Paisley prints

I have always been a fan of paisley prints and whenever I come across paisley in a fabric store I grab it.  Paisley is a classic and some of these styles are an update of what's out there this season.  

The history of the paisley print.

Peacock paisley.  Kick it up

I'm on the lookout for different boots for winter, maybe croc print is safer.

Back to the Future

Fashion Forward:  Winter styles on the platform.  
Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2012/2013 runway show at Paris Fashion Week by Marc Jacobs. 

At the moment, in the Southern Hemisphere, it is getting cooler by the day, with higher than normal rainfall for this time of the year.  I don't usually look up links on YouTube unless it's an interesting tutorial, but I couldn't resist linking to this Louis Vuitton video clip.  Haute couture fashion is beautiful, but always requires a certain amount of imagination to see any individual I know walking down the street (or even wearing) the creations.  


Is this a blast from the past? It is reminiscent of an era that I have always liked and makes me admire any sewer who is able to recreate for themselves the beautifully tailored garments.   
Is there a time in fashion history that you particularly admire?  Do you sew or refashion garments to wear that resemble that era?

I'm Back

Over the last few months I have had extended leave from work. while I have been spending time with my father, who was given four months to live.  It's been such a difficult time that the last thing I wanted to do was update my blog.  So I decided to have a rest from blogging all together and just cope the best I could.  I had lots of support from family and friends over this time, but being away from home has also thrown up other issues.  Not all being bad, just readjusting to city life, living out of a suitcase and trying not to get bogged down with the task at hand.  

I found myself looking for distractions that seemed to come full circle in a way.  I went back to spending my time doing what I enjoyed as a student.  I would seek out the local thrift shops and then find a quirky cafe and spend time reading.  All the walking has helped; I have dropped a dress size and since I've been a plus sized girl for a few years now, that has made me feel so much better about myself.  Besides the fact that my grief had made my appetite dwindle over night.  It might not sound like much, but when you've always had difficulty finding nice clothing at a reasonable price, it is a bonus of sorts.  I found myself reevaluating many things in my life; my job, my lifestyle, the Works.  I guess it's all part of grief and change in general.  I feel like a different person; or at least the real me trying to get out.  


As I wasn't working for such a long time I needed to live within a budget, as I still needed to travel home every so often, so the thrift shopping was an excellent pastime.  I have always favoured New Zealand and Australian made products and I know many of the better labels; plus sized or not.  Over the next few months I will post some of my excellent op shop finds. 

I didn't travel with a laptop or my sewing machine, as I was staying in the Hospice accommodation during my stay in the city.  I did have my sewing kit and while I was op shopping I collected many items for embellishing my refashions.  So I didn't manage to do a lot of sewing, but I have purchased some wonderful items to refashion and recycle.  Visiting city markets has given me some great inspiration for embellishing and I have taken an absolute fancy to recycled jewellery.  I have read more than I have in years as I sat at my Dad's bedside, or in the local cafes; usually it's all work related articles.  

Life goes on and mines about to change; or is it that I'm going to give myself a big kick....  Time for a wine!

Holiday Relaxation

Today is the first day of the school holidays and I am already planned and ready to start on my holiday list of sewing.  Usually it takes quite some time to wind down at the beginning of each holiday and organize myself to make the most efficient use of my time and energies.  I have been scrolling through a number of posts on capsule wardrobes and wardrobe planning and have found these useful in helping me to coordinate a more structured plan of attack in my sewing and purchasing of items.  Not just yet another list, but a way of making clothes shopping more purposeful.  My relaxed state of mind is directly due to reflexology and the weekly sessions I have been having for the last month.  This lead up to the school holidays has had enormous benefits to my general health and ability to focus, so starting from tomorrow, the sewing begins in earnest.  

The first items that need to be completed will fit into my travel wardrobe for a long weekend that is coming up shortly.  Hubby is off on a sporting weekend and I usually accompany him to a city approximately four hours away.  Each Saturday there is an art and craft market, where you can find some excellent jewellery, and other items that you wouldn't usually see in other markets. When I visit this city I am always able to purchase garments and accessories that are not available anywhere else.  You could probably describe it as more of an artisan market, due to the original and unique nature of what's on offer.  Just my kind of place to find ideas for my own recycled accessories and refashioned garments.  I'm always on the look-out for inspiration and ways of making an ensemble look a bit different from what is available in retail outlets.  After all, that's why I enjoy sewing so much.  

Capsule Wardrobe

Capsule Wardrobe

I have found these very impressive photographs at this site; to add interest to a blog post.

During the past week I had to Google "Capsule Wardrobe" to get a few ideas on how to organize my own wardrobe.  Days later I was still trying to read through the enormous amount of information I had gathered.  

Here are two sites I found very interesting:

The blog Sewing Plum, where the blogger has done a lot of the research for the exact topic I was looking for. One of the blog posts included information about updating your wardrobe.

Twelve carefully chosen garments: The Core.

'This year Nancy Nix-Rice is publishing an excellent series on optimising your clothes and accessories.

This summer she suggested a basic mix-and-match wardrobe of 12 items, combined into nearly 100 outfits.'

And from there I found the original information and went on to:

Nancy Nix Rice 

'If you’re sick and tired of a closet full of  "nothing to wear” the next few lessons are perfect  for you.  You’ll see how just 12 carefully-chosen garments can make up to 96 – really, 96! – outfits.'

I found this idea intriguing, so I signed up for the newsletter and began to read through the lessons from a series entitled 'New You in 52'.  The core items are probably already in my wardrobe and I'm so grateful the research has already been done for me.

Vogue Patterns

I bought this pattern about two years ago, but so far I have not been able to decide what fabric to make it with.  It would probably make sense to sew a practice run with a cheaper fabric, or a combination of fabrics.  Maybe the vest would be a good starter for the spring / summer season.  I love the white trouser, or cream linen trouser combination and I've got both sitting in my wardrobe waiting to be worn once the warm weather arrives.  Seeing I've had two bouts of the flu this winter, I can't wait for a chance to get out and about in the sunshine.  

Vogue patterns are some of my favourites and I've found the Marcy Tilton site with tutorials and variations on patterns, with detailed photos and instructions.  The garments are some of the best I've seen, because they allow for creative variations on a theme and encourage the use of embellishments.  

Ivory Tulle Jacket

Ivory cotton tulle and cream cotton tulle ribbon as band detailing.

Cotton tulle ribbons finish off the front edge and form the band.

New Season Sensations

What To Wear?

Having the low-down on what's up and coming for the new season is essential if you don't want to spend endless amounts of time window shopping and coming up short.  Or, as I have in the past, buying fashion duds that don't stand the test of time.  This is my magazine of choice for the new season over-view; Simply You always has a selection of styles that seem to suit all sizes and budgets.  I have been buying the summer and winter issues for many years now and swear by the magazines ability to show a variety of what's available for women in New Zealand.  

Wardrobe Planning:

My list making comes to the fore when the new issue if out, as I take stock of what I've already got and what I need to look out for.  I have already summed up my fabric stash for block colour combinations.

Colour blocking

The purple, pink, royal blue, red, turquoise and greens are my choice.  Unfortunately, orange is not my favourite and yellow makes me look like I'm sick, so no matter what the fashion season holds I'll be avoiding those two shades and leave it to those who wear it well.  At the moment I've got quite a list of thrift store finds and what to look for on my next visits.  The thrift stores in the nearest city are becoming very popular; possibly a sign of the times in more than one way.  When money is short people become very savvy in how they spend their pay each week.  For me I went back to sewing my own clothes out of frustration in not being able to find quality clothing at a decent price.  Also, I became adept at finding bargains in thrift shops.  Yes, it can be time consuming to seek out the best quality clothing, with a dash of designer brands now and then.  You need to have a good memory to remember what you already have sitting at home and how you can put together combinations that work.  This is always a challenge, but well worth the effort.