Tag Archives: Accessories

Today’s shirt pattern is familiar to those following this blog, I’m even getting a little embarrassed at how often it’s appeared here.  It is Butterick 4985 again, this time with the addition of some little pockets on the front with lace flaps and the sleeves view B joined together at the top seam.  I used baby blue nubbly self embroidered cotton for the blouse and topstitched the pockets and a few seams with double stitching in gunmetal dark blue.  This was mostly to use up this particular colour in my thread stash.  I also added an attached necktie in a bit of leftover border lace, again just to use it up.  This can’t be seen very well in the picture because of the other scarf I’m wearing.
Today’s colour scheme is pastel-ly, with no white.  I really like this soft combination of pale blue, yellow and pink, with the blue jeans.  I have a confession to make: I realise how tragic this sounds, but I thought the cover of “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” to be such a beautiful balance of colours, and really inspired me to copy it in this outfit!  Oh please, if I heard someone say that I would almost pity them, but it’s true!  I suppose we are all find inspiration somewhere, and if you find it in the cover of a book then so be it.  (I could expound the multiple merits of reading this book as it is superb and intelligent and full of pearls… but that is not the purpose of this blog)
I found my shoes yesterday in an op shop.  They were $12, and hardly worn! I fell absolutely in love with them and had to wear them straight away.  They are navy blue suede with elastic criss-cross straps over the top of the foot and a beautifully shaped heel.  It’s often difficult to come across nice shoes in my size, even in commercial shoe stores as I have such big feet (size 10, or 41 in European), so this was an incredible find.
Today has been spent in pleasant industry and relaxation; I worked for several hours in the garden, did some grocery shopping and running a few errands, then met my friend J for afternoon tea.

Other details:
Jeans; Development
Scarf; unlabelled, bought in Labels (how’s that for an oxymoron!)
Earrings; selfmade
Shoes; Sandler, op shop

I used my old favourite Butterick 4985 to make this top out of pink embroidered “bobbly” cotton, with the sleeves snitched from a different dress pattern Burda 7897.  I narrowed the torso region as always, and constructed a loop closure for the buttons, instead of the usual buttonholes.  When it was finished I felt it was too plain, so I then sewed on random strips and bits of leftover lace, broderie englaise and rick-rack I had in my leftovers tin.  Then I felt it was too “pretty”, and needed some punking up.  So out came a red T-shirt that had been a proven “runner” in the past.  That’s runner in dying terms, obviously.  Yes, it had mistakenly been included in a wash load of all white garments, which I discovered upon opening the washing machine had all turned a lovely shade of pink.  Take a deep breathe and count to ten.  Yes, I did have to purchase all new socks and T-shirts for my sons, but this situation doesn’t have to be all bad.
I could put this quality to good use.  What’s the old saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade?  This is the home seamstress’ version.
I soaked the offending T-shirt with my new blouse, purposely scrunching the blouse in a way to result in a random blotchy effect, and hey presto!  I LOVE this final look, and wear this a lot.  Every now and then the pink blotches start to fade a bit, then I just repeat the soaking process.

Today I’m meeting the Monday morning gals, and decided to ride my bike as the weather is perfect, warm with a slight breeze, but not too hot that I’m going to turn up like a sweaty exhausted wreck.  I also visited a friend for her birthday, then rounded up the day with riveting challenging work in the office (ha ha)

Other details:
Skirt; Morrison
Shoes; Timberland
Necklace; self-made during my beading fad