Valentine's Day dress

 Now, I certainly don't need an excuse to make a dress.

Oh, it's Wednesday! Better make a dress!

A blue car! Time to make a dress!

Etc.

However, having my first Valentine's Day date with my boyfriend is most definitely an excuse to make a new dress.

 

For this one, I used New Look 6587, view E. I've made this before, and I found it way easier and less fiddly to just insert a zip up the front, rather than time-consuming and more-difficult-to-undo (ahem) buttons.

I love the bodice style. It's almost corsety, and it's a good one for getting a really fitted, er, fit. The material has a slight stretch so it was quite comfy. 

It's not really easy to see but there are two large patch pockets on the skirt.

I think the camera or the light washed this out a bit. I had 10 different shades of red and pink on my nails. 

We went out for dinner, which was delicious, but I was just waiting for dessert... because I knew I was having salted caramel creme brulee *makes Homer Simpson drooling noise now*

I might have been spoiled a bit, too.

<3

Christmas dress 2014

So I'm a teensy bit late getting back into blogging this year, but better late than never... or whatever.

Every year I make a Christmas dress. It doesn't have to be made of Christmas fabric specifically but I like it to have Christmas colours at least. Last year's effort was white with red and green, which is Christmassy enough for me.

This is a standard bodice/circle skirt pattern I use a lot. It fits well and it's very easy to make. I lined this one in a fairly stiff satin to make the skirt puff out. The outer fabric is a poly/cotton.

The first time I wore it I got a tiny little bit of chilli oil on the front, but it's so small it's not terribly noticeable. 

Oh! And I have a new tattoo. I had my lower left arm completed in December. Three roses and a spidey on a web. 

And of course, what would a Christmas dress be without my Christmas earrings? They are little dancing mice.

The end of my year was fairly low-key. I work in retail now and it was absolutely mental in the lead-up to Christmas Day! I can now gift wrap absolutely anything like a pro. I also never want to hear the words 'gift wrap' ever again until next Christmas. Afterwards, I sat down a lot.

New Year's consisted of a burger and a beer with my boyfriend, which was perfect.

New Year's resolutions?

~* more yoga (at least 4-5 times a week) *~

~* learn more recipes and cook more *~

~* try something new each month to be healthy *~

That last one can translate to anything - Sugar-Free Month, Walk More Month, 

Don't Injure Yourself This Month, etc.

Headscarves!

This was supposed to be a post about a pair of wide-leg jeans I'm making, but the zip just broke and now I Hate Them. So here are some headscarves instead.

I really like this look but I didn't just want a rectangle or triangle of fabric wrapped around my head. After trying out some pleats and gathers I've settled on this design. It's a rectangle, with a centre pleat or fold, and attached tie ends. 

The pleat means there isn't a heap of fabric bunched up around the knot, which is specifically what I wanted to avoid. 

 

These photos were taken in a hot sewing room so my hair is getting more and more frizzy as these photos go on.

So far I've made a few, and I have a heap of leftover fabric to make more. I also want to make some with long tie ends, to wear more as a headband with the ties hanging down, and some in silkier fabric.

I'm thinking of selling these but I'm not sure what the interest in them would be. If anyone has any suggestions for design or fabric I would love to hear them.

Playing dress-ups, and other trivial matters

 

You can never be too old to put on a fluffy dress and dance around like a nong.

I found this petticoat in an opshop in the bridal section. I always look at bridal/evening dresses as they often yield an abundance of fabric to be turned into something else. I knew this petticoat would be perfect to wear under my circle skirts.

I chopped off the bottom layer of net and it was the perfect length.

 

It's a bit scraggly but I think I'll leave it.

On a completely trivial note, my hair is really annoying me lately. I bleach it and then dye it, but it doesn't seem to be holding the dye very well and is turning out all dull and grey. I don't want grey hair (yet). I want purple hair. So I'm thinking I might just cover it up. It's a pain in the bum to maintain; even when I'm not bleaching and colouring the regrowth, the stuff that's already coloured needs a touch up every 2-3 weeks. 

I'm thinking of covering it up with a blue-black and using some silvery/white colour for the shaved side (yes, I just said I don't want grey hair. Silver is different). 

I'm wearing a blue clip-in fringe piece in these photos to cover up some of the grey.

My blogging and commenting on others blogs has been random of late. I've had a lot on my mind, health-wise, home-wise. I'm about to take a week's break to see family interstate, some of whom I haven't seen in years. Seven days of reading, cups of tea, wood fires and sewing. Aahhhhh. 

(Oh, and family, who I love. Ahaha)

xx

Cherry bomb

Yikes. How early did I get up to take these photos? Too bloody early for someone on holidays.

Hence the protective face furniture.

I've wanted a cherry dress for a long time, but finding quality fabric has been a problem. (see what a hard life I have? Waaah...I can only find CHEAP cherry fabric... darn it all to heck).

Poor old Doris is looking a bit worse for wear; all these photo shoots really take it out of a gal.

The only thing I'd like to change about this dress is the low cut at the sides, resulting in rather more bra-displayage than I'd like. So I saved my modesty with a little cardi at a pre-Christmas picnic this weekend.

And yes, that IS pink in my hair. I'm getting a bit bored with my hair; it hasn't changed in a while so I'm testing some options before I do anything drastic.

Pink hair, Very Cherry lips, and cherry gingham shoes... you'd think I was a girl or something...

Ah, the delirium of an early morning...

Pattern: Vogue 8766 

(View C with modified neckline and straps)

Shoes: Modcloth

Dress fabric: Spotlight

 

Half n half dress

I love making these dresses. They are a great way to use up pieces of fabric which aren't quite big enough for an entire dress.


The skirt is a slightly thick, 2-way stretch which is soft and brushed on the inside. It needs no hemming, which I LOVE. It's super stretchy and comfortable and presents no problems when walking around or leaping onto trams (in a dignified manner as always).


I have previously made this style with a strawberry-print top half, and one with a sweetheart neckline in bright turquoise. Both with the same black skirts. This particular dress needs a couple of small edits before I can wear it in public. The zip needs to be re-done, as I had a rather small seam allowance and it's not quite holding in places. I also need to take in the side seams. I thought I'd make the skirt tight and the bodice a bit loose, aiming for a blouse-tucked-into-skirt look. It failed. It just looks baggy.


Bodice from New Look 6557, skirt from Vogue 8555. I find this pencil skirt works best in stretch fabrics. It has double darts on both sides, front and back. I tried it in a cotton and the darts just made a weird bowl-shape around my stomach. REALLY attractive. A stretch fabric seems to smooth it out.

Anyone for a picnic?

I feel like I should be at a picnic or on a farm when I wear this dress.

I don't know why I didn't think to bring a bale of hay to the photo shoot!


The dress is made with the same combination of patterns as the black & red dress. The only difference is the neckline. I added a very - VERY - subtle sweetheart shape. It's too subtle to really see though.

The red things are actually cherries, in case you're wondering.

Photos courtesy of Lou over at Miss Tallulah Porkchop.