Wardrobe Refashion

Future projects

I cut the pieces for another pair of pants. identical to the previous maroon pair. Now they ferment to become a pair of pants.  ... meaning, I don't feel like working on them now. 

Also: I have a piece of remnant that screams to be another "Anthropologie" top, I have a vintage lace and some buttons. I will most likely end up in our local yarn shop anyway ... I will simply have to go in and get the "right" buttons.

  

Which brings me to: on my last visit I purchased a lovely book by Elizabeth Zimmermann "Knitting Around". If you are a knitter and have not heard of her yet, I highly recommend to google her. She is an icon and very entertaining one at that. In this particular book she has her "digressions" after each project, these are lovely narrations of her life covering pretty much the whole last century. Yes, she had a rich life. These stories sent me back to whole another world. It was an exciting trip. I think I will make another post just on this book alone. For now you can take a peek at it here. Needless to say, I chose another knitting project, the Moebius scarf.

 

It seems like I will have a lot to do in next few ... weeks?months? ... in the future. 

Cheers, Magdalena

Simple chic?

There's a running joke in my family that I always come back from the carboot sale with some green or brown material.

Well this dress is made with some love-it-or-loathe-it material from a 'green' day. It's a Japanese pattern and I'm not sure I should have just flung it over my existing clothes to photograph it - but I hope you get the idea.

Come over to my blog for details on the pattern book that it came from which is pretty ideal for flat-chested pear shapes like me!

Update on (very little) progress

Hi all-

I haven't spent much time in my sewing room lately, but I did get it cleaned up.  :)  My husband and I had friends spend the Labor Day weekend with us, so I didn't feel like I could just shut myself in there during that time.

I do have plans for this weekend, however.

 

I've loved this skirt for so long, but it's almost always been a bit snug on me.  At this point, it's just too small.  I plan to bring the waistline down to a wider section, thus bringing the hemline up to just above the knee.  I'm still contemplating what type of waistband and closure I want. 

Here's another reason I haven't done much sewing the past two weeks:

I've been reading.  Each of these books grabbed me and just wouldn't let go.  Oh, I forgot to add Swapping Lives by Jane Green.  That was a good one, too!  I am firmly ensconced in the book on top, The Way of Shadows, at the moment. 

Sometimes I just go through a period where I can't stop reading.  Swaptree is wonderful and awesome, because it cuts down on the cost when you can go through a book every two days, but now I'm tempted by good books all the time!

Winging it!

My husband had a 1920's themed function for his work and where do you think I'd find a 1920's frock?  Well not at the op shops naturally - they've all ben snapped up twenty years ago probably.  A book I bought for my daughter should she choose to become a sewer (that's all rot really, I bought it for me!) came to my rescue.

"Yeah! I Made It Myself (DIY fashion for the not very domestic goddess)" by Eithne Farry with her pattern, or rather tutorial for 'The Two Days to Go Party Dress', and some lovely op shop vintage polyester from my stash and I had myself a dress that was neither rented nor was it hanging on anyone else's bod!

Don't mind the action shot, that is to distract you from the fact I had the wrong underwear on.  With the right scaffolding underneath it was more Olive Oyl and less Sophie Loren...as was fitting for the 1920's!

BTW, it's not sheer I promise!  That's just the light.  No, really.

Vintage Pillowcase Apron

I made this apron for my Mama!  I knew she was coming for a visit soon and just after Mother's Day.  I needed to present it to her in person.  She loved it!

I bought this book that has all sorts of cute ideas: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase.  The instructions to make this apron is in the book, along with other great ideas for repurposing pillowcases.