The 'Look Ma, No Knits' edition! Because not only did spring finally deign to visit London, summer came right on its heels, and the week went from warm to glorious. Which probably means we'll be back in woolens&waterproofs next week, but in the meantime, since most of my makes from this first year of sewing have fallen on the unlined sundress/little blouse side, I have a lot of new things to show :)
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skirt: Vogue 1324 modified exactly according to the Sewing Lawyer's instructions, disguised brilliantly by the busy print on this stretch cotton sateen. This means there is legit a disturbingly truncated kangaroo pouch inside, but no-one can tell, honest... *shifty eyes*
shop-bought: Anthropologie silk blouse, Stuart Weitzmann R&B wedges [blahblah neither a fashion blogger nor a shoe girl am boring blah]
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dress: vintage Simplicity 3454 in Liberty Tana Crepe (so, so lovely and spoingy this stuff; wish they'd release more than one measly colourway a season.... sans collar, shoulder pads and about 10" each off the hem and width (well I exaggerate, but only slightly -- seriously, y those 1940s broads so broad?!) Good thing wrap dresses are so forgiving -- if you attempt a vintage pattern I cannot stress enough the importance of measuring the pattern pieces to work out a final garment measurement before jumping in with the shears as enthusiastically as I like to XD
shop-bought: cropped out shoes were low-heeled grey brogues from a Japanese brand, v period.
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Isn't that polkadotted grosgrain just darling. And cunning -- offering great camouflage for my red knots :P Computer in the background, because I still can't sew without the consolation of audiovisual fluffy meta:You're All Surrounded, for inquiring minds.
Or indeed knit.
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ANOTHER sensible jeweltoned cardigan oh lord my uniform it is so bland and thus in dire need of tv thrills. Although it may be time to question one's choice of viewing when one's variegated yarn starts resembling blood spatter....
Finally, in breaking in-progress news, kimchi pancake's a-sizzling and so I must hie! Recipe here - the perfect lazy Monday night supper, though I halve the amount of salt she uses, and whisk up some soy / rice wing vinegar / sesame-oil dipping sauce on the side.
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Sunday May 11th: summery sundress
As this ticks every conceivable girly box with its sweetheart neckline, pastel floral print, and full, gathered skirt, I was taking a risk by wearing it to a friend's wedding. But success! No-one confused me for a bridesmaid -- my friends being as contrarian as may be expected, they were in slinky black numbers. And I got to twirl around a country house playing Lady Poodle Fancypantspants in this.
dress: Sewaholic Cambie in Nani Iro *Single* Gauze in Bird's Eye -- this was a really delicate, open fabric that frayed as soon as I looked at it sideways, making it even more high-maintenance to work with than double gauze. Think twice before you purchase -- I took a risk as I wanted this particular icy pale colourway, rather than the darker yellow available in doublegauze. Lined in white organic cotton lawn -- visible through the open weave, and pulling the colours even paler.
shop-bought shoes: still those Stuart Weitzman Russell&Bromley raffia wedges -- because no-one can say I don't get the most out of my 12 buys a year ;)
Monday, May 12th: murky linen skirt (again)
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skirt again Sewaholic Hollyburn, in Nani Iro Nuance-Muji Southwark linen from last Tuesday, this time showing my widened waistband mod.
shop-bought: COS silk blouse, a few years old
shop-bought: COS silk blouse, a few years old
Tuesday, May 13th: print pencil
MOAR UNIFOARM *honkshu*
shop-bought: Anthropologie silk blouse, Stuart Weitzmann R&B wedges [blahblah neither a fashion blogger nor a shoe girl am boring blah]
Wednesday, May 14th: 1940s crepe dress
Feeling a bit mid-century mid-week, I dug out this crepe dress, made last year, from a 1940s maternity pattern (it cleverly wraps around the back):
shop-bought: cropped out shoes were low-heeled grey brogues from a Japanese brand, v period.
Thursday, May 15th: b&w shirtdress
First of many (my soul is the site of epic ongoing internecine war between love of shirtdresses and loathing of button-sewing) and nicely illustrative of my highly literal approach to button-matching :P Thursday is when the weather shifted straight into high summer, in case you can't tell :D
dress: Colette Hawthorn (after about 5 muslins, because Colette so does not draft for my body type, sob sob) in white cotton Swiss dot (underlined with white cotton batiste) and black cotton/linen, all HK market buys.
shoes: Taiwanese market buy. On their last legs, quite frankly -- anyone spotted cute low-heeled yellow sandals out and about recently?
Friday, May 16th, dashed tunic
I love fabrics that look scribbled-on -- or randomly highlighted, as this does -- almost as much as I love Victorian pseudo swearwords. Dashed, pshaw, etc.
tunic: Simplicity 1810 in Liberty Tana Lawn Milla D
shop-bought: 7FAMK mid-rise skinnies, as before
Saturday, May 17th: princess maxi
A girly dress that inspired much mockery from the friends I met in it, but the swish of my skirts say I care not. Also: that tickles, did I swirl up a squirrel in the park? And do squirrels carry rabies? >.>
maxi: Simlicity Project Runway 1610, in a HK market silk/linen blend
collar: from Japanese brand 'as know as de base' [incidentally, I also own its sister which you can see on Sulli in her latest Etude House ad -- how's that for surprise on-topic makeup trivia, eh?]
Sunday, May 18th: colourblocked confusion
Only I could take a new pattern that plays into the 2014 ss activewear trend, and render a totally unsporty floral confection.
dress: Vogue 9001 with raised neckline, extended waistband, and self-drafted half-circle skirt (had neither the yardage nor the patience for the original many-yoked and -pleated affair), in Liberty Tana Lawn and a hot-pink linen/cotton blend.
shoes: sameoldsameold
Not sure I can sum up this week's me-learned lessons as yet (too hot to think or indeed worry about grammar) so here are some works in progress:
The recycled cardigan is mostly complete, MMM inspiring me to get on with the boring grosgrain-ribbon-backing / button sewing bit. Two weeks = highly motivated compared with my usual >2 months' obligatory languishing period for finished knit projects.
Or indeed knit.
Finally, in breaking in-progress news, kimchi pancake's a-sizzling and so I must hie! Recipe here - the perfect lazy Monday night supper, though I halve the amount of salt she uses, and whisk up some soy / rice wing vinegar / sesame-oil dipping sauce on the side.
