The Week Of Plenty : Take 2

Sychronicity!

The day I wrote my second post, my sister said she'd picked up a Mondrian themed knitting magazine from 1977. St-Laurent was soooo ahead of it's time, that it took 11 years to trickle down to the mainstream.

I am not going to make this, knitting sweaters for Brittany weather is usless, it's never really cold, cardigans are warm enough and it rains a lot so I have been thinking about raincoats and a nice red wool coat for everyday wear this winter.

This one, from Armelle's vintage patterns collection, is a raincoat contender. I picked it up because I like the way the welt pockets are included into the princess seams. There is only one slight problem with  it. It's got no instructions! They probably were in the magazine that the pattern was mail ordered from. So I am looking for the March 1967 issue of Modes & Travaux no.795. Or if any of you knows how to do this, because I don't think I can make my own instructions for that pocket.

A quick look inside brought a big surprise, the pattern was stamped! A handmade pattern! 

The Week Of Plenty

What an amazing week!

My friend Armelle let me look into her treasure box of French vintage patterns and I almost fainted. This one is dated 1936 and is for a "combinaison", a slip if you will. I love that all the instructions are on the enveloppe. It's brand new, uncut and I wanted to wear gloves while holding it.

Though not quite the same period, I think it would be a great undergarment for Cathy's new dress!

For myself, I borrowed this one, from Modes & Travaux. I love the collar and I'll be making a muslin with my new €1,50/m off white cotton fabric I bought at IKEA yesterday. I think the combination of princess seams - darts will be tricky to fit properly.

Now look what have you here? A film on the pattern. It's so quaint.

In other news, the His & His pyjama pants shipped yesterday. That was the funniest bit of sewing I've ever made, the first time sewing for my brother and can't wait to go to the pyjama party!

The cute C&W vest I made with leftover fabric from the Kenzo for my neighboor's poney club party was a great success. 

You have until Friday to post a funny line here, the great Pattern Junkie will be the judge. 

And, last but not least, this Savage Chickens sticky note made me laugh and wish it was that easy!

A Quickie

My sister's best friend, Vali, sent me some 70's polyester print loungewear and the only thing I could think of is ::verypurpleperson:: 's paper bag skirt, so this is what I did. It took me about 2 hours, a quickie in sewing terms. To tell you the absolute truth, I never thought I'd be sewing an elastic waistband for myself, ever, I'm still not sure I like the bulk at the waist, but it's a happy comfy summer thingy and this is a good thing. 

Sidetracked!

Photo courtesy of Maison Martin Margiela from Style.com

I am easily distracted...

I rarely come accross arresting fashion pictures anymore. Not that I don't know what's going on, just that I am rarely stopped in my tracks by a new garment. And with the 80's back on, having lived that fashion decade rather fully, I have a bad case of "been there, done that" which comes with old age and some wisdom about what actually suits me. If I want to go 80's, I should go in the attic and do some refashion! Also, I really don't feel like wearing XXXXL t-shirts ever again, I am 5'3", it never looked good on me.

...I digress...

So yesterday, I'm checking out my style.com iPhone app in bed and I came upon this dress, worn by  Natalie Press (wiki says she is an actress) which I assume is a Margiela dress since it was worn at a Margiela exhibit opening. 

...I go on tangents...

The dress has got a certain Elizabethan flair : big sleeves with gashes, the font V shape,  side pleats and it's not stiff and not too little girly either. So I just went and got lost on the net looking up Elizabethan Costumes, Elizabethan Clothing, Elizabethan Clothing Restrictions which made me think of the fabulous history work done by Suzannah at Cargo Cult Craft about British Wartime Clothing Restrictions. Where was I?

...and I wander back.

Why do I like this dress? Let me count the ways, it's red, it's timeless (5 years from now, it'll still elicit compliments from me) and what I like most is that you cannot tell which Margiela collection it's from or if it's from him, unless that's your job to know this stuff.

Do I want to make this in red velvet? Yes! Will I? It all depends on how distracted I'll be!