Cards cards cards........

I ordered some advertising materials a few weeks ago and had them delivered today. I am so happy with how they turned out. I used the photos from a photo shoot a while ago.

From left to right: postcards, notepad, compliment cards

and business cards.

Progress on Bolero and I decided I give Twitter a go

I have created a twitter account last night. I never thought I would but thought it might be a good idea for small updates and maybe outfit/hair posts if I think they are worth showing. Please follow me if you like (see on the left hand side of the blog) and leave me a comment/link to yours as well.
I also made a bit of progress on my bolero knitting project which you can read more about on the knit along blog. It's slowly but surely growing bigger. If it will ever transform into a bolero, we will have to see. So far it's looking promising:

Black and White Dress

Another dress finished. This time in a black and white printed cotton. I used this pattern before for this dress which I have worn many times and absolutely love it. This is my Autumn version of it now. I used red buttons for a little bit of contrast as the as the pattern swallows a lot of detail.

 I went for the fitted skirt option again. This way I don't have to worry about skirt flying action in the Autumn weather.

 You can see the collar a bit better in the flesh. Doesn't seem to photograph very well.

And a shot of my hair. Made an effort again. 

Knit-along progress1

I finally had a chance to get started on my knit-along this evening. I went for the angora bolero because it seemed the easiest to me. No fancy pattern to follow, which is good as that is already quite advanced for me. I am not that knitting experienced to follow a complex pattern for a whole garment yet. I tried a few different patterns just for a few rows and it went very wrong. I guess I have to start from the beginning as we all do whether I like it or not. Anyway, so it is the bolero. I like all 3 patterns that were to chose from and so I went for the easiest. Plus the biggest bonus is that the lovely Lore from SEW RED HOT typed out the whole pattern for the back of the bolero to make it easier to keep track. Thanks again, that is just so helpful.

I managed to knit the first 23 rows tonight and I am please with the progress I am making.

I am using cheap wool I admit. I had this purple wool lying around that I haven't got a project for yet. I am too scared to spend on my first big knitting project in case I ruin it or don't like it and then never finish it (which I hope won't happen, that's the idea of the knit along) My kitty was a great help too, supervising the progress of tonight.

Navy and White dress

I finished another dress yesterday and wore it to work today. I love navy and white and anything nautical and I think this dress definitely has a nautical vibe to it. I love the colours especially for Autumn.

I also had some time this morning to do my hair. I don't always do a vintage hair do but had to go all the way today.  

Confessions of a fabric shopaholic

Here I was talking about organising my sewing projects better and plan my patterns and fabrics according to that and what do I do? I see fabric, I buy fabric. Lesson learned? Nope. I must be doing something wrong. But hey, at least I have another 3 beautiful pieces in my stash. They are very much like some of the Horrockses fabrics and will make beautiful dresses. Who cares if winter is just around the corner?

A little treat

I was ill in bed almost all week with a very mean cold that is just about to finally leave my body. I am not good with lying in bed all day so I had to do something that requires as little energy as possible but at the same time makes me feel like I have at least achieved something.
So I decided to bake. The great thing is, that I get to eat the cake afterwards. Especially when you are ill a bit of cake is some good medicine. I very much recommend it.
I made some one of my favourite recipes and thought I should share it with you. It's a recipe for pineapple carrot muffins. They are very moist and full of pineapple, carrots, raisins and nuts which are all things good for you. They make you feel at least a bit like you've eaten something semi healthy that is cake.
Ingredients:
1cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flower (I use whole wheat flower only but this is the original recipe, where you combine the two)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1 8oz can crushed pineapple in unsweetened juice undrained
1 egg
1cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Mix all ingredients together. I tend to mix the dry ingredients and the wet ones separately first and then add the flour mixture bit by bit to the moisture.
Fill mixture into your muffin molds (I made half the mixture into muffins and poured the other half into a cake pan. I haven't got enough muffin moulds for all the mixture. It makes roughly 16 muffins.
Bake at 200 C for about 20-22 minutes. Allow to cool and then ice with either white chocolate icing which is what I did this time or you can make a cream cheese icing which is lovely too. For the cream cheese icing mix cream cheese (full fat or reduces is up to you with lemon juice and icing sugar to taste, then spread on muffins.

And then voila!

Enjoy!

Wide legged trousers finished

Oh how I love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I finished the trousers I was blogging about a few posts back and I am over the moon with them. This pattern (Burda 8488) is just great.It's so easily put together and blew away but fear of making trousers. I wore them to work today and got really nice compliments. I will definitely make up another pair in navy and one pair in black. They are already on my wardrobe staples list. I very much recommend this pattern.

How do you plan/organise your sewing projects and some belated Self stitched September pictures

I know we are well into October now but I didn't get around to posting the last SSS pictures. I must say, I struggled at times. I think the transition from Summer to Autumn was part of that. A lot of my own pieces are very summery dresses. Some of them work well paired with some tights and a cardigan but other just are not made to be worn at any time other than summer.
This has led me to making a list of wardrobe stables that I can match with already existing items in my wardrobe and that work well in Autumn and Winter and might even work in Spring too. I will post that list once I have finished it. That way I am more likely to stick to it and not give up too easily. I wouldn't want to disappoint you readers.
How do you plan/organise your sewing? Do you just go for whatever you feel like, a pattern that takes your fancy or fabric that you see and have to buy? I used to sew like that (I still do at the moment but want to get more organised) Or do you plan wardrobe pieces and outfits, buy patterns and fabrics accordingly and then get to work?
I am interested in how you plan or not plan your sewing projects and how that works out for you.

Onto the last pictures of SSS
Day 21 floral print poly cotton dress

Day 22 The little black 60s dress

Day 23 lilac pencil skirt with bow detail 

  Day 24 Magenta coloured shirt waist dress

 Day 25 was a bit of a cheat, my mum made the skirt for me but I thought it still counts as it's family and it's self stitched, just not by myself.

Day 26, navy gabardine pencil skirt

And then I admit to not taking any more pictures. After the 26th my husband had deployed and I totally forgot taking any more pictures. I didn't wear anything new you haven't seen yet before somewhere on the blog.

Vintage Knit-Along, lets get started

I have set up a blog for the vintage knit-along and hope that a lot of you that were interested in joining me will do so. Please email me at beatricewinter[at]hotmail.com with your email address, so I can add you as authors to the blog and you can report on the progress you are making, ask questions etc. I already added a few videos with basic knitting tutorials that might be helpful. They certainly were helpful to me.

It seems like the evening wrap and the small jacket are the favourite projects. I will add both patterns to the blog in the next week so you can start working on either one. I was thinking that if this gets a lot of interest, we could probably add other projects in the future too. If you want to join the knit along but use a different pattern you already have but like the idea of having a bunch of people to support you or give advice, please join as well. The more the merrier I think.

Right, I hope a lot of you will join.

Wedding dress finished

It's finished hooorayyyy!!!! I finished the wedding dress today and I am very happy with the way it turned out. It will be on it's way o the lovely bride Katja shortly. Hopefully she will be as happy with the finished product as I am. Her wedding isn't until next year so I don't know how soon I will get pictures of her wearing it but once I do I will share them with you.

It was such a pleasure working with her, transforming her ideas and making them come true in form of this cute little wedding dress. Enjoy the pictures.

side view

back with little bow sash

lining and net. the lace edging is cut from the same lace as the floral appliques

detail of the flowers on the skirt

the bow looks cute turned to the front too.