wk 4 :: 52

a portrait of my boy

once a week

every week

for 2014

 4 :: 52

drawing & painting

a lion in our little smARTy's studio

wonderful times

P52 :: Wk2

a women's work wear look

for a SAHM

who chats on skype

.... well that's kind of me but the whole skype thing is yet to take off!

but i am a blogger .... 

& an artist

so i thought i'd give myself a challenge

& do something very very quirky to match

if you've been following along lately

i've not long been back into sewing clothes for myself

so what does every SAHM need

a CAPE 

= because that is so easy to throw on over a top & looks glam

and some SHORT SHORTS ....

= because every girl needs to be just a little cheeky at times!!

( i love this look ..... just ignore my weird expression!)

 been longing to make myself a cape since

i saw this lady's clever versions ...

but i was keen on a hood

so found a fab pattern by Andrea Pannell

the 'Go To Cape for Women'

i made the medium size in the petite length

cute with great swing

love the way the fabric feels, its weight & movement 

drapes really nicely

a recent fabulous bulk lot find

proved fruitful this week .... with a truly great 

warwick micro suede fabric

just perfect for a cape .... a colour i love & feel good in

paired it with a long time hoarded hope valley

denyse schmidt cotton

i really really love how it has turned out

i know i will wear this lots

 now i have to tell you that i was amazed at how simple this was to sew

but it was definately something new for me

fabric i'd not sewn with before 

not really sewn alot with linings

a button .... what? i don't usually 'do' buttons 

but this one is more like an accessory!

i will make another cape again for sure!!

 so now a massive step up with the 

degree of difficulty

yep it was up there with these 

short shorts

seriously felt like i had bitten off way more than i could chew at one point

whilst there are a number of mistakes i'm still pretty pleased with the result

changed the pattern up a bit with showing the lining fabric as a feature instead

my first ever time sewing a fly .... i really really studied those instructions

pattern is the Maritime Shorts by Grainline

yep they are short aren't they ...

i was dressing the look 'up' here 

.... got to do that when you're getting ready to skype hey!

if you know me you'll know that this kind of quirky is so 'me'

really enjoying being creative with my sewing at the moment

i am an art teacher & this whole look is just right

might wear more durable opaque tights with these shorts for real however!

but i don't mind a shorts look with tights & boots

 oh & i hope you noticed the extra 'styling'

as that was part of the brief hey?

those bangles ... up cycled some by cutting long fabric strips

from both the ds hope valley lining fabrics

bit of wellbond glue wind them up

& leave to dry

worn with a renfrew top in a silky bronze that i made up

a few weeks ago ...

pretty pleased i can put together a look that is all made by me!!

P52 :: Wk1 (take2)

 ok so i really wasn't happy with my

entry for week 1 of Project 52 Weekly Fashion Challenge
it didn't have the creative edge that was part of the challenge
& that wasn't a good fit for me!

but that was yesterday ....
but today the lovely nicole decided to extend the deadline

 well if you know me & there is still time left ... i will do something!

so one of my original ideas was to

kind of create my own geometric fabric

by layering some jersey knits

 +++++++
News Flash
+++++++
i was the runner up
yay!!!
+++++++ 

 i had thought i'd do something with a carefully mapped out

grid but ..... well short on time .... again

& the thought was to just eye ball it

not a grid but i did sew lots of angled straight lines

& they do add up to a geometric grouping!!

i cut the pattern out .... twice

two different colours for the front & back

then i sewed the two layers together with all these criss-crossing lines

 then there was the cutting

this actually took the most time

pinching up the top layer & cutting

its all a bit raw edged but i figure with a wash it will curl up

i don't mind a deconstructed look

 pieced together

pattern is Seafarer T shirt by

Sew Much A Do

this is my 'take two'

yep

its got that 'creative' input that was missing

happy now!!

(ps ..... chopping away did feel a little year 9 garment-construction-class-ish!!)

P52 :: Wk1

project 52

weekly fashion challenge

well .... it was all about

making a 'geometric' top

i had some grand ideas

but

you know .... the week has turned out 

to be rather full ....

so i just went for simple to start with

a geometric fabric

that i have hoarded from a

trip to china

to what was an isolated village

in the moutains ... guilin

i remember the shop .... piled high 

with the most amazing fabrics

all so long ago now

not sure i've done the fabric justice really

or do the pics help any

its late & dark

& when i look at these pics

i feel like i'm wearing a nurses uniform

but in reality it feels ok

i'll style it up with some chunky beads & a layered top

.... i'll be back sometime with an edit to this post perhaps!!

i actually love this pattern

its the Lisette Portfolio Dress Pattern

the tunic short top version

i've made it as the dress & love it

yeah .... i'll post about that one soon-ish

wishing sooo sooooo much that i had done the contrast

i originally planned

 

oh & do you like the paint still on my hand
yep - been busy today
church & lunch & the hottie challenge gala event
& painting walls in the studio
& then sewing for this P52 ...