Tag Archives: Scarf

By the lake

10/02/2010 4:28 am \ 6 Comments \ Carolyn

Today the sky is grey and white; the sun is veiled behind an impenetrable smudgy mattress and there’s a cool sharp tang in the air; such a relief after a hot few days. For those of us who like photography; we’re joyously bursting out of the shadows and into the open air with our cameras, as the lack of harsh direct sunlight means a return to our pictures of some focus, details and colour! Yes, colour is the first victim in our strong Australian light, and as for details such as a pretty print or beautiful embroidery, well subtle contrasts just disappear into a general blob of indeterminate brightness.

Another cause for general celebration is the opportunity for me to don a cardigan; and I JUST LOVE cardigans! They’re a wardrobe item I can’t get enough of…. Oh, yeah, apart from shoes. And sandals…. and, er, ok then, lots of other stuff too… oh, I’m such a fashion sucker.

I left my sunnies off for this photo, partly because I felt I was wearing them way too much in my photos and I wanted to mix it up a little, and partly because I thought I could get away without them in this more subdued light, but it’s actually still pretty bright out today. I’m trying hard not to squint in this photo, not very successfully I can see now. Well, it’s actually supposed to be about the fashion and not about my face, really.

I’ve worn this dress on and off over summer; this is the one with a too-short zip that entails much wriggling and tugging to actually get on and off, imagine a deranged lunatic struggling with a strait-jacket in a padded cell and you’re getting some idea. I love the embroidery and appliqué on this fabric, and the odd subdued colours. I think they’re set off well with this bright aqua silk scarf, and a little demure charcoal cardigan.

Details:

Dress; my own design variations on New Look 6699, using two cotton prints

Cardigan; Country Road

Scarf; aqua silk chiffon, made by me

Sandals; Micam by Joanne Mercer, bought from Hobbs

Nail varnish; my own mix of BYS French White and Mint Condition

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: dress, Fabulous fabrics, new look 6699, own design, scarf

Inspired by nature; gold and aqua

30/01/2010 1:52 am \ 3 Comments \ Carolyn

At this time of year the sky is this intense ultramarine blue and the grasses are dryly yellowing until they are crackling underfoot, as always the landscape is everlastingly fascinating. Nature has a perfection in her colour palette that is daily an inspiration, those of us drawn to colour and its myriad changing faces in the shifting path of the sun are compelled to express themselves somehow, for some it is in the medium of paint on canvas, for me in my insatiable love of clothes, I choose to do this through my apparel.
These garments I’ve worn before in other combinations, but when I put on this intense lime top with my golden silk skirt and my newly made silk chiffon scarf; this bright yet somehow relaxed palette made me wonder why on earth I hadn’t thought of it before…
When I first made this top, on a whim, I felt a little intimidated by its brightness, and only wore it sparingly and with safe neutrals such as white, lately I’m feeling more adventurous and wanting to pull it out more and more.
This magnificent gum tree must have seen a fire in its day, with its old battle scars of charred bark still visible; my daughter and I ventured into the bush to take these photos and when I minded her to look out for snakes she took two photos then turned and marched straight out…. Perhaps she’s the sensible one and I’ve got too much my head in the clouds contemplating the beauty of nature…. but I didn’t see any snakes!

Details:
Top; NewLook 6252, green linen
Skirt Davida, second hand shop
Scarf, turquoise silk chiffon, made by me
Sandals; la soffitadi Gilda
Bag; Gucci

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Fabulous fabrics, New Look 6252, scarf, top

Bleached crinkly cotton

19/01/2010 12:54 am \ 3 Comments \ Carolyn

I was on the verge of throwing this skirt out, or re-fashioning it (I am getting so into this re-fashioning it’s not funny, I think it’s becoming an obsession with me) because I ripped it the last time I wore it. But something about its soft sage green loveliness just kept me back from doing something extreme that I may later regret… a common whimsy of mine that can be a problem. And with the current hot spell I’m finding myself drawn more and more to my fall-back creams and whites, particularly my collection of crumpled off-white embroidered cotton garments that look a little bit slept in (they’re not), bleached and faded and a little bit shabby, the embroidered flowers are subtle but add a puckered texture to the clothes that I love. I feel the rumply look is as though one had just arisen from a hammock stretched out under a tree leaving a childhood favourite book open on its spine… Dreamy summer days of languid heat…
I mended the tear in the hem of this skirt (see below, I don’t think it really shows), and gave it a second chance. I’m wearing it today with my new scarf; “new”, but it’s actually re-fashioned from the lining of my daughter’s old puff skirt which is why it looks old, thin and washed. The scarf picks up the black rolled hem edging on the skirt. I like a tiny hint of black in an summer outfit, I think it adds a bit of an edge and some definition, particularly when all else is pale. My jade and mother-of-pearl bracelet with its alienesque matte silver prongs was a birthday gift from my parents.

Details:
Skirt; Vogue 7880, sage green embroidered cotton
Top; Morrison
Scarf; own design, refashioned from net skirt lining
Sandals; Micam by Joanne Mercer, from Hobbs shoes
Bracelet; gift from my parents

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Fabulous fabrics, own design, scarf, skirt, Vogue 7880

Wardrobe Refashion, project 1

08/01/2010 2:27 am \ 13 Comments \ Carolyn

My daughter had an old puff skirt. Three problems: 1, the zip had broken, 2, she now hated it, and 3, most importantly, it was a puff skirt. A puff skirt. The type that if you wore now you would be instantly labelled a hopeless fashion tragic. I found it in the bin, for heavens sake. After only a short rant on the evils of throwing out perfectly good fabric (it was made out of quite nice stiff sturdy charcoal gabardine and had a funky decorative waistband with strips of raw-edged black net caught in) I put it aside for further thought (after a thorough washing, thanks to its short bin occupancy). Now I’ve joined Wardrobe Refashion it was the time to take up the scissors for a bit of surgery…
Below is the before picture (no amount of begging would cajol either my daughter or me to model this thing in its before state)….
I’m actually thrilled with how it turned out. I think that high-waisted bermuda shorts are a very flattering look, sort of retro as well, reminiscent of Katharine Hepburn in that movie where she was a tennis player and pioneered open necked Lacoste sports T-shirts with shorts not unlike my effort here. (It’s entirely possible I have this movie memory completely wrong). I used Burda 7723, and just flared the legs slightly more, made them a bit longer and added some of the decorative waistband as patch pockets on the back, for some interest in this area. Shorts with a plain back can be boring, and a lack of decoration can paradoxically draw attention to an unsightly bum, I think.
Even though the skirt seemed to have plenty of fabric in it I only just got the pattern cut out of it. I used some lighter black fabric I already had for the pocket lining and bought a zip. I had some perfect buttons in my stash already.
Also the puff was originally held up by a black net underskirt; this I saved, slashed latitudinally and rejoined, then added a few randomly spaced knots to produce this rather sweet little scarf. I can feel it becoming a wardrobe staple already…

Details:
Shorts; Burda 7723, modified slightly, refashioned from old skirt
Top; Brown Sugar
Scarf; black net, reashioned from old skirt lining
Shoes; Perrini, had for donkey’s years

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Burda 7723, scarf, shorts, Wardrobe Refashion

Dad’s birthday present

26/11/2009 2:32 am \ 1 Comment \ Carolyn

I’ve resolved to include in this blog more pictures of projects in the making; however my latest project had to be kept a secret as my Dad reads this blog! I chose this coloured wool for a scarf for him because I think Dad is an Autumn like me, or more accurately I should say I am an Autumn like my Dad! This lovely wool leapt out at me as soon as I laid eyes on it at Calico and Ivy and I knew it would be perfect to complement his wardrobe as I see him wearing dark brown or green jumpers a lot during winter. Also my husband bought himself a scarf recently which he has been wearing a lot even in this hot weather, and I am quite liking the look of scarves on men just as a decorative accessory and not necessarily as a functional neck warmer.
I used three balls of Lang Mille Colori, made in Italy, colour 914, and 3mm needles (if you plan on making this, bear in mind that I knit quite tightly and a “normal” knitter will probably be using 4mm or 4.5 mm needles, check your tension if in doubt)
Cast on 24 stitches (incidentally the age Dad was when I was born!) and knit 1, purl 1 until end of row.
Next row; Purl 1, knit 1 until end of row.
Repeat these two rows until wool is finished.
Easy peasy!
This, of course, is moss stitch. I debated over using moss stitch as I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. I love the look of it, but hate doing it. All that wool forward, wool back; breaks up the easy flow of knitting and requires concentration. However, scarves only really look any good if the back looks the same as the front, and I think garter stitch can look a little amateurish. I wanted Dad’s scarf to look smart, so moss stitch it was.
When it comes to knitting scarves where there is not really a defined front or back, the knots and joins can sometimes be a problem as you can’t just hide them in at the back. I usually just tie a really tight and tiny knot and then weave the ends in a best I can (see close-up picture). If you can hide the very fluffy end bit inside a strand of wool in the knitting, so much the better. I know this sounds nit-picking (or should I say knit-picking?!), but these little finishing touches can make a big difference between an obvious homemade job and a smart and beautiful piece of wearable art.
Many thanks to Dad for agreeing to pose for the blog!