SSS '11: Days 10, 11, 12 & 13

Day 10:

What I wore:

Me-made lace embellished dress and pants. My me-made yellow jacket was worn in the evening.

Thoughts:

Day 10 was actually a really exciting day. Pat and I organised and hosted an event to help crafters/designer-makers with their face-to-face selling technique. My folks had also came down to play, so we ate and drank well into the night to celebrate the event's success! Umm, the outfit helped me do these things as this is an excellent dress for hiding a big post-dinner belly!

Day 11:

What I wore:

Me-made bustier-line T-shirt, black sailor trousers and pants. My me-made Saint cardigan got carried about and probably worn at some point.

Thoughts:

Comfy.

Day 12:

What I wore:

Remade sweatshirt, black sailor trousers and pants. My me-made leopard coat was worn during my morning battle against the elements as I walked to work in the rain.

Thoughts:

This sweatshirt makes me smile when I catch a glimpse of it in the mirror, but the collar flaps up in a silly manner when the wind is blowing!

Day 13:

What I wore:

Me-made granny dress and pants worn with red thrifted cardi. My me-made yellow jacket was worn in the evening.

Thoughts:

At the start of the day I was wearing a different collection of clothes to this one. I hestitate to call what I was first wearing an 'outfit', as it was a pretty terrible mix of garments that I'd put together simply because it was a combination I hadn't previously worn. That's the danger with trying to create new outfit every day, I guess the result isn't guaranteed to be a success! So I changed into this outfit which felt much more 'put together', a pleasing feeling as I was going to an art gallery private view thing after work with the cream of Brighton's creative community. Here I am enjoying a glass of plonk with my awesome friend Rehanon who is also participating in SSS '11 and will soon be unleashing an amazing sewing blog in the near future (she made her wonderful top):

Poetry and Clothing Project: July

It's high time I created the next installment of the exciting Poetry and Clothing project. As you can tell by the title of this post, the timing of the project has slipped somewhat, but for excellent reason. Harriet, our resident poet, spent a large chunk of the summer cycling solo from Toulouse in France to Venice in Italy before taking a boat to Greece. This adventure, which culminated in an inspirational poetry symposium on a Greek island, took a couple of months in total, before she had to sell her bike and fly back to Barcelona. It sounds like she had an amazing trip and I'm sure I speak for many when I declare myself more than a little jealous! But that's Harriet: she thinks of something she wants to do, and gets it done despite any difficulties, practicalities and hurdles that may threaten to get in the way.

Since her return, she has typed up the most recent poems that form her side of this creative relay, so I'd best get on with sharing the garments I sent her for July.

First up, she received a garment that has already graced this blog: the red linen swing trousers. As you may or may not recall, these trousers, though the result of another lovely collaboration of sorts, just didn't work out for me. The fit and indeed style weren't right for me, so I decided to pass them on to Harriet who I knew would love their 1940s high-waisted stylings and most likely fit them better than I.

One special little detail that I forgot to share with you at the time is the cute domino button. The button that popped off because of my belly!

Harriet is also a tap dancer, and in fact tap dancing is an integral feature of the life of Lola, Harriet's alter-ego. I like to think that these trousers could look awesome when worn during a tapping session! They also fulfill two of Harriet's clothing requirements that she outlined when this project began: plain AND high-waisted.

The other garment I sent her for July was also made from seasonally-appropriate linen fabric. This is a really simple basic A-line skirt made from a vintage 1970s curtain. A pretty standard and uninspiring garment in some senses, but in another it was a relevant and useful training tool. I gave my best mate a sewing lesson in which she made her first ever garment, a lovely A-line skirt made from a cute black and white Eiffel Tower printed cotton. I aimed to touch Vic's skirt project as little as possible, because I really wanted her to get those most out of the lesson, and we all know how easy it can be to just say 'Oh, give it here' when teaching someone something. So my aim was to make the same garment along side as Vic made her's to show her the steps before she did her own. But actually she was really good and honestly didn't need much showing at all. I'll try and get a pic of Vic in her skirt one of these days...

But back to 'Poetry and Clothing'. As you may have noticed, when posting about a month's garments, I include for your pleasure the poem that Harriet wrote for me that was inspired by the previous month's garment/s. June's package consisted of a pale blue striped high-waisted pencil skirt, and a ruffle front detail T-shirt remake. She decided she was going to wear the pieces together to attend the graduation ceremony of this year's leavers from the school where she teaches.


Graduation Day (June 2011)

Playing a part
(a photo on a lawn)
with time sliding along
a thin wire.

Tight-fitting ideals
and memories filed
neatly away in an empty classroom
(one lone magnet holding nothing
but itself to the wall)

Me, straight and curved
(the way a woman looks to a girl)
in an attempt to contain that
red-eyed hope
(no heart to tell how we shrink
and sag with time)

A long-seamed dart
imitates perfect long legs
a perfect shade of pink
and the way the sky changes colour
(nothing to anchor us
but heels in the mud)

The invisible champagne spills
the fireworks scratching at the sky
the insects by the pool
all suggest we are on the cusp of something
(something akin to cliché
but more ruffled and prettier somehow)

A well-measured match

And then, the courage to clash


I really love the ideas and nostalgic snap shots that are woven into this poem. The subtle references to the feel, fit and details of the garments are referenced so cleverly too, IMO.

SSS '11: Days 7, 8 & 9

I promise posts on topics other than 'what I've been wearing for SSS '11' are in the pipeline. It's been a busy week so keeping on top of my challenge documentation has been all I could manage recently. Thanks for sticking with me!

Day 7: (daytime)

What I wore:

Me-made black sailor trousers, remade jumper, vest and pants. My yellow jacket was worn during my walk to and from work.

Thoughts:

Not the most exciting outfit, but perfect for a work day in a chilly studio.

Day 7: (evening)

What I wore:

Leopard Rockabilly dress and leopard coat when I left the flat.

Thoughts:

Well, it turns out that Day 7 was also mine and Patty's three year anniversary so after work we got changed and went out for dinner to celebrate! It was really fun to dress up for our special occassion, and I haven't worn this dress for ages but I love it, so it was nice to find a reason to get it out. It's a pretty fun garment but also is quite classy in terms of coverage so I feel really confident and comfortable in it. Who doesn't love that combo?!

Day 8:

What I wore:

Me-made navy skirt, stripey T-shirt and pants. My yellow jacket was worn during my walk to and from work, red cardigan was thrifted.

Thoughts:

The other day my boyfriend reminded me that a couple of years ago I was talking about how I'd like to change the way I dressed. I can't remember the conversation particularly, but he says how I wanted to have a stronger visual identity, for the clothes and colours I wear to be more reflective of how I feel inside. When I had to jettison a lot of my wardrobe to move back to UK, I gave away a lot of my more muted-toned garments. I've gone on to rebuild my wardrobe with stronger, clearer toned items which in turn make me feel stronger somehow. The result is my ability to create outfits like Day 8's which I feel is more 'me' as I am these days.

Day 9:

What I wore:

Me-made denim sailor trousers, black T-shirt, Saint cardigan and pants.

Thoughts:

It's Friday and delivery day, which means getting a bit grubby, so not a thrilling outfit by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm pleased that my self-stitched wardrobe can cover a multitude of bases, from fancy nights out to practical days at work.

Happy weekend!

SSS '11: Days 4, 5 & 6

Day 4:

Don't be getting no ideas about my desert now, ok?!

I promise you it's the insane wind that's making my hair look all crazified.

What I wore:

Me-made yellow jacket, black sailor trousers, black T-shirt and pants. Cardigan was thifted.

Thoughts:

Per-ritty dull outfit, IMO, but it was a Sunday spent going for a long walk on a windy day, so who cares particularly? And that desert was out of this world, BTW.

Day 5:

What I wore:

Me-made denim sailor trousers, bustier-line T-shirt, Saint cardigan and pants. Me-made yellow jacket was worn to and from work.

Thoughts:

Rainy Monday morning, bad nights sleep and a massive headache all day. Basically you are really lucky I'm not still in my jam jams.

Day 6:

What I wore:

Me-made denim skirt, long-sleeved leopard top, vest and pants. Me-made leopard coat was worn to and from work (in the rain both ways, may I add).

Thoughts:

Ok, so the weather today was worse than yesterday, but I felt a skirt day was due. I really could alternate between my denim sailor trousers and my black sailor trousers for the entire month if left to my own devices, but I know that wearing this skirt today made me feel nicer than if I hadn't done. That's one of the reasons why these challenges are good for me.

A Day in My Life

I'm assuming that everyone who reads this blog, aside from perhaps my mum, also already reads Tilly's blog. But in case you hadn't noticed and were interested at all, this month I'm her 'Miss September' as part of her awesome 'Day in the Life' series where she features people who are 'allowed' to think about sewing all day as part of their job. So, if you would like to know more about what I actually get up to during an average week day, as well as crucial info like what I have for breakfast and who cooks my dinner, check out this post!

The other episodes in the series are also well worth checking out, it's so fascinating getting a sneaky-peek into other peoples' lives. So far Tilly has featured an interesting blend of individuals who lead fairly different lives, aside from the one common theme of sewing (I so nearly said 'common thread' then! I 'sew' nearly.... haha! Ok, I'll stop). Having already covered an independent sewing pattern designer, an embroidery entrepreneur, a haberdashery shop owner and now whatever-the-hell I am, I'm really interested to see who else she has lined up for the future.

SSS '11: Days 1, 2 & 3

Here we go again....

Day 1:

What I wore:

Me-made nautical sundress, vest and pants. Me-made yellow jacket was worn to and from work. Cardigan was thifted (get used to seeing this cardi, my green one died in the wash recently).

Thoughts:

Pairing my sundress with tights plus a cardi on the top and vest underneath makes has made it a viable garment for early Autumn/late Spring weather. It seems such a shame to only get to wear pretty dresses when the tiny windows of sunny opportunity present themselves!

Day 2:

What I wore:

Me-made navy capris (not previously blogged about in their own post), Sailor Sencha blouse, Saint Cardigan and pants.

Thoughts:

A fairly standard work day outfit. I've worn these capris quite a lot this summer, though the stretch in the fabric goes a bit baggy so they tend to need a wash after every wear.

Day 3:

What I wore:

Me-made Ceylon dress and pants. Me-made yellow jacket worn after dark when it got a bit nippy.

Thoughts:

I still have issues with the fit of this dress, but it was nice to wear it again. The day got warmer than I was expecting so it was nice to wear something with short sleeves. The fabric of this dress is actually quite thick, so with thicker tights and a vest underneath and a cardi, I reckon it could stand up to near Winter conditions. I had a lovely day checking out the Maker Faire, briefly hanging out at Handmade, and then hooking up with the lovely Tilly and some of her crew for drinks and Pompoko. Weekends are so superior to weekdays!

Closer look at the most successful part of the dress (the top bit!):

My Sewing Pattern Hoard: Outerwear

It's time for another installment of 'My Sewing Pattern Hoard'. I've fully abandoned dreams of whipping up a quick playsuit this year as I don't know about where you are, but round my way the mornings have definately starting to feel a bit nippy recently. Our summer was pretty rubbish, but I'm not complaining about the on-set of Autumn, you know where you are with Autumn. No-one complains that you have to put on a jacket, it's as it should be. You can still get some lovely days, and they are a bonus, but if it rains, that's ok too as it's kind of to be expected.

So, the chilly mornings are making me wistful for more of a variety of jackets to choose from and I've almost forgotten the gruling mission my navy wool coat project was so I've decided to dig out my outerwear patterns and put them up for discussion. Basically, I feel that if you live in UK, any coat or jacket you make that fits is never going to be time wasted. My navy wool coat, leopard coat and yellow jacket see far more wears than any other garment I've ever made, so I'm hoping you'll help make some decisions regarding this Autumn/Winter's sewing efforts:

I'm not sure how I feel about this coat. It looks quite a clean and simple shape, would it look like a little girl's coat though? I tried making the dress from this pattern and the bust shaping was for a comically high bust point. That shouldn't be a problem for the coat though as it's got intriguing shoulder darts instead. What colour/fabric would you make this in? I do love the potential for showcasing a set of seriously amazing buttons though.

LOVE this cape pattern. I'd love to make the shorter length in navy or black wool with the epaulettes and gold buttons! In fact, I've already traced this pattern ready for a ridiculously large piece of secondhand wool to fall into my lap!

Once again, not sure how I feel about the above coat pattern. In a similar vein to the top pattern, the buttons would be so eye catching!

I used this pattern back in 2008 when I made a yellow curtain version of the view on the right. Initially, I didn't wear it much, but then I was living in deepest darkest Essex at the time. Not a region known for its tolerance towards sartorial difference. But over the last year there have been months when I've worn it almost daily. Actually, I'm currently working on another version of this pattern with bracelet-length sleeves. I'm trying to draft a lining pattern for it, so don't hold your breath to see the finished project. I'm convinced it's going to be amazing though! (Hint: anchors will be involved!)

Hmmm, now this jacket could look a bit prim and 'twin set and pearls', but imagine this little blighter with some kitschy appliqued detailing on the front, like my swallow jacket, perhaps. I'm viewing this jacket as a kind of 'canvas for kitsch'. What would you apply?

I was really into this jacket pattern when I saw it on ebay, but now I'm not so sure. I have a sneaking suspicion that if you invested the time needed to make this jacket, that the outcome would be very different from the envelop. I can't even figure out what's up with the CF near the neck. Does it actually curve towards the start of the collar, or has the illustrator used some artistic licence here? Who can say? I do not have it in me to give the time needed to figuring it out. Not this year at least.

Not, anyway, whilst this cheeky little thing sits within my grasp:

HOW nice it this?! Oh, I want to make it in some incredible 1950s floral furnishing fabric that most likely will go with none of the rest of my clothes. Or in red like the chica in the top left corner. This makes me want to go through all my buttons to find the best big odd button and design the rest of the jacket around it. What would you like to see it made in?

Now I had such high hopes for this pattern that I poured over it and gazed at the line drawings on the inside sheets for an age. It's got two different body variations, three different neck options (one round neck and two different collars) and about a million different sleeve options. AND you can showcase some of those incredible big buttons. I imagined making hundreds of jackets from this pattern, and with the various combinations possible in different fabrics they'd all look totally different. I did a toile of the longer length with round neck and elasticated short sleeve and I was not impressed. The neck came out so wide that you would struggle to match it with an appropriate top or blouse to go underneath. The elastic of the gathered sleeves sat way too close to your armpit and the whole fit was kind of shapeless, neither fitted nor boxy. Now I see on the illustrations how far the jackets sit away from the body, I'd say that that's actually pretty accurate. Not what I was hoping for. I may go in for another go though, and start with the size below my normal one.

Umm, is this a pattern for a versatile, practical jacket waiting to be deployed, or a pattern for the most unimpressive dull garment to ever have precious sewing time wasted on it? (BTW, I was thinking red and white check wool, NOT silver mock-croc!).

I've also bought the PDF for this jacket from Burdastyle, so that's an option too. Coats and jackets take such a large amount of effort and time to create, please help me decide what pattern/s I should invest my project time into!