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Drafting a new bodice…

17/12/2010 5:45 am \ 14 Comments \

For my Christmas dress this year I have visions of a dreamy floral dress; tight bodiced but with a big big skirt… this is not a look I’ve worn very often, if at all so it’s quite possible I am going to look ridiculous in this!  However whenever I see ladies wearing these big skirted bright floral numbers I think how lovely they look, really so feminine and pretty.  I’m not sure if I can carry this off or not, I hope so but we’ll see…
I’ve had this pattern for a while but not yet used it; one of those buy-one-Vogue-pattern-and-get-three-free deals.  I bought it because I was swayed by the nice illustrations on the front and thought, hey, a useful basic dress pattern, OK!  And promptly put it away, never to see the light of day again…
I like the skirt but the bodice is very not me… 

Just a bit too poofy and gathered and flouncy.  Even just looking at this pattern piece I already know this volume of fabric in a bodice would be just too over the top for my figure, the words “deflated balloon” spring to mind…  But I had a firm idea in mind of the kind of bodice I wanted for this dress; something with a bit of interest, some pleating but still quite fitted.  So the following is what I came up with, inspired by a dress I had seen somewhere, not sure where now…
Burda 8071 has a very simple, streamlined, princess-seamed bodice that fits me perfectly, so I used this to cut out two side fronts.  For the front; I cut out a slightly sloping centre panel, and two long rectangles for my pleated sections… (I did cut off those two jutty out bits at the centre top of the rectangles after taking this, just ignore them, sorry)

Carefully measured out the pleats, alternating 2cm and 3cm gaps, and pinned, folded and pressed in place…

At the back I sewed the peaks of the pleats in 0.5cm seams, and sewed the little skinny centre panel to the pleated panels at their centre edges. 

I then fanned out the bodice at the outer edges, leaving pleats of 2cm depth at the centre edge of the panels, and 1cm depth at the outer edge.  I’m aiming for a bodice with nicely sun-rayed pleats here…

Then finally used the Burda 8071 centre front pattern piece to cut out a centre front.  I left the top centre edge high and uncut, so the centre front is not cut as deep a “V” as the pattern piece above it.

Sewed the side fronts to the centre front piece…  For the shoulder straps I used two rectangles, slightly curved… pinned them how I wanted them to be on the bodice, with a little pleat at the bottom…

The lining pieces were cut with no pleating.

I also wanted a waist tie at the back of the dress, to pull in the waist and nip it in.  This was a simple matter of cutting out two long rectangles, of equal width to the back midriff pieces, with a long angled edge at the end.

These were sewed in the side seams of the midriff pieces, before attaching the midriff piece to the bodice.

For the skirt; the fabric I am using is not sheer so a skirt lining is not essential.  However I like for the innards of my dresses to be finished as completely and as beautifully as possible, and I also wanted a big flared petticoat effect with this skirt, so I cut out two skirt pieces using the facing fabric.  The skirt of this pattern is a quite densely pleated as well as flared skirt, and while I wanted the flare I didn’t want that extra bulk of a pleated waistline on the petticoat (slimline, please!) so I cut the petticoat pieces to be straight A-line, with no pleating at the top.

This is a work in progress…   I have several top-secret Christmas sewing projects on the go as well as this, and I will post pictures of these plus this dress on or after Christmas Day…
Later dudes!

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Silver skirt; 6 different ways

16/12/2010 2:59 am \ 14 Comments \

Fun times, styling up my own wardrobe!  For today I had a blast playing with the skirt I finished recently; skirt “d” from Unique Clothes Any Way You Like, by Natsuno Hiraiwa, made from a silvery grey crepe.  The loose swishiness of this skirt, the sleek unadorned styling, and the soft dove grey neutral colouring lends itself so well to many many pairings.  Although going by the looks I chose I think I’m too much in love with the paler neutrals in my collection right now, as they are so overly well represented here…  Whassup with that??  Slipping back into my old colourless ways…
Anyhoo, without further ado arranged here in order from wintery and through to summery;

At left, styled for wintery elegance; and at right, worn more casually with a fluffy cardigan and lace-up boots…

At left, a simple but smarter look suitable for the office (my “pager” is actually my camera remote, haha); and at right, just hanging out in ma hoodie yeah…

At left, worn under a light dress for softly pretty summery layers; and at right, tucked up under the armpits, the skirt transforms into a kinda dress!

And which look am I wearing for today?  Well today is quite warm, so I am sporting the last look.  As my underarm measurement is a little bigger than my waist measurement I had to undo the top button, but I like the look of this; more interesting than if all the buttons were done up.  It is amazingly cool and comfortable this way.  Just as a safety net I pinned it to my Tshirt on the inside, up under my arms, to ensure the skirt doesn’t slip down back to waist level…  Yaas, with my bust size this would be a distinct possibility…!
Thank YOU, o great inventor of the safety pin, for this stupendously wonderful gift to the sartorial world.
Which look here do you like the best?

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A happy discovery

15/12/2010 1:51 am \ 14 Comments \

Ever since I found that runway shot from Celine with the floppy linen pants I have been slightly obsessing about them.  Starting to think that I really needed some, that if I didn’t get myself a pair of floppy linen pants in my wardrobe that I just had absolutely nothing worthwhile to wear at all… I couldn’t go about my daily business… that everything was just going to self-destruct…  Well, not the last.  But definitely that a pair of loose floppy linen pants was kind of an essential, that I had to have, but now.  Then I discovered that of course I already do have some.  Tucked away, fairly floppy, and just begging to be worn with the loose white top, so I could look tres fashionable, just like in the Celine photo.
Ta da!
Problem solvered, crisis averted.  Sometimes burrowing about in one’s wardrobe brings pleasant serendipitous moments, when an old garment is rediscovered and donned straight away with little cries of joy.  Hello, old friends.  You will be worn again this summer, promise.
And the white top, with the attached shoulder thingys.  I tried tying them up today, sailor style.  I like this way.  Ahoy there, me hearties.  No that’s not right.  That’s pirate speak.  Hehe.  Ay ay cap’n.   That’s more the go.
So although these pants are not super floppy, and are a sort of gun-metally bluey grey and I am really craving the wheat colour, I think for the mo’ these will be fine.  I’m trying to work with what I’ve got here.
I wish I could make everything that inspired me.  Too time poor, sadly. My sewing is always a compromise between filling gaps in my wardrobe, and more inspired projects involving fabrics and patterns that really capture my passion at that time…
Sometimes (often) I wish I had a more co-hesive colour scheme happening in the wardrobe, that I could just grab anything anything and it would all go together like a dream, because I was one of those wonderfully organised people who only shopped and sewed to a plan.  But I’m not one of those people.  Sometimes I wish I was, but I think I would probably get bored with my carefully planned and co-ordinated, perfectly matching wardrobe and just perversely get the urge to bust out with something random.
So I think I’ll just continue with the whimsical buying of fabric and yarn just because I see it and love it, that is not planned but passionate.   And just make it work.

Details:
Pants; Burda 7944, blue/grey linen, to see these styled in 6 different ways go here
Top; “a” from Unique Clothes Any Way You Like, by Natsuno Hiraiwa, white cotton
Sandals; Anna, from MarieClaire shoes
Sunnies; RayBan 
photo at right from Celine Spring/Summer 2011

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Olive Twist socks

14/12/2010 4:01 am \ 10 Comments \

I have been knitting still, but with less consistency given we’re thick into the silly season…
Here is my latest finished project; socks, of course.  Knitted using the Morris Empire Superwash Merino 4 ply, in Olive Twist.  You’ve probably noticed a commonality cropping up in all the new socks I’ve knitted using this Morris yarn from Melbourne… they all sport the Beluga heels and toes.  This is because over the first two pairs of these I worked out the perfect length of sock that uses up but exactly half a ball of the yarn… meaning ZERO LEFTOVERS, satisfying my thrifty desire for absolute minimal waste in any project…   
Do you like my son’s ugg boots?  Yes, his feet are pretty big; they make even mine look little…!  
They just happened to be lying around in our bathroom where I took this photo, so I decided to put them alongside for fun in the photo, and because the colouring went well with my new socks.  You might be able to just read the label, “Made in Australia”.  These are of course REAL Australian ugg boots, made by REAL Australian manufacturers, and no American company naming itself the Australian Ugg Boot Company can EVER take this away from us.  The legal action attempted by US companies to prevent Aussies using the ugg name caused huge controversy here in Australia.  I mean, how would they like it if Aussies started up a company calling itself Genuine US Cowboy Boots, trademarked the term, and subsequently threatened to sue any US manufacturer who was using the term “cowboy boot” as a selling point?  
Exactly.  
Not nice…
Hehe, OK sorry about that, ranting now over…

Socks; based upon the Ladies Sockettes, from Patons Knitting Book C11 (a circa 1960’s publication), using Morris Empire Superwash Merino 4ply in Olive Twist (col 439) and with heels and toes in Beluga (col 430)

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A day off…

13/12/2010 4:35 am \ 5 Comments \

‘Tis the season to be jolly… (sung to the appropriate tune…)
 but Craig and I are in danger of turning eating, drinking and being-merry into an extreme sport around here lately!  Don’t get me wrong, I just love parties and getting together with friends and we have certainly been doing such a lot of this.  There has been some sort of party, Christmas-do, or gathering, like, almost every night, over the past week.  Yesterday we had a particularly nice get-together with my Monday morning gals and our husbands.  It was just delightful.  Without a doubt all of our social-butterflying has been lovely.  However my poor constitution needs a break or I am going to end up the size of a house, and dyspeptic to boot.   Now, I am happily blessed with a cast-iron stomach, and ordinarily I’m not one to look a gift hors-d’oevre or chocolate truffle in the mouth  … but dry toast and water is sounding like a pretty nice menu to me right now.  
Luckily, I have almost two whole days off before the next Christmas party tomorrow night.
So until then, I declare this bod a rich-party-food-and-champagne free zone…

Details:
Skirt; partly my own design, based on Vogue 7303, python print and black satin
Camisole and cardigan; Country Road
Scarf; jersey knit
Sandals; akiel, from an op shop
Sunnies; RayBan

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Wicked mask

12/12/2010 4:40 am \ 6 Comments \

Last night we attended a masquerade Christmas cocktail function, and I needed a mask, so I visited Spotlight and picked up some basics to decorate one.
Boy, was this fun…  I felt like I was in kindergarten all over again!  Glueing stuff on and sprinkling sparkle dust is a heaps therapeutic way to spend and hour or so; so I do recommend this!  Oh, I miss when the kiddies were little and I had a legitimate excuse to indulge in this kind of activity…  now they’re all grown up one needs a Good Reason to get out sparkle dust…   luckily this was it.
So I purchased two small packets of feathers and two masks; one gold and one plain white plastic, and put together some other bits and bobs I had already.
I didn’t have a firm plan but just gathered lots of stuff together to play with.  Some black lace, black net, some scraps of sequinned fabric, glue and sparkles…  I did get out some old stamps and a stamp pad, but ultimately didn’t use these as the ink wouldn’t “set” on the plastic and just smeared off…

I bought two masks because the ones in Spotlight were so flimsy I worried that they would crack or split too easily… and glued them together for a firm base to play on.  (I almost typed in “work with” there but then got real, hey, “playing” is a far more appropriate verb, methinks!)

Then just started glueing…  I only used a tiny fraction of the feathers I bought and there is heaps left over for some other project…  

Once I had enough fluffiness I cut out a lace motif and glued it over the top of the gluey ugly bit where all the feather shafts were showing.
Dabbed glue and sparkle gel on and around about in a random artistic way, and sprinkled wicked green dust over…

I later added a bit more black net over the nose region, sliding it carefully underneath the feather and lace.  Would have been better to have thought of this in the early stages, but meh, got it in there OK.
Also later noticed a bit of white from the under-mask showing, so I used a Sharpie to draw in “eyeliner” around the eyes, both to colour in over the white, and to add a bit more drama.
Voila!
Here are the masks we wore; the one on the right was made by my son a while ago, and worn by my husband.  Needless to say, the ladies’ masks were all tres glamourous at the event, and most of  the mens’ were plain and rather sober.  Well, this is Australia.  Generally speaking Aussie men struggle with the concept of sparkles.

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On ankle-strap shoes

11/12/2010 3:02 am \ 10 Comments \

Shoes with ankle straps are tricky.  I have this firm belief that they shorten and stumpify (I didn’t make up that word but isn’t it just perfect?!) women’s legs. Now shortening and stumpifying might be desirable to the rare woman with very long and skinny legs, and such woman may may experience an inexplicable wish to sabotage this wonderful feature of her body… but I think it’s safe to say for most of us we have the opposite intentions.  
So with this in mind I avoid ankle strap shoes like the plague.
I think they can ONLY be successful in very few cases; listed as follows:
1. You are the above mentioned lucky willow who wants her legs to appear shorter and … er,  stumpier…
2. You are wearing an above-knee garment.  No exceptions.  A skirt or dress hitting at or just below the knee, combined with a strap wrapped around the ankle; well that short section of calf in between hem and strap is not going to be flattered by being visually sliced off at it’s slimmest points ie, the ankle and the point just below the knee.  Oh OK, well it’s occurred to me there is an exception to this one; as follows:
3. You are wearing a floor scraping number, and so your ankles are hidden from sight underneath, in which case go for the ankle straps with a clear conscience.  No one can see the fashion crime occurring visually underneath your fabulous maxi-dress.  Relax and enjoy your cocktail.
Now this pair of shoes is the closest I have to ankle-strap shoes, and I did weight this fact up before deciding to purchase, and I ended up (obviously) going for them because the ankle strap was firstly, low enough that it sits over the foot, really more of a shoelace-y effect rather than an ankle strap, and secondly, the strap is really really skinny.  But possibly my ankle-strap phobia is the reason I don’t wear these shoes more often…
But my dress hits just above knee.  So I think it’s OK.  Hopefully the fashion police won’t come a-knocking…

Details:
Dress; NewLook 6699 with modifications, various printed cottons
Scarf; black net, refashioned from an old skirt lining
Shoes; Jocomomola

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B is for beach

10/12/2010 4:41 am \ 6 Comments \

This is my newest project; top “b” from the Japanese pattern book “Unique Clothes Any Way You Like” by Natsuno Hiraiwa.  It is designed to be worn both ways front and back however desired and has a button band up the centre of the front… or back, take your pick.  All the internal seams are finished with flat felled seams and the armhole edges are bound with self-fabric bias binding.  I’ve had this crisp-ish white cotton in my stash for a while, probably at least a year ulp, thinking it would come in handy for something or other one of these days and it finally has.  Yay! for using up a bit more stash!  
I really like the boxy, undefined shape of this top; the unfittedness of course being the factor allowing one to wear it either which way… but also making for a delightfully cool and breezy shirt to wear during the hot hotter and hottest days of summer.  The Fremantle Doctor can just sail right on through these big loose armholes to refresh and revitalise me on a scorcher.
Hehe, I know what you’re thinking and you can just stop right there;  just to explain, the Fremantle Doctor is the name given here to the afternoon sea breeze…  
An added bonus here is that this shape is gloriously trendy at the mo’, see the big boxy white top in the photo below from Celine Spring 2011?  Nice to think my sewing efforts are resulting in something super fashionable every now and again…  well, I try.
Now perhaps I just need to make myself a pair of loose floppy wheat-coloured linen pants in order to really nail this look right down to the ground…?
This is the fourth white shirt in my Great White Shirt project.

Details:
Top; “b” from “Unique Clothes Any Way You Like” by Natsuno Hiraiwa, white cotton
Skirt; Vogue 7303, raw silk
Sandals; Perrini, had for many many many years

Below at left, worn the other way around; at right, from Celine Spring/Summer 2011

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