None More Black Bustier Top

Hello, remember me? I fell off the blogging map for a bit. My excuse? The computer imploded, and despite being married to an IT genius, I had to survive on an ancient Mac laptop that was basically help together with several reels of sticky tape for the next few months. My hands have been far from idle during this period - this bustier is one of a number of items I've sewn up but haven't had time to blog about yet. 

I intended this to be a wearable toile, before cutting into my fancy fabrics. The material came from two old skirts - a corduroy one that had seen better days, and a velvet skirt that had already been partly incorporated into a pencil skirt. It was also lined with some scraps of double-knit jersey from my stash, to prevent any potential chafing situations. 

The bustier was based on Burdastyle 01/2012 #127 - it comes with a pattern for highwaisted pants which I will attempt sometime soon (in Spandex perhaps?). It's a relatively simple pattern, with three pattern pieces - centre front, sides and back. I also added some thick straps to it, which were traced from New Look 6675. The straps help prevent any embarrassing clothing malfunctions, and also stop me from having to hoik up the bustier every 10 seconds or so. The bustier was lengthened by about 1.5 inches, by attaching the waistband of the corduroy skirt to the bottom of the bustier. I felt that this gave it a more finished look, turning it from lingerie-style top to a proper 'outside' top.

I made it in a size 34 bust, and used the size 8 for the straps. Unfortunately, my shoulder-to-boob ratio (proper technical term) is slightly shorter than the long lithe creatures they usually design for, so the straps were just ever slightly too long. Which I only found out after wearing the top around town for a day, constantly fiddling and pulling them back up onto my shoulders. So I ended up unpicking about half the machine-sewn stitches and cutting about 1cm off the straps. The top fits so much better now but let me tell you, I could have stabbed someone with a seam-ripper when I had to do that correction.

The double-layer of thick fabric was perfect for April, which was when the bustier was finished and when these photos were taken. It was perfect over a high-waisted skirt or trousers, and under a light jacket or cardigan. However, the temperature has risen considerably since than, which means that I end up with a rather unglamourous line of sweat between my boobs. It's a very comfortable top for these warmer temperatures though, so I will be working on one of two more versions in the near future, made with much thinner fabric. 

Sunglasses - vintage (op-shop)
Necklace - op-shop
Denim jacket - Levi's (bought new about 15 years ago)
Bustier top - self-made
Belt - Sainsburys 
1970s skirt - op-shop

The Garden Party Dress

The warm, golden sunlight in these pictures will probably alert you to the fact that these pictures were taken months ago. Oh well, best get blogging about this dress before winter finally gets here!

The impetus for this dress came about when an acquaintance handed me the invite to her wedding. Dress code - 'formal'...which always brings to my mind some sort of Disney princess dress (like this) - you know, floofy skirt, lots of sequins and tulle, the works. The type of dress that I would wear to a Manowar show, but felt a bit uncomfortable wearing to a mid-summer, outdoor wedding reception. Thus began the hunt for a 'grown-up' dress pattern. 

A quick online search lead me to Butterick B5281, a reissue of a 1946 pattern. Those illustrated babes looked so elegant and sassy, so a few clicks later and I was on my way to replicating that sassy elegance. Unfortunately, elegance is a foreign country to me, as evidenced by the above photo of me hanging on to 2 wine glasses. Oh well, I'll go for sassy then.

On to the technical bits. For the bodice, I decided to trace a size 10 at the bust, graduating up to a size 12 at the waist seam and skirt. The other change I made to it was to hack about 5 inches off the skirt, because I have short stumpy legs. Since it was rather more complicated than my usual patterns, I decided to make a toile first, in the same fabric that would later be used for the lining (a pink polycotton sheet for the bodice, and a navy blue acetate for the skirt, both from the opshop). The dress fabric was two metres of slightly sheer ikat-looking fabric that I purchased last year at the Wimbledon car boot sale. It's most likely a wool/polyester mix - it has no label, but I have a skirt that feels exactly the same, and is about 70% wool/30% polyester.

Constructing the dress was suprisingly easy, although the shoulder-flap bit on the left threw me a little.The trickiest part was probably inserting the side zipper - my first! I took my time and yelled a few unnecessary words, but managed to fit it in without too many wrinkles. It's a lapped zipper, which I thought fitted the whole vintage pattern thing a lot better than an invisible zipper.

Although it wasn't too difficult to sew up, it did take a lot of time though...so much so that I was sat at my machine at 10.30pm the night before the wedding, trying to finish fit the lining in. I cheated in the end, and set in the sleeve lining with big rough basting stitches. The skirt was roughly turned up and sewed with big machine basting stitches. No-one else could see it, and I've since managed to clean it all up. 

Dress - selfmade, necklace - vintage, brooch - vintage, tights - Sainsburys, shoes - from Hong Kong

Duck and Waffle

Happy New Year, peeps! Now that the festivities are over and we're back to our usual (grumpy) selves, let's rewind back a few weeks to the Friday before Christmas, when I met up with the Bake Club crew for an apocalyptic meal at Duck and Waffle. We decided on the venue purely because of it's status as London's highest restaurant - a good view of the proceedings is necessary if you're watching the world end.

Getting up to the venue was akin to being in a SuperMario game - first you have to get past the scary dragon (a Jonathan Ross-alike doorman without the rhotacism but armed with an enormous clipboard), then board the lift for the flight up to the 40th floor (rather exciting and earpopping), then get looked up and down by a black-clad, sylph-like figure, before finding your way through the labyrinth (of tables and much too cool and shiny diners) and finally ending up at the table where the rest of your motley crew awaits. Don't forget to collect your mushrooms on the way!

Spicy ox-cheek doughnut with apricot jam

Raw scallop with apple, lime and black truffle

Carlingford rock oysters served with lemon, Tabasco sauce and red wine vinaigrette 

Rosemary and garlic bread

Let us start with the starters. We were intrigued by the ox-cheek doughnut, which isn't something you see on menus everywhere. I don't remember much about the taste of the meat itself, except that it was tender and went very well with the sweet jam. I must try and seek out ox-cheek more often. The sliced scallop came beautifully presented on a block of pink Himalayan salt. However, the apple that came with the scallop was bland and had the texture of styrofoam. Styrofoam - good for finishing up school projects, not so much for eating. Fotunately, the generously-sized oysters helped redeem the seafood section's pride. Bread...I don't remember much about you, except that you looked like a focaccia and was nicely chewy.

Cornish fish stew - fish of the day with baby vegetables

Angus burger with Gruyere, onion jam and chips

I didn't taste the Angus burger, although the general reception from the others seemed to have been positive, so if you're the type who goes for burgers, go for it. It's probably a good choice. The fish stew was the priciest item on the menu, but was bountifully filled with fish and vegetables. I intend to revisit the place just so I can order it and have it all to myself.

Duck and waffle - confit of duck leg, waffle, duck egg and maple syrup

And now to the eponymous duck and waffle dish - a confit of duck leg, served with a waffle, fried sunny side  up duck egg, and ranekin of maple syrup. The skin was salty and crispy, just the way I like it. However, my enthusiasm was slightly dampened when I discovered the meat wasn't fall-off-the-bone tender. In fact, a knife had to be used to encourage it off the bone! (I know...how devastating.) My preference is towards a fork-tender confit - it means much less work for the lazy and is also much easier to handle for the clumsy. The egg was perfectly cooked though, and went nicely with the waffle and maple syrup. I've actually been thinking of getting myself a waffle iron after that meal, just so I can breakfast on fried eggs and maple syrup. It seems like it might be just the right meal for lazy weekend mornings.

Also, here's a view of the kitchen if you fancy that sort of stuff. Their waitstaff are generally on the goodlooking end of the spectrum, if that sort of thing interests you. You eat with your eyes, and all that...

Duck and Waffle

Heron Tower

110 Bishopsgate

London EC2N 4AY

The Swanning Around Outfit

Here's a two-in-one sewing post, because one post means less writing (typing) than two. And I'm lazy. 

I finished this blouse months ago, in the summer in fact, but only wore it for the first time two weeks ago! Why the delay? Well, about the time I completed it, Manbacon and I bought tickets to see Swans at Koko. Swan blouse, Swan band - coincidence? I think not! So I decided to wait until the day of the gig to take the blouse for its first outing. Long wait...and not a very sensible choice on a cold November night, since the blouse was hidden under layers of coat and scarf. Anyway, I had made up my mind, and so it was done. 

The pattern, as you can see, is Simplicity 5451, purchased about two years ago on eBay. I never felt any inclination to actually use it...until I found this pink and white swan fabric - actually a sheet - in the op-shop about a year ago. I knew what it would become as soon as I found it. 

'Overnight Success'! Well, the pattern cover wasn't too far off, although it did take me slightly longer than overnight due to other projects. The contrasting collar and cuffs were less a design decision and more a running-out-of-fabric decision. The sheet was rather narrow and short (I think it might have been meant for a baby's cot?) so there simply wasn't enough fabric for the collar and cuff facings. I think the white accents help give the blouse a bit of a 1950s diner waitress look though, so I'm not complaining. Finally, the plastic buttons were harvested from the duvet cover that turned into my Summer Safari dress. 

On to the skirt. It's based on my trusty pencil skirt pattern, except I redrafted it slightly so that the front waist darts become princess seams. This allows for the insertion of panels of different fabric into the sides of the skirt. It's a great way to add interest to a fairly plain design, and allows for smaller amounts of fabric to be used. 

The main fabric came from an old A-line velvet maxi length skirt that was given to me a while back. I cut the side panels from this massive bag of jersey remnants that I bought off eBay last year (it's THE bottomless bag of fabric - I've made so many things from it and it still sits there, undiminished). It's lined with supersoft black and white fabric harvested from a duvet cover, and the hem is catchstitched so it hardly shows on the velvet. I made the waistband out of faux leather, for three different textures of black. The faux leather was an arse to machine-sew though, and I ended up having to sew it to the skirt by hand. It's finished off with a  vintage metal button with markings that look rather like a fingerprint, however, you can't really see it in this photo so you'll have to take my word for it.

Hat - vintage

Jacket - Op-shop (Glasgow)

Blouse - Self-made

Skirt - Self-made

Tights - Pretty Polly

Boots - H&M

Happy Halloween!

BOO!

Park Life - Refashioned Dress

Nope, not auditioning for Singing In The Rain, in case you were wondering why I happen to be posing with a umbrella. These photos were shot on a afternoon when the sky went from frowny nacreous grey to a honey golden light - the kind that Tumblr dreams are made of - all in the space of the less-than-five-minutes it takes to walk to the local park. 

Anyway, back to this dress - another op-shop find which I rather uncharacteristically resisted buying right away, only to keep thinking about it and go back for it two days later. Of course, it was still on the same rack. What, no one else finds a sack-like, shoulderpadded 1980s muumuu desirable? You fools!

It's awesome pointed collar and lovely, soft fabric with that sort of 1950s print was what convinced me. I took it home, and decided to chop off the sleeves, unpad the shoulders, and remove some of the length. That made it a lot better, but it was still too wide. I looked like a green square. I got some elastic, and sewed it to each side of the waist seam, which brought it all in and made the dress a lot more fitted. 

Verdict? This dress is so comfortable that I've already worn it three times in the first week. It's now in the laundry suitcase waiting for a wash, and then it'll be worn again and again and again and again and again...I sure, it's like wearing pyjamas in public, except I don't look disapprovingly at my reflection and raise the corner of my upper lip. The picture below shows you exactly how smug I feel when I wear pyjama-comfy clothes in public - it's practically cheating!

Black felt hat - vintage, antique umbrella - available at the Bobbie and Lola stall, faux leather jacket - Primark, dress - refashioned, tights - Sainsburys, purple suede brogues - Marks and Spencers

The Playtime Playsuit

This post has been rather a long time coming. I finished the onesie (or playsuit, if you prefer) months ago, and waited patiently for a sunny day so I enact a photshoot featuring the onesie and I frolicking in the park. This being London in 2012, the rare sunny days seemed to fall on days when I was at cooped up inside. So I settled for my hospital-blue bedroom wall instead. 

The item in question came about relatively easily - a Frankenpattern involving my trusty bodice block and the highwaisted shorts I made around this time last year. The darts were moved to meet up at the waist seam, and the waistband of the shorts where removed before joining it up with the bodice. Lapped zipper at centre back to get in and out, finished off with a hook-and-eye at the top to prevent any embarrassing mishaps. Still not the most convenient of outfits to wear if you find yourself needing some...relief, though. 

Hat - Topshop, Onesie - selfmade, Belt - vintage, Tights - Sainsburys

You know what the best part of this outfit is? Besides the fact that it is a onesie, that is. It was practically FREE! The blue chambray-looking (but actually most likely polyester) fabric came from my mother-in-law, while the blue and white nautical-themed collar come by courtesy of the divine Miss Valentine. 

Quite pleased with myself that this little experiment turned out the way I thought it would. However, since I'm unlikely to wear this onesie much, I think it end up in my Etsy shop or Tea Rooms stall instead. 

Square Dancing at the Atomium

Despite spending only a day and a half in Brussels, Manbacon and I managed to cram in a whole host of activities, including a trip to the Atomium, as well as - wait for it - a square dancing session! A trip to the shiny Atomium was part of our plans, but stumbling into an international square dancing meet-up most definitely wasn't.

And stumble, we did. Coming up to the Atomium, all we saw was this rather unassuming 'Welcome' sign, and a few tourists scattered around, waiting for their tickets or taking photos of the giant silver balls. We walked around the the back, and were greeted with this sight...

About 50 middle-aged couples dressed in big skirts and loud shirts, waving to each other and twirling around. WHAT! YES! AWESOME! We had no idea what was going on, so sat down and watched as they danced to commands like 'Scoop the ocean...' and 'Reeee-cyCle!' Yeah...I have no idea either. Maybe they're keen on dancing as well as keeping Mother Nature happy?

This Dutch couple - the Stans - were happy to pose for a photo for me during one of their breaks. They also very kindly explained what was going on, and told me a little about square dancing. 

This, readers, is the reason I prefer spontaneity to a carefully planned itinerary while on holiday - if we had planned ahead, I would never have encountered this glorious sight, since the Atomium wasn't even on our 'to-see' list in the first place. RECYCLE!