Aussie Curves - Dark

Although I wear a lot of dark - this week seems like I have had no opportunity.  So busy... so hot... 42'C is not fun weather to wear dark. I've been moving furniture into my new office, running after kids, dancing and dancing, walking down to the shire hall two days in a row for practises...

Tonight our school can take a deep breath - a first in over a few weeks - because we are now on the down hill slide until HOLIDAYS!!!

We had recital night tonight and my class of year 7 and 8 students got up and performed to Tyler Swift, Cher whatsherface and Gangnam Style. We had a few compliments after they were finished and I am so proud of them. Next week we are going to have a sleepover at school,,, so we'll see if this pride will last that long :-P

Next up, Friday's Christmas Fete for which my husband is baking cakes for as we speak. Saturday, Staff Christmas break-up. Sunday, Carols by Candlelight in which I will be performing with three other music/al teachers. So a few more chances to dress up!

Skirt - Rockmans - years ago

Top - Suzanne Grae - even longer ago

Necklace - gift from mother-in-law

Shoes - Tulula Valu - I love the name Talula!  

Tulula not so much - I didn't even know that until I just googled it!!!

 So yes, let's agree that I'm not all that keen about the photos still. 

At least you can see the bun of gargantuan proportions.

Laser beams on stun!!!

I wish I could have tucked the top in - but the zipper doesn't do up. Shhh!

Oh yeah, while my hair is up and my glasses are on... 'sexy librarian look' LOL!

Seat of my skirt sewing

Last night I decided that I wanted to sew.  I had already cut this skirt out a few weeks ago so I figured I would just sit down and sew. It took me just under 2 hours because I ran into a few problems --- like ---

• Finding out that I had chopped  the zipper I had planned to use up for a previous project. 
• Finding a new zipper to use. 
• Finding out that my zipper foot had gone missing, searched the sewing room mess, was almost about to use a normal foot (OMG!) when I saw a glint of metal shining from under my sewing machine. 
• Danced a dance of joy that I had found my zipper foot. 
• Had to search for some bias binding, ransacked for fabric cupboard only to remember that I had put them in the second draw,,, right beside where I sew so that I could find them easily...
• Almost finished... run out of bobbin thread.

Not too bad.

This pattern is Vogue 8603. I traced the pattern ages ago and made two skirts from it, but a few weeks ago I re-traced it and combined the panel pattern pieces to make the seams into darts instead. Does that even make sense?

Anyway - wore it today and realized that I have to really take it in because I've lost a weight since I last made this pattern.

Also wanted to share how I 'baste' in my zippers. I use applique pins!!!

Note the fabric,,,  made me a floral pencil skirt. ASOS - $59.95. Me - maybe $15. Not including the time taken to make it because it was fun. Much like shopping is fun and you never include the amount per hour to the price of clothing that it took to find it, try it on and buy it...

Top - Avella from Big W

Skirt - Me

Necklace - leaves - Diva? It's from a long time ago

Sandals - Ko Fashion

Look - another cat bomb!

Proof!

Photographic proof I did exercise! My black cat hangs around while I workout and during stretching joins me - demanding attention of course.

Another week down the drain

I can't believe it - it's like the universe is against me at the moment.  This week I've had some serious sore knee issues.  For a few days I had to ice me knee.  So, starting to walk again today.

Inspiration

Bit of Pinterest browsing today between tracing off patterns and marking assignments.

  Nasty Girl - Jeweled Crop Knit for $48

 I love this - maybe because I just want to buy lots of plastic jewels!

She Inside - Blue Apricot Striped Long Sleeve Lapel Blouse for $32.80

The cute little collar with a matching sleeve cuff. 

Aussie Curves - Pastel

So I joined Aussie Curves this week and this week's theme is Pastel. I've got to tell you - I got rid of most of the pastel in my wardrobe a while ago. I'm such a naturally messy person, teamed with my job (kids, paint, food, glue) and that the water out here can sometimes stain, my lighter clothes ended up with spots all over them. I don't even think I own a white shirt anymore and isn't that a staple?

Anywhoooo, I went through my wardrobe on a hunt for pastel, and my options were pretty limited or work inappropriate.


Presenting my 'pastel' outfit,,,

Dress - Capture (Ezibuy)

Belt - City Chic

Necklace - Dream Diva I think

Sandals - Ruby Shoes

I didn't really want to use this photo because you can see our shoe tubs and my a shelf of random stuff and the fact that I'm a bit blurry - I'm not even looking at the camera. But then again, look at my cat Squish! How could I not? Cat photobombing.


I got heaps of complements for this outfit - this dress usually does, but my husband hates it - it reminds him of 'old women'. My mum actually gave it to me. But the next day I went back to colour with green 3/4 jegging and a bright printed top, and a coworker stopped me with a wave of her arms asking 'You went back to colour?'



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How to make dressing professionally,,, fun?

Bad habits

Does anyone else stay up until midnight looking at out of print patterns on Ebay?

Did I mention that yesterday I got a kind of promotion that will take place next year?

Does that mean I have to start jazzing up my wardrobe? A little less casual?

I bought some bubble necklaces off ebay to celebrate. I think every fashion blogger that I read has got at least one.

Talk of t-shirts

So the other day I ordered the pink t-shirt fabric that I mentioned back in the leopard top post.  I so love that top still! But!!! I forgot to order the leopard print :( doh! I'll have to check out her shop this weekend.

But anyway - I have more than enough of the pink for a second top, I also got a black and white stripe too.  I'm always wary of horizontal stripes - seriously with as large a frontage as I have I really do have to be carefull. So I went and looked for stripey tops that aren't all stripes...

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel t shirt (see more stripe t shirts)
Verdict: This is a little too cute:
Price: $107.28 $53.64 (50% off)

Marc by Marc Jacobs t shirt (see more stripe tees)

Verdict: The stripes, the gathering - 'HEELLLLLOOO ladies!' Cries my boobs to everyone that cares to look in my direction.

Price: $110.26 I think

Tokyo Fashion t shirt (see more striped t shirts)

Verdict:  This is more like it - included the right colours, but far too much ease for me

Price: $28US

Maymaylu Dreams t shirt (see more long sleeve tops)

Verdict: Even better - still a little loose but I like it

Price: $19.80

T shirt (see more stripe tees)
Verdict: I really do like this - but could it work without the print?
Price: $29

Oh my!

Still feeling sick - have an awful cough and still feeling it in the bones and muscles. 

But enough was enough - today after crawling back into bed for a bit of extra sleep in (today is a holiday in our town) I decided I really had to do something. 

I weighed myself recently and I had gained back 2kg already.  Plus clothes that I was considering giving away now fit better because I have put the fat back on.

So I started from the beginning again and did a Walk Away the Pounds 1 mile walk. Yes it was easy - I couldn't use the dumbbells though. So I'll need to keep on at it.

Did I mention that my birthday was yesterday?

Essential Ts

Getting in a little sewing this weekend.


Remembering that I needed more casual clothes that could work both as PJs and exercise stuff, I dug out my TNT pattern from Ottobre Issue 2/06, Obviously it's been worked over - a full bust adjustment, removing excess from my shoulder back, adding length.

I made up two t-shirts using a dark grey marle and a steel blue. Both are cotton lyrca/spandex mixes and were lovey to sew. The marle was from an ebay seller I can't find anymore so I'm glad I got metres of it. The seller made a mistake, an instead of sending me both a skin colour lot and a grey colour lot she send me 6m of grey - but it's lovely and soft. The steel blue is slightly thicker and I got it from Joelle.

I'm trying to move my neutral colour from black to grey. It's actually hard to find a lot of grey clothing but grey fabric pops up on ebay fairly often.

This time around I added 3 cm to the short sleeve and attached a band so I wouldn't have to do a proper hem. I sew this on the Renfrew top. Works so well.

I also added an extra 2cm to the hem so that I could fold the hem up 4cm and do a extra wide hem. This makes sewing easier and added a bit of weight.

Instead of making a dart, I instead eased in the extra fabric to make a little bit of gathering - this is easy, comfortable and makes room for my boobs. I got this tip from Eugenia's Fabulous World of Fashion. Admittedly it looks a little funny, but once it's on my husband says it looks great. For the steel blue top I took a little off the side of the dart area because I felt there was too much.

I also used my pinking shears almost everywhere - normally I would have just left it straight but I thought why not?

 

Whenever I sew t-shirts my husband is so amazed that they look like shop bought ones but fit so much better. 

Next up? I really want to make my yellow skirt or finish up my magenta maxi skirt.

Confession

My week of no excuses turned into a week of having a cold. Everyone at work is sick too. Luckily tomorrow is the last day of the week - yay for weekends, and then Monday is my birthday and Tuesday is a town holiday :)