In Season Silk Competition - or the dress of swishy swishyness

When Tessuti announced the In Season Silk Competition, I got really excited. You see, I love the pinky-purple coloured silk. The other colour-way is not for me, but the other one was definitely my cup of tea.

Happily, I had the Brisbane Spoolettes High Tea to prepare for, meaning I had the perfect occasion to sew a silk frock for.

I am also going through a stage of wanting to wear things that have more waist definition. So, I sewed a vintage Style pattern - 2667.

I sewed Version 1, with the shoulder ties. 

I love it. I can't say how much I adore this dress! I wore it to my Mum's 60th Birthday lunch too and had many compliments. 

So swishy. 

I lined the whole dress in silk-cotton. The dress actually calls for a bodice facing, but there is no way that silk crepe de chine would hold up to a fitted dress well without lining. 

I hung the skirt for 72 hours. It dropped badly - but with some muttering under my breath, I evened that baby out and hand stitched the hem. It drapes beautifully now, particularly with the full lining underneath.  

I love the v-neck and v-back. I'm slightly obsessed with them at the moment (stay tuned for another v-neck dress). I stay-stitched the living daylights out of that neckline and the ties. Previous experience has taught me that they can stretch badly. 

To the Spoolettes High Tea, I wore it with these amazing Red Phoenix Emporium earrings. They are so light and so cool. 

So that's my entry to the competition. I am so chuffed with it - it is a dress I will wear to death and I feel really good in it! 

It was also good to challenge myself by sewing with a trickier fabric and sewing something fitted - I'm having a break from my beloved sacks. 

Are you entering the competition? 

Yves Saint Laurent Set-Acular Goes to the Nurse's Ball

My lovely sister Ruth asked me a while back if I would like to go as her date to her annual nurse's ball. Matt, her fiancé, has decided it is not his thing. It is most definitely my thing. Getting dressed up, swanning around sipping champagne, being generally a little bit fancy. Being the mother of a 3 yo, I do not get fancy. I get dirty, rumpled and generally tired. In short, I jumped at the chance to have a fancy night on the town with my dear sister.

I had planned another dress, out of silk I got for Christmas. I stuffed the bodice. I could fix it, but could not fix it in time for the ball. I don't really have a fancy fabrics stash, with lovely silks waiting my attention, so with just under two weeks until the ball, I paid Tessuti a rather panicked visit, and bought 2.2m of Musk Graffiato, a divine silk crepe de chine that Trish told me was a Yves Saint Laurent fabric. Let me tell you, it is amazing.

As I didn't have much time, I decided to go super simple. I also really wanted to make something I would wear again. I have done a wardrobe purge recently and need flattering clothing I feel good in. I have also been lusting after a very simple maxi skirt that Debbie made a while back, and so decided I would do a maxi skirt and shell top.

The top is Simplicity 2599 a very simple shell top with a few variations. I made the most simple of tops, no frill, in a size 12. The only things I did differently were binding the neck and arms and I used french seams. No way an overlocker was coming anywhere near my beautiful silk!

The skirt is a basic gathered skirt. I used a straight waistband with the zip going all the way to the top - I really don't like button overlaps on these types of skirts.

I didn't line either - I wanted them to be summer garments, light and swishy. The fabric was an absolute dream. Just wonderful to sew with.

I wore it with an Elk necklace and earrings, Elk shoes and a Saba belt.

Here I am with Ruthy. Little M said she looked like a ballerina queen. High praise. 

I had a great time - it was nice to be out and about, nattering away and eating nice food and drinking champagne. And of course, being all dressed up!

I see myself getting a lot of wear from these two pieces as separates. I think it was a good idea to sew something like this. I'm doing some serious planning for my Summer wardrobe. I want it to be a thoughtful plan, with coordinated pieces that will last. Do you plan your sewing? Or are you like me usually - sew the newest pattern in whatever fabric takes your fancy? 

Suzy (Pants!) in New Orleans

I have a pair of Elk Pants that I have worn consistently since buying them a year ago. So much so that a friend recently bought me the green ones as a gift. I've always wanted to make my own similar pair as I love them so much, but haven't ever found the right pattern.

Until Tessuti released their Suzy Pants Pattern.

Readers, I cannot lie to you. I love this pattern. It is simple and fits my aesthetic perfectly. I love a comfortable, funky pair of pants that I can wear with a t-shirt. I first muslined these pants in a viscose faille, but I actually found that the drape was not right - perhaps the fabric was a wee bit too heavy. I also found I needed one crucial adjustment (more on that below). So I bought a silk crepe de chine called 'New Orleans' from Tessuti.

The drape of the silk crepe de chine is perfect for these pants. If you are going to make them (and you should!) I highly recommend a lightweight fabric.

Sunshine!! Yay for Spring!

I wanted these pants to be very similar to the Elk pants, so I lengthened both the front and back crotch curves by 3cm each. I wanted to wear these just below my belly button (although my Elk ones sit just above my hip bones). I made a size small and didn't make any further adjustments. I think they are just about right.

The crepe de chine was lovely to sew. Very stable. I used a 'sharps' needle and sewed sloooooowly. I handstitched the hems, and used a wider elastic than the pattern calls for - they ask for 1.2cm elastic, but I only had 2cm wide stuff, so that was what I used.

I'm wearing them here with my Elk sandals, Sportsgirl t-shirt, and a Funkis necklace I got in Sydney on the sewist's meet-up.

These are definitely coming to Brissie with me tomorrow! They will be lovely in hot weather. They are loose and airy and made in breathable fabric. So - what do you think? Are you going to make the Suzy pants?

Pattern: Tessuti's Suzy Pants
Fabric: 1.8m of silk crepe de chine from Tessuti
Notions: 2cm wide elastic
Size: small
Alterations: lengthened back and front crotch curves by 3cm each.