Blue Knit T-Shirt Dress. Something For Me. Again.

The idea for this dress started out with the idea of making a T-shirt. I was mentally going through my stash, matching up leftover stretch fabrics with patterns I made for tops a couple of years ago. I knew I had a blue stretch fabric that would go really well as a this gathered neck shirt (below).

The original shirt

When I pulled it out to use though, I had more than enough for a dress, so rather than have leftover scraps, I re-drafted my pattern with a few centimetres of additional ease and some pockets, just because I could, and cut out a dress instead. I figured if I didn't like how it turned out I could just cut off the bottom and turn it into the shirt it was going to be at the start.

Does This Mean I Just Added to my Stash?

I had a client visit me yesterday to pick up some mending. His wife brought me a surprise package of goodies. She had a bag of mostly lingerie supplies taking up space in her attic, and having no intention of ever using any of it again, thought that I might be able to make use of it! I think she might be right!!

One year ago today: Montmartre

One year ago yesterday, I was at Chanel's flagship store in Paris. One year ago today, I was in fabric shopping paradise: Montmartre.

Pity I didn't have a burning need for any fabric though. I was so overwhelmed by all the shops, all the fabric, all the buttons! Everything! That I didn't really know what to look for. Luckily my eagle eye husband spotted a shop with some absolutely fabulous furnishing fabric, and we grabbed some fabric to make curtains for our library. Still yet to be sewn (of course), but it's perfect.

My curtain fabric

Take a look at all of the shops that I didn't go into! Well, I did go into some of them, but I can't remember which ones.

One year ago today: Chanel Paris

At this time last year, I was fulfilling a life long dream of visiting Paris. Oh, I miss Paris! I think my husband was hoping that once I'd been there it would be out of my system, but having been there once just makes me want to go back and see more!

One year ago today was our first day of touristy things in Paris, and at the end of a day filled with walking past Notre Dame, visiting le Eiffel Tower, a visit to the Musee des Egouts, l'Arc de Triomphe, a stroll down the Champs Elysee, (complete with chocolate shopping), the Disney Store (blame the husband. And the children) and Haagen Dazs (because where else would you go for afternoon tea when you're getting a little chilly)! Then a walk through Place de la Concorde, we finished with a walk past Chanel's flagship store front at 31 Rue Cambon with what little energy I had left that day.

I took some photos of the store front (of course), but never really got around to showing them off. So, here they are. Chanel. March 20, 2013.

Window display

1900 Model 27 Antique Singer Treadle: Background and Restoration Part I

When I was growing up my mother had a Singer treadle which she had bought for $5. Before I even hit my teen years though, she sold it to friends of ours who were living out of town on a property, reliant on a generator for their electricity. My sisters and I all have fond memories of that machine, and I think we've all been secretly seeking to replace it in our lives. (Well I have anyway.)

Original eBay photo

Cargo Skirt Five Years in the Making

Do you want to know more about the skirt that I'm wearing in my previous post about my ruffle front shirt? Well, read on.

You may remember last year I blogged about a pile of fabric that I found hiding in the corner of my studio. I got quite excited, as one of the pieces of fabric in that pile was a stretch herringbone cotton blend that I had been looking for.

Inspired by a pin: Ruffle front T-shirt

I've had in the back of my mind for a while now a shirt tutorial that I pinned (via my sister) for a ruffle front shirt. When I was documenting my stash last year I also mentally allocated a piece of white knit fabric to the project. I finally managed to make my shirt last month, and I'm making the most of our dwindling warm weather (goodbye summer, I'll miss you, but not the extremes of hot weather you bring), to wear it as much as possible before I have to start layering up so you won't even know what shirt I have on!