Ok, so normal sewing has almost resumed, hurrah! Just when I got my internet connection and my sewing mojo back, BANG! There were the Easter holidays (School Holidays = even less time to sew) with all manner of play dates and family visits to try and keep little man entertained. I dropped him off at school this morning with no small amount of relief, I can tell you. Sheesh that boy is full on these days. Not so much of a little tornado as a full force hurricane. He IS hilarious  and wonderful though. At age 3 he’s taken to playing jokes on me. Jumping up and down like he’s desperate for the loo, watching me panic to get him to the toilet in time, then announcing he was “only joking” after all and cackling like a mad thing. Trouble is, I can’t help laughing, which only encourages the little monkey!

Anyhow, Elliott obliged me with a couple of naps during the holidays (I know!! I paid for it dearly at bedtime though) so I turned to my trusty refashioning pile for a quick sewing fix. Whilst the sandwashed denim trousers fit perfectly in the waist and hips, the length and bagginess were not my style at all. The denim shirt has that lovely softness to it that only comes with time and many many washes, but again it was just too boxy and unflattering on my figure…but I love the combo of light denim and tan/neutrals. It has a classic preppy feel that really appeals to me…
I adjusted the jeans as per this restyle from last year and the denim shirt in much the same way as this restyle from when I first started this blog. (Crikey that seems ages ago!)…Subtle adjustments but they make a big difference to the fit…

I’m pretty pleased with the result. The jeans have been worn and washed several times already and although today is only my first time wearing this shirt, I know already that I’ll be wearing it ALOT! Best of all, the total cost of my outfit? £4.50  (including shoes)!

Vintage Denim Shirt – £1.50, Next Sandwashed Denim Trousers – £3. Both from local charity shop
M&S Moccasins – £25 (but, I bought them with the vouchers we received from Sky when we switched internet provider, so in my book that means they didn’t cost me anything 😉

I’m a little out of touch with High Street prices as I rarely buy anything “off the rack” these days. So I hopped onto Polyvore and did a quick comparison against what I could have paid for a similar outfit (M&S didn’t have my moccasins anymore so I found the closest I could)…

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a pretty good saving, even if I’d managed to get these items for half the prices listed above.
Both the denim shirt and the neutral cropped trousers are really versatile wardrobe staples that I’ll be able to wear season to season, so these are a very welcome addition to my “Me Made” wardrobe. I haven’t committed to Me Made May yet, but I’m teetering close to the brink….
How about you? Have you signed up yet?

It’s been a while! When last we discussed the Top Draftalong, I’d finally finished all that fitting malarkey (Hurrah!) and traced my pattern onto card to create my block. (Where are you at?) So I thought I’d share with you my thoughts on the first round of actual drafting. The fun part! First of all, excuse the quality of these sketches. They’re just some roughs I threw down on paper while Elliott was busy in the ball pit at our local indoor play centre. Part of my multi tasking/fitting it all in plan 😉

I’ve opted to keep it simple (baby steps!) and with summer and Me Made May on the horizon, (I’m still pondering that one) some simple lightweight tops in a nice drapey fabric, will fit the bill just nicely.

Style 1
Sleeveless, slightly flared/A line top with bust darts, scoop neck to front, lower scoop neck to back. Graduated hemline, scoops up at the front and down at the back (no builders bum!) and maybe a button back…

Style 2
Slightly flared/A line top with bust darts, bateau neck to front and back. Kimono sleeves. Hemline scoops up at the front and down at the back and maybe a button back…

Style 3
Gently fitted top with bust darts, Peter Pan collar, kimono sleeves and maybe a button back…

My thinking is that the kimono sleeve is a great first foray into self drafting as it is drafted as a simple extension of the shoulder line rather than a seperate pattern piece. A little like the self drafted top tutorial I posted a while ago. Plus it’s one of my personal faves. A good alternative to a sleeveless top if, like me, you’re a little self conscious of your upper arms being on show. I’m a big fan of button backs but have steered clear of them on commercial patterns in the past because of my sway back issues. But since I’ve now fixed that on my toile/block, I’m hoping I can sucessfully revisit the idea. The button back will involve drafting facings, so while we’re at it we may as well go down the route of learning to draft the neckline facings too. I’m thinking for the first round of drafting, a combo of styles 1 & 2. Anyone wanting a sleeveless top can skip the kimono sleeve drafting. Similarly, anyone wanting a plain backed garment can skip the drafting of the button placket. Then for the second round perhaps we can move onto style 3 and drafting the collar.
What say you? Any thoughts or preferences peops?

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Sorry, this just cracked me up, so had to share….

 Busy driving his Little Tikes car around out the front of the house. Of course he HAD to wear his shades….;)

Allegedly the “Tillage” (not quite a town not quite a village IMO) where I live is having a Regatta style week this week. Short of a few strands of bunting, a banner and some charity tombola stalls, there wasn’t much of an event in evidence when we took a wander along the waterfront today. However we did get a total drenching whilst sheltering under a 4″ wide overhang during a sudden torrential downpour….which was nice…(?)
So we headed back home. Half an hour later it was blazing sunshine outside. But do you think we noticed? Nope we were too absorbed in this….

A vintage puzzle circa 1950’s that I’ve had in the cupboard for about a year…cute huh?
Notice anything wrong with this picture?

Ha, ha!! Yep. 2 hours of painstaking concentration later, and we discovered that there are only 499 pieces to this 500 piece jigsaw.

Still, if I make it to 60 with every single piece of me intact, I shall be a happy gal! Anyway, it was kind of fitting for a UK bank holiday, lol!
Did you do anything fun this weekend?
Px