Buying Fabric and Things

You’ve got your pattern, and have some kind of idea on colours, you’re all set to go fabric shopping now!

Different fabrics launder and wear differently, so depending on how much you enjoy doing laundry will depend on what you buy.  If I can’t machine wash and dry it, I’m not interested.  I prefer to save my hand washing for hand knits and luxrious lingerie.

As far as colours and patterning goes, I tend to leave skirts and pants plain, and put the interest in the blouses for the most part.  I do like the occasional statement skirt with a plain sweater or blouse, however.  If you’re consciously working in items from your current wardrobe, think about what will work best.  For me, most of my stuff is plain coloured, so I have a bit of room to play.

This statement blouse is purely a night out top, so I think sticking with a black skirt (pencil or a-line), or black pants will work best.

I really like my purple tops, but the 3/4 sleeves just don’t work.  I think I’ll need to make them short sleeve, with maybe a little cuff.  These will work with a either a plain skirt or pants, and the lighter top would also work with something floral.

Having a list like this will help you decide what direction to go when looking for fabric.

I tend to buy cotton, or poly/cotton blends for shirts, and microcrepe or a gaberdine for pants/skirts.  Materials that have a small percentage of elastine or lycra are good if the clothes are for ‘action’, like dancing or chasing around kids as you can make them fitted, and the seams won’t stress or wear as quickly.

Something I always do, is buy at least 20% more fabric than the pattern calls for, especially if it has cotton content.  Why?  Because the first thing you should do when you bring fabric home is wash it, and some materials (especially natural content materials) will shrink.  Buying a little extra ensures that you don’t end up short (which is especially bad when trying to make pants).  Also, if you know that you need to make adjustments (such as increasing the bust, or lengthening the legs), make sure you take that into account when the sales assistant asks you how much she can cut off for you.

Remember that the little things like buttons can make your garment pop, and don’t be scared to get a little daring.  With buttons, buy what you need +2.  If they’re flat or ‘plain’ shirt buttons, stitch them on the lower side seam as you find with commercial shirts.  If your buttons are a little fancier, pop them in a little bag, and attatch them to the coathanger for that shirt, or have a ‘button box’ for your bedside drawer or the like so that you know exactly where they are.

Now you’re all set!

If you’ve been following this series, I’d love to see what you make!

I will be following up this series with the details of my own wardrobe makeover.

Ask most non-knitters who wears shawls, and you’ll possibly get the answer of “little old ladies” or “history re-enactment folk”.

When I started knitting, the usefulness of wearing shawls eluded me.  Why wear a shawl when you can wear a cardigan, or a scarf?  Sometimes a cardigan is too much, but a scarf just doesn’t quite cover enough… but a shawl, or a wrap is a great in between. It  is an accessory that can ward off a slightly more than crisp wind in spring or autumn, or add a cosy layer when you’re rugging up against winter’s chill.  They’re also fantastic, when knit in a laceweight or gossamer yarn in a luxurious fibre, such as silk, alpaca, optim or cashmere, to add an element of elegance or drama to an evening outfit.

I have only knit three shawls to date, but already I see them as an essential addition to my wardrobe.  I also have plans for additions to the shawl-drobe (teehee) for some silk shawls so that I can wear them through summer as well.  I’m envisioning summer dresses with a light shawl or wrap this year.

My first shawl was the Photosynthesis (Ravelry Link).  Top down from centre, triangular.  I also knit it in handspun (just to make it more interesting) and learned a great shawl bind off.  The blend makes it perfect for warding off a breeze or airconditioning, or for wrapping around my neck under a coat.

Next was the Citron (Ravelry Link).  Top down from centre, semi circular.  This took me a while to finish, because of the seemingly endless stocking stitch, the fact that I added 2 sections to the pattern and beads to the ruffle didn’t help that fact.  It’s a lighter shawl and is great as an inbetween piece, and a shot of colour.

Then I decided to knit something for summer.  Which brought me to Summerflies.  Top down from centre, semi circular.  I knit this in a viscose/silk blend that I’ve had in my stash for years.  It’s a free pattern, and the only change I made was the edging.  I didn’t want to knit another ruffle so close to finishing the Citron.  So I added a border of the ridged eyelets.  It’s a lovely light shoulder cover.  I haven’t worn it yet, because it’s been too cold.

The great thing is that there are no hard and fast rules about shawls.  There are so many shapes and styles around, that if lace knitting isn’t your thing, there are designers who use shape and texture to create visual interest.  A designer that has been brought to my attention  recently is Stephen West (here is his Ravelry Link).  His designs are geometric, simple and striking.  He also demonstrates that shawls are not just for women.   My friend Margarita (aka 1FunkyKnitWit) made a Daybreak shawl and a Flamboyan recently and they are just stunning!  I love the use of colour  and geometry.  Also, not being a lace, it also lends itself to being a warmer, more wind resistant wrap up.  It’s also probably a little more striking, as you don’t need to see the details (as you do with lace) to appreciate it’s structure.

However, I must say that after knitting my Citron, shawls and wraps that are wrought with stocking stitch will certainly be my “TV/Movie/Social knitting”, rather than my knitting for enjoyment.  I really must admit that I love to knit lace, and the next 3 shawls I have planned are all lacey ones.  One of which is HUGE and lacey.

The last week has been pretty tough.  The Man got sick, and then The Boy got sick, and then The Boy ended up in hospital for 2 nights, and is now on a 5 day “asthma plan” including anti-biotics.  Needless to say that I got no sleep on night 1, and very broken sleep on night 2.  Thankfully last night was much better, and he seems to be improving at a decent rate.  This is just the latest family stress in a string of them over the last few months.

So this has us both a bit stressed, and needing an outlet.  It’s not often we get to do some guilt free spoiling of ourselves, so we bought a few new DVD’s for us and The Boy.  I also decided to feed some of my glamour wants in the process.

I have new lip gloss, shoes, a couple of nail polishes, new lipstick and some makeup.

Realistically, the only thing I NEEDED was the shoes.  And they’re super cute. They’re low wedges, very comfortable, but I can easily wear them with a skirt or dress.  My body isn’t ready for heels yet, so finding cute low shoes that aren’t ballet flats has been a huge task.  These are by Hush Puppies, and the style is “Viola”.  Apparantly they are “Winter stock”, so finding them in my size has been a challenge.  But it also means they were on sale (WOO!).  Wedges do, however, seem to be en vogue at the moment, so hopefully finding more  during summer won’t be too labourious.

The lipgloss and lipstick are both Maybelline Color Sensations.  The gloss is the Creme Gloss in Cranberry Cocktail, wich is an awesome red-pink which is super shiny, but not sticky.  The lipstick is Red Revival, and it’s the perfect pinup red.  I do think, however, I need a good red lip liner.  The nail polishes were a special buy from Priceline.  They’re mini-bottles by Bourjois, one is a blush pink (Soiree a Versailles) and the other is a vibrant purple (Festival a Venise), they were 2 for $5 and so cute, so I had to buy them.  I love matte eyeshadows, so when I saw this soft blush pink from Revlon for $4.95, I had to buy it.  The tube is the Lanolips 101 Ointment, and so far it’s been lip balm, cuticle cream and dry ezcema oinment.  I love it and will continue to use it for as long as it’s available.  I also replenished my “2 minute makeup” foundation, which is the BeneFit Cosmetics “Some Kinda Gorgeous”.

I also nabbed some cute hair clips from Equip with a 3 for 2 sale.  Mostly bows & flowers, which I’ll feature with future hair photos.

Does any of it actually HELP the problems?  No, not really.  But that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy my new pretties.

My hands tend to be dry most of the year round, but moreso during winter.  In the past I have just used whatever cream I happen to use on my son, but he is currently using cream that is not appropriate to use, so this year I’ve had particular issue finding a cream that was ingredient friendly for me to use around my very allergic son, but still very moisturising without being nothing but mineral oil.

Unfortunately for me, most hand creams that I like have nut or other ingredients that are just prohibitive.  So finding a natural based product that I didn’t have to make myself (which is still on the cards going forward) has been pretty much impossible.  So I’ve had to compromise just what I’m willing to use.  I have found two creams that will be good for winter use.  One is a moisturiser, and the other is more of a barrier cream to prevent moisture loss.

Firstly is a hand cream by Lanolips.  It’s a medical grade lanolin based product that’s made right here in Australia.  I’ve been using it for 4 days now, and I really do like it.  I use less than a pea sized amount to give my hands a nice moisturise.  It has a lovely rose baby powder scent that reminds me of my Grandmother, which makes me smile each time I use it.  It also contains Keratin which is good for your nails.  I don’t find it greasy, and it has made a significan difference in less than a week to the condition of my hands. (Bought at Myer for $22.95 – 150g)

The next cream is more of a barrier cream, to prevent moisture loss, rather than a moisturiser.  It’s the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream. You only need a very small amount to cover your entire hand, and would be good to use after a moisturise if you’re going to be exposing your hands to extreme cold or constant air conditioning.  I got the fragrance free, so I don’t know what the normal one smells like.  This cream takes longer to soak in to your hands, but would be ideal to put on before donning dishwashing gloves and sticking your hands into the hot water. (Bought at Priceline $7.95 – 56g)

I’m still on the lookout for a good cuticle oil that is safe to use, and am waiting to hear back from the Lanolips people about the contents of their 101 ointment.

But my hands are coming back to their more supple selves slowly but surely, and my nails are starting to regrow.  I’m looking forward to soon painting up and showing off my hands!

(all products were purchased by me for personal use)

Patterns & Planning

Now you have an idea of where you want to get to, and what you can re-use from your own wardrobe, now we need to asses what our day to day entails, and what wardrobe needs will arise.  Mine is running around after an almost 4 year old boy, housework, errands, occasional social outings and fleeting moments of glamour… well, near-almost-kinda glamour.

• So things that are easy to launder – I don’t mind ironing, but hand washing is reserved for hand knits and dry-cleaning is not on the cards
• Clothes that are comfortable to wear but versatile enough to go out in
• Pieces that are coordinated to maximise wardrobe with fewer pieces

Whilst I enjoy wearing dresses,  seperates are more practical for me at the moment.

So now I have an idea of the types of clothing I want to include, I need to think about which period I want to use as a starting point. I enjoy a vast array of vintage fashion, from Regency era through to the early 1960’s, particularly the mid 1920’s to mid 1950’s.  The easiest to adapt for me to start with will be the 1940’s.  Fashion in the Wartime 1940’s was all about slim, tailored lines, using minimal fabric as to maximise rations.  Women were still feminine while frugal, style was not compromised.

A good place to start, if you don’t have patterns to begin with, is a “sportswear” category pattern.  These can range from really casual, to entire business wardrobes.  At the moment, Simplicity have two 1940’s inspired patterns.  I bought this Simplicity pattern.  It’s a ‘retro’ 1940’s repro pattern.  It’s a classic 1940’s line, and come in a full spectrum of sizes.  It is also easy to adjust the bust due to princess seams in the jacket and the yoke on the blouse.  The reason sportswear category patterns can be great, is they encompass key pieces, in this case, blouse, pant, skirt and jacket.  Creating coordinates becomes simple. To expand the wardrobe, add other blouse/shirt patterns, a different style  jacket, add a pencil skirt or two and you’re good to go!

If you’re new to sewing, the simpler the pattern the better.  Each pattern will have a rating of Very Easy, Easy, Intermediate or Advanced, so it would be to your own advantage to choose patterns that you will be comfortable making.

But what size pattern do you buy?  Except for a few advanced technique patterns, the Big 4 tend to have pattern ranges, some reproduction companies may also do single size patterns.  So you’ll need to take measurements. So many other people have great guides as to how, my favourite is at Sew, Mama, Sew.  Once you have your measurements, you want to get the size that is closest to your own measurements.  Unless you’re a perfect match, you’ll probably have to fiddle around with the pattern a little.  Also, if you’re larger than a B cup you’ll want to use your high bust measurement to determine which is the correct ‘bust’ size pattern to use.  This means, however, that you will need to do some adjustments for the bust.  A great resource book for fitting is the Palmer/Pletsch book “Fit For Real People“.  Taking the time to fit a pattern properly will make a huge difference to the end garment.  It’s time worth spending.  Especially if you plan to make more than one of the same pattern.

Next week:- Buying Fabric & Things

Working It In

Just because you’re creating a new look (or revamping an old one) for yourself, there’s no need to toss everything you currently own.  You may have a piece or two that you just love and can’t part with, or that are designer and you don’t want to feel like you’ve wasted the money.  Is there already a colour theme in your wardrobe?  Or is one of the reasons you want to revamp because there is no unity?

My current wardrobe has no unity, or colour theme.  I have pieces that I won’t want to lose, so I will want to create a wardrobe that will allow me to incorporate some of what I already have.

And don’t forget your accessories!  Beloved shoes, or handbag?  A scarf that has wonderful memories attached?  Don’t feel like you have to abandon ANYTHING that you love because you want to revamp/do up your wardrobe.  Even if the pieces are anachronistic, there are ways to work things in that makes them playful, or purposefully ironic.

Working the vintage wardrobe isn’t always about being 100% authentic.  Fashion and subculture movements like Steampunk and Dieselpunk show us that we can take elements from the fashion of the day, twist it a little and make it rock.  The important thing is that you enjoy what you’re wearing.

Best thing to do is really look at your current wardrobe, and select the things that you already own that you want to incorporate into your ‘new look’.  Hang them together and take a photo of them to see what you have, and see if there are any commonalities between them.  Colour.  Shape. Potential for alteration to suit.

Looking at my own wardrobe I have 4 or 5 dresses, half a dozen tops/blouses, 2 skirts, a coat and a waistcoat.  Most of which require some kind of alteration to either fit properly, or be appropriate, a couple of which don’t currently fit but will work into the wardrobe at a future time but most of which will be phased out of the wardrobe as I start shedding some weight.  There’s no great colour theme, and if not for the fact my skirts are black, there’s very little coordination going on.  And while black is a great equaliser, I really don’t want to have my wardrobe full of it.

As far as accessories go, most of my shoes are black, with a couple of specials as seen here.  And while I have one great vintage handbag, I do enjoy making my own, and while they may not be vintage or even vintage inspired, I do love them all the same and will make them work.  I have one Trilby hat that works in winter, and I have plans for some cute hats for summer later this year.

So now with the assessment out of the way, now comes the what to add first?

I seem to have quite a few tops/blouses, so what I need are pants and skirts, but a couple of new blouses would be nice too, but I don’t want to make any jackets or dresses just yet.

Next week:- Patterns & Planning

Well I got my hair cut, but no colour. I’m just not decided enough to actually do it. My hairdresser advises blonde too, so that’s another choice to the mix.
So here is the cut.  I went for the shorter “Baby” length, but with slightly longer layers on top, at the sides and a smidge extra for the front of my “fringe”.  It’s just long enough to go over my rollers at the base.

This particular hairstyle was (what I call) a soft set.  This is when I blowdry my hair around a small round brush, and then set in dry pincurls.  As I have quite curly hair, to acheive this amount of curl, a soft set is really effective.  I generally only pull out a wet set when I’m going out dancing, or need more definitive waves.

The other thing in the photo is my recently finished Citron Shawl.  I love wearing it!  It’s a perfect layer when you don’t need something as heavy as a cardigan.

The countdown is on for the new hair cut & colour.  And to be quite honest with you, I’m a little nervous.  Not about the cut, because I’ve had it done before and it’s what I need right now as we’re coming out of the cold weather.

But about the colour, I’m second guessing myself.  I’ve been red before, sure.. but I’ve also been most other natural colours between jet black and platinum blonde too.  It’s more about heading forward with my vintage look, making sure clothes I buy/make don’t clash with my hair, not to mention the hand knits I already have.  So now I’m thinking if I should keep it brown, but more of a caramel colour, so it’s still warm.

These pictures I found of Emma Watson and Drew Barrymore are roughly the tone I was thinking about.  Warm, summery but completely neutral so won’t clash with anything I already own.

What do you think?

Things have gotten so topsy turvy, that a few things have flown under the radar, or fallen behind… or both.

My dresser is one of those things.

I like having a place to sit down and do my hair and makeup, and for a time I had a refurbished (by me) vintage dresser, my parents bought it for me after much begging for one of my birthdays, and I spent a month refinishing it with a layered shellac finish.  It had lots of storage and a lovely large mirror.  I had it for a long time, through moving out of home, finding my husband, and even into married life.

I did, however, give it away in a heartbeat when my Mother, Aunt & Uncles offered me my Grandmothers dresser.  My Grandfather had passed away, and they were clearing out the house so it could be sold.  It has a gorgeous large mirror, that has ‘wings’, and a glass top.  There isn’t as much storage as my old one, but it was my Grandmother’s and I will keep it forever.

The only thing I have done to it is add a piece of Battenburg Lace under the glass top.  I love it.

Unfortunately from time to time it becomes a bit of a dumping ground, and as a part of my Spring Cleaning Tirade it is the third area on my list.  And for the first time on this blog.. here is my dresser!

Shocking huh?

Well, the first thing I did was empty it off, and clean all the glass/mirror areas with a water/vinegar mix for a lovely non-streak shine. Next I assessed exactly what was going back on top.  I love my little jewellery women.. but do I need two?  No, probably not.  Does all the jewellery need to be ‘at hand’, definitely not.  Other things not going back on my dresser, figurines, tarot box, anodised cups (I have other storage sorted out) … etc etc..

Much better, yes?  (please ignore my unmade, untidy bed in the reflection) I haven’t done the drawers yet, that’s another day.  I also need to clean some of my jewellery.  There is a brush stand to go on there too, and a lovely soft felt pad for my new hand held mirror.  I’m also in desperate need for a stool for this dresser.  Something with storage for my hairdryer would be nice.

Thanks to my sister getting rather busy with her Roller Derby team, I get her Zumba!

Anyone who knows me, knows I love dancing, and have done a fair bit of it in my time.  So like the 80’s and the Jazzercise days, it seems that the new millenia is all about Zumba! And for me, it looks to be a pretty good solution to working out.

My plan is to do the 20 minute ‘express’ at least 3 times a week and one of the focus ones on the weekend.  This will be in addition to some stationary bike time before bed.

Zumba, Zumba, ZUMBA!!!