Tag Archives: Top

Lacy “tablecloth” skirt

20/01/2010 1:47 am \ 6 Comments \

For quite some time I’ve wanted to make myself a skirt out of an old crocheted or lace tablecloth, and with this in mind I’ve searched op-shops for some suitable candidate to chop up.  Not only didn’t I find any old tablecloths with any sort of beauty at all (plastic daisy print, anyone?) but it started to occur to me that if I was lucky enough to find a genuine old crocheted cloth I couldn’t cut it up anyway, the sacrilege would be too great.  I would fold it carefully and store it away and just bring out to dress the table for special occasions.  They are pretty precious.
So when I went to the end-of-year sale at my favourite fabric store I found this knit lace that was patterned with vaguely doily-type embroidery and got a metre.
First I made a lining skirt of 70cm length, because that is how much lining fabric I bought.  Then I started arranging and cutting the lace straight onto the lining on Bessie, aiming for a layered effect with an uneven “tablecloth-y” hemline.  It looks and sounds kind of random, but it was thought out and I did a fair bit of measuring, planning and pinning before I took the scissors to the lace.  I wanted to make best use of the lace, part of my ongoing obsession with minimal wastage.  And I’m pleased to say that I used every last square centimetre of fabric with not a single scrap left!
Cost of this skirt: 1m lace, $30 + 70cm lining, $4.90 -15% sale discount + zip, $2.30 = approx $32. And no scraps.  Not bad.  I’m happy.
I love this final look.  Just call me obsessed with lace, if there was a White Lace Anonymous help group I would need to sign up.  In honour of the whole “tablecloth” inspiration I set up our outdoor table with some of my antique china for morning tea.  
Do you like my “fork” bracelet?  It’s my son’s really, and he got the idea from the movie “Elephant”.  It’s just one of those cheapie single forks you can buy, bent into a loop.

Details:
Skirt; own design, white stretch lace
Top; Butterick 4985, sleeves from another pattern, pink nobbly cotton, overdyed using an old red T-shirt
Sandals; Vicenza, from Soletta shoes
Bracelet; bent fork

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , , ,

Wardrobe Refashion, project 2

15/01/2010 3:30 am \ 23 Comments \

For my second Wardrobe Refashion project I took the scissors to some three quarter pants that I’ve had for about two or three years.  They’ve been good pants and I loved them when I first bought them, but over time the fabric had pilled a bit, “knees” developed pretty soon after putting them on, and the folded waistband, which has no zip, used to pop open in a very unattractive way without warning.  However the fabric is a nice textured charcoal linen/cotton blend which I still liked.
I envisaged a simple Japanese style top, something like the beautiful designs I saw in the Yohji Yamamoto exhibition at the Perth Art Gallery a year ago.  That was such a gorgeous exhibition, sigh, the awesomeness as a whole left me quite spellbound and deeply inspired.  I have not even close to 1% of his talent, but I thought I might be capable of a simple top, something symmetrical, but with just a few elements of asymmetry thrown in, as practiced in traditional Japanese architecture.
I’m very happy with this result although putting it together ended up a bit more complicated than I first thought – again, just like the deceptive simplicity of Yohji Yamamoto (I have one Yohji Yamamoto top that I was lucky enough to come across in a second hand shop, and it’s quite unlike any other top I’ve seen)  The difficult bit on which I spent the most time was in the inserts I put in under the arm which are to avoid inadvertent “flashing” when arm-lifting; and you can’t even really see this part of the shirt!  Even though you can’t see them, let me describe them; they are scooped and edged with scraps of self binding…
I kept the waistband of the original pants to use as a belt and my whole family agrees the top looks better with it.  
I really like the up-and-down effect of the hem; longest in front, shorter at the sides and shortest at the back.  The hems here are the original hems of the pants.  
I slashed the neckline of the top off-centre to insert a button closure and used a small amount of lightweight black fabric from my stash to face the neckline.  This button closure is functional but not really needed as it can be just slipped over my head anyway…  I love this old button I inherited in my grandmother’s haberdashery; it’s texture is a bit like rough stone.
Pretty much all of the fabric of the original pants was used in making this top; I had only the tiniest of scraps left!

Details:
Top; refashioned from old 3/4 pants, my own design
Shorts; Burda 7723, white linen
Sandals; Vicenza, bought at Soletta shoes

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , , ,

A day in the garden

09/01/2010 1:31 am \ 2 Comments \

I used to love gardening.  Once upon a time, I would go into my garden and a couple of hours would disappear as I pruned, weeded, tended and fed my plants; now it’s more of a necessary weekly maintenance that gets done.  Oh sure, I still go to the nursery and get all excited about how my garden could look if I just got out there more, but for the time being my poor garden is taking a back seat to sewing.  Well actually it has always taken a back seat to sewing, but now.. well let’s just say that if my life was a theatre, sewing is hogging the first ten rows, my office work sits up in the dress circle, housework is in the back stalls, and gardening is situated in those discounted seats at the side and behind pillars that get limited viewing.  Cooking, well, cooking was running late and missed the first act, and had to be let in by the usher and do the walk of shame during the curtain change past everybody else already in their seats.
I made this top at the beginning of summer from New Look 6252, and it’s a great little pattern that uses very little fabric and can be run up in a day.  I added a cute little pocket to the front out of some of the leftovers, for interest.  This top’s only drawback is that its a “bra strap revealer”, so I have to consider my bra colour when I decide to wear it.
I’m a believer that a visible bra strap over your shoulder is OK if it matches your outfit, although the bra-closure part in the centre of your back with all the hooks and eyes should never ever be seen out in public…  I think that the shoulder strap, if it is slimline and of a matching colour or lacy, it can look like part of a pretty camisole under a blouse, and can really add to your overall look.  Only if it is pretty and matching, mind, and never if it is obviously screaming “BRA!”
On that completely off-the-track, unrelated note, I’m off to the garden….

Details:
Top; New Look 6252, green linen
Skirt; Old Khaki, bought while on holiday in South Africa
Cardi; Metalicus
Hat; LLBean
Thongs (flipflops); Mountain Design
gardening gloves

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , ,

On feeling cool

05/01/2010 2:18 am \ 2 Comments \

I decided to give myself a new pedicure last night, and chose this ancient nail polish I had called Litl (sic) Boy Blue by Artmatix.  It’s so old it has a price tag on it $2.89; now, Australians, when was the last time you saw a price like that one?!!  I think I’m on some pathetically hopeful but ultimately misguided attempt to psyche myself into thinking that if my toes look frostbitten then I will, ipso facto, then feel cooler.  Hmm. So far, not working…
Since joining Wardrobe refashion I think I’d better get on and refashion something in time for my weekly post, as per the rules, and I am a sad stickler for rules.  When it suits me, that is.
Currently I have been working on my autumn trench coat, which will be finished prob by the end of today.  Extremely happy with it and  ridiculously proud of myself.  I do feel like a coat/jacket finished successfully is like the pinnacle of achievement for a seamstress.  Especially the setting in sleeves bit… (steam coming out of one’s ears as one incessantly unpicks a multitude of little “tucks” for resmoothing and reshaping…)  Enough said.  Sleeves now set in successfully, so can leave that painful episode of my life behind.

Details:
Top; Butterick 4985, blue knobbly cotton
Skirt; da Vida, secondhand shop
Shoes; Anna, from Marie Claire shoes
Necklace; from Live!
Nail varnish; Litl Boy Blue, Artmatix

 

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , ,

Polka Dot

30/12/2009 9:50 am \ 1 Comment \

All polka dotty today!  I can’t believe I didn’t think of this combination before; I love it!  Especially as I’ve still got my Santorini Sunset nail varnish looking OK, so the orange and taupe combo is perfectly matched from top to bottom!
I had a wonderful day shopping at the fabric store yesterday, and I’ll post pictures of my purchases and plans for autumn tomorrow.  I’ve got lots of lovely projects for myself on the drawing board; some of them completed, some of them in progress and some just bought yesterday.  However as today I’m looking smartish for a family lunch at my husband’s parents’ place I thought I’d put in my daily outfit for today.
As posted about previously here, this top was made from a skirt I had made for a costume dinner and realised was never going to don again.  I included some close-ups of the details; the hems were all finished by hand as I didn’t want topstitching.  The skirt was picked up in an op shop for $3.  It’s a gorgeous skirt; made in France, in perfect nick and fits me perfectly.  Can’t believe someone was getting rid of it.  Although I’ve tossed out pretty good stuff in the past and lived to regret it.  Deeply.  The skirt has two labels in it?? One says “Louie” and made in France, the other says “Rodney Clark”.

Details: 
Shirt; Butterick 4985, with sleeves from another pattern, orange polka dot cotton
Skirt; Rodney Clark, op shop
Shoes; Marco Santini, from Marie Claire shoes
Nail varnish; Santorini Sunset, Napoleon

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , ,

Cool and comfortable

28/12/2009 1:51 am \ 1 Comment \

Today is to be a scorcher, 40C forecast, and at even 9am in the morning you can already discern a shimmer in the air.  On days like this an oppression and stillness hanging heavy over all, sapping strength and dulling wits.  The sky is intense and vivid blue unrelieved by any hint of cloud.  I found one lonely rose in the garden as yet unwilted by the recent hot spell, its shady spot is its saviour and no doubt by the end of the day the edges of its soft petals will be crinkled, dark and crisp, and its colour will have faded to a veined shadow of itself… 
I think I’ll probably be spending most of the day in my bathers, but will need to be decent for some activities, such as watering out the front and popping off to the shop for milk and essentials!  Thus this outfit.
This skirt and blouse are light and airy and allow for maximum flow of air on the skin for when a cool breeze happens to waft by … one can only hope… 

Details:
Skirt, Vogue 2894, floral cotton
Top; New Look 6252, white seersucker
Thongs (flipflops); Mountain Designs
Nail varnish; Santorini Sunset, Napoleon

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , ,

Cool and casual for a hot hot day

21/12/2009 2:18 am \ 3 Comments \

Remember this bright bright white top? Almost needed your sunnies just to look at it?

 

And do you remember me saying I thought I had way too many white tops and it was time for a dye-job?

So, I do from time to time use dyes bought in the chemist, or at a craft shop.  But for preference I will use a natural dye, or something I already have to hand about the house.  I wanted to make this top a sort of blotchy blue/brown colour, so hunted about for possible candidates to produce this sort of effect.  I made last year a jacket for myself out of navy blue hessian silk, which has been a marvellous jacket, but runs like mad when it is washed.  And I mean, like when it is dipped in the tub the water goes like ink.  Luckily, being silk, I was handwashing from the word go…
Anyway, time to put this to good use.  I also grabbed a half bottle of instant coffee that had been languishing in the pantry for months (now my husband has his coffee machine it’s nothing but the best around this place, although some of my friends fortunately prefer instant so I always keep a jar handy)
Did the coffee soaking first (24 hrs),
followed by the jacket washings soak (another 24 hrs),
and voila, I’m very happy with my “new” top.  It didn’t really end up with the hoped for blue/brown splodges, but is more of an aquamarine/sepia all-over washed effect, and actually goes beautifully with the nacre buttons that I had already used on the shirt.
Other details:
Top; Butterick 4985, self striped white cotton, dyed over
Skirt; Diesel, bought in Rome
Scarf; Country Road
Hat; LLBean
Thongs (flipflops); Mountain Designs
pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , , ,

Quiet study in neutrals

16/12/2009 9:11 am \ 2 Comments \

Today’s outfit is a little drab and neutral, however sometimes one feels like being drab and neutral.  Especially if it’s the last day of one’s holiday (sad face).  One is possibly overusing the impersonal first person pronoun here.  However this is one’s own blog so one shall write however one damn well feels like it, no matter how silly it sounds…
I feel this outfit is nicely complemented by the drab and neutral tones of the tree bark in this photo.  As well as by the rough weathered decking of our beach house.
Please note the floral fabric used as a facing in the skirt; a little secret prettiness known only to me, the wearer.  Sometimes I like to add touches like this; plus this patchwork fabric I used is firm and flat so a better choice for facing than the thicker corduroy fashion fabric, which is a little stretchy too.
Btw, I did a double take when I looked at the photo of my skirt as it looks embarrassingly lopsided.  It’s an optical illusion!  I just measured the skirt and the side seams are exactly the same length, in spite of how it looks in the photo!
Notice the ancient grey cardigan, hiding behind the white blouse out of shame for its general mis-shapen shabbiness.  It’s too awful for its own photo, but still impossible for me to part with this old favourite.  It’s a perfect cardigan for days when I know will be several hours driving with no one to impress but my youngest son and Sienna.

Other details:
Skirt; Vogue 7303, olive corduroy
Top; Butterick 4985, selfstripe white cotton
Cardigan; Country Road
Sunnies; RayBan
Thongs (flipflops); Mountain Designs
Bag; Gucci

 

pinterestmail
Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: , , , , , ,
Switch to mobile version
↓