Beach Blanket Babylon

This coat started life as a blanket.  I think it started that life quite a long time ago.  It was made in the Albany Woollen Mills, now no longer there.  I don't know when they closed down but I am imagining sometime in the 80s.  I like that this coat has had a long life before and that it was originally made relatively locally.  I cut the label off the corner of the blanket and hand stitched it into the coat.

 



 

And here's the coat. Ta daaaa......

 

 

I made the this pattern from Burda Style 10/2012.   I made my usual size 12 (38) and it seems to fit pretty well.  I left out the inseam pockets as I thought that some on the front would look better.  I'm still planning to put in some welt pockets as I keep reaching down to put my hands in them only to find I haven't made them yet!  My excuse is that it was very cold and I just had to start wearing the coat.  I also brought a couple of buttons as I planned to put one or 2 on to hold it together rather than just the belt.  I still haven't put them on as I wasn't sure I wanted to have a big button hole (or a snap) on the collar when I didn't have it fully buttoned up.  My compromise is a kilt pin.

 

 

I hand stitched the blanket stitch all the way around, using some tapestry wool I got for $1 at the market.  It was quite therapeutic really and a just took me a couple of evenings in front of the TV.  I'm actually really pleased with it.  It kept me warm at the same time too.  Initially I had planned to do 2 or 3 rows of running stitch just inside too but in the end I didn't want to overdo the crafty-ness of it.

I think though that the fact that it does still look quite like a blanket is what has got me so many compliments about it.  I thought it was reltively ordinary but I guess its quite unusual and the fact that it does look handmade does make people comment on it.  I have even had a couple of requests for copies.

Its not lined as you can see so its a relatively easy make.  I did flat fell seams, with a raw edge where I could and I like the rustic look of these.

It was a warm sunny lunch time when I photographed this but its been a wonderful coat for the chilly mornings and evenings. So with the sun shining, a cosy coat for when it isn't and at a total cost of $6 for materials I really have nothing left to complain about!

Wrapping up

Well nearly at the end of my posts from the beach photos shoot.  This one is a wrap top from November 12 Burda and a pleated skirt from September 12.

I'll start with the skirt.  It was a spur of the moment make, made it an evening as I was waiting for my husband to drive back home from Perth.  The timing was perfect as I finished just as he walked in.  I had had a big tunic style denim maternity top, originally from Vinnies, and really nice but I had had enough of it and so even though it looked OK  as a top post maternity I was over the 'bigness' of it.  Loved the soft dark denim though, the big pleat down the front and the big wide hem. I had a recollection of a pleat skirt in Burda, found the super simple pattern, did a quick trace and a cut out and got to sewing.

Reminds me I need to reinforce the top of the pleat!

It came together super easily, I stole a zip out of an old pair of David's work trousers.  The only small hiccup was that I thought I had made it too small so stole some seam allowance at the sides and didn't leave enough for my zip to sit properly.  Hey ho, I've worn it lots and it hasn't bothered me.  Its practical and goes with lots of stuff, easy to move around in and makes a nice change from shorts for casual wear.  Infact it got worn the weekend after I made it on a camping trip. 

I really liked the collection of 'loungy' patterns in the November Burda and already made the tank.  I had had the red marl jersey for a few months and this one seemed like a good bet.  I lengthened the pattern 4 cm.  

A funny one this can't really work out how I feel about it (not the biggest existential crisis the world has ever faced or anything). I like how it turned out but its not perfect.  The waist band has no stretch, and I keep having to pull it down.  I cut it out long ways as directed so not sure why this surprised me.  The neck too is very low and feels like it doesn't wrap over enough.  Thinking about it its obvious that if I lengthened it but didn't increase the wrap then neckline would go lower.  Keep wondering if I should unpick it and just sew it further round.  I haven't yet but might do.  I've worn it a few times, wore it today in fact with my skinny jeans, the bright red cheering me up on a blustery day and the over long sleeves feeling cosy.  Its also goes really well as a cardi over a dress (and then don't have to worry about pulling it down and showing mid-drift either.)  So its not perfect but it is getting used really quite a lot. 

Making the decision to make more practical, comfy and jersey stuff has been really good. Yey for that.

Romantic Refashion

A trip to the op shop turned up exactly what I was looking for.  A stretchy lace top in a colour that would go with grey.  When I got it out at home my husband looked visibly shocked and exclaimed that it was 'hideous' hoping, I assume, to put me off wearing it out of the house the next day.  It was a sort of pink stain gathered strappy number with black lace overlay and an exposed black zip down the front.  Very trendy I'm sure but luckily for him I was in total agreement as presumably had been the lady that took it to the oppy!  Anyway it was exactly what I needed!!!  I had a long visocse maxi dress I had got at a garage sale, it had pretty greek style stop but was in fact too big, and too fiddly to adjust.  They would go together perfectly.

Our new French Au pair Estelle had appeared a few days earlier in a dusty blue jersey dress with beige lace on the top.  It was super pretty but not a thing I would have normally considered to make/wear myself but it stuck in my head.  I asked to try it on, it was a bit tight but the idea was good so I traced the shape around the bust and cut out the top just a bit larger, it needed a seam down the back but all good.  Then cut off the maxi dress below the bust, cut out the inverse shape on the front of this, sewed the front and the back on, with a gathered bit in the back, and then serged the sides to make it fit the lace bit. Then I sewed some elastic inside using a zig zag stich to give it a drop waist.  The original had a higher one but really doesn't suit me so much and the heavy drape of this fabric makes the drop waitst really nice. 

Result a lovely stylish, romantic and super comfy dress and a look of surprise from David that something with such unpromising beginnings had turned out so nicely!  I'm imagining it in Autumn with my long tan boots.  I think it will be a really versatile dress, easy to dress up or down.

Please ignore my strange shaped boobs despite taking 3 pairs of shoes in my basket to the beach (none of which i used) I omitted to take appropriate undergarments as i had it in my head I was wearing a black bra.  Rather than have the white straps showing I opted to take the straps off which turned it into a very weird shape. hmm one of those things you may not have noticed but now you will...anyway you get the idea.

Recycled Roxanne

 

 This Roxanne Top is not as simple as it seems.  Its been with me for the last 20 years and was probably one of my longest serving items of clothing before it got this reincarnation.  My school 'Lecture Dress' - see below for explanation.

This dress had definitely reached the end of its useful life for me.  It was a bout 3 sizes too big not to mention a bit of a frumpy style.  BUt I totally love the material.  Its Indian Block print by Annokki on the finest, softest and most flowing cotton.  I love it.

Luckily the large size and frumpy style meant I had oodles of material to work with.  I had thought I would make a Roxanne with long sleeves and would have thought this collar was totally not 'me' but then I saw Paunnet's version and it all came together.  I had enough of the blue for the collar left over from the lining of my Chloe and the dress had enough material for a short sleeve version.  Yey.

Technicalities.

• All nice and easy really.  
• I made a size 6 (I've made 8's of victory patterns before but I figured it was pretty loose fitting). 
• I made 2 left hand collars, I cut it right but as the material is the same on both sides I must have sewn one up back to front only realising as I went to attach them.  Grrrr as it meant more fiddly cutting and interfacing, but luckily I had enough fabric.
• I interfaced the collar but it does make it quite thick.  I am not totally sure that I would next time.  I guess it gives a more 3 D effect at the front but I think just the double layer of material might be just fine.
• My back yoke is about 1/3 from the top.  Its made from the old waist band which wasn't quite wide enough.  Luckily the pin tucks mean it doesn't notice much.
• Lovely instructions meant it all came together pretty easily really.

I love it.  Its cool, floaty, pretty and a bit different with the collar.  I think it looks like something I might have paid a lot of money for in a posh shop (not why I love it but it makes me feel a bit smug!).

 So the story of the original dress......

I went to one of those English boarding schools where you had to go to Chapel on Sundays and occasionally to an edifying lecture on Thursday evening.  To attend these events you were required to wear a lecture dress (and no not having one was not a way to skip).  This was meant to be a smart dress, I think it was probably specified that it needed to be below the knee and have sleeves.

I would guess that 90% of the girls at my school had a Laura Ashley dress as these generally fitted the criteria pretty well only problem being that as a 15 year old it wasn't atall what you wanted to be wearing.

I was a bit fat and a bit grungy so really the whole Laura Ashley thing was not working.  I think after trawling round shops for about 5 hours with my mum we finally found this one in Annokki.  Long Sleeves, below the knee, floral without being chintzy and I would have liked the Indian thing.   Still do in fact.  Totally love Indian Block print Cotton. 

So here it is.  On the left I am 5 months pregnant in 40 degrees C in Fremantle Perth.  It was nice and cool and floaty. My Lovely Ma thought of it and brought it over here for me.  which is how it ended up in the right hand picture hanging on the wall waiting for the chop!