Dropped waist dress

I tried a new pattern.

Burda 8072

I do have to wonder, who is this pattern marketed at? It is beige, and on an older model, yet it is a really 60's youthful looking pattern. Doesn't the silhouette remind you of something Mary Quant would make or Twiggy would wear back in the sixties?

Anyhow, it was a really simple pattern and super quick to make, so I loved it. I made the dress from a craft cotton (bought on sale of course). I made the non-pleat version as I like things simple.

Oooh, and I just want to say, if I was a dinosaur, I would definitely want scales like the pattern on this dress :)

Fabric close up.

This is it plain. A little boring I think. I am wearing the matching belt, but it's hard to see. I am also not sure if I want to accentuate my hips by wearing a belt there, I prefer belts high on my waist as on the waist gives me a better silhouette.

And the back.

How I will wear it-or do you think it looks too christmassy?

What I am wearing...

Cardigan-Glassons
Belt-Creme
Boots = Number one shoe warehouse
Necklace-Equip

I enjoyed this pattern so much, I made another one straightaway-I will put it up soon :)

Purple beret

Do you ever want something and just can't find it in stores? For years I have wanted the perfect shade of red beret. I ended up finding one last year, but it's an orange red, not a blue red. Well I was thinking to myself the other day, I wonder if I can make one? Well, yes, it turns out I could. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare, and 20 minutes to sew. Easy!!!!


I know this isn't my perfect red colour I was dreaming about, but I am also purple- obsessed at the moment, so made this one first :) I made it from a heavy stretch cotton drill, the same fabric I used in my one shouldered purple dress.

So if you want to make one yourself, I recommend using this tutorial. It is very straightforward and easy. On her blog, Vively makes a reversible one which is really cute. Mine is a classic one sided beret, I just doubled the band around the head to get a nice finish instead. I can't get my link button to work, but you can find the tutorial I used at....

http://www.vivelyonline.com/2009/09/tutorial-reversible-slouchy-beret.html

Now bring on winter, so I can feel glamorous in all the multitude of berets I am bound to make :)

Thrift store finds!!

I just have to show you all the stuff you can get at thrift stores, and the huge savings you can make by buying sewing notions. Isn't it handy when, for example, you need a zip, and you have dozens in different colours and lengths already in your stash? I normally pay $3.50 at my fabric store for a zip, so I was excited!!! It also means, by having a range of stuff at home, I am less likely to need to pop out to the fabric shop. That is good, as sometimes I am busy, and sometimes I am lazy :)

I spent $7 in total, and I scored all of this...

Eleven zips, of varying colours and lengths, still in their packets.

Eleven retro patterns, a few are for me, and I bought a bunch of kids ones too. I know a lot of people who are having babies, and I figure I can use all the offcuts from my dresses to make kids clothes, as they won't need much fabric.

A bunch of belt buckles, overall clasps and a bright yellow belt. I wear the belt all the time, it fits perfecty around my waist.

This stuff has already come in handy, I wear the belt heaps and I have used one of the zips. I also made a belt using one of the buckles, to match a dress I made-shame I lost the belt on the first day wearing it. Haha. :)

Do you buy notions at thrift stores too? I have gone off buying thread there as I find it breaks too easily. What else do you buy at thrift stores?

Hello kitty mini bloomers

It was my friend's birthday the other day. To celebrate, she had a japanese themed pot luck party. So I was thinking to myself, what are some japanese things?

Hello Kitty of course.

I went shopping and luckily found some fabric perfect for pyjama bottoms, in a printed flanelette.

So hello little bloomers!!!

This pattern was free from Colette patterns.

http://www.colettepatterns.com/blog/colette-patterns-news/free-pattern-to-download-the-madeleine-mini-bloomers

And my friend A, kindly modelling :)

Chocolate swirl-sational styling!!

So after how easy and fun it was to make my red plaid dress the other day, I couldn't resist making another.

I also found this fabric in Invercargill on my road trip. It was in the furnishings section, and yes, it is curtain fabric! But because it was so beautiful, i had to have it!! It doesn't have thermal backing, that would be too stiff for a dress, but it is still quite scratchy, so I fully lined it with some soft cream cotton. This fabric is quite shiny too. To line it, I just cut the pattern exactly the same from the cream fabric and didn't cut any facing, then I just sewed the right sides together and it was done!! I made it all in a few hours, so it was really easy and I love it.


Today I will show you how to wear a dress such as this three ways: with a vintage look, formal wedding outfit and casual work friday
My styling....

To wear in a vintage look...

Blue pussy bow blouse from a thrift store
Blue suede cowboy boots, from The number one shoe warehouse
Yellow belt from a thrift store


Formal wedding outfit

A pink pashmina from my trip To china
Pink patent leather heels from The number one shoe warehouse
Pink necklace my friend gave me when I was her bridesmaid



Casual work friday

Pink necklace from my friend's wedding
Yellow belt from a thrift store
Boots from number one show warehouse
Pink brooch from a three dollar store
Yellow jacket from Ezibuy

And this is a close up of the fabric...Isn't it beautiful?

Which is your favourite look?


I think this colour dress would look great with tan/camel accessories too, but I am just not a fan of camel tones, so I don't own any. I know it's the 'in colour' this season, but it just doesn't appeal to me. I love bright colours instead, and having a brown dress is enough out of my comfort zone. Hahaha. In saying that, camel does look lovely on some people and it always gives an outfit a timeless classic stylish look, don't you think?

Which colour would you put with this dress? How would you wear it?

Inspiration for my new dress

What do you get when you mix this... chocolate swirls.

This... pattern Style 4287 from the seventies

And this...

Scarlett O'Hara from 'Gone with the wind'.

And this... the outfits the family wore in 'The sound of music'.

And the 'make do and mend' idea from the second world war-where people couldn't access new material, so they made new outfits from furnishings, etc.

That's right, you get a chocolate swirl dress!!!

In the next upload, I will show you how I style it :)

Vintage pattern plaid shift dress

This is actually the first time I have used a vintage pattern, even though I have dozens in my stash.

It is Style 4287, from 1973. It had never even been cut out before!!! How exciting! I was concerned as it is a size 12.5, and I am a couple of sizes bigger than that, but I have also read that vintage patterns are made big and I like my clothes more fitted, so I made it anyway-and I actually had to take it in a bit!!!! I also have to say, they made patterns well back then, the pattern paper was good quality, and had not faded or deteriorated at all.

I accessorised with a red necklace from Equip (costume jewellery store)
My red boots from the Number one shoe warehouse
A merino top from Glassons
Leggings from Glassons
Red belt from Creme

I bought the fabric from Spotlight on a road trip through Invercargill. It was a 'christmas fabric', so was quite discounted. I paid about four dollars a metre. Do you think it looks too christmasy? It is a craft cotton, I love the weight of these fabrics. I tried to match the plaid, but it was tricky and didn't really work, I think it was difficult as there are so many seams. It doesn't matter to me, I will wear it anyway.

I loved this pattern so much I made another dress for it straightaway, it will be up here soon... :)