Blue Monday

When I started making clothes last summer  I kinda wasn't expecting it to take off for me like it has. And now I have so many clothes I can't possibly wear them all at the weekend. So what else to do but start wearing the appropriate ones to work, eh? So with that in mind I sewed my first for-work outfit.

It's a copy of my favourite Brumby skirt and Ondee top pairing. I love the high waist/crop top style.

The Ondee top is a lovely destashed pinstripe I bought from an Instagram friend.

And the flowery chambray came from the same lady. I had just enough to squeeze out the pockets and the orange zip already. Chook picked that!

Tah dah! So I need a couple of tops and I have 6 outfits for the autumn for work. Awesome!!

Garment deets:

Skirt 

Pattern: Megan Nielsen Brumby

Fabric: flowered chambray 

Size and changes made: small, as the pattern

Top

Pattern: Deer and Doe Ondee

Fabric: cotton blend (viscose?) knit

Size and changes made: 40, as the pattern

Skool sux

The Chookie started 3rd year on Tuesday. Yikes! Here she is ready to leave. Yes, the uniform is of the relaxed variety. *g*

I took a photo of her kit. That's it on the right here. On the left? Same night, same stuff before she started primary 3 in 2009. It's all High School Musical!

Her bag this year? Well, she asked me to make it! And after everything but the brown canvas for the outer shell arrived we used the leftover denim from my jeans the wrong way round. Coz the reverse is red! 

I'm really pleased with it! No pattern, I've made enough zippy pouches and the odd messenger bag to know how to wing it. More importantly,  she loves it. Something has to soften the blow after 8 weeks off!!

Black and white

As soon as I saw this Lecien canvas at The Village Haberdashery (in the sale section no less) I knew I was having it for a new Grainline Moss. The pocket linings and facings are a green hedgehog fabric that were a gift from my aunt in Australia,  the button is a vintage one out of my Grandma's button box.

And after the success of my last two Linden sweatshirts I channelled my inner Where's Wally into this fleecebacked affair.

And both together.

I'm not as convinced about this combo as the other two. The sweatshirt fleece doesn't drape like the Ponte but it is very cosy. I think once we're into winter with a pair of boots and a scarf I'll feel it more.

Garment deets

Skirt

Pattern: Grainline Moss

Fabric: Lecien First of Infinity canvas,  1m

Size and changes made: size 6 out the packet

Jumper

Pattern: Grainline Linden

Fabric: fleecebacked sweatshirt from EBay. Maybe half a metre of each?

Size and changes made: size 8 out the packet apart from the neckband which I cut 1 inch longer since the sweatshirt fabric isn't so stretchy.

Shopping and sewing

A couple of weeks ago an Instagram friend was having a big destash after having a clear out. She had lots of jersey knits and useful bits and bobs so I had to help her get rid of some, right? Right.

First up was a much needed pair of jammie bottoms.  My first pair for years that are long enough!! The white cotton with yellow and blue stripes are a great match for my favourite snuggly top and I accidentally have yarn for matching cosy socks!

And second up was a comfy pair of yoga pants in a navy Ponte roma. 

The other two lengths are a pretty flowered chambray and a striped cotton for a skirt and top combo. Bargain clothes! *g*

Garment deets:

Jammies

Pattern: Kwik Sew k3602

Fabric: cotton knit, maybe 2m

Size and changes made: I started with a size small but they were HUGE at the crotch. Like Hammer trousers round my knees.  (The pattern is for woven fabrics so thats maybe why) So I adapted them to match a favourite RTW pair I have.

Yoga pants

Pattern: the "if only they would nap" free pattern 

Fabric: navy Ponte roma

Size and changes made: as the pattern - perfect!

Kiss jumper

I made a variation of the Coco dress using this lipstick kisses Ponte Roma back here and had some of the fabric left.  So when I had a sewing itch that needed scratched last Sunday using up scraps seemed like a great plan! 

This is another Grainline Linden sweatshirt. For reasons of lack of fabric it has short sleeves and I used Grainline's own hack to add a split hem waistband.

Awesome! I love this pattern, it's cute and comfy and goes great with my Moss mini skirts - of which I have several!

And it was totally free since I had the fabric and pattern already. Even better!

Garment deets:

Pattern: Grainline Linden

Fabric: Ponte Roma from Ebay, maybe a half metre of each

Size and changes made: size 8 short sleeve adaptation

Birthday girl

I'm kinda (very!) late in sharing my latest birthday! I was 42 last Monday - or, as I chose to celebrate it, 21 for the second time. *g* As per tradition of the last few years I received a card with money from Chookie (her own hard earned pocket money) but she had no notes of her chosen denomination. So I got coins. Heh heh. They bought the latest Harry Potter book!

My main gifts from Spouse were a beautiful silver Phoenix and the limited edition Deep Ocean Trollbeads. Those fishes are hard to find! Coz they're gorgeous. A pearl from my parents-in-law and a Positive Change silver from one of my friends completed my Trolly haul - apart from my lovely grey pearl ring, also from Spouse. The floral Pandora ring was from my own parents, don't they all play well together?

Another friend gave me lovely smellies for my bathroom which prompted a mini makeover in the wee loo. Oh, and the badger plaque! 

My other friend gave me (amongst other things) this fab hand felted pin. Isn't it perfect with my Pebble Beach Shawl? 

And Wee Bro and Wife spoilt me with a huge voucher to the local cinema. It'll see us there twice - Suicide Squad this weekend! It's not so bad this getting older lark.

P.S. No birthday portrait but I do have me-photos taken the day after. Close enough and I'll share tomorrow!