Handmade by Carolyn

On mixing prints

15/09/2010 4:31 am \ 8 Comments \ Carolyn

Yikes! Mixing prints! So easy to get very very wrong… Now (confession) I am feeling a leetle out of my comfort zone here with the mixing of prints this morning; well on choosing the python print top I did plan to then play it safe with plain black tights but then a little bout of craziness came over me, I threw caution to the winds and grabbed instead these tartan tights that I bought several years ago and that were still folded perfectly crisp and new in their cellophane packet… I had originally bought these tights with the view of wearing them with a (hypothetical) little black dress but never did. This is a different look for me for sure, but I reckon these two prints still work together in the one outfit because the colours in the prints are all alike and furthermore in the safe and sombre neutral tones of charcoal, light grey, beige (greige?) and brown, and black. Plus the very plain little charcoal skirt is a haven of simple, unadorned and unpatterned in the middle to keep apart and help define and showcase the two clashing prints on either side. So I’m OK with it. Pushing oneself out of the comfort zone once in a while is good for the soul…
And we are now halfway through Self-Stitched September! I am really enjoying this challenge of going all self-stitched! (although ahem, the taking of a photo every day is, dare I say it, a bigger one…!)

Details:
Top; Burda 8497 with fold-back cuffs and button cufflinks added, python print satin
Skirt; my own design, charcoal jersey knit
Tights; Tutuanna, some little shop in Melbourne
Booties; Django and Juliette, from Zomp shoes
Hat; op shop

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Burda 8497, own design, skirt, SSS10, top

The pseudo shirt-dress

14/09/2010 3:05 am \ 5 Comments \ Carolyn

Quiet day here, doing office work at home, so dressed comfy and casual-ish. Walked the dog this morning. Doing laundry and will hit up the supermarket later. Blah blah.
This outfit is what I’ve come to think of as my “shirtdress”; although it’s not actually a dress at all this is still an apt description as it is made of, quite literally, shirts! Three, to be precise. These shirts were cast-off business shirts from my husband, all tossed onto the reject pile because of small holes and rips-right-on-seams that had appeared through wear and (literally) tear. I made myself a new skirt and top out of them, managing to cut around and avoid the areas that had holes in them. For the original story on this refashion and other views of the outfit, see here.
I’m pretty happy with this set and like to wear it; it’s very easy to wear and I feel a bit funky and unique and out-there when I have it on… hmmm, a bit sad, no? It’s not really that out-there. I need to amp up the wardrobe a bit, perhaps. In fact, this self-stitched September is really proving a challenge to me, I’m finding myself pining for all the store-bought T-shirts and cardigans in my collection, convinced that none of my separates go together… and having to force myself not to just pop on a white top with just about everything… Really, I’m a white top addict. My mother will agree that all I wanted to wear growing up was jeans or a denim skirt, and a white top. So I have moved on from that (a bit) but the white top thing is still deeply ingrained… I feel the pull everyday… At least this outfit is a complete “set”, so there’s no extra agonising as to whether one is “matching” or not when the decision is made to wear it that day. Kind of a relief.

Details:
Skirt and top; my own design, constructed from 3 old business shirts, see here
Shoes; Country Road
Sunnies; RayBan

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: own design, skirt, SSS10, top

Ladylike in brown

13/09/2010 5:25 am \ 11 Comments \ Carolyn

This morning attended a ladylike morning tea to celebrate a friend’s birthday, so have thoroughly enjoyed the last hour sitting in the dappled shade of the jacarandas sipping tea from a charmingly cracked and mis-matched pretty china set, ahh, just bliss… but now the fun is over and it’s back to the office…
Now, kind people leave me lots of lovely sweet compliments (and thankyou!) on the picturesque backdrops in my photos; so I’ll let you in on my little photography secret… well I take nearly all my photos in either one of about three or four locations, and it’s amazing how different the effect in a shot can be just by pointing the lens in a slightly different direction. For example the sunlight is quite bright today so I decided to set up my camera in the shade of a tree for this photo. I think the muted light shows off the fabric textures and colours of my outfit better than in direct sunlight, which here in Australia can be quite harsh and create either too dramatic shadows on one’s clothes or alternatively bright bright areas completely devoid of any discernible detail… but from where I am standing in the above photo the view I am looking at is this…

So I couldn’t resist kicking off my shoes, rotating the camera 180degrees and stepping out on the beach for one more shot, and decided to show here it to demonstrate the contrast even though you can’t see my dress very well from this angle…! Which background do you like better?

Details:
Dress; Burda 8511 from tobacco wool mix, modified to be more fitted and fully lined
Cardigan; knitted by me to my own design, using Jo Sharp Aran Tweed in Brindle
Shoes; Sandler, from David Jones
Bag; Gucci

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Burda 8511, cardigan, dress, Knitted, own design, SSS10

Comfort dressing

12/09/2010 2:41 am \ 6 Comments \ Carolyn

Self-Stitched September day 12:
Woohee, taking one’s photo everyday has been quite a challenge, not to mention the embargo on reaching for the same old same old favourites from the wardrobe. Everybody has favourites and comfort zones and there are some things you just feel like putting on more than other things… fortunately for me today’s garments fall into that category, (yay!)
My new rusty cords; well, my love for corduroy jeans is a permanent. Actually I’ve just finished a new pair for myself, sure to be wearing them soon…
My top; another favourite, this one an oldie I made quite a few years ago. This based on New Look 6483, but you only have to look at the illustration on the pattern envelope to see my version is heavily modified and the pattern was but a starting point here. In fact the top ended up completely different from the pattern, not even the bust darts were retained. It is made out of quilting cotton and with inserts of crocheted lace. I can’t see myself ever getting rid of this top. Occasionally I see sage advice from dressmaking experts telling us never ever to use quilting fabric to sew garments; well rules are made to be broken in my book and this top is living proof that that particular no-no is just a load of hogwash, imo… It’s been hardwearing and a real goodie.
My scarf; chenille. Cosy. Gorgeous colours. One can ask no more of a scarf!
Socks; my favourite pair, handknit and also in favourite colours.

Details:
Jeans; Burda 7863 with minor modifications, rusty corduroy
Top; my own design, based on New Look 6483, cream cotton with cream crochet lace inserts
Scarf; Colinette Chenille, 3 balls, 80 stitches, garter stitch
Socks; handknit by me
Shoes; Florsheim men’s, found in an op shop last week!! WIN!
Mug; made by my brother David, a very talented and handy craftsman…

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Burda 7863, jeans, Knitted, New Look 6483, own design, scarf, socks, SSS10, top

Green Day

11/09/2010 5:06 am \ 8 Comments \ Carolyn

Aaah, social whirling over and life is back to normal around here for a while… I do like to go out and get dressed up once in a while and the social season is certainly upon us now spring is here… but I do hope nobody came here expecting a glamour-puss today because she’s nowhere to be seen!
A normal-ish Saturday so far, spent much of the morning waiting in a ginormous queue to organise foreign money for my son’s upcoming trip overseas; in a week’s time my youngest is going away on a trip alone for the first time (insert brave deep breath and lower lip wobble here…)
So today being a bit overcast and cool, I’m dressed for moderately presentable comfort and warmth; this is perhaps one of the more dubious of my Self-stitched September ensembles so please be kind! The dress is a favourite seen here heaps of times (but first and only time for this month! as per my self-imposed rule of no repeats, hehe), Burda 8071 made out of ivory broderie anglaise cheesecloth (to see this styled in six different ways see here) This dress is really a summer-weight dress, and if I do wear it on a cooler day I usually prefer to wear my Metalicus petticoat underneath, but as I am strictly eliminating store-bought from this month’s clothing I had to think of something else… The skirt worn underneath is possibly the only version I have of my old standby Vogue 7303 that is made to the pattern as it is in the envelope, and the hooded cardigan is knitted by me to my own design, and is perfectly snuggly for a moody cloudy day.

Details:
Skirt; Vogue 7303, slightly stretchy white cotton/lycra
Dress; Burda 8071, ivory broderie anglaise cheescloth
Hoodie; my own design, Jo Sharp Silk Road DK in Ambrosia
Boots; Enrico Antinori, from Zomp shoes

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Burda 8071, cardigan, dress, Knitted, own design, skirt, SSS10, Vogue 7303

A glitzy lunch-date

10/09/2010 8:17 am \ 7 Comments \ Carolyn

Ahhh, another day, another fashion parade and champagne lunch…. and no, I’m actually not joking. Just quietly I’m getting a little fashion-paraded out, and I never thought those words would ever come from me! ….hehe. No, really, I have seen some truly lovely and inspiring clothes over the past couple of days, and today I was lunching together with my husband, so an extra specially nice treat for both of us.
I knew the venue for today was going to be more glitzy and glamourous than yesterday (yesterday’s was more of a quietly dressy affair) so luckily I had all ready my glam, edgy cocktail dress that I finished recently … I’m so glad I have this dress now, I’m so happy with how it turned out and there’s nothing like being completely prepared for the social whirl of spring that can descend upon you with the suddenness of a tidal wave, causing unwary social butterflies who’ve failed to plan ahead to race out desperately shopping for a springtime dress, any dress, because they’ve suddenly realised they have absolutely nothing to wear and the events are starting to happen now now now.

Details:
Dress; Vogue 1155, bronze silk taffeta, see more details and my review of this pattern here
Bag and necklace; gifts from my husband
Shoes; Misano, from Labels
Sunnies; RayBan

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: dress, SSS10, Vogue 1155

The colours of Spring

09/09/2010 9:23 am \ 19 Comments \ Carolyn

Today I attended a very glamourous luncheon and fashion parade with friends, and am now exhausted… so please excuse any crazy bad spelling or random ungrammatical remarks in this post…
For this occasion I wore my new pink lace dress, and because it is still just barely into spring I took along my trench coat for the anticipated chill factor. And ended up not wearing it… but here it is draped over my arm just in case (how many times do you take a coat “just in case” and it spends the entire function draped over the back of your chair?!)…
Also for this special occasion gave myself the first pedicure of the season, released my poor neglected feet from the comfort of their winter wooly socks and given them the once over, including a coat of varnish in a gorgeous golden springtime glow.
He he, this morning I walked the dog in this dress and with thongs (flipflops) on my feet and got a few sideways glances; when I mentioned it to a friend later she suggested that people might have thought I was wearing my nightie?! What do you think? Does this look like a nightie?

Details:
Dress; modified Simplicity 3745, pale pink and caramel lace, see here
Petticoat; Burda 8071, pale pink satin
Trench coat; modified Burda 7786, beige cotton, see here
Sandals; Sachi, some little boutique in Melbourne
Necklace; gift from my husband
Nail varnish; Max Factor, Gold Peach

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Burda 7786, Burda 8071, coat, dress, Simplicity 3745, SSS10

New greige top, with a shoulder experiment…

08/09/2010 8:11 am \ 9 Comments \ Carolyn

“Greige”; not a word found in any dictionary, but one adopted by the fashion industry to describe this colour that is not quite grey, not quite beige… I love it. And going by my latest fabric shopping ~~binge~~ carefully-considered purchases, one I will be incorporating happily into my neutrals collection for this spring…
I’ve made this new top. Seemingly just an ordinary top, the pattern drafted from other tops I already own, with a small pattern modification… I’ve noticed on some designer collections the trend for a slightly different shoulder/sleeve treatment, where the sleevecap seems to be sitting much higher on the shoulder than usual, but still smoothly fitted to the shoulder. The crest of the shoulder/sleeve seam sits halfway up the model’s shoulder, see below right. Usually in my tops I aim to have that seam right on the shoulder crest… He he, I had a fleeting thought on first noticing this unusual shoulder in a fashion shoot that this might just be a symptom of an ill-fitting top!, but of course in serious fashion collections an effect is usually intentional… and I thought this was interesting so thought I’d give it a whirl. I think I had reasonable success for a first-time experiment. I just cut the sleeve cap about 4cm higher and removed width from the shoulder seam and arm scye along the outer edge… I do like the way the seam sits up a little higher, and not on the crest of the shoulder. It feels a lot smoother and sits nicer, in my opinion! Sometimes that little blobby seam sitting right on the shoulder edge can detract from the overall smooth lines of a top and this higher seam, not raglan, but not quite a conventional set in shoulder either, is a nice compromise… what do you think?
And for day 8 of Self-Stitched September: my pants are made from Burda 7863, from khaki stretch gabardine seen first here, and my scarf is knitted by me, seen first here.

Details:
Top; self-drafted, greige jersey knit
Jeans; Burda 7863, khaki stretch gabardine
Scarf; my own design, Debbie Bliss yarn
Boots; Andrea and Joen, from Uggies

photo below right, Maison Martin Margiela top, from Vogue Australia, photographed by Max Doyle; it is hard to see here, sorry, but the seam IS halfway along the model’s shoulder…