Vintage finds

I went scouting for vintage stuff today. I thought I need to get out of the house. I have been spending too much time indoors lately sewing, which is great and I love being busy making  and sewing things but every now and then I need a break. I have started on the Spring palette already and will share the first pieces with you soon. I still haven't got anything for the giveaway, I'm afraid. I haven't even got an idea yet but I promise there will be a giveaway soon and then it'll be worth taking part in it.

Anyway, here are some of the lovely finds of today. I haven't taken pictures of it all yet. The light went quickly once I got back home.

Vintage C&A llama fur coat. I loooove it, it's in awesome condition but unfortunately a bit big on me, even with a big jumper underneath. I will sell this one again. So sad it's not my size. 

 Cute crimplene dress. I think someone made this, there is no label inside and it looks like it could be handmade. Again, amazing condition. Very cute buttons. It's too big for me too but the self fabric belt and shoulder pads work wonders and I can get away with it.

 1960s Liberty of London dress. It's a 'dollyrockers designed by sambo' dress and sooooo cute. A bit tight but maybe come summer I could fit into it. I think this is my favourite of all the dresses.  

There is more to come but as I said, I need to wait for daylight again.

turquoise and bows

 

I finished this little dress last week already but didn't get to blog about it yet. It's sewn from vintage Simplicity7085. I made it even in the same colour as pictured. I love turquoise. The only thing I changed is the position of the bows. Instead of attaching them to the straps, I attached them to the neckline. The pattern was super easy to put together and I think I might make a few of this dress for summer with different details. It's just such a cute little shape.

I love the low back.

Red and navy....another shirt dress

Oooops I did it again and this will probably not be the last one from this pattern. I just loooooooove shirt waist dresses. They are my favourite thin, I can't say it enough. Hopefully you are not getting bored of seeing them here. This time I went for a sleeveless version and finished the armholes of with bias binding. This might become another obsession for me. I love how easy it is to finish raw edges with it and how much detail it adds to a garment. I also added it to the belt to pick up the colour again.

I think I will add those two colours, navy and red, to my Spring challenge. I was going to go for a pastel palette but I think that would not really be me. I like strong colours. As much as I love ice cream colours, they don't really suit me I think and I haven't got an awful lot in my wardrobe that will go with those colours either. However, I DO have a lot that will go with the red and navy and I love all things nautical. I think I'll go for nautical in the challenge. But more about that later, onto the pictures of the dress.

Spring palette challenge inspiration

I have started to look through my inspiration folder for items to sew for the Collette Patterns Spring Palette challenge and so far have come up with the following pieces. I have quite a long list and I am sure I won't be able to sew it all within the challenge but I want to have enough to choose from in case I get stuck with an item, can't find the right fabric or realize it wasn't such a good idea and loose interest.

1. Tops. I love frilly tops. I am not sure if the tops would be something I scout for in e.g. charity shops and then refashion them or if I would actually make them and add the detail. I am scared of sewing jersey, knits or any other stretchy material but maybe this is the time to overcome that, cut and ruin a lot of material and figure it all out in the end?

Photos both modcloth

Something lace. I love the little lace dresses below. I might not go for white or ivory (I've had a wedding dress and those are just not good colours for me but maybe mint green or a pale pink or blue and I'd make a little lacy number.

don't know where I got this picture from, if it's yours or you know, please let me know so I can credit it.

 dear golden vintage

dear golden vintage

If not lace, then broidery anglaise instead. This might actually be what I am going for because I am more likely to find a colour I like in the broidery anglaise. Still light and delicate as lace but more sturdy for every day wear.

I think this is modcloth as well

Trousers, I need some proper nautical trousers in (of course) navy with lots of buttons. I am not going to make another Burda 8488. I'll go and find a different pattern, with slimmer legs. Still wide legged, just not wide legged for two.

And a pair of shorts. Maybe in red.

 I am not sure, where the pictures are from, I think it's mod cloth again...I went a bit inspiration crazy there for a while...

All together, I am planing to make 6 pieces if I can in that time frame. 2 tops/blouses/shirts, a skirt, a pair of shorts and a dress.

I am going for the following colours: blue/probably more navy actually, pale blue, red, maybe pink, black and ivory I am trying to give it all a nautical theme as well. Lets see how it goes. Are you taking part in this challenge? What are your colours and projects planned?

100 followers fast approaching

I am slowly approaching the 100 followers mark. You know what that means.....CELEBRATION!!! I am so thankful for all you lovely people returning again and again to my little blog, reading and most of all commenting on my posts. I so very much appreciate every single one of you. It inspires me to keep sewing and showing what I have created.

I will of course celebrate this next milestone of a hundred regular readers with a giveaway of some sort. I haven't got a clue yet what this is going to be but it will be something sewing or vintage related of course. I will be back with more information and an actual prize for you guys soon. There is still a little while to go until we get to the 100 mark anyway.

Fruity dress, cherries and green trim

I haven't made this dress in a while. Remember when I made Simplicity 9059 here, here and here? Well, I did it again. This time in the cherry print I bought last week. I also used some green trim around all the details. Cute for Spring I guess and Summer as a little house dress.

Colette patterns Spring Palette Challenge and technically a dress that would fit in with that.

  

I have just read about the Collette Patterns Spring Palette and decided to join. I need more Spring wardrobe pieces and motivation to make and create. This is usually easier if you have the support of a group, so here we go. Need to go through my inspiration folder now and decide what I am going to make, colours and all the rest of it. I hope there will be more of you joining the challenge. Let me know if you do and leave me a comment to I can follow your progress as well.

I also finished quite a bit of sewing this week again. The first dress I'm showing today would already slot in nicely with the Spring Palette challenge. It's a lime green, floral print shift dress. I am thinking about adding at least some shade of green to my palette. Probably a fresh and Spring-y apple green or maybe lime? We'll see.

I added some pink lace trim to the pockets to make them stand out a little more and also a lace trim bow to the collar so tie in with the pocket detail. It's very bright and a bit "loud" I think but I think it will work paired with a pink cardigan.

20 hats in 20 days challenge

Just a quick little note tonight. My friend Cherie has just recently started her blog over at The Wool Gatherer and is writing about her adventures in felting. She has set herself a challenge of creating and making 20 hats in 20 days.

 Please visit her blog to see the beautiful things she's making and support her through the 20 days of mega making. I am exited to see what she comes up with. I'm already in love with the first cloche she made a few days ago.

I'm a cover girl!!

I had a photo shoot today to photograph some of my clothing with the wonderful Judy Payne . We had a great time together and I can't wait to see the pictures once they are ready. I have worked with Judy on a few occasions before so I know I won't be disappointed. Remember my shoot for the Coca Cola cooler and cook book for John Lewis? The pictures have also been used for a newsletter/magazine for Paladian Press and I made it onto the front cover, woohoo!!

1960s brocade dress and lots of new fabric

Today I decided to make a bit of evening wear as I had this amazing green Chinese brocade in my fabric stash for quite some time now ans always wanted to sew it up into something cute. I went for a 1960s style wiggle dress to let the fabric stand out. It's so pretty it doesn't need a lot of detail. I think the wide collar is plenty to give it a more festive look. I am thinking now, I should have made this before Christmas, it would have been a great Christmas party dress. But hey, there will always be some occasion for a dress like that.
Before I cut into the fabric I had to take a picture on the material because even the back side of it is stunning.

This is the result of today's work

 collar

I also received another fabric order today. This should keep me busy in the next few days.

lots of floral prints and some fruity cherries and strawberries 

and some plain colours too.