Tag Archives: Vogue 7303

My Marni fix

26/10/2009 6:30 am \ 1 Comment \ Carolyn

Spring/Summer 07, Marni had a collection that struck me with lightning, fashion-wise. I loved and could have worn simply everything in the parade. On my budget, not to mention that Marni is unavailable in Perth, and also given that I love to sew, the only option was to try to recreate the looks myself.

The slimline black oversize sports parka over a crisp white skirt was my absolute favourite look, the one I just had to have, and one I wanted to reproduce as closely as possible.

So here is my effort, compared to the real deal. Please excuse that the model on the right is far less attractive.

Photo above from Marni Spring/Summer 07

www.style.com, see here

On pulling it out I realised its no longer a look that I am wearing as I’ve moved on fashion-wise, but as previously expressed in this blog, Wear Everything in the Wardrobe is my new rule. My Monday morning gals expressed surprise this morning that I was wearing black, as its not a colour I really wear much.

I remember at the time I was first wearing it I looked quite different from everyone out and about on the street, as it wasn’t a look that had hit Perth and wouldn’t yet for another 18 months when everyone was into this look all of a sudden. We lag a bit behind the fashions here.

The skirt is Vogue 7303 view A, seen previously here, and the top is my own design. Well, actually its really Marni’s design, slavishly copied by me, but by “my design” I meant that I didn’t use a pattern, but planned, cut and fitted the pieces to Bessie (the dressmaker’s dummy) to achieve the look I wanted. I was particularly pleased with the high bunchy collar and felt (still do) that the finished result is easy and comfortable to wear.

I think its a very urban look, perhaps better suited to striding about the city. A problem with the black parka, given my lifestyle, is its tendency to attract and display animal fur, with most unattractive results.

Speaking of which, a comment asked after Sienna, the furry beast lying half out of sight in my photo. The silly-billy has cut open a pawpad on a sharp bit of fence in our yard and is hobbling about looking woebegone (poor love), so I’m walking alone for a while. However I promise to include her again, as requested. The camera loves her (yeah, baby! Austin Powers style), so I think she deserves a photo-shoot… yes?

Other details:

Shoes; Perrini, bought many years ago

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Fabulous fabrics, own design, parka, Sienna, skirt, Vogue 7303

Handwoven, with love

24/10/2009 2:37 am \ 2 Comments \ Carolyn

Saturday, 24th October 2009

Today’s skirt is Vogue 7303 again, I know, a little predictable; I really need to get me some new dressmaking patterns. The difference this time is the fabric; it was handwoven by my mother some years ago. She had plans to make it into a simple pullover top, but she eventually handed it on to me. I saw it as a skirt (surprise!) Unfortunately Mum had cut a slit in the middle for a neck-hole, which made for a dressmaking challenge. I had to add a bit of beige cotton on the top of the skirt back to make it long enough, and I lined it with bemsilk. The pattern is very simple, and the fabric is lovely and is what makes the skirt. In the close-up you can see the mixture of blues, greens and golds in with the nubbly oyster and neutral threads. I loved the little fluffy fringing effect of the edge and so left it unhemmed as a feature on the hemline.

I wore it to do a bit of grocery shopping and run some errands this morning, and finished up by treating myself with some afternoon tea in Applecross Village.

And just to prove I’m not too precious about my clothes, I later donned a fleece jacket and my gardening clogs and gloves and transplanted agapanthus bulbs! And repotted an orchid! And de-pooped the gardenbeds!…ok, ok, too much information… sorry. I did wash. Promise.

Other details:

Top; Ezibuy

Belt; don’t know brand, but it is emu leather, bought from Luxe

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: handwoven, skirt, Vogue 7303

Golden glow

18/10/2009 2:51 am \ 3 Comments \ Carolyn

Sunday, 18th October 2009

Mum in a comment asked how I was planning to spice up my life….well, that’s a curly question! But a good starting point would be to spice up my wardrobe, as if I needed an excuse to do something to my wardrobe…

Our moods and emotions are determined and defined in terms of colours, red roses are given on Valentine’s Day, black is worn to funerals, brides wear white dresses, etc etc

So, here we have one cardigan, found in a secondhand shop. Oyster white. Sure its a useful colour which will go with lots of outfits, but isn’t going to turn any heads now, is it? I’ve been known to dye fabrics with ground turmeric with great success, but this time I went with a Dylon pack, from the chemist. (I’ve also got an old red T-shirt which has proven fantastic for adding blotchy pink swirls to a boring blouse, but that’s a story for another post….) One chemical bath later…

Other details:

Cardigan; Country Road, found in a secondhand shop

Camisole; Country Road

Skirt; Vogue 7303, olive corduroy

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: dyeing, Sienna, skirt, Vogue 7303

Trying artistic photo shoot…

17/10/2009 4:24 am \ Leave a Comment \ Carolyn

Saturday, 17th October 2009

Tried to do something different with the photos today. Every day I discover something new about blogging, so… proof; that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!

This is my favourite skirt pattern again, Vogue 7303, view A with the skirt overlay. The cardi is one I posted about here.

Other details:

Camisole; Country Road

Art; Jane Flowers

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: cardigan, skirt, Vogue 7303

Morticia? Is that you?

16/10/2009 11:12 am \ 1 Comment \ Carolyn

Friday, 16th October 2009

This is one of my more recent creations, made in the last few months. I was inspired by Prada’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection of black lace “suits” (see below). Yes, I realise its taken me quite a while to get around to it…

I had managed to get black lace from the remnants bin on a foray to my favourite fabric shop, Fabulous Fabrics. The top is Butterick 4985 again, view B (nipped in at the torso as always), but with sleeves hijacked from a dress pattern, Burda 7897. The bottom of the blouse, sleeves and the edge of the collar were edged with black border lace. The skirt was constructed by making the lining from my trusty ol’ favourite Vogue 7303 out of gunmetal blue bemsilk. I then used the same pattern to cut out a partial front and back skirt from the lace, then got creative and added random strips and pieces of the same lace around my dressmaking dummy (Bessie) to “fill in the gaps”. I oversewed the joining seams with a wider black border lace and left the long strips hanging down past the hem of the skirt. The final effect is of a slightly random raggedy handkerchief hemline. I didn’t bother hemming or finishing the lace, as it won’t unravel.

The blue lining was chosen because I liked the interesting contrast under the black(also because I had a perfect size length left over in my stash which needed using up!). I managed to find the perfect buttons to match this colour at Calico and Ivy; beautiful tiny heart-shaped, blue shell buttons; there are four down the front of the blouse. All in all, I’m very pleased with the final effect, and I felt quite dressy enough when I met some friends for lunch at the this month’s Globe Fashion Friday!

Other details;

Camisole; Country Road

Shoes; Micam by Joanne Mercer,

Hobbs

Photo below from Prada Autumn/Winter 2008 collection, www.style.com, see here

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: Burda 7897, Butterick 4985, Fabulous fabrics, own design, skirt, top, Vogue 7303

Favourite skirt!!

13/10/2009 6:54 am \ Leave a Comment \ Carolyn

Tuesday, 13th October 2009

Today I am wearing my favourite skirt, from my favourite skirt pattern ever, Vogue 7303. I’ve made this up countless times and its so versatile. Unfortunately I seem to have inadvertently thrown away the skirt front piece, so I always have to compromise by using the skirt overlay piece folded along the centre front, and guestimating the rest. Also the skirt back piece has a few holes and sections missing, as well as being held together in places with sticky tape. This is a result of the pattern fluttering in a slight breeze on my table one day, whereupon it was pounced on by a cat who then went into full hind-foot-kicking attack mode. Gaaaa! Little sweetie, not. I’ve still managed to use it on numerous occasions since. Where there’s a will there’s a way (gritted teeth).

I did my usual variation of moving the rear central zip to the left side, and using an invisible zip. Also, in this incarnation, I tried to put in welt pockets, thus elevating it from a fantastic skirt to a perfect skirt. However being a closefitting number the pockets gaped most unattractively, so I ended up sewing them shut and cutting away the now useless pocket bags inside. Sigh.

However, the final result has still been the most useful skirt of all time. Its made out of pale pink, slightly shimmery damask print, with (my added detail) layers that were so complicated please don’t ask me to ever explain how I did them. Not repeatable. It goes with all neutrals and lights, and I have worn it in any situation all the way from very casual through to formal in all weathers. Its not a ball dress however. Damn, an excuse to make a ball dress. That’s all I need.

Today I wore it in summer shopping mode, as I was doing my grocery shopping. Over the next few weeks I’ll included some other photos to illustrate just how versatile this little number has been in my life. I’ve worn all of these looks in the last few months, and they’ve worked every time.

Other details:

Tshirt, cardigan; Country Road

Belt; had forever, Country Road

Sandals; Vicenza, from Soletta

Bag; Gucci