Turquoise Cherries

This red piqué skirt is one of my favorite summer circle skirts, so it only seemed fitting to make another coordinating blouse to match.

And, of course, using up leftover yardage to make said blouse earns bonus points, in my opinion.

I have made this top a couple of times already, so there were no real surprises with Butterick 4985.

The other versions are made of cotton, so this one wears slightly different with the drapey rayon.  And I can't really decide which I prefer. 

I suppose they both have their place.

And I do have plenty of both fabric options stashed away to make myself more should I feel the need to add another to my closet.

And while I have never had my colors "done" or whatever they call that these days, it would seem that shades of turquoise are most definitely in my preferred season. 

I can say that I am not an Autumn with certainty, but I'm not going to let that stop me if I want to wear orange or brown.  That being said, I get compliments from strangers on the street when I wear shades of turquoise, and it happens frequently enough to have become a trend.  I guess I should count myself lucky that turquoise and I are part of a mutual admiration society, since the color seems to like me back.

Which has me wondering if I have any more turquoise rayon in my stash . . .

Blouse:  Made by me, Butterick 4985
Skirt:  Made by me, Stanwyck Skirt
Shoes:  Born
Ring:  Vintage
Earrings:  Vintage

Leftover Cherries

This is an older project, but it is always nice to be able to make a second garment out of fabric leftovers.

I made a lovely dress out of this rayon challis years ago, and had small scraps that were too large to throw away, but there wasn't much left.  I held on to the remnants anyway, hoping that they would come in handy at a later date - enter Butterick 4985.  Because the design is made up of a bunch of smaller pieces, instead of one or two larger bodice front and back sections, it's the perfect design for remnant fabric.

I have used this pattern a couple of times before, and I continually reach for them during the summer as easy-to-wear separates.

Rayon challis presents a fun challenge to wrangle a rather thin and quite drapey fabric, but it's always worth the extra effort.

I do wish that I could find some slightly heavier rayon prints, but for now, the challis will do.

It does take a french seam quite nicely, and it's a pleasure to hand stitch.

And although I had to get a bit creative with fabric piecing to get my ties cut out of the leftover bits of yardage, it all turned out for the best.

In fact, this is a reminder that I should pull out some of my rayon prints to make another summer weight blouse, or perhaps even a dress.

Fore!

Here is yet another outfit that was made last year, but never made it to the Blog in a timely manner.

It is certainly safe to say that this outfit was inspired by my Royal Vintage "Hepburn" shoes.  I couldn't resist the style, but they are a little out of my comfort zone.

The obvious thing to do was to spend some time in the sewing room and make myself some new separates!

The skirt is my second version of Simplicity 8019.  It's a great little vintage reproduction pattern, and I may have to make another longer version out of a more drapey fabric at some point in the future.

I managed to squeeze the skirt out of leftovers from this jacket.  I did have to piece the waistband at center back, but considering the small amount of yardage I was working with, I am quite pleased with the results.

The blouse was made from a vintage Brioni shirt that had seen better days.  I Oxicleaned the heck out of it and was able to avoid the shredded and still discolored bits to cut all of the main pieces for Butterick 4985.  I did have to make the neck tie narrower than I might have liked, but it works.

The other change I made was to swap button loops at center front for the buttonholes suggested by the pattern.  And it worked!

I love the pattern, and need to make myself another.  Or maybe I should move on to another design with a tie neck?  I will be holding on to this pattern, though - it's a keeper!

Blouse:  Made by me, Butterick 4985
Skirt:  Made by me, Simplicity 8019
Shoes:  Royal Vintage "Hepburn"

The Buying a House Blouse

Hello, everyone!  It’s been quite a while since I have posted anything.

The main reason for my online disappearance is the fact that I am now a homeowner!  That process has kept me rather busy, and the move, etc., has not left much time for sewing, let alone blogging.  I was actually without internet for a couple of weeks which was rather refreshing.

Of course, I wanted to make a new outfit for the occasion, but there was not a lot of free time prior to closing.  But I was determined!  

I have been wanting to make this blouse for years.  I often pull out scraps of fabric along with the pattern, hoping that I can squeeze out an entire garment, but it never has worked for me.  Until now!

The leftovers from this skirt and this dress were tucked away in a drawer, and while the dye lots do not match, I think I managed to make it work.  The neck tie was made with the leftovers from the skirt, and the rest of the blouse (which is a slightly more pigmented and heavier weight cotton) was cut from the remains of the dress.  There were quite a few people who thought that the look was actually a dress, so I guess the difference is not terribly obvious.

These photos were taken about an hour after signing all of the paperwork (in my old neighborhood).  I was exhausted, but very happy.

I really began looking in earnest over a year ago, so it was a huge relief to finally be done.

It has been quite an adventure, and my new living space is still not "finished," but Valentino and I are definitely settling in, and I am finally getting back into a routine - one that will definitely include many more sewing adventures!

Blouse:  Made by me, Butterick 4985

Skirt:  Made by me, Butterick 4792
Shoes:  Born "Kharen"