Since I picked out some photos from Oregon yesterday, I thought it the appropriate day to wear and show the souvenirs I bought whilst there… and then I also remembered and pulled out this new top that I finished only just before we left on our holiday but didn’t get a chance to photograph for posterity.
The top is made from some of my Christmas fabric; a crushed shot silk from Fabulous Fabrics. It is woven with a brilliant orange weft onto a bright turquoise warp. It never fails to amaze me how such bright bright colours when interwoven in this way can result in such a dullish coloured surface. As well, the fabric doesn’t look as glossy as I have come to expect with silk. Because I am suspicious by nature I did a quick burn test to check if it really was silk or a synthetic masquerading as such, and it passed. So I presume the reason for the lack of silky sheen is that the crushed nature of the fabric breaks up the surface plane resulting in smaller areas to catch and reflect the light at any point of view.
The pattern is Burda 7834, a little top pattern Cassie bought and made for herself and which I snuck out of her collection to use for myself… because I liked hers so much, hehe. She had cut out an 8 for her own top, but it was a pretty simple matter to grade the necessary areas up to a 10 to fit me.
So I really should do a review here of this great little pattern… buuut I’m not. Sorry. Maybe later. Been feeling a little flat and exhausted since we got back actually… not sure whether to blame the heat or post-holiday let-down. Or just me…
And you probably can’t tell from this photo above, but it is blowing a bonafide gale here. Even standing within the sheltering boughs of this tree we are being buffeted about by insanely strong eddies… and I was really timing the photography here to coincide as much as possible with a lull between gusts to avoid looking too hilariously windswept. Man, I’d forgotten how blustery it can get on the foreshore in the afternoon…
Oh and please note Sienna’s lovely new professional do. She has had a visit from the mobile doggie beauty salon and especially wanted to show the results off here today… Doesn’t she look absolutely gorgeous?? a bit better than the hack job from before, hehe.
The pendant on my necklace is a tiny real pine cone that is encased in gold. Isn’t it beautiful? I really don’t go for accessories in a huge way, but when I do they tend to be small in scale and delicate. Large scale chunky jewellery annoys me big-time, and I have to force myself to wear the bigger pieces I do have. I once read something in a Trinny and Susannah book about accessorising, where they decreed (as they do) that women with large bones should gravitate to large scale jewellery and small-boned women will feel more comfortable with small scale jewellery. So maybe this means I have small bones; although I have to confess I’ve always thought of myself as tall and big-boned; with “child-bearing hips” as they used to say… so I don’t know really!
The earrings have stones in them that are called Mount St Helens emeralds, although of course they are not actually emeralds at all, but really made from fused ash from the volcanic eruption. So, yeah, just regular green glass … But still pretty, and uniquely from that part of the world.
Details:
Top; Burda 7834, crushed shot silk
Skirt; Skirt “m” from Unique Clothes Any WayYou Like, by Natsuno Hiraiwa, pink/grey linen mix
Shoes; Perrini, had forever
Sunnies; RayBan
Necklace and earrings; bought in central Oregon USA
Cute top – You have a nack for turning unpromising Burda patterns into stylish outfits.
Lovely top and i love your pine cone necklace its gorgeous!
the blouse is beautiful! I'm going to hunt down that pattern, too. 🙂 great fabric choice, too!
I really like the wrinkling of that top fabric! Elegant and casual.
Can we make up a new word to describe your style as swelligent?(combo of swell, elegant and intelligent)
Welcome back! It looks like you had a nice vacation. I posted your blog link to a Facebook posting from 'Already Pretty' asking for suggestions of a new blog to add to her reader. Your blog is one of my favorites. I find your posts both interesting as well as 'sewing inspirational'. Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!
Beautiful top! and the little pine cone is just adorable. 🙂
I can see why you would want to "borrow" this pattern from your daughter 🙂 It looks lovely with your skirt and perfect for a breezy day.
Sienna looks wonderful with her new do.
Your top is lovely. I am quite enarmored of your fabric, the colours are beautiful.
What interesting fabric. I like both of the delicate pieces of jewelry (I think we have a Christmas ornament made from the same ash!). I have never heard the small-boned/small jewelry rule.
Thank you ladies!
BarbWireCats: thank you so much for that wonderful compliment! I've seen Already Pretty's blog and I love her thoughts too!
I wouldn't have thought that fabric could possibly be woven from the two colors you mentioned if you hadn't frayed a bit on the edge. …! lovely outfit.
I think having wide hips and being small boned is not a contradiction (falling in that category myself) though how to define small boned – …
Chic and simple, I just adore this outfit and the subtle color variations. Beautiful.
Sienna looks happy and lovely – probably happy to have you home again …. lovely outfit in the blustering conditions.
hey mum you look gorgeous in your new accessories! you said you want to accessorise more and you one the right track the gold necklace goes brilliantly with the new top such a handy pattern! xx
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