Pattern Mix

On Saturday my family and I went for a walk around the botanical gardens foothills outpost. It's a favorite spot of mine for outfit photos, but these ones didn't turn out so well. In the end I decided these shoes really don't go well with this outfit at all! 

This is a rather "modern" outfit for me, defiantly leaning on the modern 'mixed print's trend. I am still not sure if it works, but I felt it looked okay on the day! I really just wanted to wear this orange skirt, but I don't have any tops/blouses that match it! I need to make something in the dark ivory/gold color to wear with it. I swear this print top has orange in it!

Since I rarely have a weekend with both days off, I ran some errands after we finished up at the gardens then spent all of Sunday sewing. I managed to finish the entire blue floral dress in a day! I promise I'll show you soon :)

Skirt: Made by me
Top: Made by me (fabric salvaged from an old Anthropologie skirt)
Shoes: Nine West
Belt: Target
Necklaces, Earrings, floral hair comb: Made by me
Antique hair comb: Vintage (etsy)

Summer Sewing Update

Look at that messy table! Patterns scattered everywhere! I am not naturally a very organized person. You can spot a piece labeled jodhpurs waistband though, so that is exciting! 

Actually, I have already finished my jodhpurs! I'll talk more about those later. I thought I would take a few snaps of the fabrics and projects I have lined up for summer so far. As you may know if you have been around this blog long, I am supposed to be making a late Victorian bustle dress to go with the corset and cage bustle support I made earlier this year/late last year. Well I still plan to do so, I just still have to buy fabric for the underskirt. I'll need some lining fabric and notions as well, but I hope to have the whole thing both started and finished soon. I mentioned in this post that I ordered the fabric for the main portion of the costume from an Etsy shop based out of India. Well I have since placed another order from the same shop, and this time I bought fabric for wardrobe projects, not costume ones!

The reason I like this etsy shop? The fabrics are very inexpensive! Like, $4 a yard inexpensive. I got five yards of each of the above fabrics and I intend to make circle skirted dresses out of both. I'll use different necklines and sleeves for each for some variation. I only have one circle skirted dress in my wardrobe right now, and I love it! Which is why I now want more, oops. The first fabric is white with grey, brown, and black patterning in an abstract sort of print. I  am hoping the resulting dress will match a dark brown straw hat I picked up months ago but haven't been able to wear yet. The second fabric is ivory and taupe with tropical leaves, palm fronds, large coral pink flowers, and tropical birds! I love a good tropical print so I am excited about this dress! I have already pre-washed these fabrics so they are ready to go.

As for a mini review of this fabric supplier, overall I am pleased. Both orders arrived faster than I would have thought from India, this second order took just five days to arrive! The shipping charges aren't outrageous so I think that's pretty amazing! The yardage is generously cut with extra as opposed to being short. The seller doesn't really describe the hand feel or weight of the fabrics in detail in the listings, both of the prints above are a lighter weight, though the third fabric I ordered (which is at the end of this post) was a bit thicker/rougher. I will say that both orders the fabrics smelt vaguely of diesel fuel upon arrival, I mean this in the nicest way possible. It isn't pungent or noticeable unless you are holding the fabric up to your nose, just a bit odd. It disappeared completely after I washed them. (tid bit: When I got my first order, the fabric for my bustle dress, I thought it smelled like the jungle cruise ride at Disneyland. With the second order I realized it was diesel I was smelling! Apparently that is my brain's diesel fuel smell association, which I find awesome)

These four fabrics are all in line to become blouses of one sort or another. The grey/green on the end is a presumed rayon ? fabric from the bargain bolts at my favorite fabric haunt. It was $1.75 a yard! It has a really nice hand and will make a nice flowy safari-ish blouse. The second fabric is a classic khaki colored cotton voile also destined to be a safari blouse, of the more traditional button front, shoulder tabs variety. The light blue fabric with white slubs was originally bought to make a dress, but I have decided to make a blouse with super full bishop sleeves instead! The last fabric is a printed linen blend of some sort, another sale table find. I think it may end up as a cowl neck short sleeve blouse.

These next two will become a 1920's frock and a 1930's day dress respectively. The floral print is really pretty and girly! If only I had a pretty lavender straw cloche to wear with it. The rainbow sorta-polka-dot fabric has been waiting in the stash for over a year to become something. I am hoping I have enough to make a bias cut 30's dress.

This last photo is the third of the fabrics I ordered from India. I only bought two yard of this one and was planning originally to make a blouse, but since this fabric turned out to be a bit rougher/thicker in texture (not a ton but enough to make a blouse sound like a bad plan), I decided to make a skirt. Then I was playing around with my patterns and figured out I could fit a dress pattern on here so now that is the new plan! I am super excited about this project as this print and all of the colors feel so fresh and fun, but still sorta 40's looking too. I know I can fit a straight skirt pattern on here, but I am going to try and eek out something more A-lined for a bit of variation.

So that is my current line up of projects! All of these were put on hold to make my jodhpurs this week, which goes to show that I just need to stay off of Pinterest and away from the fabric store! I am still dreaming of other things, like a black cotton circle skirt, more basic solid button down blouses (white, ivory, and black!), and perhaps another cotton 40's summer suit. We shall see, I need to make these things first, then I can continue dreaming!

1940's Brown Summer Suit

A few weeks ago I mentioned how the first go at a certain brown jacket had gone rather poorly, this was the second attempt! I am in love with this little suit! It turned out just as I had hoped! I even did hand sewn buttonholes for this jacket, which I had never done before. I used an excellent tutorial from Tasha of By Gum, By Golly and upholstery thread, as it looked to be the right weight/twist (and even matched the brown fabric perfectly, sheer luck as the thread only came in five colors!). Now I am a huge fan of hand bound buttonholes, they were a lot easier than I thought they would be! I will defiantly be using them on jackets or other heavier weight items I sew in the future.

I can wear this jacket with both this matching brown pencil skirt, and with my olive green pencil skirt, as the sleeve fabric is the leftover fabric from making the skirt. I buy a lot of cotton twill from Joanns, I just bought more of this same olive green shade to make my jodhpurs! Which means this jacket will match my new jodhpurs too, though I don't know if that might look silly.

I checked the mail on the way out to the nearby location of our local botanic gardens to see of this brooch had arrived and it had, just in time! It was a steal at just $10 bucks on etsy, I couldn't resist it! Whenever I get the chance to add anything Egypt related to my vintage collection I take it. Plus it looks great paired with my other "ivory" items (none of which are real ivory I assure you) like my carved celluloid necklace and earrings. 

The hosiery I have on here are another pair of What Katie Did seamed pantyhose. I bought two pair for this upcoming summer, nude with black seams and nude with brown seams. These are the brown pair and as usual they are excellent quality. I have taken to following What Katie Did's instructions to a T and wearing latex gloves when putting these on. For the price (quite an investment for me) I'd rather take every precaution not to snag them!

Jacket: Made by me
Skirt: Made by me
Hat: Vintage (etsy)
Necklace: Vintage (etsy)
Earrings: Vintage (etsy)
Brooch: Vintage (etsy)
Shoes: Nine West
Hosiery: What Katie Did

Colourpop Fighter Lippie Stix Review

Los Angeles based cosmetics company Colourpop, who's virtues I have extolled before here, has released a new red lipstick! Yes, I do get excited about silly things like new red lipsticks. The new shade, called fighter, was released during the Met Ball. Debuting on Jessica Chastain's lips, apparently. I instantly knew I had to get my hands on it as a red collector!

Well, fighter is my new favorite red! It is perfect for summer, being a bright true red. It's not too blue or orange based, has no hint of a brick colored undertone, or tinge of burgundy, it is just really red! Like all Colourpop lippie stix it smells like jordan almonds (okay vanilla, but seriously these lipsticks smell like jordan almonds!) and is only $5. As I know most retro loving ladies out there love a good red lipstick, I just had to share. I know I will be rocking this new shade all summer long!

Disclaimer: Not sponsored, I just really love Colourpop!

Here Comes the Sun

 The sun! Its back! After days and days of rain and grey cloudy skies, the sun is flirting with a full return. I really can't wait for spring to finally arrive, just in time for summer to begin. Everything is behind, no one has bothered to plant any flowers yet and normally lush planters are still empty. I hope with the let up in the rain the gardens will bloom again soon.

I made this easy summer dress last year and really enjoy wearing it. It can be styled with so many different accessories. This time I paired it with black and gold thermoset jewelry, a black suede belt, black heels, and a floral hat. This hat too is wonderfully versatile, having so many colors! I hope to make a navy dress later this summer, and I think this hat would match a blue dress just as well.

Speaking of sewing, I bought fabric for my first pair of jodhpurs today, now I just have to finish up the pattern!

Dress: Made by me
Hat: Vintage
Shoes: Target
Belt: Vintage
Tights: What Katie Did
Necklace and Earrings: Vintage (etsy)

Down the Rabbit Hole, Making Jodhpurs

This will come as no surprise, because I can't shut up about them, but I have started drafting a vintage style jodhpurs pattern! I have only ever made one pair of pants in my previous sewing adventures, and that was only because it was a requirement of one of my classes. Nevertheless, that one pair of pants did end up fitting me rather well, considering I didn't even make a mock up. I still had those pants, though had lost the paper pattern years ago, so I sacrificed the pants! I cut them up to make a pattern from them.

I transferred the pattern onto some fresh paper, smoothed out any obvious imperfections, and made a few minor modifications that I hoped would improve the fit. With the small amount of muslin I had hanging around my sewing room, I cut out a mock-up to see how my new pants pattern would fit. Turns out, not half bad!

I have already raised the waist of the pant to my natural waist, and I intend to have a 1" waistband too for the maximum hourglass look. I now need to add the characteristic jodhpurs width to the legs! If you are wondering, no I don't intend to add the saggy amounts of ease to the back of these (intended for allowing movement while riding). I sadly don't see myself actually riding anytime soon! I'd rather not look like a deflated balloon from behind if I can help it!

So adventure chic! The tall lace up boots I ordered from Amazon (see them here) have already arrived and I was pleasantly surprised about how not-horribly-cheap looking they are! They don't even have that fake leather smell, so bonus! Now I am itching to wear them so I have to get going on these jodhpurs. I have to play with the rounded shape and figure out just how much width to add to the thighs to both have the pants look like jodhpurs, but also not make me look huge/ridiculous. I'll need to go buy more muslin and try out a few options before I narrow it down to my perfect jodhpurs!

Is anyone else as enamored with these silly pants as I am?

Far From The Maddening Crowd (mini review)

Every time a new period film arrives in theaters, I am there in short order to check it out. I just can't get enough historic costume dramas! That's why when I heard there was a new film coming out with Carey Mulligan and Victorian costumes I was already sold. Based on a book by Thomas Hardy, Far From The Maddening Crowd centers around a young woman named Bathsheba who inherits a farm. In a position of some power and freedom compared to other women of her time, Bathsheba is placed in the odd position of not exactly needing to find a husband as she now has a living of her own. Of course she acquires several suitors dispute her fierce independence, three in particular, and each very different men. As an audience member the choice seems very simple throughout the entire film, but you can understand why it perhaps doesn't seem the same was to Bathsheba.

Carey Mulligan does a great job with Bathsheba and it was great to see a Victorian woman with agency. Bathsheba is free to make her own choices, and mistakes too, and it was refreshing to see a woman both in a corset but also in charge. The male leads all do a great job creating Bathsheba's various suitors. Matthias Schoenaerts is wonderful as Mr. Oak (and also...very attractive, I'm jus sayin...). I haven't read Hardy's original text, so I can't really speak to the film as an adaptation, but on its own I really enjoyed it!

But really, lets get down to business, the costumes were pretty great. I mean that in the sense that they did a great job blending in, seeming real, and serving the characters. Not in the sense that they were crazy beautiful and I wanted to own them. Those are the two types of historic film costuming in my book; either A they are accurate and serve the story well, or B they are drool-worthy-gorgeous. In the best cases a film will have both. There were a few costumes in this film that I found a bit too much. The first outfit Bathsheba wears in the film is a leather riding bodice/jacket/thing with a pair of jodhpurs. Listen folks, you just put the date 1874 on the screen and then expect me to buy a lady somehow is wearing pants and a leather jacket? Then there was a sorta denim looking dress that I found unfortunate. After those few missteps I was on board! Some truly great hats, you guys know how I love hats! Bathsheba's best gown is the one she wears near the end of the film to a Christmas ball, and it's her fur trimmed mantle that is the best part of the ensemble.

This outfit! What? I don't care how independent and carefree you are, pants in 1874?

Pink Blossoms & Black Velvet

The skies are still grey here in Colorado. It has been raining for days and won't let up! I miss the sunshine! I have nice summer dresses I want to wear, but with weather like this they remain hanging unloved in my closet. Though dressing for the rain isn't much fun, I threw on a 1920's style dress to try and combat the gloom today. Sadly my finger waves didn't set as strongly as I would have liked but I ended up liking the way my hair turned out all the same. Sometimes it is nice to switch up my normally 40's/50's inspired look for something more 20's! I would love to add some more 1930's style things into my wardrobe too, hopefully I can do so soon!

Dress: Made by me
Shoes: Target
Tights: What Katie Did
Sunglasses: Amazon (here)
Hat: Vintage
Earrings: Made by me