Springtime!

I thought this photo pretty much summed up how I feel at the moment. I seem to come out of my shell a bit when the sun comes out. Colour comes back into my wardrobe with a big unsubtle bang and I bake. Dave and I made custard Buns yesterday which resulted in them becoming breakfast this morning!

I always buy flowers when I'm feeling springlike. I miss my garden at my parents, where all my tulips will be out in full bloom so I tend to buy some for a vase or jug around now. The Fabric is curtain fabric. 100% cotton. Called Lalique. I got it from Ebay when I was considering the Rebecca dress make. But I think it would make a fab macaron. I'm frightened about it not being pre shrunk though... Anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? Please Lend me your knowledge!

As usual I am rubbish at self control. I wandered into a shop looking for furniture yesterday and guess what I came out with? Patterns.
Vintage ones. Nice ones, Large sizes too! I'm Useless.

My thought pattern went like this... Ohhh Tops! I need Tops! A pound?! I can do that... Thats ok right? yeah. I'll leave now and I won't look at...

OHHHH look at that... Quick and easy too? That wouldn't take too much grading and polka dots... I love polka dots...

Look at that awesome collar...
And that Scalloped one!... I must possess them all!!!!!!!

This is how my brain works in shopaholic mode. I hope you understand.

Outfit Post: Ponteroma Dress

I happened to have a very lovely family and yesterday I wore one of my many presents from my Mum and Dad from Christmas. Its called the Ponteroma Dress. Its a gorgeous royal blue colour. Actually pretty much the colour I had planned for my Cynthia Rowley dress. Apologies for the rubbish Photos, one bedroom lamp doesn't make for perfect studio conditions.

The fabric belt is one of my favorite parts of this dress! It fits so nicely and is fully lined. (Granted it should have cost £100 but it was in the sale, I had been watching it for a while.)

Just swooping in to let you know I've started on the Macaron, doing the muslin so more to come.

Dress: Country Casuals (Old Lady Brand but it just means no one I know will own it!)

Cardi: Old M&S that has holes in I wear it so much (Thanks Auntie Karen!)

Necklace: No idea but I love it, goes with everything!

What Era are You?

I thought this was an interesting question as most of us stick to a particular era we idolise, I was always a dress up little girl, but my style has evolved from princessy 50's frocks.

so. What era do you emulate and most admire?

1920's?

1930's?

1940's?

1950's?

1960's?

1970's?

My current favorite era is a bit of a cop out really. I love late 1950's to early 1960's at present,

I love Jackie O, Sheath dresses, Little twinsets, Skirt suits, and figure hugging hourglass clothes.

But I have been into 30's, 40's and frilly 50's styles throughout my clothing life, occasionally I go back to these era's for a revisit, but If i'm sewing I tend to stick to this era.

So I'd love to know.

What Era are You?

Finally... The Joan Dress!

It's here finally! not quite finished, there is still overlocking to be done and tweaks on the bust, the skirt, darts and hem but hey!

(please ignore the state of this room but I was too exited to wait!)

I'm feeling Sophia Loren, mid sixties in this dress, less so Joan.

But still I am really pleased with it. But my pattern adjustments were miles too big so I think it could be worth just buying the pattern again so I can cut out the 20. It had to be taken in a lot so thats why its taken so long to post!

Its very wearable, very comfortable and I am so happy with the fabric (after overlocking)

Heres the pattern again

Lowering the neckline was a good plan definately,

heres the back!

A Question of Etticut

This was a book of my Grandma Eileen's that I found earlier in the week from 1964, Just the contents page makes me giggle!

New Patterns

Ok So like everyone else in blogland I also have Mad Men Fever, I am a similar sized girl to Joan and have the same hair colour, so in my head I could hypothetically be her!

I am also a Vintage Junkie due to my mother being a minimalist modern lady, I work in a vintage shop, I study fashion history, It all fits!

So imagine my uber exitement when I walked into an (un- named) Brighton shop and found a little teeny corner where there were some of the nicest quality and cutest vintage patterns i have ever seen! (I look a lot at vintage patterns and never buy them)

They were also stupidly cheap but bearing in mind Vogue patterns in the UK are around £13 each I was thrilled and bought three!

The First would be fab in a baby blue I think! or a sultry red very 1940s! and I want some 40's style trousers but these 1970's one are pretty close, and now the piece de resistance... Amazing full skirted dress, the date on the packet is 1963 perfect as late fifties early sixties is fast becoming my favorite era!

Now to buy a new sewing machine...