#MMM18 day 14.

 Monday 14th I wore my white top - made last week


http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/lindy-petal-skirt-white-lace-trimmed.html



and over it my sports top made last year.


http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/98-and-99-sports-top-and-flared.html

 
And I needed the jacket this morning because I was cold.

Thanks for visiting,

Bracken

#MMM18 day 13

So my conclusion of this #MMM18 so far is I should have said my pledge was to wear a top and bottom, two tops and not simply two items cos when its hot and you wear a dress, so one item, but both top and bottom, it only counts as one. It should I reckon count as 2 but never mind. Its England and I probably need a jacket anyway so had to use my upcycled camo jacket as one item. I also wore my overdyed (so upcycled) leggings.

So today upcycled camo jacket ( cost £1 but had some damage on the bits where the insignia used to go so I added some ribbons).
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/mmmay16-100516-day-10.html
And my lovely blue dress. Its a bit crumpled. I never bothered to iron and straight out of the chest I use to store summer clothing in winter and scarves etc in summer.
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/61-3-dresses-from-one-pattern-monthly.html 

Only on a Sunday can I dress like this!

Thanks for visiting

Bracken

#MMM18 day 12

Saturday and I am tired after what turned into a very difficult week. 

Pale green zouave type trousers -great for slobbing and relaxing:

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/lime-green-slobbing-slouch-trousers.html

with red puffball top:

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

Thanks for visiting

Bracken

#MMM18 Gothic Friday 11th May

Today is finally the end of the week. It always seems like a very long week when you have a Bank Holiday Monday. This is weird really cos its actually a four day long week but it does always seem longer.

Anyway I ended my week having a slightly gothic day which is unusual since this really is not how I am expected to look at work.

And I got away with it!

We had to pack up and leave our office for a week while they redecorate so I will be a homeless, deskless employee next week hanging out in one of the on-site cafes. Still its only for a week.

Lots of my office were quite casual today though so no one said anything about my slightly unusual non-corporate work dress. I did wear boring dark grey RTW trousers tho so quite toned down.

I liked this outfit.







Mesh top here:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/black-mesh-frieda-petrenko-inspired-top.html


Top underneath it here: http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/mmmay16-day-24.html

Happy Friday!

Bracken

New fashion top from a costume pattern, #MMM18 day 10

 I bought the fabric I made this top from back in July last year when I was given some money for my birthday. Its a very cheap poly cotton from an Ebay seller. It cost me about £4 a meter including postage and I bought 2 meters. This is a the blue design. I also bought the red but have yet to use that. Its still on Ebay but the price has gone up. This was sold in July as Halloween fabric!

I used a costume pattern for the top which has a generic "Carmen" or gypsy top. There are loads of costume patterns available with this kind of design of top. They are often very cheap when the sellers have a sale. This was half price or less so about £2-3. Compared with a fashion pattern for the same design of top, costume patterns are usually a bit cheaper. You have to see what the drawing is rather than look at the packet the pattern comes in. The elastic casing is just white satin ribbon which I bought as a job lot somewhere and until now could not find a use for. I like it better than using black for a summer top regardless of the fabric being skulls.

This was a very quick make with the edges being just rolled on the overlocker - which worked fine on this woven despite it playing up n the white top I made! You can read about that disaster here: http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/lindy-petal-skirt-white-lace-trimmed.html

Anyway bearing in mind this style of top is currently around on the high street for about £20-£28, I reckon its a great success. Perhaps I should stick with easy makes😊.

Seriously, I am not going to do that. I have a bit of FBA to sort out soon else I will not be making any more fitted clothes, but its tempting to just make easy stuff. I do need to continue to challenge myself.

I wore it with my well worn wide leg trousers ( again!). Must make some new trousers.

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/working-wardrobe-1.html

Thanks for reading 

Bracken

#MMM18 day 9

Dazzled by the sun again!

 Me made cullotes which have gone through a bit of an overhaul since I made them. I hated the original version:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/93-leapard-print-cullottes.html

With my mixed media black top from The Monthly Stitch Stash Smash challenge:

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/multi-media-t-shirts-tms-october-2017.html

Thanks for visiting,  

Bracken

Lindy Petal skirt, white lace trimmed top, #MMM18 day 8

I downloaded and even printed the Lindy Petal skirt pattern probably 5 years ago and never got round to putting it together. Finally I not only taped all those pages but also made it. Partly I am spurred on by #MMM18 since I have no "bottoms" or not enough that I can wear for work and partly because I aimed back at the start of 2018 to make more work clothes.

So this weekend I got round to making this skirt and this top. The top is not a great success but I love the skirt. I think I would shorten it slightly for play but for work its great. Its made from the cheapest nastiest coral coloured polyester crepe and then the top layer is a nice but pale pink lace. I could not see what I would make from either fo these when they arrived ( Ebay purchases). I do not go in for pink much and especially pale pink. Lace I love but other than knickers I could nto thik what to do with this. Then after all my recent disasters I decided to be sensible and use fabric I do not care about. Initially this was going to be a single layer of the coral crepe but after cutting and trying against me for size I decided to add a top layer of lace. And I really like the finished effect. Just shows what a cheap bit of fabric can be turned into really. I simply overlocked the edge of the lace and left it.

 The top pattern is McCalls M6612. However I used two layers of another very cheap nasty fabric. I think its meant to be a stretch lining fabric so I got the idea - 90s style to layer it cos its a bit like that thick mesh that tops in the 90s were often made from.  I used the second layer to make a lovely neckline and will line more tops in future like this. Then the idea was to do rolled edges on the sleeves and hem.

Thats where it all went wrong! My overlocker which I damaged a few weeks agonow was having none of that. I lost loads off the edge of the sleeves trying again and again to get a rolled edge only to give in and use my old cheat technique of adding stretch lace. Thats not perfect either. I have a small ladder on the inside of one sleeves but for about £2 including lace, fabric and thread its going to give me a new top even if it will not last long. I reckon I will get a summer out of this and thats good enough.
  So this was a good weekend's sewing and I did feel good having a  whole new outfit to wear to work today.

Thanks for visiting
Bracken

#MMM18 day 6 - Upcycle Day: overdyed RTW dress with off shoulder burda top

Monday morning at the allotment I wore my upcyled crochet shrug with shorts made from a pair of linen Primark trousers which I overdyed dark dreen then chopped off and trimmed with the edge off a Primark T shirt that had got a bit worn. 

Its still sunny!

After several hours at the allotment I needed to relax so changed into an overdyed RTW sundress ( so sort of MMM by upcycling raher than actual making. It is still very different to hat it started as. In case you were wondering this sundress started off a rather horrible shade of pink ( bought for £1 during a winter holiday in Cornwall in an end of season sale.) I overdyed this in the washing machine so very easy using Dylon colour Bordeax.

With me made Burda style top. I added the straps later when it got annoying falling off my shoulders a little too much. I works great now. http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/53-wide-neck-off-shoulder-over-top.html

This top was another cock-up that eventually works. Obviously a message to me not to chuck those disasters out but to keep and wait until I get inspired!

Thanks for visiting

Bracken

#MMM18, Mayday weekend days 5 & 6

So its Mayday weekend so we get Monday off work. Yey!

     Saturday #MMM18

Saturday - went to B&Q for some plants to fill my Aldi Hanging basket.  I think it will look good once it grows-on a bit. There was dazzling sunlight this morning as well which is wonderful. We used to go to a Steam Fair in Rushden this weekend. It has always rained. This year we gave it a miss and look at the weather. Wonderful for Mayday and a brilliant change to usual at this time of year.

This is my new hanging basket with petunias on top and trailing verbena in side holes. It needs to settle in and grow a bit but I reckon it could be a winner. I am no expert with hanging baskets so am very happy with this creation. 

Mick who is my long suffering photographer had camera issues so we took these at several locations only to find later they all worked so maybe he needs a new camera or screen. Intersteing how the different surroundings change the colours of the clothing. I have never really been into photography - probably obvious ! - but am thinking may be time to do some kind of course.

so:
Top made forma  series of disasters uing a very easy pattern but I was just at the start of this journey into making so I found it very difficult. I managed to salvedge this which is a very nice top. I have got fatter tho so it does not look so good. I either need to make a new one or to lose some weight/ or tone up anyway. Maybe all three.

Leggngs made for the #gingham along.

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/64-and-65-gingham-along-items.html

Funny outfit I made for that but the top and leggings get worn loads. Separately that is. The jacket - well has been worn a couple of times. I need to make another in a different fabric and then decide.

Sunday #MMM18

Blue mesh top

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/56-two-mesh-dresses.html

This top started out as a dress but I added black soft fold over elastic at each side to gather since I found I never wore it as a dress. I do as a top. 

Circle shorts.

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/in-beginning.html
These shorts are the reason I have blog having put them on Burdastyle.com only to find them a couple of years later all over pinterest which seriously inspired me to have a go at blogging. They were drafted before cullottes really came back in. I am intending to make severalnew pairs this summer - assuming I manage to self-draft again! Always a risk since I did not actually make a pattern. I could wear these for work though - in the right fabric.

I was dazzled by the sun!

For England, on Mayday Weekend, that is amazing!

thanks for visiting, hope you are enjoying the sun somewhere

Bracken

#MMM18 Work & Play - day 4

WORK & PLAY

Day 4 and I wore my green hand knitted mohair cable jumper with my black mixed media top https://themonthlystitch.wordpress.com/2017/10/16/multi-media-t-shirts/ and my gold coat http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/egg-coat-completed-burda-style-pattern.html. To be honest I think coats and trousers will be my problem so already I have identified a serious hole that needs fixing or sewing anyway. Doing two items a day is definitley more challenging. I have lots of tops but am struggling with bottoms I can wear for work.  I do have MM clothing but  its a bit too casual for work so the pledge to wear two items a day could mean I wear the same stufffor all of May. Though there are two pairs of trousers cut out on my table. One even has all the edges overocked ready to be sewn up neatly. Time to get my act into gear maybe and get on with the jobs I had planned and have not quite managed. So four days in and already need some new trousers or skirts to wear for work. Well done Me Made May.

 

I finish at 16:00 on a Friday so a whole hour earlier than the rest of the week so home and change my clothes.

This is my faux leather top http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/a-faux-leather-t-shirt-with-mesh.html which started as a bit of a cock-up but actually ended up being a really nice top with mynow quite old red Burdastyle trousers http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/50-052015-burdastyle-trousers-114115.html made a year or so ago.

So quite a few me mades today after all!

 Thanks for visiting

Bracken

#MMM18 day 3

Today started off lovely and sunny. I never saw any rain tho would not surprise me if there was.

So here on day 3, I am wearing my bows top made here

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/74-quick-party-top.html
This is another top I should make a second version of.

The I wore this with my other pair of wide leg trousers made here.
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/navy-blue-work-trousers-from-burda-7122.html

To be honest its exactly the same pattern as the ones I wore yesterday but they fit better.



Also my MMM bag from uphostery brocade - very simple, just rectangles and a couple of handles.


You can also see my waterproof coat again:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/turquoise-faux-suede-waterproof.html

Thanks for visiting,

Bracken

#MMMay 2018 day 2

Its day two and despite my good start I had to actually think what to wear this morning. Weird when I started off on 1st by accidentally wearing loads of me mades but had forgotten about it being MMMay18.

Today we had torrential rain. Luckily I got the other half to take a couple of photos before I left home today when it was sunny and nice weather. By the time I got to work it was cold and wet. The first photo is a selfie taken on the way into work and I was soaked tho interestingly my waterproof coat works cos it was only the exposed bits got wet. The covered bits stayed dry. 

It does not really help tho when your shoes and socks are wet and stay that way all day. I need more waterproof shoes. I do have them. I just did not realise it was going to be quite so wet today. 

So here we have my reasonably recent waterproof faux suede jacket and my lace front burda inspired top and once again my tails cardi which to be honest I am probably wearing for most of my workdays in May.

So, today I wore my tails cardigan again
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/burda-style-long-cardigan-102014-102.html

My burda style lace front top:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/63-lace-trimmed-top-from-burda-082016.html
I really must make another of these because I love it, I wear it loads and its actually pretty naff cheap fabric but I still wear it for work.



and my most recent make my self drafted waterproof jacket
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/turquoise-faux-suede-waterproof.html

And after work my lovely Reggie had to get involved. He is nearly 15 as you can probably tell.

Thanks for visiting my blog, see you tomorrow

Bracken