simplicity 1755 Leanne Marshall shirt dress

As I am still in a pickle over the Carven dress finishes I decided to leave it be for a few days and give myself a rest with this little beauty:

I am using view B with sleeves with a couple of alterations: no fabric belt with bow; the sleeves and dress are in the same fabric (grey spotted lawn from Bangkok fabric haul) and finally I have cut the collar in a white cotton lawn as well as the sleeves turn ups. I'm not lining the bodice either. I will post pictures this weekend as it's coming along at speed. Instant sewing gratification for my last weekend of freedom!

Carven style holes dress

In the middle of packing for move I am still struggling with my Carven dress holes and how to finish them. I do like the 3d rose tulle but is it right for this dress. I have hand sewn it in place and this is what it looks like on the dummy:

I am not sure at all....

Spotted dress, bovver boots and bicycles

And I am in full lust mode

Mumsy or sickly sweet

I'm going to have a bit of a moan so stop reading now if you don't want to feel offended.

The resurgence of interest in sewing is all well and good but I wish there was some stylish sewing media and inspiration available. Stopping by WH Smith 'craft section' is a depressing experience. There are 3 choices available to you:

1) What I call the 'academic' magazines : sew today (english version of vogue sewing), threads, Sew ... informative but tend to be on the dull side.

2) The German Magazine, yep i'm talking Burda  style here... what can i say? what i want to say is they should take out the word 'style' from the cover cause Karl Lagerfeld it ain't.

3) My worst nightmare: the cutiepie overdose magazines with pseudo trendy amateurish projects nobody in their right mind would ever want to make let alone wear. the names alone bring me out in cold sweats : mollie makes (i want to parody the song mollie, mollie wtf is Mollie), Crafty, cloth... and the worst I saw was something called 'homemaker'! come on ! somebody is taking the proverbial piss here with a name like that , we are in the 21st century. There's loads more all as bad as one another.
I think the publishers of those rags have read Marie Claire Idees at some stage and aim to reproduce it for the British market. But it doesn't work and lets be honest 100 idees was a lot better than MCI. 100% BETTER.

I just wish somebody would come up with a new 100 idees concept which doesn't serve cheap feeble projects . but that's not going to happen

Candyfloss Jacket project

As my new job and move beckon I am reviewing my wardrobe. I am in need of a smart in-between seasons jacket and I have a hankering for a tweed Chanel inspired number.

A project like that isn't cheap but if you look at it as an investment and think of the cost of an ordinary mass produced jacket versus a Chanel you are making a wise investment.

I spent £55 on my supplies

first I selected the following pattern:

The Threads and Simplicity collaboration patterns are great, you've got a capsule wardrobe that is on trend yet classic all for £9 including postage

The fabric requirements are economical and I can see myself making all the items eventually. I particularly love the peplum blouse.

When you talk 'Chanel style' jacket you think Linton tweeds and I fell pray to this beauty:

£26 a meter is a big Ouch but this come in 140 cm wide and the Simplicity only requires 1.20 meter

I am not a big fan of the bling jackets with shiny trimmings and gilt buttons but I have a couple of meters of this cute gros grain velvet pompom ribbon in my sewing stash . I got it from French haberdashery website Mamzelle Fourmi. I will use it to trim the jacket:

Yes, it seems my brain has been taken over by candy floss.

And as I hate sewing buttonholes I ordered some furriers hooks and eyes from McCulloch & Wallis to discreetly fasten edge to edge.


 And now for some more pink: