Overdressed

I just purchased Burda 7517 (hot results here). It's another attempt at sewing Burda, which I invariably find difficult to sew. But hey! this one has pictures inside with their criptic un-spell-checked French instructions! So I am going to give it a try once again. 

This of course is part of my ongoing attempt to make stuff I wear everyday. But in reality, I want to sew this, from Chanel's Haute Couture collection.

Now where would I wear this I ask you? For, hear my lamentations here, nobody dresses for anything anymore, so I am always overdressed. Even at a recent funeral where I thought it appropriate to wear black when it turned out, nobody else was or, at a recent baptism where I was to become godmother to a wonderful little girl, in the green satin suit that you can see here in action, where people wore jeans. 

Oscar Wilde said: "You can never be overdressed or overeducated." I have lived by that, but really, wouldn't my sewing life be more fun if I was to make this Dior number in pink terrycloth to go to the beach instead?

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.