Good bye Summer

Hi everyone !

I thought I ought to have a last post before Autumn to make a little review of my very sunny Summer.

As I spent most of my time outside to enjoy the marvelous weather, I don't have a lot to show. Just a few basics that I thought would be very useful, and they were.

Lazy girl!

 So, there we go, summer sewing:

A little walk on the wild coast

We had really few days without sun. During those I wore my bermudas. But they seemed too long, so I chopped them of 3 cm. And they felt immediately younger.
I also made a long sleeved T-shirt inspired by a local manufacturer: Armor Lux. It is so popular, that we almost look all the same with our striped t-shirts, it's really silly when  you think about it: villages full of striped clothed, bad haired people! Yes we tend to have our share of wind, hence the impossibility to keep a perfect hairdo.

After I cut them, better no?

Do you have megaliths as well ?

Then, I made a few things for those incredibly warm days:

A bathing suit! Well, in fact two, but I am waiting for my mother in law to send me the pictures of the other one. Not a big loss thought. It's basically the same model. This one is the second I made.

I prefer to wear it without the tie in the middle but it's more practical for swimming.

The first time I wore it, I had my parents in stand by with a towel in case I had a major shameless incident while going out of the water :-) I am very pleased to report that the lining did it's job.

In order to nail the top part, I used an old skanky jersey dress as a muslin. I took it back here with me to try other forms. And for the bottom I just copied an old one I love.

I also made a pair of shorts based with the same pattern as this one. It is very rare that I use the same pattern twice, but shorts are essential to me during summer, and I always need a white one. It's fancy and it enhances my tan! I know, I'm shallow when it come to my clothes!

It is made of a stretchy fabric. Don't know what exactly. I think I found it in a box of pre-cut fabrics at my favourite fabric shop in Rennes: TOTO SOLDES.

Because of the stretch I omitted the zipper. But added two velted pockets at the front and two at the back. But only the front ones are real. The back ones are just for show.

Then, I used a small piece of liberty fabric I had for a year in my stash to make this so cut top:

A simple V shape for the front. Diagonal darts for the bust ones. The house in the background is so lovely don't you think?

 

 

Can you see the crocheted curtains on the windows? They are traditional on the island of south Brittany, and so sweet. 

And finally, the best part: the bare back! I just made tiny bias straps and attached them under the arm to prevent any gap. This is a great top for warm weather. I think that using liberty fabric makes is more romantic and elegant. Had I used an other fabric, it may have come across as vulgar. Maybe I should try :-)

To finish the edges I also used some self made bias of the same fabric. I wondered if I could have used a contrasting fabric. It could be a good idea for a black and white one. Could give it a bit of a Chanel edge.

 The pattern posed a small problem. It was too large on the sides. I think because it was not hanging from the shoulders it was necessary to remove 3 cm on each side to have a good fit. Not too hard to do, except when the side of your garment is not straight. A picture is always better to understand no?

The red line are my new side seams, see the problem? I had to trace a new underarm line, it made this part of the top a bit lower than I wanted to, but hey, who knows? And I think it looks good anyway, so, I don't care.

That's all for summer. A bit short isn't it? Finally we had this kind of weather for only two months. Now I have to put my mind into Autumn sewing.
The change of seasons always makes me wondering for a few days. For Autumn, I like to think about the UK, you know, miss Marple, Downton Abbey, that sort of things. And eventually my pattern making mojo comes back, and I run to the store to buy plaid fabric!!

Anyone still in summer mode or is the weather so terrible where you live that you are already wearing socks? I know I did last week!

Cheers!

buttons, buttons!

 

Hi everyone!

I said in my previous post that I would talk to you about making swimsuits, BUT IT'S FREAKING COLD OUT HERE!!!

I just cannot bring myself to making a new one or photographing the ones I made this summer. Winter is coming friends, and in Kaiserslautern it seems like it's already here...

So I decided that instead I would make a quick post about the new mission I am invested in: building my stash!!!

I am soooooo into this new occupation. But hey don't judge me, I am just copying what others do! And also, I need it.

After Caroline wrote about hers, I knew that I needed to create my own. I mean, if you don't leave next to your fabric shop like I did (sight...), it means you have to buy in bulks, fabric, notions, everything, if you don't want to waste your precious sewing time going out for a stupid zipper or buttons!

This is why I begun buying buttons, lots of them.

I am super lucky to spend my holidays in the small island of Groix, witch beside being beautiful has an haberdashery. And this is really super lucky because the Island is just 4km X 8!

It's called la petite fabrique, they sell clothes that they make, AND most important, they have an important collection of vintage buttons, zippers, elastics, and more that I am not even aware of, because there are things everywhere in this shop. I love it!

 This is what I bought last year.

 I also have them in navy!

 pearls I used is this project and in this one too.

Aren't those bicycles splendides?

 Soo beautiful no?

They are so beautiful and shiny! This is why I couldn't leave the island this summer without buying some new one. Because they are vintage, if I don't buy them and someone else does, then they are gone forever. See, I HAVE to buy them.

This year selection is more varied, I tried to pick out colours I like and use. It's not easy to select the buttons before the fabric. But I had no other choice.

I knew I would certainely want to make shirts or blouses. This is why I picked some small ones. And the big ones are for a coat I will try to make, and because, well, they're just soooo nice!!

More eye candy?

 Look at that! And did I tell you they are not expensive????

Cheers everybody, and buy button, lots of them, it's good for you!!

The endless summer

Hello everyone,

I'm back! 

Wow! I don't know what to begin with. I loooved my vacations! Two months in my dear Brittany with so much sun I think that I have never been so tanned! Here is a little collage of what my holidays looked like:

I have to warn you dear readers, I have done almost no sewing at all... Shocking no? It has been the sunnier summer in many many years, and I spend all of my time bathing in the warm ocean.

Here are a few pictures of some of the lovely houses you can find on the island of Groix where I hid myself for two months! Some of them have been build by Italian masons in the 40's, witch explain their colourful front and delicate ornaments.

 

I took those pictures during one of the few days of grey weather. I wish I had taken more, but there are really so many cute houses, that it would have taken me quite some time, and come on, I'd rather go to the beach than take pictures in the heat! But I did tink of you, look pictures of my main occupation:

BEACH!!!!!

 

This is the very big " les grands sables "

 

les sables rouges

There are many more small beaches around the island, but those are my favorites.

It is rather a small island. Only 8 km by 4! But men, is it beautiful, and peaceful.

 

If you don't like the beach, you can walk around and inside the island, between fields or across charming villages. This is what I do when I'm up there in winter.

 

 

I wore shorts and bikinis almost every day. So I made a few of them that I will show you in a future post.
I also stopped in the city to buy "some" fabric, and by that I mean A LOT of it. The saleswomen even talk me into not buying any more... Shame! But she was right, I'll be back there for a few days in November and back then there will be a lot more choice of fabric for winter.

A few more pics?

The lovely city of Vannes:

The church at my grand parents village: Locquénolé

This is it for today. I promise I will soon show you my little production of this summer. Now that I have internet again, and I'm back in the crappy weather of Germany I have no excuse. I'm so bad with Germany, I know! But come on, where is the sun, I am freezing since I got back. Give me back some sun, I want to make some more bikinis!!

Anyway, I hope you also had crazy sun this summer for those of you in the northern hemisphere. And to keep you on your toes here is a teaser for you:

 

Cheers everyone!

Flower madness

What is wrong with the weather? Seriously?

Let me explain. For weeks I complained that the sun wouldn't show, hence I couldn't wear my beautiful dresses or trot around in shorts. Then the sun came and it was so warm outside that it was impossible to walk in the street because of the heat, let alone wear a dress.

And now it's cold again... I will complain to Germany's tourism office!

You can easily understand that if it's difficult to know what to wear, it's even more difficult to know what to sew. Gives me a headache. So, last week, while I was liquefying myself in the hot weather coming from the Sahara. Yes, you read right and during winter we have winds coming from Siberia :-), I made a crazy ensemble.

Inspiration came from Giorgio Armani:

And Tara Jarmon:

I wanted to have a super fashionable ensemble, that I could wear as well in the city as at the beach. Shorts are a basic in my summer wardrobe, I wear them more than dresses because I have very long holidays and walk and ride a lot during those, so I need something comfortable and breezy.

Here is what I came up with:

Look, flowers!

Pretty bold no? It's made with a light cotton print I bought before leaving France, 6 Euros for 1,50 cl, not bad hey? Pattern self drafted of course. I complained in this post that I had difficulties making simple shorts that fit well with the perfect length. Well this is it, I finally managed to make them!! I am so happy, love shorts! A round of applause for me!!

 

I made some fancy velted pockets. Two real at the front, and two fake at the back:

front

back

I had to scramble a little to find how to make the front pocket's "bag". This is how I made it, basically just by playing with my lining. It turned out fine, and it didn't take too much time to make.

 See, on the first picture, I placed my lining above the opening, pined it and cut the fabric around. Just living enough to stitch them together. Then I put my second piece of lining and a piece of my flower fabric just where to pocket opens, stitched and voilà:

 

I didn't bother to make real pockets for the back, it's just for show:

From Giorgio Armani, I took the idea of the "goutte d'eau" opening. It's a nice detail, and it was not hard to do, it just needs a good press to lay flat on the torso. Maybe I could have made it bigger. But I don't like to touch the shape of a garment when it's already stitched, if it fits right, I just follow my pattern, point.

Made some self bias for the neck line, love it, It's clean and very practical. I could have used it for the opening but I don't like to put too much stuff on my pieces so instead I used facings:

 

And I stitched by hand around the opening, basting the facings inside only.

The top is closed by a lovely vintage button that I used in this previous garment.

 

And the shorts are closed with buttons because although I bought a bunch of zippers last time I went to the city, I didn't have one with the right color or length, and because I'm crazy lazy, I just did with what I had, which is buttons...

 

I would have never wear such a crazy ensemble a few years ago, but prints are growing on me, clearly. I think it's super fashionable and totally appropriate for my way of live now. Just not for the weather, on the pictures it's already more than 25°c (77°f) and it's not ten o'clock yet.

My only concern now is the weather. Maybe I should make myself a rain coat and some long sleeved T-shirts. It seems more appropriate for the kind of weather we are currently experiencing. Sad, I just want to make bathing suits and dresses and more shorts and cute tops. This is why a women's got a have an extensive wardrobe! Because you never know what kind of weather you're going to have and clearly, I am not going to wear plaid in June, even if it's cold!!

I also made a pair of white ones, just because. I am now making a super bright top to go with the shorts, and I plan on making bikinis! BIKINIS!!! Give me some sun!! Lots of it !!

Cheers everyone.