Hmm…yet another no-breathing skirt

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I’m very good at these: No breathing clothes.

Normally it’s a case of not knowing where to add the absolutely bare minimum of ease so that it doesn’t come out dowdy. But this time I was simply in denial. I absolutely refused to believe I’d go beyond 27″. I mean, even 27″ seems like a lot. Middle age spread? No way! Not yet!

Actually, the mistake is probably in going with a thick waistband. At my waist I may be less than 27, but go a bit further up and all bets are off. The rib cage refuse to be reined in. (Though all those recent treats for extra hours at work probably didn’t help.)

And the boobs are definitely heading south. So unless it’s empire waist, the top of the waistband should never venture too close to my underbust. Now I know.

So style it all I can, this one I just don’t love. Even though the color combination I do like.

Will have to sleep on it. Maybe add it to the TBA (To Be Altered) pile (AGAIN! See previous post) so that I can at least breath in it.

Failing that a bit of nip tuck to shave off a few inches of flesh maybe? 🙂

Taffeta no more

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If I thought yesterday was bad I had seen nothing yet. Almighty has arranged a catastrophe for today.

Which idiot sewn the pocket to the back???

A side seam pocket that swings to the back…

Damn seam slippage

waistband seam slippage…

Pouff in all the wrong places

…& worst of all a skirt that’s puffy in all the wrong places for my not-quite-petite-but-still-too-short frame.

That’s after I courageously attempted fabric painting free hand & lovingly added hand embroidery to the said damn skirt!

Wasted effort

golden plum blossoms

Flight of fancy

& birdy want some

And I thought I was being so clever! Sigh, never ever tempt Fate.

I suppose it doesn’t look too bad on the dress form. But all that swish sure makes one feel wide. (And actaully the dress form’s me + heels I can’t walk in.)
Tafeta skirt back

This was the original plan for the tafeta, acquired…

Original plan for the tafeta - CdG top

Plan A – CdG top S/S ’88

…well, if the inspiration was that ancient, so must be the fabric. (I actually have lovely silk chiffons that the moths have gotten to first.)

So anyway, I went for Plan B instead as Plan A with its butterfly wings isn’t practical in damp squib Blighty. And Plan B is…

+

Which probably used to look something like this:

Ich liebe bier gern?

It was a vintage German drindl skirt, which I got at Canal Jeans
(remember them anyone? SoHo has so gone down hill. Bloody Bloomingdale! How uncool!)

Anyway, with no cleavage to boast I dropped the wench look for this…

…and got so much more mileage out of the skirt that I thought I’d try it again. Perpetual sewing novice that I am I hadn’t factor in the difference in drape. Doh!

Will just have to make the best of it (with minimum effort – I’m not loving tafeta no more) and hope to get more than one wear out of this Heidi Take 2 skirt.

A room full of fabrics & nothing for a black coat

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Gingham Dress Inspiration

Gingham Dress Inspiration

So, disaster struck.

I was about to go out in a recent creation – take 3 of a black & white gingham dress, inspired by this old clipping…I think it was NY Times Sunday Magazine. The proportion is better third time around with slightly lowered waist. But the fit is still rather dodgy – fitting is not my strong suit. Neckline gaps rather scandalously. But I digress… }:-)

Gingham Dress Take 3

Gingham Dress Take 3

So going out…I had no coat to match. I have only 4 of different weight – lack of closet space discourages hoarding of  coats (though not of fabrics & clippings apparently!) And they’re brown and brown and green + brown and one coffee stained beige trench. Shock horror. No black coat. Who’s ever heard of that. I really needed one in black.

That’s when disaster really struck. You would think with a hoard of 191 fabrics there would be something suitable. But no. Nada!

So, dilemma: do I shop for yet another piece of fabric?

(As it turned out, I didn’t really need a coat after all. It was boiling hot. File this under crazy London weather.)