Saturday 29 July 2017

Working wardrobe :1

So back in May I decided what I really need to make is work clothes. This a very boring project but has the upside that at least I should end up with clothing that fits comfortably rather than most of the RTW stuff I already own that is very dated being bought back in the early 2000,s. I NEED this stuff rather than want it so forgive me for being practicle for a few weeks whilst I make some work clothes.

So first off here,s Burda 7122 View A.



  Unfortunately not the best photos ever but I broke my phone so Mick took these and his camera is not so good. They do look pretty similar to the pattern. Being naturally lazy I missed out the belt loops but may have to add them retrospectively depending on how they wear in because I think I should have made a size smaller. Still these are the prototype. I have cut out a second pair already. The fabric is four way stretch. I think probably polyester. Like normal suit fabric from a shop like Next. No cheapo stuff although I bought this about two years ago from a shop that was closing down and it cost just 99p for about 4m. Downside is my 4m are in three bits but its looking like finally I have a purpose for this. 
  I actually attempted my first invisible zip. It worked but I chose to use the Blank Slate method which uses a normal zipper foot and it doesn't get close enough to the teeth so ends up "not quite invisible". The inside and all seams are overlocked. I did a deep hem because I am not as tall as the pattern is meant for but its given the trousers some weight which makes them drap well.

 




And finally here's a very nice looking Canada goose!


I just had to include him ( or her) because he's lovely!
Thanks for reading,
Bracken

Rose Blonde Hair Yeah!

I decided to be brave and go for Rose Blonde instead of my usual natural blonde hair dye. Tho obviously I have had red hair and peach hair as people may have noticed in older blog posts but I was a student and it was nice to be able to be me. Now I am in an office where its a smart casual but definitely with emphasis on the "smart". So its OK but I do feel a bit fake. So, I decided to take a chance knowing I am temping anyway and it will fade being a  semi permanent in a few washes anyway. Also we ae not in the 70s and 80s anymore where you got sacked if you dyed your hair a colour instead of natural. The world has changed thank goodness and is far freeer with things like hair colour than the world I grew up in.

So go for it:

This is Rose blonde when wet.




Then its a bit scary and very pink but when rinsed and dried its like this:


Brillaint! Just a hint of pink which keeps me happy........I can't explain this but I always like coloured hair best probably my punk roots. But not too much  (hopefully) to annoy the boss because I do need to keep my job.

This is Superdrug's own make Rose Blonde semi-permanent hair dye on a bleached blonde base. OK I reckon! The packet says 30 minutes but I left it on 45 by mistake so probably more intense than 30 minutes would be but its a conditioner so will be good not bad for my hair which is one of the reasons for trying it. Why have a plain old conditioner when you can have a coloured one?

There is definitely a hint of pink. I did not think it was very noticible until I was sitting at my desk and the lady who sits next to me came in and said "Wow! Pink Hair" so obviously you can tell.

Very wearable I think. I bought two more packs. One of Loreal colorista to use when my roots come back and one of superdrugs own conditioner/semiperm colours again in Rose Blonde. Should get me through to autumn I think and I still have colorista in peach, lilac and pink as well if I fancy a dipdyed effect which I bought the week of my birthday.

Thanks for reading,
Bracken

Saturday 22 July 2017

Red dress from McCalls

This is yet another version of McCalls M6612. Just the asic vest pattern here with overlocked seams and twin needle ( and overlocked) hems. Very easy and quick.

Not much to say about this dress really. I made it to use with my two red tops.

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/red-top.html

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/another-red-topburdastyle-022014117.html






Thanks for visiting my blog,  

Bracken

Another red top:Burdastyle 02/2014#117


This is Burdastyle 02/2014#117 which can also be used to make a dress. However it does mean I will have to trace it again and right now I am feeling lazy. This top is made from some of my Ikea oriental fabric which I also used for these trousers http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/50-052015-burdastyle-trousers-114115.html                                and this top http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/55-red-burda-style-top.html  
I do like the top very much though found the neck a bit too low for me so ended up wearing over my red dress made here . I actually made this as a summer top I could get away with for work but the low V-neck has meant I probably will keep just for "play" instead. I do not feel comfortable with such a plunging neck at work.

Actually, how do you like my new "Deathly Hallows" pendant which was  birthday present?
 Not quite my usual style though it seems most people do not know its from Harry Potter and just think its a random shape.


I did not make any big changes to this pattern other than forgetting to cut the top front piece which you cut into two (if you follow the instructions properly!) to make a yoke. By the time I read it properly and realised I had cut the front out so if I had then chopped it off I would not have had a seam allowance so decided to just omit the front yoke. If you were using this for colour blocking it would have mattered but since its all one print it really makes very little difference. Since this top is made from bits from two previous garments I never bothered to pattern match so its a bit random but I do not mind. 
Its all overlocked but top stitched round the neck and sleeves and hem.
This is the top sticthing on the hem:
 




Thanks for visiting my blog and reading to the end of my post!

Bracken

Friday 14 July 2017

Red top

 I was inspired for this look by Did You Make That's
Yuki Dress The Third

The shoe lace tie is from the same supplier in fact!
So............. I cannot afford to buy any new patterns right now which is sad being as we are in the midst of Indie Pattern Month but whatever, this is my take on the Yuki dress using just what I already own. Except of course this is a top!

I have his pattern which I actually managed to buy by accident in an online sale. At least when the parcel arrived I definitely did not remember ordering it. At the time, as well, I did not consider it to be my style. However, I have used McCalls M6612 loads so it was a good mistake to have made. This time I made view D but with the sleeves. However instead of making view D into a cowl dress I shortened it into a top and left the cowl as a tube which works as a hood.



Its worn here with my birthday skirt: http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/birthday-skirt.html

I think it worked out very well.



The top is made from unknown jersey which is probably cotton bought as an end of roll remnant from Ebay for just 99p. I was very happy to receive this purchase in fact because there was over 5m of it. It is a bit brighter than usually I would buy but at 99p I can cope with that.


Thanks for reading, Bracken

Thursday 6 July 2017

Lilac Gingham skirt

 
When I went on my high street window/inspiration to sew - shop back in March I discovered lots of shops selling versions of this pattern:
105-122016-b_large
http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/ruffle-skirt-122016

When I first bought the magazine with this pattern I did not see myself wearing that skirt at all. However a few months later and its summer and I happen to still have some stretch lilac gingham in my stash so why not?

So back in March I traced and cut this skirt out. Then with the never ending thesis writing I did not finish it until now ( by the way I have now finally submitted that thesis!!YEY!)

the back is just a plain skirt:
Unfortunaly by the time I actually got round to sewing this up I forgot what the pattern said and was too lazy to work out which magazine it came out of - note to self write the magazine number as well as the view number on all future patterns! So anyway I did it wrong. Instead of a free flowing frill mine is tied into the front hemline which does work well but is not what the original skirt looked like. Whatever, its a new skirt for summer and I enjoyed wearing it for work despite it really not being at all my usual style.

 






 Changes I made to the pattern: I omitted the zip completely and added wide elastic because my gingham is very stretchy and to be honest I wanted this finished fast to wear the next morning.

It works, I like it so yes this one is a success. Oh and its worn here with a thrift shop black denim jacket I picked up in a January Sale for £1.98 and a top I made here:
Thanks for reading,
Bracken