It felt kinda weird having a week off sewing and blogging, I found myself wandering about the house like I’d lost something, my hubby asked what I was doing sitting on the couch and I said I guess I’m relaxing? I don’t know about you but I need to be doing something creative on a weekly basis otherwise I find I get a little down in the dumps, so you could say that sewing makes me one happy-camper and with that in mind welcome to this weeks little creation.

When you plan to sit down and get stuck into your next sewing project what is it that got you motivated in the first place? Was it a special sewing pattern? or did you find yourself some stunning fabric that screams for a particular make? perhaps it’s just the thrill of a challenge, it can be any number of things really; in my case, for this weeks make it was as simple as a picture with a side serve of music. A healthy sewing diet methinks.

Going back to my first post on Sewing Fashion Fantasies I’m still obsessing over this picture, the work of Sue Clowes- in particular, the first girl on the left, can I say that outfit is everything? It’s only a gathered skirt and a fitted singlet top (I guess) but it just has this vibe about it that I love, an 80′s zulu kinda thing accompanied by an 80′s upbeat soundtrack- Bow Wow Wow,  The Culture Club, The Slits-Ari-Up, Malcolm McLaren’s album Duck Rock, Amazulu-Remember them on the Young One’s? You know where I’m coming from.

So this outfit is a mixture of that picture and those links and music- mixed with my love of this overall look inspired from Vivienne Westwoods earlier collections from the 80′s. Slightly obsessed is an understatement.

The African fabric I purchased from Etsy, isn’t yum? I made the bib and brace from leather scraps using a press-stud kit. I started out by stitching and turning over the serged top edge then applying wide elastic for the skirt. I added large side pockets and then sewed the leather braces in and then the bib which is serged and hemmed with loop turned ties at the shoulders, it’s kinda like a pinafore. Without the top half it would just look like a gathered skirt worn up around my armpits.

I like the proportions very much. Making sure there was no fabric wastage- I made a bracelet stuffed with the inside of my pillow that was ready for the bin and the same goes with my almost camouflaged ’string of sausages’  necklace inspired by yes! a string of sausages.

How about you? do you have a particular picture/vibe that you’d like to emulate? I know there is an endless sea of vintage sewers out there, are there any other genre sewers? I think sewing to a vibe/genre like this is super fun definitely a way of  acquiring that ‘special make’ without taking out a small loan that’s for sure; aren’t we lucky to have such mad skills? I know I’m sure as hell am. Blessed I tell ya  b l e s s e d.

I’m off to stand in this pose as I listen to David Bowies ‘Next Day’ in it’s entirety. Boy, 10 years? sure feels like a lifetime huh?