Reggie died on 13/09/2018

My beautiful dog who so often photo bombed my blog posts died last week. I have kind of been trying not to think of it at all and done so much sewing its crazy. All that stuff that has been hanging round for ages is done. Its taken me over a week. I am still not working and glad to have had time with him the last few weeks. He was 14 last January and to be honest he has never got over losing his brother. Ron died at the start of June with a tumour which grew into his spine and paralysed him. Reg was ok in the day but every night since he would not settle. They never stopped lying on top of each other like puppies and he needed Ron to go to sleep. We moved downstairs on an air bed for the whole summer to keep him compay and I can honestly say I never once got a decent nights sleep. Reg had a hernia and in the end it burst and he was seriously suffering and it was time but it is still awful and I am devastated. I called them Ronnie and Reggie because they were strays and we had just watched the film The Krays. Not the best names to call them really but it seemed funny at the time.

Here are my lovely boys:

Reggie 2005

Reggie 2015

Ronnie New Year 2016

Reggie 2016

My boys

Always together

Ronnie in the car going out for a walk

My boys cuddling

The best chicken dog ever - Reggie with Emily (we were doing building work)

Stealing the chairs and getting comfy

Bracken

Two tops for my winter capsule collection

So here is my first top in Dark purple top and a second top which was not on my original capsule wardrobe list of things to make ( yes I have already deviated from my colour choices tho the crepe fabric is still the same !) made in bright red.

The purple top is the Lydia pattern from Burda Style and made in cheapo crepe polyester. I have put the textured side of the fabric on the inside which gives it a much more young and modern look. Personally my conclusion is this ceap polyester crepe is fine fabric to have a play with and learn on but if I make anything else from it it will be using the back of the fabric so the non-textured side. I blogged a while back aboiut my huge numbers of disasters usig this stuff with the texture on the outside. It belongs in a fumpy granny wardrobe not in mine. I may be old but I do not yet want to look how this stuff makes me look if you know what I mean. It reminds me of the 1970s crimplene dresses worn by my own Grandma when I was growing up. Vile! You can read that post here: http://brackencrafts.blogspot.com/2018/08/sewing-inspiration.html

I made this top tho from this stuff: 

I recycled the original top a while back because the synthetic white fabric had gone a kind of grey colour.  I truly did love this top despite using the crepe side of the fabric for the back and sleeves so wanted to make another one and ths time decided I would use a raglan pattern instead to create something similar. Possibly that was my mistake.

To be honest I do not like my new version anywhere near as much as the original but I have yet to wear it. The lace was not so wide and I do not think I have made such a good job at this version. Still it may grow on me. Its hard to know really until I have worn the thing. The placig of the lace is out really. I may have to try making a second one.

Also looking at the photo it looks like one sleeve is longer than the other. It is not, honest. I have yet to get photos taken of me wearing these so will update this later.






I also decided, on a whim, to make a very quick dirndle skirt - well it is September! I am not going to make a full dirndle just yet tho it has been on my "to-do" list for ages. I have my eye on several nice and wearable dirndle patterns tho the one really calling me is this one from the German Burda site 120, 07/2010:


Anyway I need to finish my capsule wardrobe before I start to even consider making a dirndle dress. The skirt I made is just a gathered waist skirt with elastic waistband made from a scrap of fabric left over from my skull top I made in the spring.

It was very quick to make and has a rolled edge hem so except for attaching of the elastic its all made on the overlocker.



Should be a good skirt for brightening my Autumn "play" wardrobe tho because this is definitely NOT part of my working capsule wardrobe.

 I am working my way through a pile of cut out clothing now so will see you soon with a few more capsule wardrobe items. Thanks for popping by:

Bracken

Winter Capsule Wardrobe

The last few weeks I have been very inspired by other bloggers capsule collections. It is not new idea but it does mean if you make a capsule wardrobe then it becomes easy to get dressed in the morning and for the sole intention of making my working life run more smoothly and not having to think too much first thing before I leave for work I am making a capsule wardrobe.

Normally I randomly make tops and bottoms that often do not go well together at all. This winter I need a new wardrobe to go with my new hair colour. So today this is my first post about starting to make a Winter Capsule Wardrobe.

I also decided a week or so ago that one way to clear some of my rather anoyingly large stash of fabric was to choose several pieces of similar fabric and make a new winter clothing collection which in effect is the same as making a capsule wardrobe. Its something I have been considering for a while now - the capsule wardrobe that is. Not that I intend to stick with just these items but they should help meto be more orgainsed in a morning and cut down on wasting time trying to decide what to wear and what I can actually get away with wearing to work, when I am getting dressed before I go to work.

I decided to go with black, purple and dark red cheapo crepe polyester because I have loads of it and need to clear some out. Its also very wintery colours that kind of compliment each other and that will go OK with my new dark red hair. I have a very nice faux leather bike jacket as well which I want to wear with these new clothes and a pair of boots so I want to make it all work together.
In fact I would recommend them should you want a pair of extravagent but lovely boots. They had a sale on recently and I have pre-ordered another pair this time clockwork fairy ankle boots. Also importantly, they do vegan boots which is brilliant tho most of the boots on the site are actually leather.

Anyway back to my Capsule Warwdrobe project.

I have this cheapo crepe polyester. Its vile if I use the right side as I have discovered with numerous other projects. However, when using the reverse its great and looks far less old ladyish. I made my orange jacket using the reverse. It looks more like proper bodycon fabric on the reverse but has no lycra so be warned if you do similar.

My reasoning tho is I already own this stuff so why not make a nice warm ( its warm this fabric) and comfortable collection of winter work clothing for a capsule winter wardrobe.  If it goes out of shape does not matter because I only want to wear my work clothing for a limited amount of time. I tend to feel I should have a new collection every season anyway since its "expected" where I work.  So I am not after making pieces that will last forever but more your every day work wear. Easy to wash, easy to wear but still reasonably smart and colourful but also I want it to fit my "authentic" me into the look. Not that I intend to stay red haired. Thats is just for winter but who knows. To be honest here I am already regretting my new colour. I should have used Directions or Manic Panictemporary colours instead. Still I never learn!

Then ideally I also need patterns that will fit and work first time so best to make things I have made before then I know what adjustments I am going to need and how to construct these items as fast as I am able to.

So I have cut out a purple dress same as this one:

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.com/2016/11/71the-november-monthly-stitch-challenge.html

I have cut a purple top but all one colour from the Burda style Lydia pattern. I made a blue one that was rubbish of these in this fabric before but stupidly kept part of it in the crinkle side of the fabric. I hated it so hope this will turn out wearable being made in the reverse of the fabric. I think it will be OK.

I have also cut out view B in red from McCalls M7261 sportswear pattern but I reckon in one colour this will work as a "work top"



And my skirt for this to work is made from black and red and purple with zips. Its the same pattern as my frill skirt here:
https://brackencrafts.blogspot.com/2017/07/lilac-gingham-skirt.html


This skirt has a different view which has an open ended zip instead of the frill. 

But for this I am trying to be a bit clever. I have cut the front out twice so no backs and added two open ended zips. Then I have added the lining giving me a reversible skirt. I suspect the fabric may pill a bit tho so no idea how long this will last. The lining is the same fabric as the outer but in different colours and will hopefully act to stabilise this fabric a bit since its not as stable as a normal bodycon fabric is and as already explained has no lycra in it. I have also cut a size smaller since the original skirt was too big.

I also want to make a black dress from some lovely fabric I picked up which to be honest I think originates in 90s because its a kind of crinkle bodycon fabric I last saw for sale around 99-ish. For my black dress I intend to use the A-symetric cowl dress I made previously here:  

I absolutley love this but it would be so much more wearable in plain black.

So having cut out several items I will now start to sew them up.

 See you soon with the results.

Bracken