Completed: New Look 6922

Stevie? Finished something?! Surely not!

Surely yes! I have actually got a backlog of projects for the first time in ages but the miserable British weather is not conducive to beautiful sunny photos right now. These will have to do. I just realised you haven't seen my new glasses. I'm still not 100% sure about them but hey. There is just a distinct hit of Deirdre Barlow.

So anyway, this top NL 6922 I made 100 years ago and loved it. I wore it to death. (Version  1 2 here) I also forgot that I hacked at the pattern in my more naïve days. Turns out pattern hacking was a bit too zealous that day. I dropped the shoulders and didn't adjust the neckline. I was also a few stone heavier back then and I didn't really account for that either.

With that said I do like how comfy this top is and it will do for lounging around the house. Its a lovely pale pink colour I used to avoid like the plague. I loved it I just felt it wasn't flattering.

I've now decided I don't care and I'm building my collection of pretty rose coloured tops!

As this is a wadder of sorts I only bothered to edit two photos. I liked the fabric but it was cheap from fabricland and its not thick enough the be flattering. I won't be using this pattern again unless I can re purchase it as I need to do an FBA and can't be arsed to figure out what the hell I did to the shoulders at the time. I still use the cardigan and pants pieces from this pattern so I'm sure it won't be the last time you see the number.

Stats Time!

Fabric: Fabricland special £2.99pm lets say 1.5 m

Notions: Stash

Wearability: 3/10 It will do for pyjamas.

Core Style: It ain't what it used to be...

Today I'm talking about Core Style. I've been reading through Colette Pattern's blogposts on Wardrobe Architect and one of the key excercises is working out your core style. This basically means the clothing that you like to wear most that you think fits in with your personal aesthetic and lifestyle. Think Cake vs Icing debate from a few years back? This is the cake.

Its amazing how different your style can be from one year to the next. One of the beauties of sewing your own clothes is that you can create a version of yourself apart from the rest of the world if you wish to. I felt that way when I started blogging all those years ago but now I see sewing as a tool to enhance fit, more so than as an alternative subcultural statement. Here is an old blog image of a skirt i'd made back in 2012. Back then it was about looking different. My lifestyle was that of a University student and I could wear pretty much whatever I wished.

Nowadays I would say this kind of outfit sums me up. Add a chunky cardigan and that is pretty much my day to day uniform. Just add jeans for the weekend and tights for Winter. With this in mind I came up with a few outfits on Polyvore that best suit my style.

With these core style set ups i've added patterns that I think could be used to replicate the look. This is something i've found infinitely helpful recently, its jumpstarted my sewing and spurred me on knowing that I will have useful and beautiful items in my wardrobe that suit me.

The first outfit is a weekend outfit. I tend to live in jeans, a nice top and an oversized cardigan. 

In this instance I've used Deer and Doe Plantain Top

Ginger Jeans and Seamwork Magazine's Oslo Cardigan

 I've noticed that I don't use accessories as much as I used to and I've decided to work on that in 2016. This outfit is likely to include leggings or tights underneath but the concept is the same. I've just sewn a replacement Mabel in the same shade as this one below. My unblogged version has been on weekly rotation since I made it. You can't beat a neutral skirt dont'cha know!
For this I thought Colette's Mabel and New Look 6922 made a nice pairing.

 This is a more modern departure for me, based on Sarai Mitnick's style. Again I can't fault an oversized cardigan. I'd create this look using Aurora and Oslo by Seamwork teamed with ginger jeans. If I could find a decent Kimono pattern I may swap Oslo out.

 Finally I went for a winter themed outfit. I live in dresses and tights in the cold. So much so that when I went to work in trousers one day a colleague was shocked and told me she had never seen me wearing trousers in the whole time I'd been working there. This is Colette's Moneta and you've guessed it, Oslo.

How would you define your core style?

Happy New Year: Seasonally Inappropriate Archer...

Happy New Year Lovelies! I'm back and hopefully here to stay. My resolution this year is to go back to doing things I love and making time for things that make me happy, (that involves mainly sewing and gardening!) I was a bit poorly towards the end of the year culminating in an unexpected hospital stay, so now i'm on the mend i'm focusing on the year ahead. 

With that in mind here is my last make of 2015. A sleeveless Archer.

This is a Chambray i've had in the stash forever and I did intend to make a long sleeved Archer with it. Indeed, I still have the sleeves cut out somewhere but I realised that practically I wear shirts  under cardigans for work and they generally fit better when the shirt is sleeveless. If I had thought that through beforehand I would've made the correct pattern adjustments to the armhole but ever indecisive, I ploughed on regardless. I will live with it how it is for now and work out if its too uncomfortable. But rest assured I will be making more of these! 

This is my third Archer and I love both my others! Its such a classic shirt and the back detail seen here is really pretty and feminine. I have a soft spot for Grainline patterns. I love Jen's laid back styling and minimal fuss. Its amazing how we evolve our style isn't it? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have said that when I started blogging! But practicality in my day to day wardrobe has taken over. Gone are the days of wearing cocktail dresses to do the food shop!

So here are my stats for my lovely new shirt!

Fabric: Chambray from stash i'm guessing it was around £8pm so say £16

Notions: Stash £0.00

Pattern: Third go at Grainline's Archer Shirt already in stash £0.00

Wearability: 7/10 I'm not 100% on how comfy the sleeves are going to be but as a wardrobe workhorse you can't beat a Chambray shirt!

I'm starting to find some TnT patterns that work well for my style and my wardrobe and although its boring from a blogging point of view its a real bonus for my wardrobe. I'm pretty proud of the finish on this shirt, I'm generally not that patient when it comes to sewing, due to my limited time these days but the slower I go the better the finish and I need to keep that in mind this year!

I'm hoping to participate in Artisan Square's SWAP 2016 as I did in 2014. I really enjoyed the process and I could do with enhancing my wardrobe with useful pieces this year.

I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and I wish you a healthy and happy new year!

We've Decided on Forever...

Morning Lovelies!

Thought I'd drop in to tell you a little, but very exciting story... 

Turns out Piemaker is more romantic than I could ever have imagined!

On the 9th of May this year I turned 25. Piemaker treated me to a day out in London, Kew gardens no less! I had been desperate to visit, so I was already thrilled that it was my birthday treat. 

We walked for a while until we came upon the jewel in Kew's crown. The Palm House. We gazed at it and marvelled as it was better in real life than we had imagined. ( If you have never seen the palm house at Kew its the amazing building in the photo above.) I have always loved gardens and history and so Kew has always been significant for me. It links me to lovely family memories of gardens and my grandparents, as well as my degree in Fashion and Design History and of course my current obsession with my allotment.

This is where Piemaker stopped me and told me he had brought a birthday present for me to open here.

A little bemused, I opened it. It was a little wooden box Piemaker had decorated with photos of us, Pixel Pug and our little house. On the front of the box were our names and the date.

He asked me to open it...

When I opened the box inside was a little grey velvet box...

When I looked over at Piemaker. He is down on one knee in the middle of Kew Gardens, 

Reader, he asked me to marry him!

As you can tell after a few tears, I said yes!

After telling all our friends and family (Some of whom already knew, he sneakily asked my parents permission!) I had coincedentally booked us onto a little break in Paris two weeks later. This is where we decided to do our announcement photos!

We had a fabulous time! I've been to Paris lots over the years but it was amazing showing Piemaker sights and places that I love. We did the usual tourist thing, Eiffel Tower, Tuileries Palace, Louvre, but also Flower Markets and a particularly awesome bar called Dernier bar avant la fin du monde. 

Geekery Personified!

My ring is stunning! He looked on Etsy and had a lady design and handmake it. Its rose gold (my favourite!) with diamonds and a peach sapphire in the middle when we got home we took some photos to try and do it justice...

Those macaroons were from Monmartre and were delicious by the way!
I have now got 6 weeks of school holidays so here's hoping I can get some sewing done in amongst the gardening and wedding planning!

Completed: Coral Plantain...

Hi Friendlings, May the Fourth be with you! I hope you are enjoying your Monday, bank holiday for us Brits so we have spent it painting the kitchen almost exactly the same colour it started! 

(Well half of it was blue FYI.)

Anyhoo I'm pretty pleased with it and i'm pleased to say that the sewing drought appears to have broken!

Behold, yet another Deer and Doe Plantain!

I know I know, all the cake, never the icing! Well dear hobbitses, I really love cake and with my new job i'm finding this whole workwear thing particularly tricky to negotiate. This top could go under a cardigan and sneak its way in to work in disguise. I actually got a compliment on my green plantain at work the other day so I will keep these in wardrobe rotation until they fall apart. 

This i'm afraid, means I will indeed be sewing more of them.

This was all done on the overlocker and I have for now left the sleeves and hem with an overlocked edge. I love the shape of Plantain. Not too low, not too short, overall pretty awesome for my body shape which I would currently describe as "podgy".

This is a cheapo jersey from fabricland and  I love the textural aspect of it. It has tiny punctured waves which means it can be a little indecent without a vest top which I am of course wearing (scoundrels!) 

Stats time!

Fabric: Jersey from Fabricland £4 per metre so call it £6

Pattern: Plantain used before £0

Notions: £0

Total: £6

Wearability: 9/10 Simply because I have to bother with a vest top underneath.

Pixel wanted in on the action as per usual. He's been asleep on the painting dust sheet most of the day. But here he is doing his best impression of a sniffer dog.

The Long Silence...

 

Good afternoon lovely blog readers! Well, this is awkward, no posts since October and no real excuse... Ok. So lots of bloggers have a bit of a silence over Christmas but this might be taking the biscuit. So I thought you deserved a little life update:

• New job? Going swimmingly thank you, but increased responsibility has meant some extra long hours, I don't mind but when I come home I tend to crash.
• Driving? I got my first car over Christmas which means I am finally free of public transport! Should be a time saver!
• Allotment! I became the new owner of an allotment over the Autumn and boy is that a time suck! But I'm already in love with it and the excercise won't kill me.
• House? Still a million and one things to do no moneys to do it with
• Teaching! I have a few regular students which I am really happy about but again it's the time that takes up on top of my 9-5. 

All in all this has meant pretty much zero selfish sewing. This makes me sad and I do feel guilty for not keeping up with my commitments. But something had to give. At the moment my overlocker is in for service, hopefully having it back will renew my vigour. 

Do you ever feel guilty about how you divide up your time?

Completed: Autumn Leaves Coppelia

God I love Autumn! Boots, crunchy leaves, pumpkin flavoured stuffs, tights and of course cardigans!

I have never been a Summer girl. Too much flesh to bare for me, I much prefer the comfort of layers and the warmth of the fire. Time to show you my new Coppelia cardigan! Much improved from my first attempt this is made from a wool blend jersey in my favourite shade of mustard! 

This colour reminds me of those beautiful yellow leaves that fall off the trees before they turn auburn and crunchy. Such a happy colour!

I made a few changes this time but I'm sure I could use a few more, this is Coppelia lengthened by 4 inches. I find the previous version added far too much bulk to the smallest part of my waist making me look very square. I didn't shorten the ties on this one as I did in the previous I need all the wrap I can get! I also left off the cuff as I naturally roll my sleeves up most of the time, I didn't feel I really need it but I have them cut incase I change my mind.

By the way, how perfect are these shoes? They match beautifully and I can see myself wearing this to work with some black slim pants. The fabric is a beautiful wool blend from Ditto in Brighton. Expensive for me but I squeezed this out of 1.5 metres which was a bit of a struggle, but it made it affordable.

 Here is what I'm going to do differently next time:

• Re-locate the wrap ties - Now its longer its not as flattering wrapped at my hips I'd like them more around my waist. I can wear it like this but theres a weird cross at the back.
• Cut 2 sizes smaller! My sleeves are massive and I overestimated the weight of this jersey. There is a lot of stretch and paired with the raglan sleeve this makes for a kind of batwing effect. I don't mind it being snuggly but I'm hoping it might need to do a bit more shrinking in the wash.

 

Stats:
Fabric: 1.5 Wool Blend Jersey from Ditto in Brighton £9.99 pm
Notions: From Stash £0.00
Total: £14.98
Wearability: 8/10
If I made the changes I listed earlier this would totally be a ten. This colour is super flattering to my "Wednesday Adams" toned skin and will look great with my work wardrobe and my home wardrobe!

How about you readers? Are you Autumn people?