made do with scraps and leftovers.  This is the tawny port linen, left over from the shirt I made for my husband here.  The contrasting bias binding I used for around the hemline and for the welt pockets is leftover from the crown blue linen that I used for my husband’s new shirt, which is nearly-but-not-quite-finished, (should be able to show this off tomorrow.)  I’m pretty proud of this skirt since I drafted the pattern myself!
I really like how in Celine’s styling of this outfit the bottom of the white shirt worn can be seen poking out of the bottom of the skirt, a sort of ersatz petticoat effect.  I don’t have a shirt long enough for this look, and besides I made my skirt longer than the Celine version which is way too short for my tastes anyhow, so I wore my skirt today with a long petticoat underneath to get the same feel.  Looking at my picture I think I look a little milkmaid-y. My husband suggested “The Hills are Alive” as a title.
Btw, my hemline looks a bit wonky in this photo, please let me point out this is thanks to my posture and the way the skirt is sitting, and the hemline is actually PERFECTLY straight!!

Details:
Skirt; drafted by me, linen
Petticoat; Metalicus
Top; Cotton On, tossed out by my daughter and rescued by me
Shoes; Sandler, op shop

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Knotted rope necklace; a tutorial

30/03/2010 3:23 am \ 12 Comments \

Even though we are technically well into autumn, with a forecast of 32C today it’s still feeling a lot like summer.  Not counting last week’s storm, that is.  The past week has been absolutely glorious.  So everyone is still dressing in summer type gear.  When you live here, that often means beachy inspired stuff. Beachside fashion is huge in Australia.  Particularly with teenagers.  I have no wish to go around looking like a teenager, but some beach and surf gear can be quite sophisticated and still fun.  The March issue of Vogue was all surf inspired, and I caught sight of this necklace.  You may be able to read the price of this thing printed there in the middle.  Yes, $110.  Hooley dooley!

This piece is interesting, colourful and ripe for a DIY.  Right up my alley.  Actually, confession, I bought the bits and pieces for this DIY about three weeks ago, and am just only getting around to it now, my experience at making my Chanel style chain belt put me off jewellery making for a while… but I needn’t have stressed as this was a breeze.
I bought 3m of brightly coloured cotton rope and some end bits.  This cost me about $10.  Not pictured here, but you also need a needle, scissors and matching thread.  I used embroidery thread, but that’s because I inherited a lifetime supply of this from my great-aunt and my grandmother, any thread would do.

Fold the rope into three equal lengths.

Simply knot the rope in five evenly spaced knots.  I spent a bit of time getting them exactly even but I’m a bit obsessive that way, and it would probably look just as good a bit more randomly spaced…

Measure around your neck where you want the necklace to hang and mark each of the ends with a pin.

Using your matching thread sew a few firm stitches through all layers to secure them together.

Cut the ends off, and sew on an end piece, using loose stitches so it stands away a bit from your rope end.

Finish off by winding the thread tightly around the rope ends to bind down any loose ends poking out, and secure the ends.

Voila and ready to wear!  Even though I attached jewellery ends to the necklace I find I can still slip it over my head pretty easily without having to undo the catch.
I like the funky, casual, different look of this necklace; its not your average kind of accessory (and so the perfect accessory for me) and cost a lot less than the original.  Win!

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An intense shot of colour

29/03/2010 5:44 am \ 6 Comments \

COLOUR!!  Get out your sunnies!  This saturation of colour I’m wearing today was a vaguely imagined “hope for” when I made this skirt.  I’ve really progressed in my fashion choices since I started writing this blog.  I’m challenging myself to wear all of my clothes I make, to stretch my imagination as far as colour goes and to let go of my beloved neutrals.  Not that I’m ever going to stop wearing my neutrals, mind, but six months ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of wearing this particular colour combination.  This would have been completely out of my comfort zone.  So I’ve grown, fashion-wise.  I’m not trying to be the most noticeable or the most avant-garde person around, but I like to look nice and it’s easy to get stuck in a rut with one’s wardrobe.  Time after time, I’m reaching for the same old same old.  Not this time!
And I bought some new shoes!  I haven’t bought any new clothes in over six months, apart from a few Country Road camisoles.  I consider these camisoles a wardrobe essential, I wear them such a lot during summer, and daily all through winter as an extra layer under everything else, for warmth.  So I felt OK about buying these new sandals!  I bought two pairs of summer sandals, actually, both half price.  The best time to buy summer shoes is now, just as the best time to buy winter shoes is in October.  Which is when I bought two pairs of winter boots, so I’m all set for winter!
Looking forward to a nice birthday morning tea for my friend L today.  So since it’s such a beautiful day I’m popping these shoes in my bag and walking to the cafe in my thongs (flipflops); these beauties are sadly not made for walking!!

Details:
Skirt; Vogue 1023 view C, turquoise polycotton
Camisole; Country Road
Cardigan; Metalicus
Sandals; Pedro Miralles, from Soletta shoes

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Felted wall hanging

28/03/2010 3:42 am \ 3 Comments \

Another felted thing.  I made this last year some time.  This is hanging on the wall in our front room, to be admired by visitors (hehe).  I really enjoyed the process of making this because by this time I had worked out how forgiving felting is and that you really can’t mistreat it; as long as you’re working with colours you love you really can’t go wrong here.
I envisaged this to be a sort of textile visual document in no language, a sort of crafted poem; a felted “page” with embroidered strokes and/or marks and dashes making a “text” on its surface.  I like how the the progression of colours turned out in the felted background and intended the vertical stitches of the embroidery as a kind of visual progression of colours and form in themselves… They bring to mind the tally of days that long-term prisoners scratch out on their cell walls; or the painted wall markings that are sometimes found in pre-historic caves, the homes of primitive people.  This could be a document from an undiscovered isolated culture, made by a people who use fabrics for their record making, and a language of strokes with colours, height and spacing forming an alphabet.
I sewed a bit of thick-ish wire across the top at back to stiffen it so it wouldn’t collapse when hanging, and it’s hanging from fishing wire which is almost invisible so the piece seems to be floating against the wall.  The size of this is roughly 52cmx28cm  (20.5in x 11in)

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Pattern Magic; toile 3, “detsubori” no shatsu

27/03/2010 5:24 am \ 5 Comments \

The latest toile from this excellent book.  I think this is a fantastic book if you are a reasonably advanced seamstress who wishes to learn something about pattern manipulation and drafting.  I’ve never done this sort of thing before and I’m finding it challenging and good practice for any pattern alteration and/or drafting I may want to try in the future.  I have no idea what “detsubori” or “no shatsu” mean.  If anyone out there has any Japanese and can enlighten me …? 
For this one Bessie is obliging by being my model for today.  This blouse is a very clever design in how it incorporated the bust dart in to the sculptural er, “things” out the front making them even more, er, sticky-outy…  it’s probably a little eccentric for me, I guess the plus side of these is at least you have a place to tuck a hankie if you need one?  Yeah.  No other plusses occurring to me.
I didn’t do a very good job of inserting the sleeves, but, meh…  This one is going to remain for now just a toile.  Maybe someday when I am far more adventurous than I am now then this made up in a stiff crisp white linen may make a wonderfully avant-garde evening shirt … someday.

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Mossy Feather dress

26/03/2010 5:38 am \ 7 Comments \

I read a very funny post by Erin recently in which she pointed out how Anthropologie gave their garments cutesie little names in which to entice customers into buying…  I’ve decided to give my creations names from now on.  Actually in my head some of my clothes have little nicknames already, you may remember the Bouchee dress, I also have the Straightjacket dress, you may be able to picture it although I’ve not formally given it this name in this blog yet… and the Maternity dress…  er it’s dawning on me these are not enticing names and I need to lift my game up somewhat.  Need to tap into my inner poet (haha!)
So today’s dress.  The newly named Mossy Feather dress.  Yesterday I posted about garments I make that are put away and almost forgotten about, well this one was a pleasant surprise when I unearthed it a few days ago.  I made it back in November, and promptly forgot about it over summer.  Doh!  It’s from Vogue 2820, an Anna Sui design, and made from the most mouthwatering silk printed with an abstract tracery of feathers and leaves, and in earthy woodland colours, a mix of brown-pinks, chocolate and moss green reminiscent of a Renaissance master landscape…  The trim is a deep chocolate nylon net.  Looking back I was having a love affair with my new Ducky shoes (thankyou Lily for inspiring that nickname!) and was planning for a wardrobe to match…  Still adore these shoes…

Details:
Dress; Vogue 2820 view B, printed silk
Shoes; Ducky, bought online from KronKron

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Red floral skirt; 6 different ways

25/03/2010 4:05 am \ 4 Comments \

Today I’m doing another “6-ways to wear an item of clothing in my wardrobe” post.  Phew, that’s a horribly in-succinct title….
I’m showcasing my red floral skirt, made from Vogue 2894 that has been an absolute little gem in my wardrobe all summer, and I continue to reach for it well into autumn too.  It’s become a fast favourite, although I’ve made some new stuff recently and I should start wearing some of that now … does anyone else make clothes and them put them carefully away in their wardrobe on a padded hanger, virtually not to see the light of day for a few more months because you consider them “too good” to wear just yet?  I’m terrible that way.
Anyhoo, I’ve had some fun dressing up this skirt in a few different ways, for hot weather and a few cool weather options in there too.  I’ve worn it in several different ways already in this blog and here I’ve searched for a few new options in my wardrobe with which to wear it in the coming months.
The beauty of a multicoloured garment like this one is that it has plenty of colours in it to pick out, which can be colour matched as in below, at left a casual summer version and at right a casual version for cooler weather.  

Also, some colour contrasts will work equally well.  I’m a believer that denim works with practically everything, and especially with red I just love it…

Even though the skirt has neither navy or chocolate in it these contrasting colours fit in tonally with the sharp clear and strong colours in the skirt and work well as cooler weather neutrals with it as here:

In a post-script, my clean up is progressing well.  I took two of these photos today, and can you guess which two photos are the post-storm ones?  No?  Well, that’s because I’ve done such a fab job cleaning up this corner of the garden…!  (hehe)
For interest, the denim jacket and the hot pink cardi version I shot today, and the latter is the version I’m wearing for today…

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