Archive for June 2011
June 26, 2011 | 
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We are refashioning this week, something I have been longing to do, there is so many different labels for this… up-cycling, reworking, restyling, up-styling, repurposing I guess they all come under the same banner so we will choose refashioning today. I have chosen my hubby’s unused shirts and a cotton voile skirt that has never seen the light of day. The larger shirt I’ve placed exposed darts on the outside, front and back, I removed the sleeves and reworked the shoulders leaving a pleat that overlaps at the top, I then placed the sleeves back on backwards so they buttoned up on the inside of my arms it’s easier that way.
The pocket needed to go so I quickly unpicked her then put her back on crocked like you do. My favourite part is definitely the collar, I’ve removed it from the smaller shirt and added it as you see below. I rather likey like that. I then proceeded to remove the buttoned up area from the smaller shirt (is there a name for this?) annnnywhooch I’ve gathered the voile skirt and attached this to that button up thingy and it just drapes wonderfully.
I’m really trying to add some colour into my wardrobe I really struggle with it, and I’m sure most of you wouldn’t mix this animal print with polka dots with the new pants I’ve made today!! just maybe baby this is the beauty of not being great with colour, I like that they clash, so I may just stay on this path of having ‘no idea’ about colour, it could just work for me. Do you think if I added a splash of tartan I’d be going too far?
You know what? I really am enjoying not following any rules and just being myself, when I say rules I clearly mean I have always dressed to suit some sort of genre I have been heavily musically involved with, you name it I’ve been there, I’ve done New Romantic, Goth, Glam, Grunge, Boho, Retro 50′s pinup, Rock Chic and I’m pretty sure I have a tattoo to represent all of them, way to put a stamp on my ever evolving self. So with my fashion evolution I have come to a stage in my 40 years of living on this beautiful but unstable planet where I’m happy just putting an outfit together that doesn’t have a label associated with it and best represents me as an individual. Hey!! look at me being all grown up n stuff!!! no need to worry about being pigeon holed or me thinking I’m dressing differently when really all along I was walking amongst the same same but never knew it. Never with regrets, life’s too short for that. Maybe, I’ve found myself….as Neil from the Young Ones says ’H E A V Y’
So in a nutshell refashioning is one of the best ways to come up with something truly unique on a budget and is seriously eco friendly, re-using what we already have makes perfect sense. I seriously LOVED this challenge and definitely will be refashioning in the future.
Happy Sewing
Hold your horses!! the Brits are picking out their best black and white fancy hats this week to celebrate the Royal Ascot; something admittedly I know little about, is that kinda sad? Is it also sad that I have never bothered to see My Fair Lady? Audrey Hepburn apparently steps out in this epic black and white number created by Cecil Beaton. Maybe I have seen it and it never made an impression on me. Early signs of dementia perhaps?? I am, however very familiar with The Melbourne Cup so with my knowledge of that I have put together a photo flurry of myself and my hubby attending the Royal Ascot for this weeks Sew Weekly challenge, we had a ball and guess what? we managed to pick the trifecta!!!
First off we were running a tad late so we grabbed the form guide (aka the instructions to Butterick Pattern B4389 of which my dress was made). We picked our horses and placed our bets, my stretch satin dress was a winner amongst the punters on the track, they thought it was Chanel, what a compliment hey!! my toes were starting to hurt in my heels, I was simply too busy sewing this dress to find the time to get a pedicure but that’s another story for another time.
Before we knew it the horses were at the gates, the crowd was growing anxious and bang!! just like that they were off and as they turned the final bend we found ourselves screaming ‘go you good thing’ I lost my voice with all the excitement and my hubby couldn’t believe how fabulous my dress looked. Without even knowing it we backed not just one winner but three. Dinner is on us!!
To celebrate our winnings and my fabulous sewing skills we popped the cork on the most expensive bottle of bubbly which tasted just like the $10 one I drink on weekends, funny that!! The cork flew past me and landed in a ladies big ol fancy hat without her knowing, oops.
While I waited for hubby to return with more bubbly I was handed a bunch of balloons that matched my fabulously sewn dress —embellished with black piping a row of evenly spaced matte black buttons and a faux collar, by this time I was rather light on my feet as you can imagine and I felt like I could literally take off, no longer did my toes hurt either. *ching ching*
I was enjoying the festivities but hubby said the bubbly was going to my head he knew this because my right eye started to close, when pirate eye sets in it’s best we head off home. *hiccup*
…not before a quick cuddle though.
What a fantastic day we’ve had, we’ve never had so much fun. My dress was perfect for the day and hubby said he wants to take me on a trip around the world with the winnings!!! Oh my, I may not be here next week readers.
Au revoir.
Happy Sewing.
I must admit when I read that this weeks Sew Weekly challenge was to make something from a pair of pillowcases my first impression was ‘how naff’, but then looking at all of the other clever contributor outcomes I thought okay ‘it is possible’.
There was no way I was going to chop up my Orla Kiely’s and my linen closet needs a serious update, besides if I’m going to spend my valuable time sewing dresses out of pillowcases I was going to look for something I would wear again and again.
…enter Target and the fabulous discount table.
Yep I found this fantastic set of pillowcases in the bargain bin at Target woo hoo. The tree print appears on the front of the cases and the crisp squares on the back. I love the silhouette don’t you? I proceeded to remove the fronts from the backs flipping and joining the tree print to resemble a reflection. Joining the backs together adding a pleat in the centre to remove the bulk and placing matt black buttons so the back didn’t look too boring. I cut into the cases to add a bit of body to the over all squareness then added thick elastic along the join in the middle which happened to be the perfect spot for my waist. The shoulders hung like a sack with no shape what so ever so I folded pleats into them; much better. I had just enough material left to place side pockets in. I’m telling you I’m very pleased with this whole pillowcase thingy I’m certainly on the lookout for more pillowcases to make dresses from.
So in order to see if this was a do-able outfit we headed off on a big bike ride …
Oh yes she’s a keeper but I’m putting my cape back on because my god it’s chilly. Brrrr.
Oh! and lets not forget the finer details like a label he he.
Happy Sewing.
