Tag Archives: Vogue 7880

knots and crosses

14/05/2020 8:55 pm \ 13 Comments \

I made this crazy outfit!  I know; it doesn’t “look” too crazy.. but it is, because it was a super-fiddly process and took aaaaaages.  Not content with just using what was actually very nice fabric as is; I, of course, made life more difficult for myself by instead cutting it up to make new fabric.  Crazy..  Yep.

But I’m getting ahead of myself…. this is actually my entrant into the Tessuti Sewing competition… the idea is that you get some of the nominated competition fabric and make something with it… pretty simple huh? but the kicker is that nothing else other than the competition fabric can be visible and you cannot dye it either.  Tessuti nominated a family of six fabrics, which was pretty awesome! three colour ways of two related eyelet fabrics; one is Knots, the other is, naturellement, Crosses.  I bought the Natural colour way of both fabrics and got to work!

My thought was to cut the fabrics up “creatively” to make a multi-layered, multi-textured sort of a thing, like a layered lace kind of a look…

For the top; I cut the fabric into 3 types of fabric strips; the knots fabric on the bias, snipping out the backing fabric to make the pretty embroidery design into an edging.   The crosses fabric I cut strips on both the bias and the straight; in each case snipping out the backing fabric carefully to leave the embroidery forming a pretty border.  I arranged these strips over a pale pink lining bodice and stitched them in place with double rows of stitching…

the sleeves are in the knots fabric, and I cut the edging “lace” like so; just the very edge of the crosses fabric cut on the straight made the outer, lace-like edging.  The neckline edge is made from two different cuts of the same Knots fabric, one on both the bias and one on the straight.  The eyelet with the “ribbon” thread through is one diagonal arm of the knots fabric, and the lace edging was the same fabric cut on the straight; the two were stitched together to make the neckline edging.  The blue “ribbon” threaded through the neckline edge; well you might be thinking, ah, but that’s not the competition fabric?  Fail!  But it IS the competition fabric!  The selvedge had these pretty blue striped borders printed along the edge… I carefully stitched very very close to the blue with tiny, 1mm stitches to stabilise and help prevent it from fraying, and cut off the excess to make a ribbon to thread through my created eyelet.

The skirt is relatively simple, sort of… I dug out a favourite old skirt pattern Vogue 7880, which has multiple, asymmetric layers.  It’s such a lovely pattern, I haven’t made it for ages but I think about it every now and then.  Now, as before; I lengthened the skirt stay pieces to make a full lining for the skirt, otherwise just made it up as normal.  The lining is the same pale pink lining fabric I used for the top.  I used a “natural”-coloured invisible zip in the left side seam.

 

It’s looking very pressed and neat in these pictures, but what I’m really looking forward to is washing it and letting it crease and rumple naturally, which I think will look really charming.  And better, I think…   I really should have done this before taking my pictures here but I literally forgot about the competition until the last minute and had to take my pictures here on the very last day.  Which is today.  Gah!  I hate being incompetent!!

So.  I actually do really like this outfit…

however!!  I purposely did not look at the tessuti pinterest board with everyone else’s entries in the lead-up to the competition, because I did not want to be influenced by anyone else’s design decisions.  I just wanted to come up with my own ideas purely unaided and unabetted – is that even a word? Never mind… stream of consciousness blogging!!  Well, as I was saying, I finished my outfit, quite oblivious; took a bunch of pictures and sent in my entry, THEN I went over and had a look at the pinterest board of entries.  And immediately saw that I had not the proverbial snowflake’s chance in hell.  There were SO MANY beautiful and fantastic entries!  It was wonderful to see so much creativity! even though mine is kinda ordinary, but I can live with that.  I think the top’s kinda pretty and as a whole it’s ok!

Details:

Top; kinda based upon New Look 6483, except completely different and with nothing of the original remaining.
Skirt; Vogue 7880
Tights, made by me, details here
Shoes; made by me, details here

 

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Fluttery grey-green skirt

30/08/2013 1:27 am \ 37 Comments \

New skirt, yeah  🙂
I
bought this lightweight blotchy grey-green cotton from Tessuti’s in Melbourne,
during my girly trip away with my Mum and Cassie last year… and always intended
to make just exactly this skirt.  The pattern is an old favourite Vogue 7880, a flatteringly longline skirt with beautifully staggered asymmetrical layers, and the option for a feminine handkerchief hemline.  It’s an interesting as well as lovely design because it looks different from every angle.  There was a stiff breeze on the beach when I
took these pictures, which is normally a pain for the sort of weirdo who tries to photograph their sewing creations out in the great outdoors… I mean who does that anyway?!  but actually turned out to be a good thing I think, because the wind
has assisted in showing off the different layers fluttering against each other, how
they actually appear when in motion, so to speak.  Thanks, wind, for blasting me to bits!  Very much appreciated!
The
fabric is a very lightweight cotton, a little crinkly, even slightly seersucker-y.  It has the shadows of the classic seersucker check
appearing in its background, overlaid with cloudy, watercolour like swirls of
grey, khaki, sage, olive… all my favourite sludgey colours in other words.   The bolt was clutched to my chest pretty early in the shopping expedition, if I recall correctly.  Mwahahaha.
This skirt pattern has three views and I’ve made lots of them over the years.  This newest version is sorta halfway
between views B and C, which have always been my two favourite
views.  I’m so glad I’ve hung on to
the pattern because it is interesting and lovely, and imo there’s just
nothing ticking either of those boxes in currently available skirt patterns at the moment.  Is it just me or are skirt patterns
pretty boring and unimaginative right now?  Obviously I have absolutely nothing against basic skirt
patterns, since after all I’ve made my own fair share of very plain little
skirts!… but we need some of the more pretty and/or out-there ones too, don’t
we?  And sadly there are just very
few interesting, exciting, gorgeous and/or challenging designs around.  If there are, then please tell me, where
are they?!
This
pattern has inner stay pieces, to which you attach the lower skirt pieces.  For several of my versions of this
skirt I’ve chosen sheer fabrics, because the floaty layers are really crying out to be
made in very light fabrics like chiffon; and so I generally lengthen the
stay to hit just above knee length, to make it more like a real proper
lining.  It’s pretty easy to mark
the old stitching line on the stay, to which you add the lower skirt pieces as
normal, and then you just hem the stay just like you would a lining.  The longer length hangs inside the
skirt, providing modesty when you have chosen sheer fabrics, or in case you do happen to be wearing
the skirt on a very windy day, ahem.
you can just barely make out the line of stitching halfway up the inner stay/lining, where the lower skirt pieces are attached…
It
has an invisible zip closure, and I finished the raw edges using the rolled hem
stitch on my overlocker.
Details:
Skirt; Vogue 7880, lightweight cotton with polyacetate stay/lining
Shirt; Burda 8497, white cotton, details here
Shoes, bensimon, from seed
btw, if you like playing “spot the dog”she just squeaked into two of the pictures here  😉
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A whiter shade of pale…

27/10/2010 8:02 am \ 7 Comments \

Today being slightly cooler (and on a side note, man has this been a delightfully warm spring…!) I am finally able to wear the scarf that Sam brought me as a gift from his trip to France.  It is a soft-as-clouds woven chenille; ivory, or white, the colour he told me I wear the most and is convinced is my favourite colour.  Hmmm, I’m always fascinated when people tell me what my favourite colour is, since I’m so unaware myself of what it is… he could well be right.  Possibly my favourite colour changes a lot, even daily, depending on my mood.  But there’s no denying white and variations of are a recurring theme for me in my wardrobe…  Even though my skirt is technically green and my top is technically blue, they are really both now just slightly off-white themselves.  A few years of laundering and drying out in the sun has bleached them to a faded shade of nothingness to satisfy even the most die-hard lack-of-colour lover such as myself…  And with a snowy ruffle of petticoat peeping out from my skirt, and pristine new bobby socks, well today I’m just a symphony of paleness, merely lacking a picnic and a hanging rock…
I have mentioned it before on this blog, my personal love for white shirts and how they are not just useful but beautiful.  As if there is an international synchronicity of minds, Barbara has started a white shirt sew-along (button over there in the side-bar), and how could I not but join in?  This is good.  My obsession with white shirts has been legitimised and sanctioned with an official outlet.  I don’t have to invent a reason to make a white shirt. When debating whether yet another white shirt is actually a reasonable addition to the wardrobe, I can now easily self-justify, well, I’m committed to The White Shirt Project.  Yes.  End of story.  Permission granted. Purchase of white, and even lacy, fabric may now proceed, guilt free.
And I can semi-cheat, hehe, having just completed two white shirts quite recently… specimens 1 and 2 below…

Details:
Top; Butterick 4985, blue self-embroidered cotton with lace details
Skirt; Vogue 7880 view B, sage green self-embroidered cotton
Petticoat; Metalicus
Socks; knitted by me, white cotton
Scarf; gift from my son, Paris
Boots; Francesco Morichetti, from Zomp shoes

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Crisp white shirt; check

25/10/2010 4:40 am \ 27 Comments \

A while ago I identified a hole in my wardrobe; supposedly a basic that no woman should be without, and have now dutifully filled it.  One crisp white shirt; check.  Now my husband can relax that his white linen shirt will be safe from my clutches.  Well, mostly safe, hehehe (cue evil witch cackle).
I used Burda 8497; a wrap front and tie-at-the-side-of-the-hip style that is flattering to a person of my proportions, I think.  And a very feminine style.  Rather than a button up, which is a little more masculine.  The fabric is a poly-cotton, easy wear but not luxe, so I left the edges all nice and snowy-pristine with no topstitching and I think this ups the stylishness factor a touch.  This pattern just allows for ordinary fold down hems on the sleeves, which can be a little boring and middle of the road; so for this shirt I drafted sharply pointed fold-back cuffs which are each permanently sewn closed with two pewter buttons masquerading as cufflinks.  This gives the cuffs a vaguely evening-y or business-like air to them, yes?  And adds a bit of interest to what is otherwise a quite featureless sleeve.
And for my morning tea with some friends this morning I jazzed it up with a screamingly colourful in-your-face gypsy-ish skirt of many layers.
Aaah, the weather is so divine at present.  Walking along the beach yesterday and this morning was a sheer joy.  Everybody is making the most of these days to the max, whilst simultaneously trying not to whinge about the lack of rain …

Details:
Shirt; Burda 8497, white poly-cotton, pewter button “cufflinks”
Skirt; Vogue 7880, printed cotton
Sandals;  lasoffitadi Gilde, from Zomp shoes

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Domestic diva X

26/09/2010 2:23 am \ 5 Comments \

Woah, same skirt as yesterday; snap!  Though this version is view C and is made out of a bright cheery, bohemian, gypsy-ish print.  This is another skirt pattern I’ve used a lot, although not as much as my old standby Vogue 7303.  Come to think of it, if I’d kept all the skirts I’ve ever made using these two patterns, I could go a whole month of Self-Stitched September with no double-ups, no worries.  I’ve used them both heaps of times.  (I know, boring)  Don’t worry, I’ve been branching out lately and have a few new exciting summery items and patterns to post here once this month of self-stitching documentation is over… one photo a day is enough imo.
The top is my own design, made from an old pair of three quarter pants; for the original story and a short tutorial on how to do this see here. Although the pants in their original form were dag-city, the fabric was in very good condition and I loved the soft yet still sharp citrusy colour of the linen.  So I saw potential.  Took the scissors to them and never regretted it.
We’ve got a nice afternoon planned seeing our friends; it is my friend E’s birthday too, and we are looking forward to having a drink (or two) and viewing their latest holiday snaps.

Details:
Skirt; Vogue 7880 view C, printed cotton
Top; own design, made from an old pair of green linen 3/4 pants
Sandals; Anna, from Marie Claire shoes

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Domestic diva IX

25/09/2010 4:53 am \ 8 Comments \

Post celebratory let-down; I did have a lovely day yesterday, and thankyou so much for your lovely birthday wishes!  Hmmm, re this morning’s outfit; both old favourites.  Both of these pieces I contemplated throwing out last summer and both got a last minute stay of execution.  Later I was so glad I hung on to both of them.  These are the sorts of clothes that are definitely me.  Maybe looking a little old-fashioned now? but I am feeling the pull of my collection of soft lacy crinkled clothing in dreamy faded colours now the summer days are almost upon us.  The weather is so lovely and warm now! but we are still desperate for rain.
Looked through the wardrobe this morning, and even though there are only six days of self-stitched September to go; not that I’m counting…!  I have probably a dozen more ensembles I could have chosen from.  So I don’t know why I’m feeling a melancholic lack of faith in my sewing abilities at the mo.  I do know I really need to clean out my wardrobe…
And yes, I did skim the pool and do a few hours yardwork in this outfit, but sans heels of course.  Heels and gardening are not an efficient match.  I put the heels on again afterwards.  Domestic divas need to keep up appearances…

Details:
Skirt; Vogue 7880 view B, sage green self-embroidered cotton
Top; Butterick 4985, cream broderie anglaise cheesecloth with random lace overlays and crocheted lace ties
Scarf; refashioned old jumper, cut up and felted, see here for tutorial
Hat; Country Road
Sandals; akiel, op shop

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Carpet of leaves

10/03/2010 3:59 am \ 7 Comments \

Autumn is my favourite season.  The extreme of heat has passed so the mornings are pleasant and cool, and yet the days are still warm enough for swimming, walking, picnics and enjoyable sociable activities.  And who says Australia doesn’t get autumn colours?  I found this divinely pretty little spot under the trees carpeted all in soft greens, golds and browns… all I needed was some morning tea in my backpack and a friend to share these beautiful surroundings with.  A friend apart from Sienna, that is.  She would be more than happy to wolf down a few snacks with me but the vet told me this morning she is a tad overweight and needs to go on a diet.  Oh, and since we had to squeeze this visit to the vet into the morning schedule I’m also lacking the all-important time to have this hypothetical morning tea anyway….
I wore this skirt a lot last year but it’s only had a few airings this season as it’s just been too hot to wear it.  Now I’m feeling its warm bright hues are just right for the colourful mood I’m turning to in my autumn wardrobe lately…

Details:
Skirt; Vogue 7880 view C, cotton print
Camisole; Country Road
Cardigan; Metalicus
Necklace; souvenir from Santorini
Sandals; Neo, from Nine West (I think?)
Nail varnish; Fools Paradise, BYS

 

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“What a curious feeling…”

08/03/2010 5:01 am \ 4 Comments \

When I sat under this tree today I felt a bit like a gypsy-ish Alice in Wonderland.  I had this big solid tree comfortably at my back with its branches swaying and drooping, its canopy of foliage like a whispering crowd of woodland onlookers, I’m looking over a lake sprinkled with silent and watchful ducks and a couple of black swans drifting and foraging in the mud at bottom… all I needed was a cake and a bottle marked “Drink me” though the pool was not of my tears and I could see no dodo… my dog lay peacefully and companionably in the dry grass nearby watching me and waiting patiently for me to finish this strange early morning photography ritual… she’s a faithful soul.
I’m getting braver in my choice of colour combinations; a month ago I would never have worn this top with this skirt.  These golden jewelled sandals always feel so light, sparkly and frivolous on my feet, but the solid brown beads anchor me back down.  I need anchoring, to be reminded me I have a job to do and it’s time to check back into the office and leave my daydreaming for another day…

Details:
Top; Country Road, dyed with turmeric
Skirt; Vogue 7880 view B, multicoloured polyester chiffon
Necklace; made by me
Sandals; Anna, from MarieClaire
Nail varnish; Fools Paradise, BYS

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